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| MickeyXtreme's News Archive October 2005 | ||
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Thursday October 20, 2005 |
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A true slice of Ireland comes to Walt Disney
World Resort with the opening of Raglan Road Irish Pub and
Restaurant at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. Owned and
operated by an Irish company, Raglan Road features the very
best of authentic Irish food, drink, heritage and live
entertainment.
The Irish culture is known
for its warmth, character and hospitality, and Raglan Road
delivers an experience immersed in genuine Irish ambiance.
With capacity for 600 guests, Raglan Road is warm and
welcoming with custom furnishings, lighting and wall coverings
-- all designed and built in Ireland by Irish craftspeople.
Irish antiques, ornamentation and bric-a-brac complete the
authentic décor.
Four distinct antique bars, each more than 130 years old and imported from Ireland, serve as focal gathering areas. These grand fixtures were crafted from rich woods, such as mahogany and walnut, and feature marble adornments, leaded glass and ornate detailing. To complete the authenticity, and in keeping with tradition, a wide selection of cold, creamy and fresh Irish beers and fine Irish whiskies will be served. Traditional and contemporary Irish music, storytelling and dance help create a spirited social ambience, and the friendly pub staff brings Emerald Isle charm to Downtown Disney. Irish musicians entertain nightly and guests are encouraged to sing, clap and dance to the lively performances. The restaurant's gastronomic delights are the creation of Master Chef Kevin Dundon, one of Ireland's best-known and most celebrated chefs. With training in Ireland, Switzerland and Canada, Dundon has cooked for celebrities and heads of state, including Queen Elizabeth. His credits also include opening an award-winning Irish hotel and restaurant, appearing in his own television series on UK Food Channel, making numerous national television appearances in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, authoring the cookbook "Full On Irish" and being invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard Foundation in New York. The Raglan Road menu offers bistro-style Irish fare and fresh ingredients, all with a modern flair and Celtic creativity. Natural tastes, flavor and quality prevail in dishes such as Raglan Rack (rack of lamb on a delicate Irish stew consommé), Kevin's Kudos (oven-roasted loin of bacon with an Irish mist glaze, served with braised cabbage and creamed potato) and Salmon of Knowledge (fresh grilled salmon with a hickory-scented maple sauce). For guests wanting food to go, Cooke's of Dublin is a counter service location adjacent to Raglan Road where fish and chips and other quick and casual fare are available. There is also a retail location that offers Raglan Road and Irish-designed clothing and merchandise. "We are thrilled to introduce an authentic Irish pub to Downtown Disney," said Djuan Rivers, vice president of Downtown Disney. "The superior level of quality, authenticity and energy that this new venue brings is a perfect complement to Downtown Disney's lineup of world-class retail, dining and entertainment." "Having built more than 400 Irish pubs, literally in the four corners of the world, we believe that this is our best expression yet," said Paul Nolan, Raglan Road co-owner. "We are incredibly proud and excited to have the opportunity to bring a real slice of Ireland to Downtown Disney." The "real" Raglan Road is located on the south side of Dublin. It was made famous by renowned Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh in a love poem entitled, "The Dawning of the Day." In the 1960s, Irish folk singer Luke Kelly first put the poem to music. "Raglan Road" has become a seminal Irish song and has since been covered by such artists as U2, Sinead O'Connor and Van Morrison. As a tribute to Patrick Kavanagh, a specially commissioned bronze sculpture of the poet sits outside Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney. Raglan Road is owned and operated by Great Irish Pubs Florida, Inc., the Irish-owned company that previously created Nine Fine Irishmen at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Pleasure Island club admission is not required for entrance to Raglan Road. |
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Jewell Engstrom has been promoted to the
position of chief financial officer and executive vice
president for Disney ABC Cable Networks Group.
In her new role, Ms. Engstrom adds international finance and accounting responsibilities, overseeing all finance-related issues for Disney ABC Cable Networks Group's international networks, including 23 Disney Channels, eight Toon Disney channels, eight Playhouse Disney channels, the wholly owned Jetix Latin America, and over a dozen Jetix channels across Europe. She will continue to be responsible for all finance-related issues concerning the division's wholly-owned domestic entities, including ABC Family, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, and SOAPnet. She also oversees financial issues in regard to the Walt Disney Television Animation production unit and Disney's equity interest in Lifetime Entertainment Services, A&E Television Networks, and E! Networks. Additionally, Ms. Engstrom formulates new financial and business opportunities for the group and oversees long-term planning. She is a member of the Lifetime Television Board of Directors. Based in Burbank, Ms. Engstrom will continue to report to Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group. Ms. Engstrom has held several finance management positions during her fifteen years with the company, serving most recently as chief financial officer and senior vice president. She joined Disney Channel in September of 1990 as manager of finance. |
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"Big
Hitters Invade the Magic Kingdom"
Lets hope Woods proves to be a sure thing,
for with Tiger looking to move this year from Orlando to the
Florida coast, this could be Disneys last chance for romance.
In truth, the FUNAI Classic has always been a strange choice
for Woods, given that the tournament takes place over two
relatively undistinguished courses and includes a pro-am
format. In an effort to keep abreast with Tour trends, the
Disney team opted to lengthen the Magnolia course by 400 yards
since last years event, as part of a $600,000 upgrade. With
the Magnolia now measuring a beefy 7,450 yards, golf
handicappers will be speculating on the effect of the added
distance. |
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Disney
showing off a Mickey Mouse setup?
There was a sense out at Walt Disney World on Wednesday that it's not really a small world after all -- at least not in golf. Not when the pitch-and-putt Magnolia Course is being stretched to 7,516 yards. Not when the fairways are wet and mud is caking up on the ball. Not when a tournament that used to be a working vacation ends up playing like a major. "This is the Funai Classic," John Cook said after his practice round, "not the U.S. Open." For years, traditionalists have been crying out for a need to see tour players hit long irons into greens. The irony is that it could come this week, at a venue associated with winning scores of 22 to 26 under. They must be trying to Ryan Palmer-proof it, after the rookie shot 62 on Sunday last year for a 266 total. "The average drive has gone up 15 yards," the 48-year-old Cook said. "They're lengthening holes 50 yards. I don't get the math. It's not proportional." Cook had a driver, a 3-wood, a 4-wood, a 5-wood and a utility club in his bag. He used them all and proclaimed, "Somebody [in the gallery] could get killed this week," by an errant mud ball from 235 yards away. He played with Steve Flesch in a twosome of two below-average-length hitters. Yet at 272.4 yards per drive, Cook is still longer than the days when he recorded 11 victories. "Average" nowadays is 285 yards off the tee. Over on the Palm Course, Mark O'Meara was playing with the man who caused this all to happen, Tiger Woods. All morning, O'Meara pointed out that adding length to a course -- which is what everybody from Disney to Augusta National has done -- only plays to Tiger's strength. "I'd like to see them pinch in the fairways and plant roses bushes with big thorns," O'Meara said. "If you want everybody to compete, play a course hard and fast. At Augusta, take out the secondary cut and take the pine needles out into the fairway and let the trees be the equalizer. Most of these doglegs today, these guys hit it over the doglegs and the hazards. You have to hit the ball long. You have to be strong and you've got to be powerful." The 48-year-old O'Meara, now wearing a white goatee, paused before delivering the punch line. "That's why I'm looking into the possