Eisner talks up another world of fun

 

We're up in an executive suite high in the ABC corporate headquarters in Manhattan with one of the biggest guns in Hollywood, Michael Eisner. During an amazing 40-year run in the entertainment industry, Eisner has been a senior vice president at ABC (where he fostered such television hits as "Happy Days" and "Roots"), president of Paramount Pictures (where he green-lighted "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Grease" and "Terms of Endearment") and, for the past 21 years, chief executive of Disney, where he oversaw the expansion of an unprecedented media empire.

But does he want to discuss any of that today?

No.

Nor does he want to talk about his retirement from Disney next year, after highly publicized disagreements with company executives and shareholders.

All he wants to talk about, in this corporate aerie overlooking the urban woodlands of Central Park, is ... summer camp.

15 summers in Dunmore

Eisner, you see, is the author of a quaint new memoir titled "Camp" (Warner Books, $22.95), the story of his experiences at Camp Keewaydin in rustic Lake Dunmore, Vt., where he was first a camper and then a counselor between 1950 and 1964.

But this is not an "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"-style bromide, nor a blueprint for aspiring prepubescent businessmen. It is a sweet, simply told (if rose-tinted) account of Eisner's tenure at Keewaydin, paired with the story of two Southern California youngsters who were sent to the camp by the Eisner Foundation in the summer of 2002.

It's grand subjects are hiking, canoeing, homesickness and amateur camp shows. But it's hard not to read "Camp" as the nostalgic effort of a battle-weary chief executive, in the autumn of his career, to look back at a more innocent time and rediscover his values.

"The book is not about why you should go to camp and what you learn from camp," insists Eisner, who is 63. "The book is simply about my experiences there. This is not, to me, a book about business at all."

If there is a take-away from "Camp," it's the Keewaydin philosophy, as developed and expounded by one-time camper and former director Alfred Hare, a charismatic figure now in his 90s and known to campers by the Algonquin name Waboos. Says Eisner: "I think the major lesson of Keewaydin, to quote Waboos, is 'You don't fail summer camp.' If you can't do one thing, you can succeed at something else. You're not judged by whether you can win the race, you're judged by how you participate in the race, or how you cooperate, or strive to help the other fellow. What a great attitude." If that doesn't always translate into the boardrooms of America's mega-corporations, well, Eisner says, he can live with that.

Nostalgia is a hit

This unlikely little volume was conceived after Eisner was approached by George Stein, chairman of the Tri-State Camping Conference, at a 2001 Knicks-Pacers game and asked to give a speech for the conference. He surprised himself by quickly saying yes. "I got on the plane to go do it," he says, "and hadn't written a word. I wrote it on my way to New York. I thought there'd be like 100 people there. There were 3,000. I had my Keewaydin hat on, my Keewaydin T-shirt. I talked about the place, the Algonquin lingo, the camp songs. I've never had a reaction like that to anything I've ever done - 'The Lion King,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Animal Kingdom,' Euro-Disney - nothing even close. They went nuts."

Stein corroborates: "You could see the joy in him, and all these camping professionals were just loving it," he recalls. "This was off the charts."

Eisner began sprinkling mentions of Keewaydin and its ethos into other speeches in other contexts and found himself asked about his camping days during an NPR interview. Eventually he was approached by Warner Books publisher Larry Kirshbaum (a proud alum of Camp Indianola in Madison, Wis.), who was eager to share his experiences and encouraged Eisner to write the book.

"You speak to anybody who ever went to camp," Eisner says, "and you're going to hear four hours of their stories."

If at all seems a little old-fashioned, even hokey at times, Eisner is an unabashed cheerleader for the relevance of camping to today's youth. (This summer his foundation will send 17 boys and girls to Keewaydin and its sister camp, Songadeewin.) "I'm obviously a proselytizer to anybody I see," he says. "A lot of parents cannot imagine sending their kids away. It's a hard sell. It's difficult to leave your 11-year-old in a bunk, with a bunch of other kids. You can't imagine, at 40 years old, sleeping in a tent all summer, when you'd rather be at the Holiday Inn. But it is an absolutely life-changing experience. You have fun, and you learn something, despite yourself."

Can Mickey and Frodo revive virtual worlds?

If ever there were a sign that the wilds of online gaming worlds are going mainstream, Disney's entry into the virtual real estate business may be it.

With little fanfare, Disney began testing an online version of its venerable theme parks this week, as a prelude to a larger launch scheduled for summer. The game, dubbed the Virtual Magic Kingdom, is at least half advertisement for the company's offline parks, but the company appears to be creating the foundation for a new online gaming community for children.

Indeed, the world's three-dimensional blend of jungle elephants and pirates, rocket ships and the old West is being taken by some as part of a resurgence for online virtual worlds and "massively multiplayer" gaming, after a string of letdowns that clouded the genre's future.

"It's a great sign that we're starting to see more diversity in the kind of virtual worlds being launched," said Betsy Book, manager of the Virtual World Review, a site dedicated to online gaming, and one of Disney's early beta testers.

With games on the way based on top franchises including the Lord of the Rings world, and others aimed at the new Net-connected Microsoft and PlayStation consoles, the idea of virtual world building is again picking up steam.

For game companies, the attraction of steady monthly subscription fees is a powerful one. Virtual world partisans have touted their games' seductive flexibility, allowing everything from collaborative dragon-slaying to running virtual businesses that pay real-life money.

But for all this promise, the genre has never quite made it past next-big-thing status.

The runaway success of "EverQuest"--called "EverCrack" by some for its addictive nature--drove designers in the early 2000s to find similar success. Titles based on "Star Wars," "The Matrix" and earlier game hits like "The Sims" were viewed as a way to break through to a wider audience that remained unmoved by the successful fantasy world's mix of busty elves and orcs.

But "The Sims Online," released by Electronic Arts with high expectations in late 2002, proved to be a watershed moment in the industry. Drawing barely more than 100,000 people at its peak, and quickly plummeting to less than half over the course of 2003, its attempt to appeal to women and casual gamers misfired, leaving many questioning the genre's broader success.

Then, late last year, along came "World of Warcraft," drawing close to 1.5 million subscribers in just a few months of play, helping to nearly double the number of active game subscriptions in the United States.

Game developers say that has sent new energy into the genre, even if some big publishers remain gun-shy.

"That brought more new players into the game space, a number of whom are now back into checking out other games in this space," said NCSoft Austin Executive Producer Richard Garriott, whose Ultima Online game was the first big massively multiplayer game in the market. "It's been nothing but a huge benefit to all of our games."

Can Mickey succeed where The Sims failed?

Expanding the virtual world populations beyond a core audience of fantasy and science fiction gamers remains a struggle, however, and most of the new titles coming out over the next year or two remain in these genres.

The eagerly anticipated "Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar" game, shown off at the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), is slated for early 2006. Garriott's new science fiction action world, dubbed "Tabula Rasa," unveiled after a redesign at the same E3 show, is also expected early next year.

Microsoft has said that "Final Fantasy XI," one of the only massively multiplayer games to cross between the PC and the PlayStation 2, will be available for the Xbox 360.

"The market is coming back from what was a slow 2004," said Bruce Sterling Woodcock, an independent games consultant who keeps a running monitor of the massively multiplayer game business. "We're nowhere near saturation. And 'World of Warcraft' has pushed them to bigger budgets, so there will be more (visually) appealing games on the way."

Developers' attempts to reach beyond these genres remain muted, however. Broader social worlds such as "Second Life" and There.com, which aren't grafted onto a traditional game structure, have had some success, but remain small by commercial game standards.

"Second Life," which has prompted the creation of virtual businesses that make as much as $100,000 a year in real money, remains just under the 30,000 subscriber mark, for example.

Disney's foray into online world building, though targeted at children instead of older teen and adult players, is thus drawing interest inside the gaming community.

Disney isn't providing much information on its plans, saying only that the Virtual Magic Kingdom will be free, and will allow visitors to play online games, explore online versions of the theme parks, chat with each other, and set up their own "rooms." According to a note on the company's site, it has been developed in conjunction with Sulake, a company responsible for the earlier Habbo Hotel community.

"VMK is an opportunity to extend the Disney theme park experience to any home with an Internet connection," Paul Yanover, senior vice president for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online, said in a statement. The company will provide more information at launch, a spokeswoman said.

Giving children who have grown up with computers a crack at a free virtual world could help give the model a bridge to a broader audience, even if Disney's ambitions are relatively modest, some hope.

"What often happens with kids' and teens' communities is that the kids go in there and start doing all kinds of things that the companies never even imagined," Book said. "My hope is that Disney really listens to them. If they do that, they'll find that this project will have exceeded their expectations."

Empire Magazine Talks to Tilda Swinton

It’s no surprise that, when first approached to play the evil queen of frostbitten fantasy-world Narnia, Tilda Swinton had reservations. After all, why would a British art house doyenne, best known for her work with Derek Jarman, ever imagine herself as a polar-bear whipping poster girl for a multi-million-dollar, Disney-funded fairy tale? It’s not even like she was a fan of C. S. Lewis’ book, the much loved tale of how four World War II evacuee children quest to free Narnia from the queen’s wintry curse.

"It’s a tall order to play the epitome of all evil," she confides at the production’s base in Auckland. "She’s not actually human. She’s really a cipher; she’s whatever these children need her to be, to make them capable of becoming what they need to become by the end of the tale."

"But," she adds with a smile, "I am very white!" Certainly, physically speaking, the none-more-pale Swinton’s a perfect choice, and any doubts she had about the project were soon dispelled by the sheer grandeur of the sets, from her own Great Hall, a cathedral-like cavern with massive icicle-pillars, to the snowy woodland built in an equestrian centre that matches Pinewood’s 007 sound stage for size.

Given the project’s scale, location and material, Lord of the Rings comparisons are rife. But the filmmakers themselves are keen to emphasize the distinctions. "A lot of people have described it as a cross between Rings and Harry Potter" says producer Mark Johnson. "We’ll I’ve now seen a lot of it cut together, and what’s wonderful is that it’s its own animal. I’m a big fan of those movies, but this couldn’t be more different."

 

A general discussion with Bob Iger, Disney (NYSE:DIS) President and Chief Operating Officer and CEO-Elect, will be hosted by Deutsche Bank at its 13th Annual Media/Telecom Conference on Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at 4:00 p.m. EDT/1:00 p.m. PDT. To listen to a live Web cast of the session, please point your browser to www.disney.com/investors approximately five minutes prior to the start time. A re-play will be provided through Tuesday, June 14, 2005, at 4:00 p.m. PDT. 

Disney Girlz Rock, Available on Walt Disney Records June 7th

 

On June 7th, Walt Disney Records unleashes Disney Girlz Rock, a brand new compilation packed with hit songs from Disney's coolest leading ladies. The CD spotlights fifteen girl-powered songs selected from popular tween films and Disney Channel Original Movies. Girls will be jammin' to their favorite tracks this summer, including Lindsay Lohan's "Ultimate" from Disney's Freaky Friday, Raven-Symone's "This is My Time" from Disney's The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Hilary & Haylie Duff's "Our Lips Our Sealed" from A Cinderella Story, and Christina Aguilera's "Reflection" from Disney's Mulan. Disney Girlz Rock also features Aly & A.J.'s previously unreleased song "Rush" from their upcoming debut album on Hollywood Records.

Disney Girlz Rock track listing:

1.  "Can't Help Falling In Love" (Disney's Lilo & Stitch) - A*TEENS
2.  "Ultimate" (Disney's Freaky Friday) - Lindsay Lohan
3.  "Together We Can" (Disney Channel's Original Movie The Cheetah
      Girls) - The Cheetah Girls
4.  "Our Lips Are Sealed" (Hollywood Records' A Cinderella Story
      soundtrack) - Hilary & Haylie Duff
5.  "Superstition" (Walt Disney Records' Haunted Mansion Haunted
      Hits) - Raven-Symone
6.  "Reach" (Disney's Ice Princess) - Caleigh Peters
7.  "Drama Queen (That Girl)" (Disney's Confessions of a Teenage
      Drama Queen)- Lindsay Lohan
8.  "Go Figure" (Disney's Go Figure) - Everlife
9.  "Rush" - Aly & A.J.
10. "Anytime You Need a Friend " (Disney's Home on the Range) -
      The Beu Sisters
11. "This is My Time" (Disney's The Princess Diaries 2: Royal
      Engagement) - Raven-Symone
12. "I Fly" (Disney's Ice Princess) - Hayden Panettiere
13. "Let's Bounce" (Disney's The Princess Diaries 2: Royal
      Engagement)- Christy Carlson Romano
14. "Reflection" (Disney's Mulan) - Christina Aguilera
15. "Miracles Happen" (Disney's The Princess Diaries) - Myra

For a limited time, all Disney Girlz Rock CDs will include a free iron-on decal.
Disney Girlz Rock will be available June 7, 2005 for a suggested retail price of $18.98
wherever music is sold. All Walt Disney Records audio products also can be ordered
by visiting DisneyRecords.com.

Disney's Chicken Little characters seen around Disney

Characters from Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming film Chicken Little have been seen meeting and greeting guests at the Hollywood Pictures Backlot area of Disney's California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort.

                                                                                  

Disney often brings out characters from its latest and upcoming film releases into its theme parks such as Disneyland and those in Walt Disney World in order to introduce them to the public and bring awareness to the new films about to premiere.

Disney's Chicken Little characters seen in the park include Chicken Little himself (voiced in the film by actor Zach Braff - famed for his role on the TV show Scrubs and the movie Garden State), as well as Abby Mallard (also known as The Ugly Duckling - voiced by Joan Cusack in the film).

To promote the upcoming Disney movie, the Chicken Little characters have been out signing autographs and posing for pictures with guests.

Disney's Chicken Little has a release date of November 4, 2005.

Chicken Little is the first completely computer animated film from Walt Disney Pictures and is not made with Pixar, which produced the computer animation films Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles.

Disney had previously ventured into computer animation with its 2000 release Dinosaur, which was expensive to produce but was not as big a hit as the company had anticipated.

Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites Wave II Available For A Limited Time On May 31

Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents "Wave II" of WALT DISNEY'S CLASSIC CARTOON FAVORITES, a terrific DVD collection featuring Disney's classic characters and their animated shorts! These superb collections feature Disney's most adored characters in some of their most hilarious and entertaining film moments. The new "Wave II" DVD volumes in the WALT DISNEY'S CLASSIC CARTOON FAVORITES line are:

EXTREME SPORTS FUN VOLUME 5:
Mickey and the gang score tons of laughs in these eight wild and wacky animated sports shorts the whole family will love.

EXTREME MUSIC FUN VOLUME 6:
Here's your ticket to front row seats as Mickey and friends warm up their voices and warm up your heart with their hilarious musical antics in eight harmonious cartoons.

EXTREME ADVENTURE FUN VOLUME 7:
Strap yourself in for fun, fun, fun with Mickey, Donald and Goofy as your adventure guides, in eight edge-of-yourseat, laughter-packed escapades!

Each DVD in the WALT DISNEY'S CLASSIC CARTOON FAVORITES "Wave II" series is available separately on Disney DVD May 31, 2005, for $14.99 (S.R.P.). Available for a limited time only.

The full-color animated classics in WALT DISNEY'S CLASSIC CARTOON FAVORITES, vibrant in the sparkling color and sound of the pristine DVD digital format, are presented as crisp and clear as when audiences first saw them in theaters.

Special Wedding Episode Of "JoJo's Circus"  Monday, June 20

In a touching father/daughter storyline, JoJo's young friend Maya learns that her father, Mr. Muscles, is remarrying and her stepmother-to-be is Mrs. Kersplatski, but Maya is worried about the role she will now play in her father's life, in a special primetime episode of Playhouse Disney's hit series for preschoolers, "JoJo's Circus" premiering MONDAY, JUNE 20 (7:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. All stories in "JoJo's Circus" have a movement-focus and a life lesson for preschoolers and parents.

Starring are Erik Estrada as the voice of Mr. Muscles; Madeleine Martin (currently on Broadway in "The Pillowman") as the voice of JoJo; stage and screen actress Jayne Eastwood (founding member, The Second City, Toronto) as the voice of Mrs. Kersplatski; and Phoebe Mcauley as the voice of Maya.

Kathie Lee Gifford wrote the lyrics for "A Wedding's A Wonderful Thing" and "Maya's Song." They are sung by Jayne Eastwood and Erik Estrada, respectively.

The storyline includes elements that encourage young viewers to get up and dance, jump, bend and wiggle when Mrs. Kersplatski leads JoJo, Goliath and the whole class in a song and dance about wedding traditions. While all of Circus Town delights in the upcoming nuptials, viewers learn about the customs of a wedding.

As Maya wonders if her dad will still make her favorite peanut butter and banana sandwiches and if she will still be his "little mouse," JoJo and her friends Skeebo and Croaky question their own families about stepmothers. JoJo's parents Peaches and Mr. Tickle reassure JoJo that the wicked stepmothers in fairytales are merely make believe.

On the big wedding day, a fretful Maya hides away. When JoJo finds her, she encourages Maya to tell her dad why she is so scared about the change in their family. In a sweet father/daughter song, Mr. Muscles assures his daughter that he will always be there for her, no matter what. Finally, with all of Circus Town dressed in their finest, Cotton Andy officiating and Maya as the flower girl, the bride walks down the aisle. When Mr. Muscles realizes he has forgotten the ring, it is Maya who comes to the rescue.

In the "spotlight moment," a staple at the end of every episode, JoJo concludes that she learned, "there are all kinds of families, but no matter what kind you have, the people who love you love you forever, no matter what."

The curriculum advisor is Roberta Altman, Graduate Faculty at Bank Street College of Education, and author of "Jump, Wiggle, Twirl & Giggle." The episode was written by Susan Kim and directed by John Schnall and Tim Snyder. Music is by Rich Mendoza and Stuart Kollmorgen. The executive producers are Jim Jinkins, David Campbell and Adam Shaheen. "JoJo's Circus" is produced by A Cuppa Coffee Production and Cartoon Cola, a Cartoon Pizza Company.

Disney Shakes Up Hong Kong's Business World

Mickey Mouse is nearly ready for his much-anticipated Hong Kong debut, but he has already transformed everything from trains to hotels in this Chinese territory.

With Disneyland in Hong Kong opening in September, the city is scrambling to build thousands of new hotel rooms, workers are finishing a special subway line - the world's first dedicated to a theme park - and officials anticipate a total reshaping of the city's investment image.

``Disney is such a healthy image that we embraced it,'' Hong Kong Tourism Board Chair Selina Chow said. ``It makes people see that this is not just another Chinese city. It is a place where an American name like Disney is willing to invest.''

Hong Kong will be the fifth venue for Disneyland, joining Tokyo, Paris and the U.S. cities of Anaheim, California and Orlando, Florida. The 125-hectare (310-acre) park is being built on reclaimed land on Hong Kong's outlying Lantau island.

The park, set to open Sept. 12, is a joint venture between Disney and the Hong Kong government, but local taxpayers are footing most of its US$3.5 billion (euro2.6 million) bill.

It's part of the government's plan to make Hong Kong a major Asian getaway for vacationing families.

Tourism chairwoman Chow says about 5.6 million people are expected to visit the theme park in its first year. The city is launching a HK$470 million (US$60.3 million; euro47.7 million) tourism campaign to capitalize on the new visits, she said.

``We hope to showcase the whole package Hong Kong has to offer,'' Chow said.

One sector that is ready for Disney is the hotel industry. James Lu, executive director of the Hong Kong Hotels Association, said the city is gearing up for Disneyland by adding 8,000 rooms by the end of the year.

Lu said there will be 14,000 additional rooms by the end of 2005, but he is concerned about overestimating the tourists.

``We don't know how many visitors will come from China,'' he said. ``We don't know whether these people will be bused in and bused right out on the same day. There isn't a previous pattern to follow.''

Overall, though, Lu is confident the new theme park and the tourism campaign means big business for hotels.

``Not a single hotel isn't anticipating growth,'' he said.

But Mickey Mouse is more of a business-grabbing threat than a cute rodent for some business.

Ocean Park, the city's most successful theme park for nearly 30 years, is rethinking its operation and sees a complete overhaul as the only way to compete.

``Ocean Park needs to survive,'' said Allan Zeman, one of Hong Kong's most successful entrepreneurs who is overseeing the park's remake. ``The only way it can survive is if it becomes world class.''

The renovation includes plans for a new roller coaster, a subzero ``Ice Palace'' and a 7.6 million liter (15.9 million gallons) aquarium with an underwater restaurant. Ocean Park would also like to follow the Disneyland model and build hotels at the site.

Ocean Park's chief executive, Tom Mehrmann, said he doesn't want to go head-to-head with Disney but instead thinks the two parks should complement one another. Ocean Park will emphasize nature and wildlife while Disney focuses on movies and cartoons, he said.

``We're Hong Kong,'' he says. ``They're an American import.''

Another sector anxiously awaiting Disney's arrival is the transportation industry. With Disneyland being built on Lantau Island - about a half-hour by boat or train from Central Hong Kong - finding an efficient way to move people to and from the area has been a major dilemma.

Mass Transit Rail Corp. decided to build the 3.5-kilometer (2-mile) train line to the park, with a price tag of 2 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$257 million; euro197 million). The line is connected to the existing subway system and will be able to shuttle about 10,000 passengers per hour to the park.

To fully cater to the Disney crowd, the trains' windows and the passenger straps are shaped like Mickey Mouse. Additionally, the ceiling and the sides of the train are painted in bright hues of red, yellow, purple and blue.

Dr. Anthony Yeh of Hong Kong University's Center of Urban Planning said the new line will help the park be less dependent on cars.

``The normal pattern (for theme parks) is to have large parking lots to accommodate drivers,'' Yeh said. ``The MTR line ensures that Hong Kong's version of Disneyland will be public-transit oriented.''

Yeh also sees a big increase in tour bus services from China to Hong Kong, pointing out that residents of nearby mainland cities such as Shenzhen can easily make the visit a one-day affair.

``A lot of Chinese people want to come to Disney,'' Yeh said.

Treichel keeps rolling with Disney win

Most people would have to win on some television game show to get a free trip to Disney World.

Al Treichel just had to run a little more than 26 miles in the Disney Marathon to receive four tickets. The 76-year-old standout distance runner posted an age-group victory (4 hours, 7 minutes) in the January event.

"It was great," Treichel said of his family's Disney visit. "They treated us like royalty."

Treichel practically is royalty among runners in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties, and the Spring Hill resident gets invited to numerous races around the country.

The Milwaukee native is nationally ranked in Running Times and was fourth in the nation among runners 75-79.

Treichel has been selected an All-American the past four years for duathlons.

Despite all his success, he didn't think he was worthy of the Disney trip.

"Last year wasn't a good year," Treichel said. "I pulled a muscle.

"I am normally (No.) 1 or 2 in my age group. Because of that injury, I hadn't been training really well," he said. "I felt if I couldn't do real well, I didn't want to go to Disney."

Many of his fellow runners are in awe of Treichel.

"He was in Runner's World," said Judy Hensley, a Red Mule Runners Club officer. "I have seen him at races. He is running some respectable times.

"He is golfing. He swims and bikes and is very active. He doesn't look his age. He looks about 55 years old."

The veteran, who said he was a football player at Georgetown University in Washington, ran 39:46 to win his division in the May 13 Whispering Pines 5-Miler in Inverness.

Treichel started in the sport at 48 and set the national marathon record for a 74-year-old (Masters division) in the 2003 Twin Cities event in Minneapolis.

"In the last 10 or 15 years, I have lost maybe one race in my age group," he said. "My neighbors are kind of funny. They all say, "Call me if you lose.' "

The duathlons and marathons give Treichel extra pleasure. He has been in 28 marathons, including Boston many times and Hawaii.

"When I was on the U.S. (Duathlon) team, I went to Ferrara, Italy, for the world championship in 1996," he said. "You meet people from all over the world."

A year later, Treichel went to Cancun, Mexico, for the world triathlon and duathlon championships. He competed against athletes from 40 nations, finishing second in the duathlon and third in the triathlon.

"That was fun too," Treichel said. "I still enjoy it. Going and meeting the people and keeping in some decent shape are reasons I run." 

Walt Disney World with Cerebral Palsy

Between May 1 - May 7, 2005, my husband and I took a vacation to Walt Disney World Florida. The trip was to mark our third wedding anniversary. I'd like to give you suggestions for your Walt Disney World trip.

I have athetoid/spastic cerebral palsy. I need assistance in daily personal care and I use a motorized wheelchair. For this trip, I took my AT'M motorized chair. It's a very good chair for travel.

PLANNING THE TRIP AND ORDERING TICKETS:

1. You cannot buy accessible rooms over the Internet. I'm not quite sure why that is. You need to fill out a form and they email you. Instead of that hassle, I suggest calling directly. Explore their site and figure out what you want and then call and book it.

2. We choose to fly on Southwest Airlines. We never flew them before, but I'm afraid of flying so we picked the number one safest airline. I really don't have any complaints. They sat us in the first row. They don't have first class or in flight entertainment, but the flight was smooth.

3. Now that they have Magical Express you don't have to worry too much about transportation when you arrive. You might want to mention you need a lift on the bus, but it looked like a lot of the buses had wheelchair lifts.

PACKING TIPS:

1. Try to pack enough clothes because laundry service is expensive. Remember you can wear clothes for multiple days by rinsing or cleaning them in the sink and drying them on a drying rack.

2. Pack medicines. If you're like me, you get sick frequently and easily. I regretted not asking my doctor for antibiotics to take with me. The first day we were there, I got strep throat and we had to take time and money to go to the medical facility to get treated. Also pack cold medicine, headache medicine, and any other medicine you might need.

3. Pack plenty of sunscreen and sunglasses. I wore a lot of capris because they cover a lot of the thigh of the leg that can easily be burned when sitting in a wheelchair.

Coming next week: Getting there, Hotel, Food

Molly Brown - Appearances are Deceptive

Disneyland Paris - The minor damages visible on the Molly Brown from the railroad as reported earlier may be deceptive as we have received word from inside sources who explain the course of events indicating a much more extensive damage. While we are unable to confirm the report with independent sources all indications and our experience with the sources convinced us to release the report online nonetheless.

According to the inside sources for unknown reasons a fuel-pipe in the engine room became leaky allowing a build up of fuel-fumes/vapor inside the engine room which then self-ignited causing the explosion. At that point the fuel-fumes/vapor was also pushed up into the smokestack of the Molly Brown allowing the explosion to "race" up the smokestack. The intense heat inside the smokestack resulted in heavy damage to the surrounding wood elements on all decks and heavily damaged the rear of the wooden steering cabin too.

A first assessment by the CMs of the resort qualified the engine as most probably a total loss. In addition the smokestack would need heavy work as well as the wood elements surrounding it on all decks, plus the steering cabin. The result: experts have been called in to asses whether the Molly Brown technically can be repaired and whether it is economically sensible. More as soon as we receive information about the next steps in this ongoing process. 

Jusco promises Disney fun

KUALA LUMPUR - Disney Storybook Funtime is being held at four Jusco outlets from today until June 12 from noon until 9.30pm on weekdays and noon until 10pm on weekends.

There are several activities for the kids such as talent showcase, colouring contest, quiz time and stage games.

Jusco has also arranged four different Disney funtimes at their outlets.

“The four are Jusco One Utama with Funtime Adventures, Alpha Angle with its Funtime in the Woods, Funtime at Sea at Metro Prima and Royal Funtime at Kinta City", said sales promotion manager of Jaya Jusco Stores Bhd, Chu Yew Fei.

“We are looking forward to more activities at our shopping centres in future,” said Chu.

Yesterday, 20 children from Rumah Kids orphanage were invited to kick off the event. Each received a goodie bag.

Disney Cruise Lines has no plans for 3rd ship
The Disneyland we knew
ABC Entertainment outlines new 2005-2006 primetime schedule
Gay Days '05 may not be at Disney
W.B. grads treated to Mickey Mouse speech 

End this 'barbaric and cruel waste'

Disney Cruise Lines has no plans for 3rd ship

 

Despite burgeoning demand and a rising dollar, Disney Cruise Lines president Tom McAlpin said on Friday that the Walt Disney Co has no immediate plans to build a third ship.

The company's flagship, Disney Magic, has left its Florida home port for the summer to sail to California, where it will spend the season carrying tourists on Disney's first-ever West Coast cruises.

Disney Magic's inaugural West Coast voyage began on Saturday with a lavish send-off at the Port of Los Angeles.

The 12 cruises from the Port of Los Angeles to Mexico's Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas were arranged to mark Disneyland's 50th anniversary, and have proved popular.

'We haven't had to do a lot of marketing. We relied on past guests and the response has been fantastic,' Mr McAlpin said. 'We are listening to our guests. They want to go to California - we know there is demand out there.'

Although the US dollar's position against the euro has improved this year, McAlpin said exchange rates were still not favourable enough to justify the company ordering a new ship from European builders.

'We will move the ship around before we expand,' he said.

He also said Disney did not plan to add California cruises to its 2006 itineraries, but added: 'We haven't yet announced our itinerary for 2007.'

He said the cruise sales for Disney's two-ship fleet had proved resilient through the American tourism downturn spurred by the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001, and had returned to pre-attack levels.

The Disneyland we knew

Since Disneyland is almost officially 50 years old, I guess those of us locals who can remember opening day have to 'fess up to being of a similar age. Though I wasn't there on that famous day, my parents insisted to me that we did visit one time that same summer. I say insist because I have no recollection although I'm told I had a good time despite being scared to death by the wicked witch in the Snow White ride ("Have an apple, dearie").

ABC Entertainment outlines new 2005-2006 primetime schedule

Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment, today outlined ABC's plans for next season and announced the network's new 2005-06 fall schedule. The network will add 12 new series to a slate of returning programs that this season produced the largest season-to-season audience growth for any major network in the coveted Adult 18-49 demographic in at least 25 years.

Scheduled to join the fall schedule are two new comedies and three new dramas. An additional three new comedies, three new dramas and one new alternative series were announced for midseason.

Mr. McPherson spoke before ABC affiliates and representatives of the advertising and media communities at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

The new fall schedule includes new comedy series "Freddie" and "Hot Properties" and dramas "Commander-in-Chief," "Invasion" and "The Night Stalker."

For midseason, the three new comedies are "Crumbs," "Emily's Reasons Why Not" and "Sons & Daughters." The three new midseason dramas are "The Evidence," "In Justice" and "What About Brian." The new midseason alternative series is "The Miracle Workers."

In addition to the returning series that have already been announced, the new fall schedule will also see the return of "George Lopez," "Hope & Faith," "Rodney," "Supernanny" and "Wife Swap," with "The Bachelor," "Jake in Progress" and "Less than Perfect" to return midseason.

Mr. McPherson also announced that the new season episode order for "Grey's Anatomy" has been upped to 22. With four episodes unaired from this season's order, ABC will have 26 original episodes of "Grey's" available to air in 2005-06.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. McPherson said: "Through strong development and strategic marketing, we were able to make valuable strides this season. Our responsibility next season and beyond is to continue that forward movement. We're grateful to all of the people at ABC, as well as those in the creative community who are contributing to our promising first steps."

DAYTIME SERIES MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Wife Swap" (through January. New night and time) 9:00 p.m. "Monday Night Football" (through January) (the following will premiere after MNF) 8:00 p.m. "The Bachelor" (new time) 9:00 p.m. "Emily's Reasons Why Not" (new comedy series) 9:30 p.m. "Jake in Progress" (new night and time) 10:00 p.m. "What About Brian" (new drama series) TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. "According to Jim" (new time) 8:30 p.m. "Rodney" (new time) 9:00 p.m. "Commander-in-Chief" (new drama series) 10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal" (new night) WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. "George Lopez" (new night and time) 8:30 p.m. "Freddie" (new comedy series) 9:00 p.m. "Lost" (new time) 10:00 p.m. "Invasion" (new drama series) THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Alias" (new night and time) 9:00 p.m. "The Night Stalker" (new drama series) 10:00 p.m. "Primetime Live" FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Supernanny" (new night and time) 9:00 p.m. "Hope & Faith" 9:30 p.m. "Hot Properties" (new comedy series) 10:00 p.m. "20/20" SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. "ABC Movie of the Week" SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos" 8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" 9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives" 10:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy"

Descriptions of the 12 new entertainment series joining ABC's primetime schedule next season, listed in alphabetical order, follow (all times are Eastern):

"Commander-in-Chief" (one-hour drama, Tuesday, 9:00 p.m., ET) -- Mackenzie Allen has a lot on her plate… She has twin teenagers and a six-year-old at home, an ambitious husband at the office, and she is about to become the first female President of the United States.

Before that happens, however, Mackenzie, who serves as Vice President, has to decide whether or not to go against the dying wishes of the current President, who has asked her to step down and let someone "more appropriate" fill his shoes in the Oval Office. Not only does the President want her to resign, so does the entire party that elected her in the first place.

But when the moment of truth arrives, Mackenzie isn't willing to be a mere footnote in history. Instead of allowing her detractors to keep her down, she decides to trust her instincts and accept the most powerful job in the world.

"Commander-in-Chief" stars Academy Award®-winner Geena Davis and comes from Rod Lurie, acclaimed writer/director of the Oscar-nominated film "The Contender," and creator of the critically acclaimed ABC series, "Line of Fire."

Cast: Geena Davis ("Thelma and Louise"): Mackenzie Allen Donald Sutherland ("M*A*S*H"): Nathan Templeton Harry J. Lennix ("Ray"): Jim Gardner Ever Carradine ("Once and Again"): Kelly Ludlow Kyle Secor ("Homicide: Life on the Street"): Rod Allen Julie Ann Emery ("Line of Fire"): Joan Greer Andrew James Allen: Horace Allen Caitlin Wachs: Rebecca Allen Jasmine Anthony: Amy Allen

Credits: Executive Producer/Writer: Rod Lurie ("Line of Fire") Executive Producer: Marc Frydman ("Line of Fire") Director: Rod Lurie Production Company: Touchstone Television, Battle Plan Productions

"Freddie" (half-hour comedy, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., ET) -- Four women to every man are great odds when you're a single guy out on the town, but not ideal when it comes to your living situation. Freddie is a young, successful chef with his own restaurant, a stylish bachelor pad and a trust fund baby for a best friend. The world should be Freddie's oyster at this stage in life, but bachelorhood isn't working out exactly as he envisioned.

Freddie loved growing up in a house full of women. He loved the energy of everyone running around, loved cooking for them all, but now he's finally realizing why his father used to lock himself in the bathroom just for some peace and quiet. Still, Freddie believes family always comes first, which is why he insisted his sister, sister-in-law, niece and grandmother come live with him after his brother passed away. Slowly but surely they are taking over his domain, and voicing their many opinions about his love life. Freddie will have to learn to balance his role as provider, brother, grandson and uncle, all while trying to enjoy what should be his swinging single days.

The creative forces behind "The Drew Carey Show" and "George Lopez" serve up a comedic dish based on the raucous femme-filled real life of star Freddie Prinze, Jr. ("She's All That," "Scooby Doo").

Cast: Freddie Prinze, Jr. ("Scooby Doo"): Freddie Jacqueline Obradors ("NYPD Blue"): Sofia Brian Green ("Beverly Hills, 90210"): Chris Jenny Gago: Grandma Chloe Suazo: Zoey

Credits: Executive Producers/Writers: Bruce Helford ("The Drew Carey Show," "George Lopez"), Freddie Prinze, Jr., Bruce Rasmussen ("The Drew Carey Show") Producer/Writer: Conrad Jackson Executive Producer: Deborah Oppenheimer ("The Drew Carey Show," "George Lopez") Production Companies: Warner Bros. Television, Mohawk Productions, The Firm

"Hot Properties" (half-hour comedy, Friday, 9:30 p.m., ET) -- In a Manhattan real estate office, four very different women cater to high-end clients while coping with their own personal predicaments. Married to a handsome 25-year-old, fortysomething Ava Summerlin wants to start a family, while self-improvement junkie Chloe would settle for any guy who can remember her the next day. Recently divorced after being married ten years to a gay man, voluptuous Lola dreads jumping back into the dating pool, and the latest addition to this eclectic work group is rich girl Emerson Ives, who instantly bonds with the women upon learning that her supposedly virginal fiancé was anything but. And the ladies' office neighbors from down the hall, therapist Dr. Sellers Boyd and plastic surgeon Dr. Charlie Thorpe, help keep things lively around the water cooler.

In the tradition of "Designing Women," "Golden Girls" and "Sex and the City" comes an uninhibited comedy with real career women trying to have real relationships. One of the Emmy Award-winning producers of the mega-hit "Frasier" reveals just how exciting the world of New York real estate can be.

Cast: Audra Blaser: Emerson Stephen Dunham ("Monster-in-Law"): Charlie Evan Handler ("Sex and the City"): Sellers Gail O'Grady ("NYPD Blue"): Ava Nicole Sullivan ("King of Queens"): Chloe Sofia Vergara ("Chasing Papi"): Lola

Credits: Executive Producer/Writer: Suzanne Martin ("Frasier") Production Company: Interbang Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

"Invasion" (one-hour drama, Wednesday, 10:00 p.m., ET) -- For centuries man has searched the skies for signs of intelligent life… but to no avail.

What if the explanation lay in the fact that aliens were already here... already among us? And what if all of the natural disasters we've been experiencing of late were smokescreens designed to mask something far more ominous?

When yet another devastating hurricane threatens Florida, temporarily cutting off a small town at the edge of the Everglades, U.S. Park Ranger Russell Poole takes heroic measures to keep both the town's citizens and his family safe. In the middle of the violent storm, his young daughter is the only one to see small lights floating towards the water, seemingly unaffected by the vicious winds. At the time he thinks nothing of her claim, but begins to suspect that something may indeed be amiss when his missing ex-wife is found naked, with no memory of what happened during the storm.

As the tiny town struggles to recover while his nemesis, the Sheriff, quarantines the entire area, Poole begins to investigate the strange goings on, unwittingly beginning a fight for the survival of the human race.

Veteran writer/producer Shaun Cassidy and celebrated director Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") bring you the suspenseful tale of a blended family that finds itself at the center of a conspiracy to mask an alien takeover that is happening one neighbor at a time.

Cast: William Fichtner ("Black Hawk Down"): Sheriff Underlay Eddie Cibrian ("Third Watch"): Russell Kari Matchett: Mariel Lisa Sheridan: Larkin Tyler Labine ("That Was Then"): Dave Alexis Dziena: Kira Evan Peters ("The Days"): Jesse Ariel Gade: Rose

Credits: Executive Producer/Writer: Shaun Cassidy ("American Gothic") Pilot Executive Producer/Director: Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") Production Company: Warner Bros. Television, Shaun Cassidy Productions

"The Night Stalker" (one-hour drama, Thursday, 9:00 p.m., ET) -- There are things in the dark, things adults deny but children are right to fear…

When a pregnant woman is snatched from her home, the shocked citizens of L.A. believe it's an act of domestic violence. But crime reporter Carl Kolchak suspects that the truth is far more complicated. That's because 18 months ago Kolchak's wife was killed in a bizarre fashion and he has been the FBI's no. 1 suspect ever since.

Kolchak's determination to find the truth behind his wife's mysterious murder has led him to investigate other crimes that seem to have some kind of supernatural component. But he's trying to piece together a puzzle that keeps changing shape. Who or what is committing these crimes? How are they all related? And why do some victims end up with a strange red mark on their hands in the shape of a snake? With sidekick Perri Reed, a sexy if skeptical fellow reporter in tow, Kolchak will go to any lengths to answer these questions. But when he does discover the truth – will anyone believe him?

Cast: Stuart Townsend ("League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"): Carl Kolchak Gabrielle Union ("Something the Lord Made"): Perri Reed Eric Jungmann ("Not Another Teen Movie"): Jain McManus Cotter Smith ("X2"): Tony Vincenzo

Credits: Executive Producer/Writer: Frank Spotnitz ("The X Files") Executive Producer/Director: Daniel Sackheim ("The X Files") Production Company: Touchstone Television

MIDSEASON

"Crumbs" (half-hour comedy) -- Family is enough to drive anyone a little crazy. Children keep secrets from their parents so they won't upset them, dads leave for other women and moms try to run over dads with the car. Actually, that was the point that the Crumb family realized Mom was crazy.

Estranged brothers Mitch and Jody Crumb reunite in their small hometown to deal with their mother, Suzanne, who is being released from a psychiatric country club and has yet to discover that her ex-husband, Billy, is about to have a baby with his new girlfriend. They have issues… major issues. Central to everything is the dynamic between these two brothers: Mitch is the prodigal son who is returning home after a failed Hollywood career, and Jody is the older brother who has stayed in the confines of their small New England town to run the family business. Together for the first time as adults, this family will have to stick by one another despite their combustible relationships.

The creator of "Caroline in the City" mines his own WASP family for comedy that's smart, funny and surprising. The series stars Fred Savage ("The Wonder Years") and Jane Curtin (two-time Emmy Award winner for "Kate & Allie," "SNL," "3rd Rock from the Sun") and is from the producers of "Smallville" and "One Tree Hill."

Cast: Fred Savage ("The Wonder Years"): Mitch Eddie McClintock ("The Sweetest Thing"): Jody Maggie Lawson ("Pleasantville"): Andrea William Devane ("Knot's Landing"): Billy Jane Curtin ("SNL," "3rd Rock From the Sun"): Suzanne

Credits: Executive Producer/Writer: Marco Pennette ("Caroline in the City") Executive Producers: Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola -- ("Smallville," "One Tree Hill") Production Company: Touchstone Television

"Emily's Reasons Why Not" (half-hour comedy, Monday, 9:00 p.m., ET – after "Monday Night Football") – Emily Sanders is a successful young woman with terrific taste, great friends and a fabulous job in publishing. She didn't get to this place in life by accident. She worked hard and always followed a set of self-imposed guidelines referred to as the "Reasons"… reasons why not to take that new job offer, reasons why not to tell a vacation fling to look you up if he's ever in Los Angeles, reasons why not to trust your crafty, back-stabbing former assistant, Glitter Cho. However, when Emily crosses professional lines and gets involved with the roguishly handsome, two-timing author of their new bestseller, there's no denying that somewhere along the way her internal GPS system crashed. She's got to get back on track, and once again be heedful of the trustworthy reasons that help her navigate her way through life.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same title, Heather Graham stars in this comedy about one independent woman's adventures in life, friendship, love and their infinite possibilities…

Cast: Heather Graham ("Scrubs," "Boogie Nights"): Emily Nadia Dajani ("Ned and Stacey"): Reilly Khary Payton: Josh Smith Cho: Glitter

Credits: Writer: Emily Kapnek ("As Told by Ginger") Executive Producers: Gavin Polone ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Vivian Cannon ("Thief"), Robin Schiff ("The Bad Girls Guide") Production Companies: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pariah

"The Evidence" (one-hour drama) -- People lie. The evidence doesn't. It's the foundation of every conviction – with evidence, justice is possible; without evidence, guilty men walk free.

Acclaimed producer John Wells, ("ER," "The West Wing," "Third Watch") and director Gary Fleder ("Blind Justice," "Runaway Jury") put a twist on the standard police procedural. At the top of each episode, all of the clues (a locket, a phone, a severed finger) are revealed in a videotaped evidence log. The show then flashes to the day the crime was committed and invites viewers to play along with the heroes as they find each clue, determine its meaning, put the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out who done it.

No one knows the importance of evidence more than Inspector Sean Cole. After he lost his wife in a brutal murder, the only evidence the cops had was accidentally destroyed, and it ruined his faith in the system. Fortunately his partner and best friend, Bishop, is there for him, pulling him back to work, pushing him forward, as they both try to solve these complex cases set against the beautiful streets of San Francisco.

Cast: Orlando Jones ("Mad TV," "Runaway Jury"): Cayman Bishop Nicky Katt ("Boston Public"): Inspector Sean Cole Martin Landau ("Ed Wood"): Dr. Sol Gold

Credits: Executive Producers/Writers: Sam Baum, Dustin Thomason Executive Producer/Director: Gary Fleder ("The Shield," "Runaway Jury") Production Company: John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television

"In Justice" (one-hour drama) -- There are a lot of procedurals on the air that focus on putting people in jail. This is a show about getting them out.

Every year, hundreds of innocent men and women get convicted of crimes they didn't commit. Sloppy police work. False testimony. Biased juries. In the blink of an eye an innocent man can lose his life to the mistakes of an imperfect system. And every year the number of innocents who live without hope behind bars multiplies, while the real criminals walk free.

The innocent have finally found a champion in a blustery but charismatic attorney named David Swayne. A legendary litigator, Swayne is the head of the Justice Project, a high-profile, non-profit organization made up of hungry young associates who fight to overturn wrongful convictions, liberate the falsely accused and discover the identity of those really to blame. Whether the ego-driven Swayne is doing this in the pursuit of justice or publicity remains to be seen. Thank goodness he has his partner, crackerjack investigator and ex-cop Charles Conti, to keep him honest. He's the serious to Swayne's swagger, and together they work to rectify the mistakes of the justice system one case at a time.

Using real life stories as inspiration, the producers of "life as we know it" have created a legal drama reminiscent of "Reversal of Fortune," in which clients who are presumed guilty must ultimately be proven innocent.

Cast: Jason O'Mara ("The Agency"): Charles Conti Kyle MacLachlan ("Twin Peaks," "Sex and the City"): David Swayne Constance Zimmer ("Good Morning, Miami"): Brianna Daniel Cosgrove ("Beverly Hills, 90210"): Jon Larissa Gomes: Tina

Credits: Executive Producers/Writers: Robert King and Michelle King Executive Producer: Stu Bloomberg ("life as we know it") Production Company: Touchstone Television

"The Miracle Workers" (one-hour alternative series) -- "The Miracle Workers" are an elite team of physicians who embrace revolutionary medical treatments that many of us never knew existed. Each week the show will focus on a single patient with a serious medical condition and follow as this dream team of medical professionals changes his or her life forever through treatment. The team will utilize their extraordinary expertise in cutting edge medical technology to restore not only the health but also the hope of the patient. Each episode will feature some of the world's most renowned medical experts performing breakthrough procedures to heal those who need it most. For individuals who otherwise would never have access to elite medical specialists or the ability to afford costly procedures, "The Miracle Workers" will make possible what was previously thought impossible.

Credits: Executive Producers: Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, co-heads of DreamWorks Television; David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe from Renegade 83 Entertainment Co-Executive Producer: Bill Guttentag Production Companies: Dreamworks Television and Renegade 83 Entertainment

"Sons & Daughters" (half-hour comedy) -- Family is always unpredictable, so why write a family comedy when you can live dangerously and improvise instead? Like real families, you never know what will happen when you give characters total freedom.

Adult siblings Cameron, Sharon and Jenna have many years of shared history in this small town. Like every other family on the planet, their history includes many mistakes. This is proven by the multiple marriages and many children in their close extended clan. Sharon has postponed her mid-life crisis for the sake of her kids, but her sexless marriage, slacker son and nosey daughter don't make things easy for her. Jenna, the youngest, wanted to be a singer, but instead is a single mom who still lives at home. Luckily her parents love babysitting their grandson. Middle child Cameron, despite having kids from two marriages and a difficult relationship with his oldest son, Henry, is the glue that holds the family together. With all the messy interpersonal relationships, rivalries and religious differences, everyone needs someone to be the family's designated driver.

Leading this three-ring family circus is executive producer Lorne Michaels, the comedy veteran behind the long-running "Saturday Night Live."

Cast: Fred Goss ("Significant Others"): Cameron Walker Gillian Vigman ("Mad TV"): Liz Walker Alison Quinn: Sharon Fenton Jerry Lambert: Don Fenton Desmond Harrington ("Taken"): Wylie Blake Corri English: Jenna Halbert Dee Wallace ("ET, the Extra Terrestrial"): Colleen Halbert

Lois Hall: Aunt Rae Noah Applebaum: Ezra Walker Alexandra Gold Jourden: Marni Walker Trevor Einhorn ("BASEketball"): Henry Eden Sher: Kerry Greg Pitts: Tommy White Max Gail ("Barney Miller"): Wendal Halbert

Credits: Executive Producers/Writers: Fred Goss, Nick Holly Executive Producer: Joanne Alfano, Lorne Michaels ("Saturday Night Live") Production Companies: Broadway Video in association with NBC Universal Television Studio Director: Fred Goss

"What About Brian" (one-hour drama, Monday, 10:00 p.m., ET – after "Monday Night Football") -- Brian is the guy everyone wants as a best friend. He's the guy who'll stand by you at your wedding, drive you to the hospital, cheer your kids on at their little league game... the guy whom every wife dotes on and every husband wants to either grab a beer with or live vicariously through. But as all of his friends pair off and Brian emerges as the last bachelor standing, questions begin to arise in his head: Is there such a thing as Mr. or Mrs. Right? Why does love have to be so complicated? What is his problem with commitment? And the most pressing question of all -- could all of his problems stem from the fact that he is harboring a crush on his best friend's girl?

At 34, Brian is the last single guy in his group of friends: his best friend, Adam, was going to break up with picture-perfect Marjorie, but proposed instead. Brian's sister, Nic, and her boy-toy husband, Angelo, are trying hard to have kids. The bohemian Dave and Deena have three little girls and no sex life. And, like all married people, they can't wait for Brian to join their "club," though they're not exactly sure why. As for Brian, well, he's a serial monogamist but still holds out hope that one day he'll open the door and be blinded by love.

"What About Brian" is from the producers of "Lost" and "Alias" and the screenwriter of "City of Angels" and "For Love of the Game."

Cast: Barry Watson ("7th Heaven"): Brian Matthew Davis ("Legally Blonde"): Adam Polly Shannon ("Street Time"): Marjorie Rick Gomez ("Band of Brothers"): Dave Amanda Detmer ("Kiss the Bride"): Deena Raoul Bova ("Under the Tuscan Sun"): Angelo Rosanna Arquette ("Pulp Fiction"): Nic

Credits: Executive Producer/Writer: Dana Stevens ("City of Angels") Executive Producers: J.J. Abrams, Thom Sherman, Bryan Burk ("Alias," "Lost") Executive Producers/Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo ("Arrested Development") Production Company: Touchstone Television, Bad Robot

Gay Days '05 may not be at Disney

Fifteen years after it began, Gay Days has matured from several hundred friends visiting Disney World into a massive weekend of parties, concerts and even a cruise. But the gay hordes descending on Orlando this week will find a distinct split among Gay Days organizers, despite a concerted unification effort over the last year.

Shortly after last year's Gay Days, many of the event planners met to swap stories about successes and failures, much as they have previous years. Though they'd seen the weekend surge from a small gathering of locals to a huge enclave of international proportions, many felt that the weekend needed a breath of fresh air.

They hoped to create new excitement in the weekend, a spark that would invigorate both those who'd heard about but never attended and those that had developed a "been there, done that" mentality.

Those involved in the early discussions included party promoters Mark Baker and Alison Burgos, event planner Brian Bottorff, GayDayS.com president Tommy Manley, and the man credited with starting Gay Day, Doug Swallow, also founder of GayDay.com. A collective decision was made by the group to encourage gay visitors in 2005 to visit Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure on the first Saturday of June, rather than Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

The promoters realized that after 14 years, they were dealing with a younger generation that hadn't had their heartstrings tugged by Disney in quite the same way as previous generations.

Generation X-ers were more accustomed to action and adventure — something that Universal's Islands of Adventure has in spades. For those Disney die-hards who might not welcome the change, the organizers agreed to send people to the Magic Kingdom on Sunday, all under the concept of "adding" a day to the weekend's activities.

The concept of switching Gay Day Saturday to Universal was also intended to put Disney on notice that Gay Day organizers felt taken for granted. They hoped to provide a unified front, one that would help in marketing the weekend together as a whole, rather than just a series of individual events. A logo was created for all involved, from national event planners to local bars and clubs, to use.

Universal officials quickly recognized the potential boost in business on what is traditionally a slow weekend, and were eager to assist the organizers. In early November, Gay Day event planners, Orlando gay bar owners and leaders from a cross-collection of gay businesses dined at a welcome reception in Universal, where the announcement of the change was made.

But days later, representatives from GayDayS.com said they were not going to participate in the proposed switch in the weekend's agenda and instead planned to encourage attendees to stick with tradition and attend the Magic Kingdom on Saturday. The other event planners were surprised at the switch.

"GayDayS.com chose not to use the logo," Swallow said. "Up to a certain point, they were participating, then they changed their mind. They didn't tell anyone."

E-mails between the organizers show an early suggestion by GayDayS.com's Manley that the group rotate Gay Day Saturday to a different park every year to keep the event fresh.

Chris Alexander-Manley, GayDayS.com's vice president of sales and marketing, claims his company never backed the change to Universal.

"We've never supported going to Universal," said. "We've long supported people trying other parks. But when people tried to do this [switch], they almost took offense we didn't join in."

Just as the lines were drawn in the great gay battle of the theme parks, a new entrant to the arena shook things up in ways no one expected. Although in Johnny Chisholm's case, it was a return more than a new entry.

Chisholm is a North Florida-based promoter and event planner who owns the legendary Oz bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, and Emerald City in Pensacola, Fla. His return to Gay Days may bring about the biggest changes in 2005.

In March, Chisholm purchased the rights to Bottorff's Reunion Events Inc., which boasts the largest group booking of the weekend, at the Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa. The Reunion pool parties during the weekend also started small but grew over the years to huge dance events with top-notch DJs.

Also in March, Chisholm announced plans to resurrect One Mighty Party at the Disney/MGM Studios, one of the original evening events of Gay Days, developed by Chisholm nine years ago. The MGM theme park became available when Baker elected to move his Saturday night Stars party to Universal Studios for the first time — a move Baker said was also intended to freshen up the schedule of evening activities.

Chisholm's purchase of Reunion was only the first of what would become a buying spree of the weekend's events.

In late April, Chisholm announced he had also purchased Baker's production company, thereby taking control of all of the weekend's major men's circuit events, including Friday's Beach Ball at Typhoon Lagoon, the Sunday Colosseum party at Hard Rock Live, and the after-hours parties at Arabian Nights, which take place after the main parties on all three weekend evenings.

Both Baker and Chisholm said the decision and execution of the sale took place in less than 30 days. Baker said the timing was right and he felt he had done all he could creatively with the weekend.

Chisholm's changes to the weekend circuit party schedule were swift. Rather than host two competing Saturday night events — Baker's Stars party at Universal and his One Mighty Party at MGM — Chisholm cancelled the Stars event. That same day he informed more than 1,000 people who had pre-paid for the Stars party that their tickets would be honored at the MGM event. He also refunded each ticket buyer the difference in the prices for the two events and re-branded the weekend as One Mighty Weekend.

The other Gay Day organizers — including Baker, Bottorff, Burgos and Swallow — said they had hoped Chisholm would join their marketing push and support people attending Universal's Islands of Adventure on Gay Day Saturday. But after Chisholm canceled the Stars Party at Universal, he had no further allegiance to the area's second largest resort. Instead, Chisholm is encouraging Gay Days Weekend attendees to visit the Magic Kingdom.

"We do not have an alliance," Chisholm said of his relationship with Disney and its theme parks. "I don't look at it in those ways. We are going with tradition. When everyone started to come to town, it used to be called Gay Disney. Things get a little messy when you start messing with tradition."

One party promoter who felt squeezed out by Chisholm's buying spree said the decision to back the Magic Kingdom was more about money than tradition.

"He's in bed with Disney," said Jeffrey Sanker, a California-based party promoter who had co-promoted the Stars party with Baker before the sale to Chisolm. "He does two Disney events; it's a political thing for him to say to stay on Disney property."

Though this is the first year in nine that Sanker will not be connected with any of the Gay Days evening events, he said he still plans to attend, though this time for fun.

"I'm not sure I'm allowed there [if I'm not throwing a party]," Sanker joked.

Though Chisholm will have virtually no competition with large-scale evening events this year, don't expect that to stay the same for 2006.

"I totally plan to come back in a big way next year," Sanker said. He said he has already lined up a host hotel for next year and plans to bring a version of his famed signature event, the White Party, to Orlando. He said he's also lined up a "great venue" for the event but would not yet disclose its location.

W.B. grads treated to Mickey Mouse speech

WEST BURLINGTON — It was a day full of laughter, tears and youthful optimism for the family and friends of 45 West Burlington High School seniors who packed the school's gymnasium Sunday afternoon for the 2005 commencement ceremonies.

It was also a day where teary–eyed parents and wide–eyed seniors hugged and held hands as each fondly recalled the journey from adolescence to adulthood.

Among those seated on the floor behind the graduates were proud parents Rebecca and Phillip Prickett of West Burlington.

Their daughter, Shannon, was given the honor, along with classmate Jason Paull, to speak to fellow students as part of the traditional senior address.

"We couldn't be more proud of her," said Rebecca Prickett as she fought back tears.

Donning Mickey Mouse ears over their caps, Prickett and Paull spoke of a recent trip to Disney World in Florida and drew parallels between classic cartoon characters and their classmates.

Laughter erupted as graduate Adam Breuer was cast as the Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland," thanks to a good sense of humor and an exuberant nature. Other students were likened to Minnie Mouse, Goofy and characters from the movie "The Lion King."

By the end of their speech, the pair focused on the future and the fears each student must overcome to achieve their dreams.

"A trip to Disney is a lot of fun like high school, but it's only a vacation ... life goes on," said Paull and Prickett.

Principal Ronald Teater applauded seniors for their efforts and recognized students who received college scholarships or academic awards.

Teater then called class salutatorian Christine Rolof and valedictorian Brian Wemmie up to the stage to receive their honors amid thunderous applause.

Teater concluded, "They (senior class) have a unique way of getting things done. They will be successful in whatever they choose to do."

Students formed a single file line walking up to the stage to receive their diplomas. After exiting the stage, Shannon Prickett rushed over to where her parents were seated and gave them each a hug.

"I am glad it's done. I am nervous, I think we all are ... but it's a great feeling to see all your hard work rewarded," she said.

Her mother, overwhelmed with emotion, said the day was joyous but also bittersweet.

"You look forward to this moment for so long, but when it finally comes, you realize your child has grown up," she said. "I kind of been dreading this day, but I couldn't be prouder of her." 

End this 'barbaric and cruel waste'

Marine conservationist Brian Darvell does not mince his words when it comes to the controversial shark's fin business.

"It's a barbaric and completely wasteful trade,'' Darvell said in an interview with The Standard.

He caused an international outcry earlier this month when he sent a letter to Disney's US-based chief executive, Michael Eisner, strongly objecting to the theme park's decision to serve shark's fin soup for wedding banquets when it opens Hong Kong Disneyland in September.

Hong Kong Disneyland was unmoved by the outrage among green groups following Darvell's letter.

Disney spokeswoman Esther Wong said on May 27 that the park is sticking with its decision to serve shark's fin because it is ``part of the local Chinese culture.''

She said the need to respect cultures must be balanced with caring for the environment.

But Darvell, 57 - a professor at the University of Hong Kong Dental School who has devoted himself to marine conservation since he was in secondary school in England - said it is ironic that Hong Kong Disneyland will offer shark's fin on the menu while saying it cares about environmental issues.

In his letter to Eisner, Darvell said, ``I think this is a mistake of the highest order. No matter that such soup is perceived as prestigious by some consumers, from whom you simply wish to make money, shame on you.''

The letter opened a Pandora's Box as many green groups, including the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace and US based conservation group WildAid, threatened to mount a global boycott of Disneyland if it insists on serving shark's fin soup.

What really irks Darvell, who has lived in Hong Kong for about 20 years, is Disney's assertion that shark's fin is part of Chinese culture.

Darvell, former chairman of Hong Kong Marine Conservation and a member of the South China Diving Club, described Disney's ``cultural card'' defense as ``slightly dishonest,'' given the global concern over the fate of sharks, which he says are ``beautiful and fantastic.''

``It is not cultural, but a distortion.It is the only way for [Disney to] defend putting shark's fin soup on the menu,'' he said.

He argued that shark's fin soup is not something that has been on the Chinese menu for a ``particularly long time,'' but that it is a relatively recent phenomenon. ``What is the tradition ... 10 years, 50 years or 100 years? Where do you draw the line? Playing the cultural card is a shame.''

The fin itself is almost tasteless, but in southern China it is regarded as a sign of wealth and is often served at traditional Chinese wedding banquets. It is time to change and remove ``barbaric'' attitudes of eating shark's fin, Darvell said.

He said that Hong Kong Disneyland has committed a ``simple error''- one that would be easy to rectify by withdrawing shark's fin from the menu.

It would not make any difference to the customers, as the soup is not one of Disney's main ``selling points,'' he added.

Most of the shark fins imported into Hong Kong are kept mainly in Sai Ying Pun which, according to the New York-based Worldlife Conservation Society, is the world's largest shark-fin trading center.

Ironically, it is only a five-minute walk from Darvell's office.

He admits he is unable to explain the issue to his ``neighbors'' as it involves their livelihood. But he wants to ask the traders, ``Why is there a market for it, and why is shark's fin valued so highly?''

Trade in shark fins is a profitable business. One trader told The Standard he can sell shark's fins for HK$7,000, or more, per kilogram. Between 30 and 40 species are commonly traded, with the fins imported from all over the world.

A study in 2003 by the Wildlife Conservation Society estimated Hong Kong handles 50 to 85 percent of the world's shark fin imports.

The high demand has also seen smuggling of fins, violating international law, said Darvell, who added that some countries have banned the trade.

According to China's official newspaper, the People's Daily, in 2001 three mainland seafood processing companies were found to have smuggled 2.3 tons of shark's fin, which were sold on the domestic market for huge profits between June and November.

The total amount of shark's fin smuggled was worth 4.6 million yuan (HK$4.3 million), with about 300,000 yuan in taxes being evaded.

To combat the trade, the US Shark Finning Prohibition Act went into effect on March 13, 2002.

The law bans US vessels and foreign vessels in US waters from possessing fins unless the rest of a shark's carcass is also on board.

Many Asian consumers might not be aware of the cruelty involved in removing the fin from a shark, which Darvell described as ``barbaric.'' The fins are often hacked off and the shark dumped back into the sea and left to die an excruciating death.

Environmentalists say millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, driving many species close to extinction. Some reports say that, of about 400 shark species, 185 are threatened.

Disney tests L.A. waters 

Disney's summer bonanza 

Disney Fans From Around the Globe Gathering to Celebrate Disneyland's 50th

`Nemo' Skating Show, Movies on Tap
Mary Kay Kills "Desperate" Ads

Disney's summer bonanza

 

This summer, Disney Channel has a triple treat in store for kids and their families. The Channel's multi-pronged vacation specials are centered around its unparalleled movie USP (unique selling proposition) along side the spirit of celebration and kid empowerment. Disney Channel has revamped its summer vacation schedule to make room for three movie transmissions per day scheduled at 8 am, 9 pm on weekdays, 6 pm all days and a movie double block on weekends at 11 am and 1 pm. This amounts to a phenomenal 180 movie slots on a single channel during the 60-day period when children are at home during the school vacations. The line-up includes legendary hits from international cinema hall of fame such as Aladdin, Jungle Book, Treasure Island, 101 Dalmatians, etc, many of them representing channel premieres. 20 of the most celebrated Disney animated and live action movies including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Return of Jafar, Pocahontas, Snow White, etc will have their India TV premiere on Disney Channel this summer.

Multi-award winning Disney hit, The Lion King, with its core values of courage, friendship, family and loyalty, is reminiscent of the drama and emotion that are Bollywood trademarks. The movie premieres on May 28, at 6 pm for the first time ever in Hindi.

The film is being promoted with a campaign entitled 'Her dil mein hai ek Lion King' featuring Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol speaking about why they identify with the film and its characters. Also featured will be kid vox pops along similar lines.

The Disney Channel cinema blitzkrieg is being mounted against a backdrop of on-air promos and interstitials that are a celebration of the special summer vacation treats that kids look forward to. The Channel celebrates the fact that kids have put the stress of academics behind them with a Lion King inspired music video on the theme of 'Hakunamatata, have no worries'. Mirroring Kids' lives is a series of nonsense limericks that rhyme with Hakunamatata. Pop icons and kid role models such as Harbhajan Singh, Bipasha Basu, Shah Rukh Khan, Vivek Oberoi, etc, also share their favorite Hakunamatata moments.

Disney Fans From Around the Globe Gathering to Celebrate Disneyland's 50th

Original Mousketeers, Muppets, Dick Cook and a Special Evening in Disneyland Highlight the 21st Summer Convention

The NFFC – the club for Disney enthusiasts, will host its 21st summer convention with a special focus on Disneyland’s golden anniversary. Disney fans from all over the world are invited to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Disneyland to celebrate July 9-13 with behind-the-scenes presentations, games, collectable info, sneak peeks and more.

The convention is open to all NFFC members with packages ranging from $50 - $274. The NFFC is open to Disney fans of all ages. Membership includes a monthly newsletter, the FantasyLine Express, and is only $24 per year. For more information on the NFFC or the convention, visit www.NFFC.org.

Some of the highlights of the upcoming convention include:

• Mouseketeers who were a part of Disneyland’s opening day will be a part of the Celebration Banquet. Dance students of Mouseketeer Nancy Abbate will also recreate the Mouseketeer’s opening day performance.
• Disney Parks and Resorts will host a special event inside Disneyland for conventioneers.
• Hear about Disneyland’s early years from a panel of Club 55ers (those who worked at Disneyland on opening day). Among them are Bob Penfield who worked at Disneyland from 1955 – 1997 – the last original cast member to retire and Disney Legend Ron Dominguez.
• The Muppets will be on hand to share stories of their recent adventures and what they have planned for the future. They’ll also take questions from the audience.
• Dick Cook, Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, will host a presentation of upcoming Disney films. Conventioneers will then be treated to an early screening of an upcoming Disney feature (with popcorn and soda!)
• Disney Direct and Disney Television Animation will showcase upcoming products and events.
• Thousands of fans will gather for the July 10th Show and Sale – the largest strictly-Disney collectable show in the world. Everything from pins to figurines to paper products and everything in between is available for buying or just browsing. Plus there are Disney personalities, book signings, opportunity drawings and more.
• For the complete schedule of events including regular schedule updates, see www.NFFC.org/Convention.

The NFFC is a global non-profit club operated by Disney fans for Disney fans. It is a volunteer effort with chapters worldwide. The national convention has been held annually in California in the weeks surrounding Disneyland's Birthday for the past 21 years. For more information on the NFFC, email info@NFFC.org or call 714-731-4705. Tell them you heard it from www.MickeyXtreme.com

Disney superheroes can't abide open air

 

The Family of super heroes scheduled to delight movie fans on Carmel Beach next month will be no shows. Disney, producer of “The Incredibles,” yanked it from the free open-air showing because theater owners don’t like the idea, according to show organizer Greg Cellitti. Despite the last-minute news, he found a couple of ogres to appear instead.

“Shrek 2” by Dreamworks will play in its place.

“There will be thousands of children crying on the beach because we’re not showing ‘The Incredibles,’” Cellitti predicted.

Although “Shrek 2” failed to beat the incredible five — Elastigirl, the invisible daughter, the lightning-fast boy, the super-strong dad and the baby who turns into fire — at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in February, its Mike Myers-voiced ogre, Cameron Diaz’ Princess Fiona and Eddie Murphy’s donkey should turn those tears to giggles.

Why would Disney pull “The Incredibles” after the same studio’s “Monsters, Inc.,” and “Finding Nemo” played on the white sands of Carmel Beach in years past?

“They said they don’t allow any outdoor showings of any of their movies,” Cellitti said, “But this is the first time we’ve run across it.”

He appealed to Linda Palmer, an employee of Buena Vista, the Disney distributor that put the kibosh on the beach party show. “I tried to explain to her that it’s free — that the City of Carmel is not charging anyone.”

But Palmer was unmoved.

“Two thousand people show up to this, and she didn’t really care,” he said.

Cellitti booked “The Incredibles” in January — before it won two Academy Awards — through Swank Motion Pictures, and was irritated when Buena Vista yanked the film at the last minute.

“They’ve known about it for six months,” he said. “They just made a fortune on DVDs. It’s not like it’s a new release; they’ve run the whole market.”

The Movie on the Beach is set for Saturday, June 18, at the foot of Ocean Avenue. The show begins at dusk, but people are urged to arrive early to grab a choice spot of sand and settle in for a picnic dinner and “Shrek 2.”

Upfront Ad Sales at Disney's ABC Are Nearly Complete

 

Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) ABC is nearly finished with selling ad time for its coming prime-time season, while rivals such as Viacom Inc.'s (VIA, VIAB) CBS, News Corp.'s (NWS) Fox and General Electric Co.'s (GE) NBC are either still gearing up or are just having initial discussions, media buyers say.

ABC may have moved early to take advantage of the momentum it had in the marketplace, thanks to recent hits such as "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and " Grey's Anatomy," these buyers suggest.

ABC was able to secure increases of 4% to 6% in the cost of reaching 1,000 viewers, according to media buyers. The measurement is a common one in these sorts of negotiations for TV ad time. In addition to the price increase, ABC is expected to win an increased volume of ad commitments for the coming season.

NBC, on the other hand, is expected to suffer a reduction in ad commitments. In 2004, ABC won about $1.6 billion in ad commitments, down from about $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion in 2003. The numbers for both 2003 and 2004 exclude about $600 million worth of prime-time sports and specials that ABC sells separately. NBC secured around $2.9 billion in ad commitments in 2004.

Ad commitments for TV time sold in the upfront represents money that is promised, not necessarily paid. Advertisers still can shift dollars if programs don't work out, for example, and networks might have to give up ad time to clients if programs don't meet ratings guarantees.

An ABC spokeswoman said Mike Shaw, president of sales and marketing for ABC, wasn't available for comment.

One media-buying executive believes advertisers flocked to ABC to establish a pricing benchmark. If a network enjoying a ratings rebound is charging price increases of 4% to 6%, this executive says, then rivals such as NBC and CBS won't be able to ask for more and in fact could secure less.

Media buyers still expect this year's upfront sales session to drag out over several weeks.

Walt Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli to premiere Howl's Moving Castle

Walt Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli will premiere Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle on June 6 in New York with a number of special guests.

Expected to attend the North American premiere of Howl's Moving Castle at the Museum of Modern Art are Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Jean Simmons, Emily Mortimer, film director Hayao Miyazaki, producer Toshio Suzuki, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook, and Gloria Steinem.

Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") takes moviegoers on an amazing new animated adventure that celebrates the power of love to transform and the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

A distinguished cast of actors, under the direction of Pixar's Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc."), lend their vocal talents to this English-language version of the film.

Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome-but-mysterious wizard named Howl (voiced by Christian Bale), and is subsequently turned into a 90-year old woman (voiced by screen legend and two-time Oscar nominee Jean Simmons) by the vain and conniving Wicked Witch of the Waste (voiced by screen legend and Oscar nominee Lauren Bacall).

Embarking on an incredible odyssey to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl's magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markl, Howl's apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal).

Sophie's love and support comes to have a major impact on Howl, who flies in the face of orders from the palace to become a pawn of war and instead risks his life to help bring peace to the kingdom.

Extraordinary characters, inventive imagery, and stunning artistry make this latest masterpiece from the visionary Miyazaki an unforgettable filmgoing experience.

Howl's Moving Castle opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, June 10.

Mickey Mouse, Uncle Mao In Joint Marketing Effort

The Walt Disney Company has teamed up with China's Communist Youth League (CYL) to introduce youngsters throughout the country to the wonders of Mickey Mouse, according to the Sunday Morning Telegraph.

The collaboration with the CYL - founded and inspired by Chairman Mao Zedong and privately dubbed "Mickey Mao" by Western diplomats - aims to harness the power of the 70-million strong Communist movement to familiarize kids in one of the world's fastest-growing markets with its character-based products before the planned opening of the Disneyland theme park in Hong Kong later this year, the paper said.

The marketing campaign is already underway in China's relatively affluent southern provinces, where annual salaries of more than $8,500 are common - more than eight times the average of inland regions, the paper said.

The CYL has started singing and story-telling sessions with groups of 50 children in the boom town of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong with "Communists" from 6 to 12 being taught Disney's most popular stories at official "youth palaces" throughout the country.

Burbank-headquartered Disney, the paper said, was granted access to the CYL because the project has reportedly received funding from the government of the Beijing-backed Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

According to press reports, the SAR is investing $2.8 billion in return for a 57% stake and a similar share of its profits, plus a handshake from Mickey Mouse for Hong Kong's chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, when the deal was finalized earlier this year.

It is the first time that a Disney theme park has received direct government funding and Chinese officials are expecting fast returns on their investment. Revenues generated by the park are projected to reach up to $19 billion over the next 40 years.

Authorities anticipate up to 5.6 million visitors to the Magic Kingdom each year. To hit that target, they must attract almost 2 million visitors from mainland China.

"The education system in China is changing to encourage greater imagination and creativity, and that's what our business is about," said Irene Chan, the vice president of public affairs for Hong Kong Disneyland.

A Communist Party official in Guangdong said, "Disney has been working hard to portray its wholesome family entertainment as apolitical and not being at odds with the Chinese Communist Party, which has helped smooth the alliance. But this is really a commercial decision to raise the profile of Disneyland, Hong Kong. I'm sure both sides will be happy with the arrangement."

Disney executives are arranging for characters, including Goofy and Donald Duck, to tour some of China's department stores, the paper said.

In addition, a magazine aimed at winning 1.8 million subscribers has been introduced and a limited range of cartoons are being broadcast on state-controlled television.

To help boost the prospects for the Disney park, Beijing has relaxed restrictions on visitors from Guangdong.

Tourists from the mainland, who were previously required to visit in organized groups, now flock to big tourist attractions. A record 8 million visited in the first eight months of this year.

If the Hong Kong park is a success, Disney plans to open another in Shanghai, but not before 2010, according to Walt Disney President Jay Rasulo.

However, he recently said, the company "hopes to build two theme parks on the mainland in the future."

Lindsay Lohan Joins Forces with Famous Volkswagen Beetle!

Calling all Herbie fans: Lindsay Lohan as Maggie Peyton, takes driver's seat in new Herbie: Fully Loaded mobile phone game and graphics!

Lindsay Lohan and the world's most loveable Volkswagen Beetle, Herbie, are coming full speed to a mobile phone near you in Disney Mobile's newest game – Herbie: Fully Loaded!

Mobile gamers can catch a ride with Lohan who stars in the upcoming film of the same name as Herbie's new owner, Maggie Peyton. In the driving/action mobile game, players control Herbie as they smash and crash their opponents in demolition derby arenas. Before each mission, Lohan (as Maggie) will appear on-screen and give players instructions on how to complete the next mission. Each arena has multiple missions that must be completed in order to advance to the next level.

Players can choose from survival or destruction missions, capture the flag, or king of the hill. Players will also have power ups and wild driving maneuvers at their disposal to survive and help smash their opponents into scrap!

Also available from Disney Mobile are wallpaper graphics from the film featuring Lohan (as Maggie) and Herbie, as well as sound effect ringtones and more.

ABC getting a little bit country

ABC Television is adding two country music specials to its lineup along with the CMA Awards.

Variety reports that the network plans to air CMA Music Festival: Country Music's Biggest Party on Aug. 2. Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun airs Nov. 23 after the star completes his current sold-out tour.

ABC broadcasts the CMA Awards for the first time next year. The event has been on CBS for more than 30 years, but ABC reportedly offered 50 percent more for the broadcast rights.

The CMA Awards have the third highest ratings of any award show, beaten only by the Academy Awards and, just barely, by the Grammys.

Disney family targets Intrado

Michael Eisner's nemeses now have something to say to the folks at Intrado.

Roy Disney, his adviser Stanley Gold and other members of the Disney family have spent nearly $6 million to purchase 6.2 percent of the Longmont-based company that specializes in software for emergency 911 calls. 

Disney and Gold, through their investment vehicle, Shamrock Activist Value Fund, say Intrado's stock is undervalued. They "have met, and may from time to time in the future meet, with the board of directors and management of the company to discuss ideas to increase shareholder value," Shamrock said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday.

The Shamrock investors also will talk to other shareholders and "industry participants," they said. They reserve the right to seek seats on the Intrado board.

Intrado couldn't be reached for comment late Thursday.

Roy Disney is the nephew of Walt Disney, the founder of the legendary entertainment company. He and Gold served on Disney's board, where they agitated against Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner.

In spring 2004, shareholders withheld 45 percent of votes from Eisner, a startlingly high total. He resigned his chairmanship and subsequently announced his retirement.

Disney recently named Robert Iger to succeed him. Roy Disney and Gold no longer sit on the Walt Disney board.

Roy Disney is, however, still busy. He has a variety of investment funds using the "Shamrock" name that hold positions in a number of companies.

In fall 2004, Disney and Gold began marketing the Shamrock Activist Value Fund as a new investment pool to buy and fix companies with corporate governance problems, according to an article in the New York Post. The newspaper called it "a new crusade - stamping out Michael Eisner-type bosses everywhere he can find them - and making a bundle doing it."

Intrado is the second company this week in which the Shamrock Activist Value Fund disclosed a position. Monday, the fund said it spent $26.9 million to buy 7.2 percent of -iPass, a Redwood Shores, Calif., company that sells software enabling companies to allow workers to access their computers remotely.

Intrado's stock traded as high as $33 a share in October 2001, boosted by national-security concerns after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But Intrado's shares have jumped back and forth since. The stock was above $20 in early 2004 but has traded as low as $8.54 in the past year.

"The company has been unable to significantly grow any other businesses over the past couple of years," said Michael Shonstrom, senior vice president at Emerging Growth Equities, a brokerage firm in King of Prussia, Pa.

He added that the company doesn't "have any skills outside" of its main business of managing 911 databases for communities.

Speaking of 911 database management, Shonstrom added: "This is a segment of the market that could stand for some consolidation."

Intrado started life in 1979 as Systems Concepts of Colorado Inc. That year, Boulder sheriff's employees George Heinrichs and Stephen Meer, both 21, wanted a way to develop their public safety software and systems. They started the company part time. In 1985, they quit the department and, for four years, ran the company as a systems integration and custom software venture with no outside investors.

Today, Heinrichs is the company's CEO and Meer is the company's chief technology officer.

In 1989 the company attracted its first venture capital investors, and by 1993 the newly renamed SCC Communications Corp. made the Inc. 500 list of fast-growing companies.

Intrado also benefited from the Federal Communications Commission's decision - spelled out in the mid-1990s - to require cell-phone carriers to use technology that allows emergency workers to pinpoint a wireless phone caller's location after the caller has dialed 911.

The company went public in 1998.

Marie Johnston, Wife of Legendary Disney Animator Ollie Johnston, Dies at Age 87

Marie Johnston, the wife of legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston, passed away on Friday, May 20th, from complications due to pneumonia, at her home in Flintridge, California. She was 87 years old and had been in declining health. The Johnstons celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary earlier this year.

Born Marie Worthey in Bridgeport, Connecticut on November 10, 1917, the future Mrs. Johnston came to California around 1926. She worked in the ink and paint departments at both Warner Bros. and Disney (from 1940-41). It was at the Disney lot that she first encountered Ollie Johnston. Their first big date was attending the premiere of “Fantasia” in November, 1940. The couple was married on January 23, 1943 at in the chapel at Stanford University (where Ollie’s father was head of the Romance Languages department).

Johnston gave up her professional life to concentrate on raising two sons, Rick and Ken. In 1945, she and her husband began building their dream home on two acres of land in Flintridge, California. Marie worked with noted architect Cliff May to design the house.

In later years, she accompanied her husband on his travels around the world as he promoted the legacy of Disney animation and the four books he co-authored (with his late colleague, Frank Thomas). The Johnstons traveled to Japan, China, Australia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, among other places. She was also active in numerous community affairs including the La Canada-Flintridge Orthopedic Guild, the Assistance League, and the Cub Scouts.

With her vibrant personality and outgoing nature, Marie Johnston made friends all over the world and was well known to Disney aficionados. She made a memorable appearance in the 1995 documentary, “Frank and Ollie,” for which she demonstrated her impressive dancing skills with an impromptu Charleston.

Johnston is survived by her husband of 62 years, Ollie Johnston, and his two sons, Rick Johnston (and his wife, Teya) and Ken Johnston (and his wife, Carolyn). She also leaves behind two nieces (Grace Bartlome and Suzanne Bartlome), and a nephew (John Bartlome). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the World Wildlife Fund (www:worldwildlife.org) A family memorial service was held on Wednesday (5/25).

'Lost' Hangs Tough Against Improved 'Idol' Finale

Even if it answered little else, the season finale of ABC's "Lost" did show that going up against FOX's "American Idol" isn't necessarily a suicide mission.

Both "Lost" and "Idol" pulled in big audiences -- more than 50 million viewers combined -- on Wednesday (May 25), the final night of the 2004-05 TV season. ABC's scheduling of "Lost" opposite the "Idol" finale -- both shows ran two hours -- was seen as something of a risk, but the move didn't appear to affect the audience for either program.

"Lost," which answered a couple of questions about the plane-crash survivors but left others wide open, averaged 20.7 million viewers and a very healthy 7.8 rating in the key ad sales demographic of adults 18-49. That's the series' third-best performance in both measures, behind only two January episodes that followed a monthlong hiatus for the holiday season.

Somewhat surprisingly, the finale also delivered the show's best-ever rating (5.4) among teenagers, who make up a huge portion of the "Idol" audience as well.

As for "Idol," the crowning of Carrie Underwood as this year's champ averaged 30.3 million viewers and a 12.5 adults 18-49 rating over its two hours. That's an improvement over last year's final episode, which drew 28.8 million people and a 12.0 rating in the 18-49 demo.

The Ruben-Clay showdown in season two remains the FOX show's biggest finale to date; it drew just over 38 million viewers in May 2003.

ABC Family Steps Up Pilot Development

ABC Family, which relies mostly on acquired shows and the occasional original movie to fuel its prime-time schedule, getting more involved in the weekly series game.

The cable channel, which has two one-hour dramas set to debut this summer, has ordered three more drama pilots. The projects, which will film in July, include a show about a teenage boy who acts as though he's just been born and another about small-town residents living under the threat of a comet striking the Earth.

All three shows are designed to fit in with ABC Family's current repeat staples -- "Gilmore Girls," "Smallville" and "7th Heaven" -- and targeted at the network's core audience of young adults, the showbiz trade papers report.

The three pilots are:

"Three Moons Over Milford," about a Massachusetts town whose residents don't worry about the future, because a comet could destroy life as we know it at any moment. Howard Chesley ("Chicago Hope") and Jon Boorstin (the 1991 "Dark Shadows") wrote the pilot, which is being executive produced by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Gary Rosen.

"Kyle XY," which follows a mysterious boy who looks like a teenager but otherwise appears to be a newborn, and the family who takes him in. Writers J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress ("The Butterfly Effect") will executive produce with David Himelfarb ("Rodney," "My Wife and Kids").

"Balancing Act," about a police officer who returns with his family to the rough neighborhood where he grew up and tries to make a positive change in the community. Seth Freeman ("Lou Grant") is writing and exec producing.

ABC Family hopes to pick up at least one of the pilots for a 2006 premiere. The network has two dramas, "Wildfire" and "Beautiful People," set to debut this summer.

Party on the Beach

Disneyland Paris - This weekend, May 28th and 29th, the Disney Village is celebrating its second Beach Festival ... with hot tunes, plenty of sunshine, a sand beach and certainly lots of action on the waters of Lake Disney. Already on Monday the sand was trucked to the shores of Lake Disney next to the Marina and Cafe Mickey, to give the artists enough time that create the sand sculptures on display there. What else can guests expect? Numerous displays of sports on Lake Disney - as wake boarding or water skiing - and on it's shores - as Beach Volleyball. But certainly there is also a lot of action to join in, as e.g. the "baby water skis" for the youngest guests, kajak's and the regular rental boats at the Marina. To heat up the scene even further both days at 3.00 pm on the Central Stage the finale of the dance competition "Dance Masters" will take place. So: see you at the beach?

Star Wars Weekends continue Tomorrow at Disney's MGM Studios
Disney Says Plans To Expand Hong Kong Theme Park 

Disney Co. takes a look at hiring three Paso High students

Three Paso Robles high schoolers might be on their way to careers as Disney Imagineers after winning a statewide roller coaster design contest.

Students Matthew Gustafson and twin sisters Melanie and Elaine Silver won the 5th annual Roller Coaster Building Contest last Friday at Paramount's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara. Afterward, a Walt Disney Co.'s Imagineering director approached all three and offered them internships and the possibility of jobs after college, according to the students and their teacher.

The students are all members of Paso Robles High School's Endeavor Academy, a program that teaches practical applications of math and science.

"There were some top level physics classes from other schools that really put out the effort to win this competition this year," said Steven Kliewer, the Endeavor Academy instructor. "It took some real effort and background knowledge for (the Paso Robles team) to win."

The contest gathered 37 groups of students from high schools around the state, asking them to design a model roller coaster and judging the designs on elements including rider enjoyment, creativity and theme, and technical merit.

Media shares advance; Disney up

Fulcrum's Richard Greenfield raised his fiscal 2005 profit forecast on Disney to $1.30 per share from $1.24 per share, and his fiscal 2006 estimate to $1.45 a share from $1.40 a share.

Disney shares rose 22 cents to $27.87.

Greenfield cited stronger-than-expected revenue at the filmed entertainment division and "early benefits" from the ABC television network's ratings turnaround as the reasons for the increase in his fiscal 2005 view. Part of the ABC results would include the DVD releases of new hit series "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" this fall, he said.

Projected higher sales of commercial time for the fall season at ABC account for Greenfield's new estimate for fiscal 2006.

Among other diversified entertainment shares, Time Warner added 4 cents to $17.60, Viacom picked up 30 cents to $35.40 and Sony added 17 cents to $37.62.

In the newspaper publishing group, New York Times Co. was down 32 cents to $31.58 after A.G. Edwards' Mike Kupinski cut his rating on the stock to hold from buy.

Kupinski told clients the company's announced cut of 190 jobs was "not aggressive enough," and that its costs "remain too high, given advertising challenges."

Kupinski expects the cuts to only save New York Times Co. "several million dollars" per quarter, and says more layoffs are likely.

Soft national advertising sales continue to hurt the company's results, Kupinski said. "An anticipated national ad rebound has yet to materialize, despite the strong economic growth of the past 18 months," he said. On an optimistic note, the analyst said national ad revenue could improve later this year and in 2006, if the economic growth trend continues.

Most other newspaper stocks gained. Media General stepped up 25 cents to $60.95, Tribune Co added 16 cents to $36.49 and Gannett rose 17 cents to $75.48.

Gannett said late Wednesday that it named Craig Dubow president and chief executive of the company, effective July 15. Dubow, current head of the company's broadcasting division, replaces Doug McCorkindale, current chairman and CEO, who is to step down as chairman when his contract expires in July 2006.

Todd Crawford named to new position

In its continuing effort to broaden its marketing reach, the Indy Racing League announced Todd Crawford, a member of the ESPN and ABC Sports management team, will join the League in a newly created position of vice president, broadcast relations.

In his new position, Crawford, who starts on June 6, will open the Indianapolis-based sanctioning first office in New York, where he will extend the IRL's presence in the country's largest media market. Crawford will be responsible for working with ESPN and ABC Sports on marketing, sales and promotional issues related to the League's race broadcasts, as well as developing synergy opportunities throughout the properties of the Walt Disney Company.

Crawford will work closely with Buddy McAtee, vice president and executive producer of IMS Productions, the IRL's television production arm. IMS Productions is a full-service video production company and serves as the League's liaison on all television production issues.

"Todd's diverse experience and extensive contacts throughout the Walt Disney Company, including ESPN and ABC Sports, will be invaluable to the League as we build the presence of the IndyCar® Series and Menards Infiniti Pro Series^Ù on television," said Ken Ungar, Indy Racing League senior vice president, business affairs. "He brings wide experience in television, sales and marketing, knowledge of sporting events and experience with major corporations throughout the United States."

Crawford has been with the Walt Disney Company for 15 years. He joined Disney in 1990 as a talent recruiter for Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. He was selected as a key task force member to develop worldwide press events in 1993 and became a permanent member of the Walt Disney World marketing division in 1994.

He played a key role in the launch of Disney's Animal Kingdom in 1998 and became Associate Brand Manager for Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex later that year. Among his responsibilities at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex was the marketing of the Indy 200 IndyCar Series event at Walt Disney World Speedway. In 2000, Crawford relocated to New York to become director of sales with ESPN and ABC Sports.

"I am thrilled to become a part of the Indy Racing League family and to be charged with the responsibility of establishing league operations in a key market like New York City," Crawford said. "I remember watching the Indy 500 growing up in Michigan and look forward to joining what I believe is one of the finest organizations in the world of sports."

Crawford, a native of Frankenmuth, Mich., is a 1990 graduate of Northwood University located in Midland, Mich. He and his wife Lisa, along with their two boys Davis and Evan, live in Stamford, Conn.

"An office in New York City has been one of the league's objectives, and Todd's vast experience will serve us well in building a presence in the world's media capital," said Brian Barnhart, president & chief operating officer for the Indy Racing League. "His background is perfect for his role in working with ABC Sports, ESPN and the entire Disney family in developing synergistic opportunities with the league."

The IRL's New York office will be located at 330 Madison Ave.

Lima Charmed By "Enchanted"

 

Kevin Lima ("102 Dalmatians", "Tarzan") has been charmed into directing "Enchanted," a live-action/CGI feature for Walt Disney Pictures.

The fairy tale begins in the animated world, where a peasant girl falls for a prince only to be banished from the kingdom by an evil queen. The girl ends up in the real world of New York, where she falls in love. The animated prince travels to the New York to find her, and the evil queen follows.

Lima is working from a draft by Bill Kelly, who wrote the initial spec. His coming on board puts the long-gestating project back on track after 7-8 years of languishing and re-writes. Filming is aiming for a September start and will shoot in New York.

Disney Online Awarded Best of the Web and Safe Gaming Honors at Fifth Annual WiredKids Summit

Disney Online, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group and creator of the No. 1 kids' entertainment and family community online destination (www.disney.com), was honored with two awards from WiredKids (www.wiredkids.org), the ultimate online safety project for kids and teens, and its parent organization, Wired Safety (www.wiredsafety.org), the world's largest online safety and help group.

Disney dalliances, picked up by 'Radar'

 

We had this story a few weeks ago, but it popped up on the news again.

Every once in a while, you read something in a magazine that just makes you feel better about the whole wide world. The premiere issue of the reborn Radar magazine contains just such a story.

It's called ``Wild Kingdom,'' and it reveals the deliciously tawdry goings-on among the ``long-suffering, hard-drinking, cross-dressing'' folks who play Goofy and Pluto and Cinderella at Disney World in Orlando.

When some of these ``cast members'' finish a hard day of hugging your drippy-nosed rugrats, they just can't wait to get stoned out of their minds and have kinky sex.

Go ahead, admit it: This revelation brightens your day and gladdens your heart, doesn't it? In fact, there are sentences in this story that made me want to belt out a chorus of ``Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.'' Here's one of them:

``Trevor Allen, a former Disneyland Pluto who wrote a play called 'Working for the Mouse,' relates an incident when Winnie the Pooh dropped acid, went on set, literally tripped, and rolled down a flight of stairs onto Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A.''

Surely, nobody who reads that sentence could fail to believe in a just and righteous God. Besides, you've gotta love a story that quotes people identified as ``one former Pluto'' or a ``former Mickey and Minnie.''

At one point in the article, a ``former Minnie Mouse'' named Susan Santamauro recounts the tale of a crew of costumed characters riding in a van to a breakfast appearance at Disney's Polynesian Resort when suddenly Goofy and Pluto started to ... well, we can't report exactly what Goofy and Pluto did because this is a family newspaper.

Tyler Gray, author of the article, used to be a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, and he has good connections among the folks who make $6.50 an hour prancing around in those hot, sweaty costumes. They tell him tales of dope and sex, and they take him to the ``head room,'' a cavernous storage space where ``hundreds of Minnies, Donalds and Mickeys hang side by side, their lifeless heads impaled on posts.''

They also invited Gray to a party at ``Vista Way'' -- a 1,000-unit dormitory complex for Disney's low-level serfs and a notorious ``party mecca'' for off-duty Mickeys and Cinderellas. ``I hop from party to party,'' Gray writes. ``One room features a wall dedicated to pilfered panties. In another, a stolen Disney security guard uniform is draped over a cardboard cutout character from 'Grand Theft Auto.' Nearby, a mock Disney street sign directs visitors to the bedroom: DRUNK AND HIGH CAST MEMBERS NEXT RIGHT.''

Too bad I didn't read this story before I took the kiddies to Disney World. I would have enjoyed the place a lot more.

Asked to respond to the article, Disney World spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said, ``This is a publicity stunt to sell a new publication.''

The new Radar magazine is a resurrected version of the old Radar magazine, which published two issues in 2003, then went broke. Founding editor Maer Roshan refused to give up and found new backers, including Mort Zuckerman, owner of U.S. News & World Report.

I didn't much like the old Radar, which seemed to believe that making fun of celebrities constituted courageous muckraking. The new Radar exhibits some of that sophomoric spirit, too. There's a story identifying ``TV's Dumbest, Meanest and Vainest Anchors.'' This childish exercise is an insult to the esteemed profession of broadcast journalism and I refuse to dignify it with comment, except to say that CNN's Aaron Brown was among the ``vain'' and NBC's Ann Curry and CNN's Rick Sanchez were among the ``dumb.''

Fortunately, the new Radar has more substance than the old one. In ``Being There,'' reporter Bartle Breese Bull captures the off-duty life of the soldiers in one Army platoon in Iraq in all its glorious details, including their fondness for video games, Internet porn, junk food from home and, believe it or not, Fashion TV, which they watch avidly, waiting for the models' breasts to accidentally pop out of their gowns, which apparently happens more often than you'd expect.

Back in 1969, an executive at the tobacco company Brown & Williamson wrote a line that summed up Big Tobacco's attempt to confuse the public about the health effects of smoking: ``Doubt is our product since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the mind of the general public.''

``In recent years, many other industries have eagerly adopted this strategy,'' David Michaels writes in an important article in the June Scientific American. The article is called ``Doubt Is Their Product,'' and it exposes how drug and chemical corporations hire ``product-defense'' companies to create ``scientific'' studies that whitewash the dangers of their merchandise.

Michaels, a professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University, knows his subject. He watched these companies in action in the 1990s, when he was assistant secretary for environmental safety and health at the Energy Department and was trying to regulate the highly toxic element beryllium.

``If a pharmaceutical firm faces questions about the safety of one of its drugs,'' he writes, ``its executives trumpet company-sponsored trials that show no significant health risks while ignoring or hiding other studies that are much less reassuring. The vilification of threatening research as 'junk science' and the corresponding sanctification of industry-commissioned research as 'sound science' has become nothing less than standard operating procedure.''

To illustrate his point, Michaels recounts the tales of how drug companies used dubious studies to defend the pain-reliever Vioxx, which was shown to cause heart attacks, and the appetite suppressant PPA, which caused hemorrhagic strokes in young women. Both drugs have been withdrawn from the market.

The Bush administration and its allies in Congress have aided these corporations, Michaels says, by passing a bill in 2001 that made it easier for companies to challenge government-funded research.

``I believe it is fair to say that never in our history have corporate interests been as successful as they are today in shaping science policies to their desires,'' Michaels writes. ``We need a better balance between health and money.''

Unlike most American mags, the Atlantic Monthly doesn't do many celebrity profiles. But the June issue features a long piece on Geraldo Rivera, who took reporter Sridhar Pappu to the island he owns off Puerto Rico and revealed his dream of retirement:

``I'm really a hippie at heart. I'd love to live on my island and look like Howard Hughes and have the kids come and pick the lice out of my hair.''

Girl In Disney Abuse Pics Speaks Out

 

A young girl who was sexually abused by her adoptive father is criticizing the Allegheny County district attorney for moving too slowly to bring him to justice.

The following report by Team 4's Paul Van Osdol first aired May 25, 2005, on Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.

The girl became the focus of an international search during the last few weeks.

Last month, Canadian authorities released photos taken by her abuser at a Disney World hotel and other places in a desperate attempt to find her. It turns out that she was safe, living with a newly adoptive mother.

Her adoptive father, Mathew Alan Mancuso, was convicted of federal porn charges last year. He still has not gone to trial on state rape charges, and that's upsetting the girl and her mother.

Now living with her newly adoptive mother, the girl is hundreds of miles from the house in Plum where police say Mancuso sexually abused her repeatedly for years.

The adoptive mother, Faith, says the abuse started as soon as Mancuso adopted the girl in Russia.

Faith: "She knew it wasn't normal, but she was scared. He told her no one would believe her, or there was just no way out of it."

Mancuso took sexually explicit photos of his adopted daughter at Disney World hotels and even on elevators. Police confiscated a computer disc with more than 500 photos. Many of them ended up on the Internet.

Faith: "She's scarred for life and her pictures are on the Internet and they can't be stopped. There's no way of stopping them completely. How do you tell a 12-year-old her pictures are all over the Internet?"

Last year, Mancuso was convicted of federal porn charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was arrested on state rape and assault charges, but Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala has still not tried him.

Abuse victim: "I think it's wrong how he didn't get charged with half the stuff he did, and I don't think that should happen to anybody."

Faith: "They made a decision in Pennsylvania that my daughter wasn't ready to testify. How are they going to make that decision? They didn't ask her. They didn't ask me. They just made a decision."

Late Wednesday afternoon, a Zappala spokesman blamed county police for delays in prosecuting the case. Team 4 was unable to reach county police Superintendent Charles Moffatt for comment.

While locals point fingers, law enforcement officials in Florida are aggressively pursuing the case. The district attorney in Orlando says he wants to make sure Mancuso spends the rest of his life in prison.

Setting Sail

Roy Disney hasn't lost his touch - he took home the victory in his maxZ86 Pyewacket during the First Team Real Estate regatta last weekend. It was the next-to-the-last race for this longtime sailor.

The highly anticipated yacht race netted about $210,000 for Hoag Hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute.

Frank Faticanti was watching from the Newport pier on Saturday as the multimillion-dollar boats geared up to start.

He had read about the event in the newspaper and decided to check it out.

He was impressed. But the Boston native, visiting here for business, mentioned that the other Newport - the Rhode Island version, that is - was the real place to watch yacht racing.

HK Tourism Board publishes ticket prices for Disneyland

 

Disneyland in Hong Kong will open to the public on September 12. Hong Kong Tourism Board yesterday published the ticket and accommodation prices.

Adult ticket is priced at 295 HK dollars from Monday to Friday, children ticket (3-11 years old) 210 dollars; on Saturday, Sunday and special days, adult ticket is 350 dollars and children 250 dollars. July and August, in which students spend their summer holiday, "May 1st" and "October 1st" weeklong holidays as well as public holidays in Hong Kong are all counted as "special days". Admission for children under 3 is free.

Why are we so Lost?

 

Before ABC's Lost debuted, the question was out there: Is the show's mysterious island on Earth?

Yes, executive producer J.J. Abrams told TV critics last summer: "The fact that you would ask that question is one of the things that gets me excited."

The queries keep coming from absorbed fans, who turned the drama into a surprise hit. Lost started with a plane crash that deposited 48 survivors on a remote island (the series films in Hawaii). The show has intertwined their traumatic pasts with the isle's lush weirdness.

The two-hour season finale airs at 8 tonight on WFTV-Channel 9. Sentinel television critic Hal Boedeker explores why Lost has become the ultimate fantasy island.

Flashbacks: They give this adventure unusual emotional depth. The strongest castaway story so far belongs to Locke (Terry O'Quinn). The most confusing is the twisted past of Kate (Evangeline Lilly). If you want to catch up, ABC will rerun the series at 10 p.m. Wednesdays, starting next week. The DVD comes out in September.

The raft: It has been a source of friction and mystery, especially for Michael (Harold Perrineau) and son Walt (Malcolm David Kelley). But in a rousing scene last week, they and two others set off on the craft. Don't expect a long journey. ABC hints that the four are quartet is "surprised at sea by something they didn't expect."

The Frenchwoman: The wild-eyed Danielle (Mira Furlan) popped in last week to tell her story. Her ship went aground 16 years ago. Soon after, "the others" took her newborn. That was news to frighten new mother Claire (Emilie de Ravin). Danielle speaks in cryptic tones that would make her a natural for The Twilight Zone.

The mystery: In these tropics, you'll find a polar bear, a towering monster (unseen by viewers so far), a shipwreck, a crashed plane and apparitions of the dead. So where are we? Abrams has inferred that the island isn't purgatory. Is it home to a government conspiracy or an extraterrestrial intervention. Abrams isn't saying a lot. Why should he? He doesn't want to spoil the story.

The portal: This contraption looks like a vault that gives off an otherworldly glow. Is it a New Age septic tank? An alien spacecraft? A throwback to Pandora's box? It has bewitched Locke. We could learn more tonight when the castaways try to blow it open. Or it could be the big cliffhanger.

The puzzle: The castaways' lives fit together in enthralling and intricate ways. Sawyer (Josh Holloway) passed on a dead man's thoughts to Jack (Matthew Fox ). The same numbers keep cropping up. "Each one of us was brought here for a reason," a character says tonight. So what does it all mean? Maybe it's fate. It certainly is good television.

Numbers game

It began with Oceanic Flight 815. Then creator J.J. Abrams started piling on the 815 references, sending the nation's amateur numerologists scurrying.

For instance, Kate opens safe-deposit box 815. Hurley's winning lottery numbers are 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42, the same numbers found around on the island's mysterious metal hatch. On the day of the crash, Claire had an appointment at 8:15; the model number of a copier that Charlie attempted to demonstrate was C815; a young Kate buried a time capsule on Aug. 15 -- 8-15. The numbers are even incorporated into seemingly throwaway lines: footballs are found in aisle 8 (regulation) and aisle 15 (Nerf).

It's probably a stretch, but 8 + 1 + 5 = 14, the number of main characters on the show. Cherry on top: Entertainment Weekly's edition with the men of Lost on the cover was No. 815.

Father figures

If the crash survivors have anything else in common, could it be daddy issues?

Jack had to report his doctor father for operating under the influence, and later he thought he saw his deceased dad walking through the island's jungle.

Locke gave up an internal organ for his dad, who turned around and rejected him.

Claire's baby-daddy baby's daddy is out of the picture, but Charlie has stepped in.

Jin was ashamed of his father and later had a tearful reconciliation.

Walt and his dad, Michael, are getting to know each other, sometimes painfully.

Summertime Advisory For Parents: 'Your House May Feel A Little Smaller'

 

Disney Channel's So Hot Summer, a season of new kid-driven, family inclusive programming that spans new series, new movies, new episodes of hit series and new short form programming, will be ushered in by an entertaining new brand image campaign and innovative off-channel marketing extensions, beginning FRIDAY, JUNE 10. Kids and families will get a sneak peek on of the on-air marketing campaign Tuesday, May 31 on Disney Channel.

New programming as part of Disney Channel's So Hot Summer rolls out beginning Friday, June 10. Among this summer's premieres are the animated series "The Buzz on Maggie," the live-action tween comedy "Naturally, Sadie," the Disney Channel Original Movies "Go Figure," "Life is Ruff" and "The Proud Family Movie" plus all new episodes of the hit series "That's So Raven," "Phil of the Future," "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," "The Proud Family," "Kim Possible," "American Dragon: Jake Long," "Brandy & Mr. Whiskers" and "Lilo & Stitch: The Series."

Two new short form series, "Show Your Stuff," which highlights kids and their collections, and "Check this Kid Out," a series of segments that spotlight real kids across the country, will also premiere during Disney Channel's So Hot Summer.

The new brand image campaign echoes Disney Channel's most recent research findings: kids and tweens have a unique and remarkably strong emotional connection to the characters and stories on Disney Channel.

Reflective of the programming, the new brand image message "Disney Channel… All New and Made Just for You," is targeted to the key demographics of kids age 6-11 and tweens age 9-14. The elements of the on-air image campaign, a version of which is already on Disney Channel Latin America, will also be available to the 23 Disney Channels around the world. Disney Channel's Jill Lindeman, Vice President/Creative Director for Marketing, and Veronica Davidson, Executive Director, Production, On-Air Promotion, oversaw the creative direction of the new image campaign. It was produced by Stun Creative in Los Angeles.

"Disney Channel's success in reaching kids and tweens is because we deliver characters that reflect real kids' lives and create a bond with the audience, they know the stories are made just for them" said Gary Marsh, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Production.

Matt Palmer, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Disney Channel, said, "As we head into a summer of so much exciting new programming, our marketing outreach and our new brand image depicts what kids and parents will indeed identify with – Disney Channel is part of their daily lives and as such, it's as if Disney Channel stars have moved into their home."

Rolling out in a multi-part series of comedic vignettes, the image campaign depicts a variety of families who greet "move-in day" as animated and live action Disney Channel stars show up on their doorstep, unpack, get comfortable and spend a summer interacting, playing games, eating and socializing with the family, friends and neighbors.

Among the scenes are Raven of "That's So Raven" leading a neighborhood dance party; Stitch of "Lilo & Stitch: The Series" raiding the refrigerator; Phil Diffy, Keely Teslow, Pim Diffy and parents Lloyd and Barbara Diffy of "Phil of the Future" around the dinner table; and just in time to watch a Disney Channel premiere, Kim of "Kim Possible," Zack, Cody, Maddie and London of "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," Penny Proud of "The Proud Family," and Jake Long of "American Dragon: Jake Long" gathering in the family room.

Off-channel marketing during Disney Channel's So Hot Summer includes an extensive media buy across broadcast and cable TV, print ads across major kid and family publications, a sponsorship and a personal appearance by a Disney Channel star during Teen People's Rock and Shop seven market tour; a viewers' choice programming event and sweepstakes, outdoor, radio, online games and affiliate marketing extensions.

Year-to-date on basic cable, Disney Channel primetime is #1 with Kids 6-11, #1 with Tweens 9-14, #4 in Households and tied for #3 in Total Viewers. Disney Channel's total programming day is #3 with Kids 6-11, tied for #2 with Tweens 9-14 and tied for #5 in Households and Total Viewers.

"Empire," A New Summer Drama on ABC Television Network 

"Empire," an epic six-hour summer drama series from the executive producers of the Academy Award-winning "Chicago," will have a special two-hour premiere, TUESDAY, JUNE 28 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. The sweeping limited drama series, filmed entirely in Rome and South Central Italy, focuses on Julius Caesar's nephew, Octavius – the boy destined to become the Emperor Augustus, one of the most influential leaders in world history -- who is forced into exile after Caesar's murder, and on a fictional disgraced gladiator, Tyrannus, who has sworn to protect him.

The other four one-hour episodes are slated to air on successive Tuesday nights -- "Arkham" (July 5), "The Hunt" (July 12), "Fortune's Fool" (July 19) and "The Lost Legion" (July 26; series finale) -- all from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET.

"Empire" features a stellar international cast led by Jonathan Cake ("First Knight," Hallmark's "Noah's Ark," TV's upcoming "Inconceivable") and Santiago Cabrera ("Haven"), with guest and recurring stars including Dennis Haysbert ("24") and Trudie Styler ("Friends," "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister"). It is one of the most lavish and technically complex series ever to air on ABC in primetime. "Empire" is being executive-produced by award-winning producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows," "The Beach Boys: An American Family," "Brian's Song," ABC's "Annie," "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" and the Oscar-winning "Chicago"), multiple award-winner Tony Jonas ("Queer as Folk," "Leap Years"), Chip Johannessen ("24," "The X-Files,") and Thomas Wheeler ("The Prometheus Project," "The Mission"), who is also the series creator.

The time is 44 B.C. and the Conqueror Julius Caesar (Colm Feore, "Chicago," "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself"; currently seen as Cassius in "Julius Caesar" on Broadway) returns from triumphs in Spain to a neglected Republic and a corrupt Senate drunk with power. Though he's hailed as a hero by the masses, the Senate is wary of Caesar's plans that might place him in a position of ultimate power. Brutus (James Frain, "24," USA Network's "Spartacus," "Arabian Nights") and Cassius (Michael Maloney, Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet," "Painted Lady") try to enlist the help of Marc Antony (Vincent Regan, "Troy," "Joan of Arc") in overthrowing Caesar, but Marc Antony is loyal to Caesar and refuses. A terrible conflict looms and the fate of an empire will fall to one man – a gladiator named Tyrannus.

Tyrannus (Jonathan Cake), Rome's finest warrior, is undefeated in the arena and considered a champion among men. A slave since he was a young man, Tyrannus impresses Caesar with his fighting prowess and his popularity, and with his dedication to Rome. Caesar offers him freedom in return for his service and friendship. However the Senate puts up a vicious fight for power and manages to separate Caesar from Tyrannus' protective grasp by sending the gladiator to one last match to the death. Cassius and Brutus have Tyrannus' son, Piso, kidnapped. Tyrannus rushes to his son's rescue and kills the kidnappers, only to realize that the abduction is a diversion. He hurries to Caesar's side, but it is too late. His absence results in Brutus successfully leading a group of conspirators in assassinating the great conqueror. As he is drawing his last breath, Caesar swears Tyrannus to an oath to protect his successor, Octavius (Santiago Cabrera), his 18-year-old nephew.

Tyrannus and Octavius are forced into exile to protect the young man from those who would sever Caesar's bloodline once and for all. They are joined by Agrippa (Chris Egan, upcoming feature film "Alpha Male," Australian series "Home & Away"), a young soldier, and by Camane (Emily Blunt, upcoming feature film "My Summer of Love," "Warrior Queen"), a Vestal Virgin from the powerful religious Order whose members are being hunted down for trying to save Octavius. Together they will help Octavius fulfill his destiny. He leaves Rome an impetuous boy, but he will return at the head of an invading army seeking a final showdown with Marc Antony. But will Octavius be restored to Caesar's throne as Emperor?

In the first hour of the premiere, "Pilot," Caesar watches as the slave and gladiator, Tyrannus, slaughters his competitors, unaware that Cassius and Brutus -- Caesar's "friends" -- plan to assassinate him shortly, an event foretold by the psychic vestal virgin, Carmane. After the assassination, Caesar's murderers seek to take over the empire, but standing in their way is a will naming Caesar's nephew, Octavius, as heir. Keeping a promise made to Caesar, Tyrannus spirits Octavius away from those who now want him dead.

In the second hour, entitled "Will," Marc Antony addresses the crowd at Caesar's funeral, where a shroud hides the deceased leader's stab wounds. Octavius' mother, Atia, recently imprisoned by Cassius, is allowed to speak at Caesar's funeral, but she tells the wild crowd that her son is Caesar's true heir. Meanwhile Camane, the psychic vestal virgin, has put her own life at risk by guarding the will, and Tyrannus, fearing for Octavius' life, once again takes the young heir away from the turbulence of Rome.

"Empire" stars Santiago Cabrera as Octavius, Vincent Regan as Marc Antony, Emily Blunt as Camane, James Frain as Brutus and Jonathan Cake as Tyrannus.

Guest-starring in "Pilot" are Michael Maloney as Cassius, Michael Byrne as Cicero, Orla Brady as Atia, Amanda Root as Noella, Ian Bartholomew as Cimber, Michael Culkin as Lucius and Colm Feore as Julius Caesar. Co-starring are Sylvia DeFanti as Moira, Fillipo Reda as Piso, Jean Marie Paris as the Reterian and Jonas Bascir as Drax.

Guest-starring in "Will" are Michael Maloney as Cassius, Michael Byrne as Cicero, Trudie Styler as Servilia, Orla Brady as Atia, Graham McTavish as General Rapax, Amanda Root as Noella, Ian Bartholomew as Cimber and Alan David as Quinitilius. Co-starring are Stephanie Leonidas as girlfriend and Edoardo Trowse as rough youth.

"Empire" is executive-produced by Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Tony Jonas, Chip Johannessen and series creator Tom Wheeler. Jacobus Rose and Carrie Henderson are the producers. Greg Yaitanes ("Line of Fire," "Cold Case," "CSI Miami") directed "Pilot" and "Will" from scripts by Tom Wheeler and Chip Johannessen, respectively. The series is produced by Taranus LTD., in association with Storyline Entertainment, and is distributed by Touchstone Television. This program carries a TV-14,V parental guideline.

Hong Kong Disneyland persist in serving shark-fin soup

Environmentalists on Monday urged Hong Kong Disneyland not to serve shark-fin soup when the park opens in September, but Disney officials said they planned to offer the dish at special banquets in keeping with local customs.

Greenpeace and the Worldwide Fund for Nature have asked Hong Kong Disneyland to take shark-fin soup off the menu after the theme park announced last week that the delicacy would be served at wedding banquets and other special events at the park.

Environmentalists say millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins, driving many species close to extinction. The fins are hacked off, and the fish are dumped back into the sea to die.

"It's a hugely wasteful practice," said Greenpeace spokesman Martin Baker. "We were incredulous when we heard that Disney would be serving shark-fin soup."

Baker added, "We would have hoped that a company with a global reach like Disney could have made a statement on the issue."

Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Irene Chan said, "Hong Kong Disneyland takes environmental stewardship very seriously, and we are equally sensitive to local cultures. It is customary for Chinese restaurants and five-star hotels to serve shark's fin soup in Hong Kong as the dish is considered an integral part of Chinese banquets."

Another Disneyland spokeswoman, Esther Wong, stressed that shark-fin soup would only be served when customers requested it at special banquets. Wong said this wasn't a business issue.

"The whole point is being respectful to local cultures," Wong said. "It is what the locals see as appropriate."

Another Hong Kong environmentalist, Brian Darvell of the South China Diving Club, said, "The very fact it is traditional does not make it right. It's mind-boggling that Disney could be so inconsistent with their environmental line and go on with defending its decision." 

Out of the lion's den: CS Lewis film saves Disney from Christians 

The past few years have been beset by board struggles, high-profile splits and a wobbly stock price. But this week Disney can take a crumb of comfort from the fact that a conservative Christian group in the US has decided to end its nine-year boycott of the corporation - thanks, in part, to the forthcoming film version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The Mississippi-based American Family Association (AFA) instigated the boycott in 1996 after accusing Disney of "promoting homosexuality" and associating itself with "trash films". The organisation demanded that Disney form an advisory panel of evangelical Christians and ban "Gay Day" revellers from visiting its theme parks in California and Florida. It also objected to the company's association with Miramax, the studio which had a hand in films such as Pulp Fiction and Fahrenheit 9/11.

The AFA cites "positive signs" as a reason for calling off the ban. Its stance has been mollified by the pending departure of Disney chief executive Michael Eisner, and by the corporation's split with Miramax heads, Bob and Harvey Weinstein. "Eisner has been the main part of the problem," explained AFA president Tom Widmon. "He would not even sit down with us. [And] they got involved with Miramax, which was making a lot of trash films."

Conservative Christians are also heartened by Disney's decision to adapt The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first book in CS Lewis's classic series of Narnia stories. Although set in a magical land populated by talking beasts and witches, Lewis's tales are traditionally read as thinly-veiled Christian allegories.

Budgeted at a reported $100m (£55m), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is scheduled for release in December. The film is directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek 2), and stars James McAvoy as Mr Tumnus the faun and Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. Over at the AFA, Tom Widmon is already agog with excitement. "We know there are a lot of evangelicals who are going to want to go and see that," he said.

Yesterday Disney had no comment over the lifting of the AFA boycott.

Bambi Returns To The Big Screen

A newly restored digital version of the 1942 Walt Disney classic “Bambi” will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday, June 15, at 8 p.m., in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Author and film critic Leonard Maltin will moderate a panel discussion following the screening, during which animator Ollie Johnston will be joined on stage by voice talents Donnie Dunagan (young Bambi), Peter Behn (young Thumper) and Cammie King (young Faline).

Presented as part of the Academy’s Gold Standard series, “Bambi” still stands among the greatest of Walt Disney’s achievements in animation.

The fawn who loses his mother to a hunter’s bullet but ultimately matures into a leader of his fellow deer, and his forest friends, Thumper and Flower, are among the most memorable characters of animation history.

The film earned three Academy Award nominations: Music – Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Frank Churchill, Edward Plumb), Music – Song (“Love Is a Song,” music by Churchill; lyrics by Larry Morey) and Sound Recording (Walt Disney Studio Sound Department, Sam Slyfield, Sound Director).

This presentation, produced under the supervision of The Walt Disney Studios’ Preservation and Restoration Team, is the result of months of exhaustive research and restoration.

The process included shooting surviving artwork housed at the Studio’s Animation Research Library, utilizing the same techniques as employed during the original photography.

Final color also was referenced by screening an original IB Technicolor print.

The original nitrate negative was pulled from the Library of Congress archives and digitally scanned at 4K resolution so that each frame could be scrutinized and cleaned to fully realize the artistry in the drawings.

The final restored picture was then re-color-corrected for digital cinema and high definition video.

The soundtrack was digitally cleaned up and then remastered in 5.1 audio from the Studio’s archived magnetic masters, which were transferred from the original nitrate soundtrack negatives, under the supervision of Academy Award-nominated sound mixer Terry Porter.
 
The final result is a truly pristine presentation that brings the artists’ original vision back to the screen without dirt, scratches or dust.

Tickets for “Bambi” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members.
 
They may be purchased in advance beginning June 1 by mail or in person at the Academy during regular business hours.
 
If still available, tickets also may be purchased on the night of the screening when the doors open at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
 
For more information please call 310-247-3600

Virtual Magic Kingdom beta Testing

Virtual Magic Kingdom is now doing beta testing go check it out.

 

LINK

S&P may raise Disney's long-term debt ratings

 

Standard & Poor's on Tuesday said it may raise Walt Disney Co.'s long-term rating, citing improved earnings and credit measures.

S&P said it may raise Disney's "BBB-plus" corporate credit and senior unsecured ratings. The company's earnings and credit measures are likely to be sustainable at a level that should merit an "A-minus" corporate credit rating, S&P said.

Hong Kong's Theme-Park Clash

Allan Zeman, who has earned a fortune selling entertainment in Hong Kong, has taken on a tough new assignment. The 57-year-old Brooklyn-born entrepreneur made his name as the founder of Lan Kwai Fang, the cobblestone corner that houses dozens of hip bars and restaurants near the territory's central financial district.

For the past two years, Zeman has also served as chairman of Ocean Park, a theme attraction with dolphin shows, cable cars, and thrill rides. Launched almost three decades ago and owned by the Hong Kong government, Ocean Park has been a favorite with several generations of parents and kids. (My three-year-old daughter could ride Ocean Park's little pink train all day, and she shouts out "Whiskers!" upon seeing pictures of Ocean Park's mascot, a sea lion with a blue-and-white striped shirt and sailor cap.)

Millions of tourists from mainland China already visit Ocean Park, and their numbers are increasing, helping to revive the former British colony's economy (see BW Online, 4/17/01, "Hong Kong: It's Back?").

DULLING SPARKLE. Come September, Whiskers and his pals are going to face a much harder time getting the attention of anybody -- locals, mainlanders, or expats. On Sept. 12, Hong Kong Disneyland, the joint venture between the Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government, officially opens its new park on Lantau Island. Hong Kong Disneyland will mark Mickey Mouse & Co.'s debut in China and the first Disney park in Asia outside of Japan.

Ocean Park may draw the crowds now that it's the only game in town, but its attractions will surely look drab and low-tech when compared with the glitz of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. So what's a theme-park manager to do? For Zeman, it starts with acknowledging what he's up against. "Ocean Park can't really compete with Disney," he concedes. "You can't out-Disney Disney. If we're to compete, we cannot just put on a Band-Aid. The park is 28 years old and looking tired."

So, Zeman, who took the job at Ocean Park after a request from Hong Kong's then-chief executive Tung Chee-Hwa, decided that he needed to transform Ocean Park into an attraction that could capture some of the overflow from Disney and be what SeaWorld is to Disneyland and Disney World. That means it will focus on live animals, not cartoon ones, though Whiskers probably doesn't have to send out his resume just yet.

PRICEY OVERHAUL. Zeman has hired Thomas J. Mehrmann as the new CEO for Ocean Park. Mehrmann has 27 years of experience in theme parks, including Knott's Berry Farm, which lies just down the freeway from Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Zeman has also hired a team of Los Angeles-based designers with experience at Universal Studios as well as Disney.

Zeman's team has spent more than 18 months formulating its response to Disneyland. The result is a bold proposal to transform the quiet park on the south side of Hong Kong Island into "one of the top sea-mammal parks in the world," says Zeman. "We're looking at bringing in killer whales, beluga whales, polar bears, penguins, walruses, birds of prey, baby pandas, top thrill rides," he says. Taking a page from the Disney model, Zeman and his designers want to build three hotels at the Ocean Park site, each with its own theme.

The Ocean Park overhaul won't come cheap. Zeman sees a price tag of $700 million, with the whole project completed by 2010, and he's now trying to convince government officials that they should give their blessing and O.K. the spending. Zeman hopes the government will come up with the money, but he's also exploring other potential funding sources.

TURNAROUND CREDIBILITY. Earlier this year, he got many of Hong Kong's top officials, including Donald Tsang, the career bureaucrat and former financial secretary set to become Hong Kong's new chief executive, to visit Ocean Park. The highlight of their day: A ride on its cable car, which travels on a 1.4-kilometer track over a barren hill with breathtaking views of the South China Sea, from one end of the park to the other.

Zeman is banking on getting approval not only for the park proposal but also for another project on his wish list, an extension of the city's subway system to the park's doorstep. (The government has already built a line to Disneyland.)

The second project could be the tougher sell. The companies that operate Hong Kong's buses and minbuses have little enthusiasm for more subway lines. And plenty of other people are asking the government for money. But Zeman can argue that he's already shown he can turn things around at Ocean Park: Three years ago, before he became chairman, the park was loosing money. It now turns a profit. He expects more than 4 million visitors this year, up from 3.7 million last year, with about half of them coming from China.

NEW FAMILY IMAGE. The costs will run high, but Zeman contends that with millions of tourists putting Hong Kong on the map for family travel, a revitalized Ocean Park, combined with the new Disneyland, will make Hong Kong stand out. That's not even taking into account several other projects in the works, such as a new wetlands park and a bridge to connect Hong Kong to the casinos in Macao across the Pearl River.

"In the past (Hong Kong) never catered to families and kids," says Zeman. "Disney will bring a lot of new customers and new business to Hong Kong." That means a city known as a high-cost destination that appeals largely to businesspeople is about to have an image overhaul. "There will be restaurants for kids, shops for kids. The whole family experience will be enhanced," says Zeman. "Anyone with kids will be coming to Hong Kong."

Whiskers the Sea Lion will be there to greet them. And if Zeman has his way, Whiskers and his pals will draw a bit of attention away from the American mouse who has moved in on the other side of town.

Real estate agency looks to Disney Institute

National real estate agency Harcourts has formed links with education specialist the Disney Institute and plans to send up to 70 New Zealand managers and owners to the United States to be trained.

Harcourts chief executive Bryan Thomson said he visited the institute in March, with Harcourts International’s managing director, Mike Green, from Brisbane, Christchurch-based executive director Paul Wright and the head of the Harcourts Academy, Gilbert Enoka.

They were so impressed with the institute’s headquarters at Orlando, Florida, that they returned with a deal to send other senior staff.

Thomson said Harcourts had 170 owners and managers and he hoped up to 70 people would go through the training program in the US within the next two years.

A senior institute executive, Rob Morton, was in Auckland yesterday to address 1000 Harcourts agents at their national conference.

The Florida-based Morton encouraged the agents to think about their clients in a different way, to consider their brand recognition, how people thought of the service they provided and how they could work smarter.

Since 1986, the institute has hosted thousands of business people on its professional development programs, which show them how theme park staff are trained and how to apply the same methods to their own businesses.

Cal State Northridge to Award Honorary Doctoral Degree to Disney CEO Michael D. Eisner

Disney CEO Michael D. Eisner will receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) during its College of Education commencement ceremony on Friday, June 3.

CSUN President Jolene Koester will confer the honorary degree on Eisner from the college that bears his name for his philanthropic leadership, particularly in the areas of education and improving the lives of children throughout the Southern California community.

"Michael Eisner and his wife, Jane, through their foundation, have demonstrated a commitment to education and the belief that all students deserve an opportunity to learn. This goes to the core of what our college of Education strives for," said CSUN President Jolene Koester.

"In addition to his personal commitment, Michael Eisner has built bridges between the worlds of education and entertainment, creating numerous opportunities for collaboration and cooperation. I am delighted that we are honoring such an extraordinary individual," Koester said.

Koester will confer the honorary degree on Eisner during the commencement ceremony for the Michael D. Eisner College of Education at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 3. The ceremony will be held on the lawn of CSUN's University Club, located on the campus near the northwest corner of Nordhoff Street and Zelzah Avenue.

The college was named in Eisner's honor in 2003 after The Eisner Foundation, established by Eisner and his wife Jane, contributed $7 million to CSUN for the establishment of the Center for Teaching and Learning, which provides national leadership in preparing teachers to support the educational and emotional needs of all children in the classroom.

The Eisner Foundation gift provides financial support for the Center for Teaching and Learning and endowed the Eisner Chair in Teaching and Learning, which serves as the center's director.

Cal State Northridge is considered a leading producer of teachers among public universities in California. CSUN was one of the first four universities nationwide tapped by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to take part in a landmark initiative designed to strengthen K-12 teaching by developing state-of-the-art programs at schools of education.

The Eisner Foundation provides financial support to organizations that undertake innovative and concrete programs designed to enhance and enrich the lives of children and their families who are underserved or having learning differences. The foundation recognizes that all aspects of a child's life are linked to their community, including personal health, economic stability, appropriate mentors, living conditions and educational opportunities.

For more than three decades, Michael Eisner has been a leader in the entertainment industry, helping to shape this key area of the American economy and, since 1984, guiding The Walt Disney Company's impressive record of creative excellence and growth.

In 1984, Disney was a movie studio and theme park operator with revenues of $1.5 billion and net income of approximately $98 million. Twenty years later under Eisner's leadership, the company has grown into a worldwide entertainment enterprise, with operations on nearly every continent that posted $2.3 billion in profit on revenues of $30 billion in the last fiscal year.

Eisner began his career at ABC, where he rose to senior vice president of prime time production and development, taking the network from No. 3 to No. 1. In 1977, Eisner became president of Paramount Pictures, leading the studio to become No. 1 in box office and profitability.

Eisner has a B.A. from Denison University in English literature and theater. He serves on the boards of California Institute of the Arts, Denison University, American Hospital of Paris Foundation, the Aspen Institute, the UCLA Executive Board for Medical Sciences, and the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, and is a member of The Business Council.

Pooh's Heffalump Movie on DVD and VHS Today

 

What's a Heffalump? It's the biggest news in the world of Winnie the Pooh! Get ready to meet the newest member of the Hundred Acre Wood in POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE on DVD and VHS on May 24 from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Straight from theaters, POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE is a grand scale animated adventure that is as exciting as it is charming, where friendship, understanding and adventure abound as Pooh and the gang discover things aren't always as they appear.

                                                                    

A quiet day in the Hundred Acre Wood quickly grows mysterious as a strange sound echoes through the trees, a sound that can only be… a Heffalump! While the other Hundred Acre Woods friends devise traps, Roo sets off into the Wood and meets a sweet, young Heffalump named Lumpy. To Roo's great surprise, Lumpy is quite friendly and playful. Roo wonders why the others are so frightened – and why Lumpy is so afraid of Roo's friends. Upon discovering their unconditional friendship, Roo and Lumpy's loved ones realize how unfounded their fears were. Filled with humor, heart and Heffalumps, POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE is great fun for the entire family.

On DVD, POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE features a Hide 'N Seek set-top game with Roo and Lumpy; special featurette on Lumpy – "Welcome To The Family, Lumpy;" Disney's song selection for sing-along fun; and DVD-Rom printable coloring pages and Rumbledoodles recipe. POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE is available for $29.99 S.R.P. on DVD and VHS.

Thurl Ravenscroft dies at 91

'Disneyland wouldn’t have been, and wouldn’t be, the same without him'

Thurl Ravenscroft of Fullerton, whose voice was known worldwide through his work in movies, TV and at Disneyland, died Sunday from prostate cancer. He was 91.

Tony the Tiger?

That was Ravenscroft.

The Pageant of the Masters narrator?

Ravenscroft again.

Disneyland? Too many voices to mention, but Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and the Enchanted Tiki Room were all graced by Ravenscroft’s pliable, unique voice.

Movies? How about "Cinderella," "Dumbo" and "Lady and the Tramp"?

"Disneyland wouldn’t have been, and wouldn’t be, the same without him," said former park President Jack Lindquist. "It’s all part of the experience. You can’t go home with a ride, but you can go home with a memory, and part of that is the audio – the sound part of it. His voice was one of the things that made it all come alive."

Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft was born Feb. 6, 1914, in Norfolk, Neb. He moved to California in 1933 to study interior design at the Otis College of Art and Design. While in school he was encouraged to go into show business and auditioned at Paramount studios to be a singer.

By the mid-1930s he was appearing regularly on radio, first on a program titled "Goose Creek Parson." In the late 1930s he appeared on the "The Kraft Music Hall" with Bing Crosby, singing backup in a group called the Paul Taylor Choristers. That group eventually became the Sportsmen Quartette.

After military service during World War II, he returned to Hollywood, later becoming involved in the Mellomen singing group, and began a career in radio, movies, television and commercials. The group could sing anything from rock ’n’ roll to bebop to barbershop, and it performed with a list of stars including Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

In 1952, Ravenscroft achieved a measure of immortality, thanks to a TV commercial.

"I’m the only man in the world that has made a career with one word: Grrrrreeeeat!" Ravenscroft roared in a 1996 interview with The Orange County Register. "When Kellogg’s brought up the idea of the tiger, they sent me a caricature of Tony to see if I could create something for them. After messing around for some time I came up with the ‘Great!’ roar, and that’s how it’s been since then."

Ravenscroft’s involvement with Disneyland goes back to opening day in 1955, when he was the announcer for many of the ceremonies and events. His voice has been heard on numerous Disneyland attractions and rides, including Adventure Through Inner Space (1967-1986). He was the original narrator on Submarine Voyage.

In 1966, Dr. Seuss and Chuck Jones teamed up to do "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" for CBS. Ravenscroft recalled the Grinch fondly, saying, "That was my chance to prove I could really sing." The success of the Grinch led to other projects with Dr. Seuss, including "Horton Hears a Who" and "The Cat in the Hat."

His singing career continued into the 1970s. As a member of the Johnny Mann Singers, he sang on 28 albums, appeared on television for three seasons and performed for President Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev at the White House.

One of Ravenscroft’s biggest local claims to fame undeniably was his narration of Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters, a job that began in 1973 and lasted for two decades. He told the Register upon his retirement that it was his favorite gig of all time.

"I’ve learned more about art doing the Pageant than I ever did in art school," he said.

Pageant scriptwriter Dan Duling remembered working with Ravenscroft as "a wonderful collaboration.

"He was a gentleman who was beloved, and is still beloved, at the pageant," Duling said. "He was considered the grandpa of the pageant. Everyone backstage adored him."

Ravenscroft possessed, said Duling, "one of the great basso voices, so distinctive. For me, it was like writing music for an instrument that has a few tones that are absolutely unmistakable. It was so distinctive that you had to play to its strengths. He could bring a kind of deep, resonant reverence to something that deserved proper respect. Also, in his folksy manner, he could be the grandpa that everybody loved," Duling said.

Another fan with memories is Werner Weiss, webmaster of www.yesterland.com, a popular Internet site that highlights popular Disneyland attractions, including many that no longer exist.

"(Ravenscroft) is one of the busts in the Haunted Mansion," Weiss said. "He’s uncredited, as so many cast members at the park are, but it’s his face, and voice. It’s unusual. You actually SEE him in that attraction, a man whose voice you’re heard a thousand times."

June, Ravenscroft’s wife of 53 years, died in 1999 at age 80. He is survived by two children, Ron and Nancy, and four grandchildren. Services are pending.

Volunteer is Shining Star

Standing on the Epcot Center stage after receiving his Disney Dreamers and Doers award, Walter Menjivar showed why he was worthy of it.

The Mount Dora High senior used the opportunity to put in a pitch with Disney executives for free theme-park passes for homeless kids with whom he works at Anthony House, a Zellwood shelter.

Of the 100 Central Florida students honored at Epcot this month for their leadership, character or community involvement, Walter was one of three to receive the company's top honor: the DisneyHand Shining Star award. The 100 winners were picked from 500 students nominated by public and private schools in five counties.

Walter, 17, has volunteered at least 1,000 hours within two years, tutoring and mentoring children and assisting disadvantaged families.

"He's an inspiration to all the other students here, and even to the faculty," Mount Dora High Principal Claude Pennacchia said. "He puts forth the best effort to persevere, and he shows he can not only do this in school, but also in life. If a person or group of people are not as versatile as they could be, they just need to stop and take a look at him."

Walter has been volunteering steadily since he was in eighth grade. He is bilingual, so he often teaches English to Spanish-speaking children. He has helped win a grant for two vans at Anthony House, appealed to local officials for support and attendance at homeless-shelter functions and asked businesses for contributions.

Walter's family is from El Salvador. His mother, Maria Shenk, moved to Florida from El Salvador the year before Walter was born.

Mount Dora High guidance counselor Judy Nutter is impressed with Walter, who one day would like to enter politics.

"Isn't he a wonderful young man?" she asked. "He does it all on his own. We think he will be the first Hispanic president. The whole school loves him. The kids are all so happy for Walter."

Walter and his family will receive a four-day, three-night stay at a Disney resort, all meals included, and annual passes to Disney parks.

In addition to winning the Disney award, Walter has won many scholarships because of his volunteer work. They will cover the cost of his undergraduate college years. He plans to attend Vanderbilt University in Nashville, majoring in human organization and development.

Walter has been in touch with volunteers at Vanderbilt to learn about charity projects he can become involved with when he arrives in Tennessee. He understands his academic work comes first, though.

"I truly enjoy what I'm doing, but I have the tendency to overextend myself. I have to make sure I succeed academically. There is just so much to do and not enough hours in the day," he said.

Walter has tutored and mentored children at Round Lake Elementary and Zellwood Elementary, but for now, Anthony House, where he serves on the board, is his primary focus. He said children there might need extra help because of upheaval in their families.

"They are smart kids, but with the moving and instability at home, it can be harder on them," he said. "Education is real important to me. I tell the kids having a PlayStation isn't important. What matters is what you have in your head. No one can take away the knowledge in your head." 

ABC Dumps Page From Indy 500

ABC Sports replaced veteran Indianapolis 500 announcer Paul Page, known as the Voice of the 500, with Todd Harris in an effort to boost buzz and ratings.

The network described Harris, 39, as one of the most respected young talents in broadcasting.

Page, a 28-year broadcast veteran, told his hometown Indianapolis Star he was terribly disappointed by ABC's move.

"I love doing the Indy 500," said Page, 59, who will handle other sports duties for ABC and ESPN. "It's all I ever really wanted to do."

It was the second time ABC pulled Page from the broadcast booth. Page joined the broadcast in 1988 and was replaced with Al Michaels in 1999. Page returned as the Indy 500 voice in 2002.

ABC, which has broadcast the Indianapolis 500 since 1971, struggled throughout the 1990s with declining ratings that hit their lowest ever last year.

Iatria Day Spa Sponsors Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Erika Mangrum, President of Iatria Day Spa, has announced that the firm has been named an official Corporate Sponsor of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, produced by the North Carolina Theatre, scheduled for April 30^th- May 8^th.  This sponsorship supports the North Carolina Theatre, which is the largest non-profit professional regional theatre. 

“We are delighted to be a sponsor of North Carolina Theatre and a supporter of the arts,” said Mangrum.  “We look forward to sponsoring the well-loved family production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”

A look inside the Make-Believe CEO search at Disney

 

DISNEY has sold fantasies since its earliest days, so is it really any surprise that the company was able to skillfully pull off an imaginary search for someone to head the company?

This dead horse of an issue is (barely) alive again because nephew Roy Disney and Stanley Gold, two very persistent and angry guys who once had seats on that company's board, recently filed a suit claiming that Disney's process of finding someone to succeed Michael Eisner as chief executive was a sham.

"In reality, the (Disney) board's CEO selection process precluded serious and effective consideration of external candidates," Messrs. Disney and Gold said in a statement when the lawsuit was filed.

They are probably right.

It was a sham — so magnificently executed that many in the press, myself included, found ourselves foolishly guessing at which high profile Hollywood name would give up a cushy spot somewhere else in order to run this famous and troubled company.

Alas, I did redeem myself by reporting first in this column last Jan. 6 that "a well placed source on the West Coast tells me that (Disney President) Bob Iger is now the top candidate to take over the leadership of Disney... Insiders are now getting the feeling that Disney is going to look no further than Iger."

That premonition turned out to be correct. But that insight came only after I — like everyone else — had circled around the usual candidates and made some pretty awful predictions.

Walt Disney World theme parks simplify sharing photos, taking pictures with Disney's PhotoPass

 

With more than 600 million pictures taken at Walt Disney World Resort every year, it seems as though guests to the Vacation Kingdom enjoy capturing the memory of their vacations as much as they enjoy experiencing them.

Disney's PhotoPass, which debuted in all four Walt Disney World theme parks on Dec. 1, 2004, presents guests with an alternative way to capture treasured moments.

Using professional digital SLR equipment, photographers take photos of guests throughout the theme parks. Instead of receiving a paper claim ticket, guests receive a Disney PhotoPass that links all of their vacation photos together into one online account for easy online viewing and sharing. Guests can use one PhotoPass for their entire vacation or get a new PhotoPass each time they take a photo.

Then, instead of having to wait in line at a Photo Center for their photos, guests will be able to view, share and order their photos online at DisneyPhotoPass.com. Although Disney's PhotoPass replaces the existing photo system at Walt Disney World Resort, guests will still be able to view and buy their vacation photos at Disney Photo Centers located throughout property.

"We are always looking for ways to make our guest experience easier and more hassle-free," said Michael Colglazer, vice president, Disney Photo Imaging. "Disney's PhotoPass is a way of doing that. We think that Disney's PhotoPass will do for photography what Disney's FASTPASS has done for wait times at attractions -- drastically reduce or, in some cases, eliminate the lines while making the overall vacation experience more enjoyable."

At DisneyPhotoPass.com, guests can also add decorative borders and other Disney-themed elements to their pictures. There is no charge for obtaining a PhotoPass or viewing or sharing your photos online. The cost of ordering prints from DisneyPhotoPass.com will be similar to the cost of buying the same photo at a Disney Photo Center.

Enhancements are planned for early 2005: Disney's PhotoPass photographers will be available at more locations around Walt Disney World Resort -- at Downtown Disney and some Walt Disney World hotels as well as inside the four theme parks -- and users of Disney's PhotoPass will be able to create photo scrapbooks, photo-slide-show DVDs and other special mementos.

Guests will be able to add Disney characters and other creative elements to their scrapbooks and DVDs, and they also will be able to upload their own vacation photos to their PhotoPass account and use them in their scrapbooks and on vacation DVDs.

For more information about Disney's PhotoPass, check out DisneyPhotoPass.com.

Expedition Everest roller coaster to bring new thrills to Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World

Legend holds that high in the Himalayan Mountains lives an enormous creature that fiercely guards the route to Mount Everest.

Now that legend comes dramatically to life at Disney's Animal Kingdom in a new high-speed train adventure that combines coaster-like thrills with the excitement of a close encounter of the hairy kind.

Walt Disney World guests will discover for themselves the fearsome legend of the yeti when Expedition Everest opens in 2006 at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

"Expedition Everest adds a new dimension to our storytelling in Disney's Animal Kingdom," said Joe Rohde, executive designer at Walt Disney Imagineering and lead designer of the park. "It's a thrilling adventure themed to the folklore of the mysterious yeti."

In Expedition Everest, guests board an old mountain railway destined for the foot of Mount Everest. The train rolls through thick bamboo forests, past thundering waterfalls, along shimmering glacier fields and climbs higher and higher through the snow-capped peaks.

But suddenly the track ends in a gnarled mass of twisted metal and the thrills intensify as the train races both forward and backward through mountain caverns and icy canyons and guests head for an inevitable face-to-muzzle showdown with the mysterious yeti -- known to some as the abominable snowman.

At nearly 200 feet high, Expedition Everest will be located in the Asia section of the theme park. Expedition Everest will feature Disney's FASTPASS -- offered at no charge to park guests -- designed to reduce wait times at popular attractions in all four Walt Disney World theme parks.

Expedition Everest debuts during the 18-month "Happiest Celebration on Earth." Beginning May 5, 2005, the jubilee honors 50 years of Disney theme parks and commemorates the 1955 opening of Disneyland.

Disney's Animal Kingdom is a 500-acre theme park where the exciting worlds of wild and whimsical creatures come to life on an authentic African safari, in an Asian rain forest, on a trip back in time to the age of the dinosaurs and in other attractions and shows brimming with stories about animals and encounters with favorite Disney characters.

Narnia movie to have two soundtracks

EMI Music's Nashville-based EMI CMG, Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media will produce two soundtracks from the film adaptation of a C.S. Lewis novel.

The two soundtracks, to be released by EMI on worldwide basis, will feature songs from the film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." It's the second and best-known novel in the seven-part "Chronicles of Narnia" series by Lewis.

EMI CMG will release a soundtrack from the movie featuring popular Christian music artists Sept. 27. Another album of mainstream pop and rock artists will be released Oct. 25.

The film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, will be released worldwide Dec. 9.

From Disneyland to the Great White Way

When singers and performers set out to sharpen their skills, some attend music conservatories, some go to a university with a strong performing arts program, and some take private lessons.

Eden Espinosa went to Disneyland.

"It kind of was my college years, if you will," she says, "because I didn't go to school. It's a great opportunity to hone your craft."

At 17 years old, the Southern California native ventured to nearby Anaheim to perform in the theme park's daily shows, playing characters from Pocahontas to Ariel, "The Little Mermaid."

These days, the raven-haired soprano plays the title role in the Broadway musical "Brooklyn," a production she calls a "sidewalk fairy tale" about a girl's journey to fame and her efforts to find her father.

Broadway is a far cry from the Magic Kingdom. But Espinosa says her days working for the Mouse gave her a chance to develop her voice and strengthen her performing skills.

Working at Disneyland, she recalls, meant "five shows a day, five days a week [in] tons of different weather situations and, obviously, screaming kids and people that don't really want to be there."

But today, she credits that rigorous schedule for building her endurance, a necessity as she now performs a full-length musical eight times in seven days.

"It still really was a good time for me to kind of just hone my craft and figure out what my voice was and build up my stamina," she says. "So I loved my time there. I look back on it with good memories."

Real and fantasy worlds

Espinosa, who has also worked at the Universal Studios park in Hollywood, calls the theme park circuit a good way to make a living while considering other projects -- an option generally not open to New York thespians.

"I made a really good living, whereas in New York, it's either Broadway or regional theater out of town or waitress ... I've been fairly lucky."

While working in theme parks, Espinosa periodically attended several auditions for Broadway shows and touring companies.

After years of just missing out on roles, she says, a casting director familiar with her work called and tapped her for the lead in a new musical workshop, a process many musicals go through before making it to Broadway.

That musical was "Brooklyn," the show she stars in today. After performing in the workshop, Espinosa moved to New York in order to perform the show.

But when the "Brooklyn" debut was delayed, Espinosa had to get a "real" job.

"It was a learning experience, to see how the normal people live," she says. "I was working as a hostess in a restaurant [and] at The Gap, and it was really hard, you know, it was really tough."

'Paid to play'

This less-than-glamorous existence didn't last long. A friend working as an understudy to Idina Menzel, the Tony Award-winning lead in the musical "Wicked," got a role in another musical and urged Espinosa to audition as her replacement.

Espinosa got the job, and soon thereafter got her first taste of Broadway when she occasionally filled in for Menzel.

She stayed with "Wicked" until "Brooklyn" finally made it to the Schoenfield Theater in the heart of New York's Theater District just off the Great White Way.

Espinosa and the other four cast members of "Brooklyn" have a ritual before each performance to remind them how fortunate they are to do what they do.

"Right before we have a little huddle [and we say] 'All right guys, we get paid to play.'"

Espinosa says that she would like to work on other projects, including dramatic, non-musical theater, but that singing remains her first love.

"Broadway is the biggest thing, but now that I have this check mark on my list of things there are other things I would like to tackle. ... But singing will always be number one for me. Life, theatre -- I don't think there's anything like it."

FamilyFun.com Holiday-Themed Features Draw Record Visitor Traffic

FamilyFun.com, a leading family resource Web site produced by Disney Online, achieved record-breaking year-over-year traffic increases surrounding recent holiday site features including Valentine's Day, Easter and April Fools' Day. Since the beginning of 2005, FamilyFun has averaged 40 percent year-over-year growth with a peak increase of 43 percent in April (comScore Media Metrix).

With adults and kids across the country searching for the perfect prank, April Fools' Day was a record-breaking traffic day for FamilyFun.com. Page views for the entire month of April were up 148.3 percent over the same period in 2004.

Other FamilyFun.com holiday visitor highlights include:

• Easter mini-site page views increased 180 percent over the same holiday period in 2004. Popular content areas included crafts and basket activities, egg decorating and hunting activities, recipes and decorations.
• Valentine's Day mini-site unique visitors increased by 17 percent over the same period in 2004. Popular content areas included easy-to-make Valentine cards, classroom gift ideas and Valentine's Day family traditions.

"Our number one goal is to exceed the expectations of our audience as a useful and fun resource for family life," stated Emily Smith, vice president of FamilyFun.com. "Holidays are a time for families to be together and it's heartening to know that FamilyFun.com is a top online destination for families who seek creative celebration ideas and activities."

About FamilyFun.com

Produced by Disney Online, FamilyFun.com is the premier online family resource for creative solutions, combining award-winning content and related community features focused on great ideas, practical advice, and "fun stuff to do." The site's popular "Solution Centers," which offer parents real answers in real time, include: "Parenting," "Recipes," "Travel," "Arts & Crafts," "Organize & Decorate," "Games," and "Parties." Disney Online also produces Disney.com, the leading kids' and family entertainment destination on the Internet. Disney.com features exciting neighborhoods that live within the gates of Disney's virtual theme park, housing a variety of wholesome, original content that consistently reflects the magic of Disney. Disney Online works closely with the Walt Disney Internet Group, which provides integrated strategic and operational Internet services for The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE:DIS) Internet initiatives.

Harley-Davidson Store Roars Onto Downtown Disney Pleasure Island

Now open at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island is an Orlando Harley-Davidson retail location. The Harley-Davidson store features genuine Harley-Davidson T-shirts, jackets, hats, gifts, collectibles and pet accessories. Custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles with one-of-a-kind paint schemes and plenty of chrome are on display for guests to see, touch and sit on.

New Princess lunch at Magic Kingdom

The popular Disney character dining at Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom expands June 10 with the debut of the Princess Lunch with Cinderella and friends. The lunch will offer a family-style salad and dessert along with a choice of entrees or children's favorites and non-alcoholic beverages.

Cost is $23.99 for ages 10 and older, $12.99 ages 3-9, plus theme park admission. Princess Lunch reservations, which can be made by calling 407/WDW-DINE, require a deposit of $10 per guest age 10 and older and $5 per guest age 3 to 9. Hours are noon-2 p.m. daily.

American Family Association Ends Nine-Year Disney Boycott

The Mississippi-based American Family Association is announcing the end of its years-long protest against the Walt Disney Company. For nine years, the pro-family organization has urged its supporters to avoid anything Disney, but the boycott has now officially come to an end. AFA president Tim Wildmon says there are a number of reasons for this recent decision, and chief among those reasons is what he calls "a culturally crowded battlefield." The ministry's leadership decided it was time to end the boycott, he explains, "because there are so many other issues we need to move on to and deal with that are taking our time and energy, and we feel like, if you're going to call for a boycott of a company -- if something has become that serious -- you need to have all your resources behind it."

Extreme Makeover: Deluxe Resort Edition

Walt Disney World has officially announced a project to redecorate all guest rooms at the Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts. The makeover will include new decor, furniture, carpeting, lighting and bathroom fixtures. Both resorts will receive upgraded furnishings such as flat-screen televisions and designer bedding. In addition to the room renovation, décor in the hallways and public areas of the two resorts will also be updated.

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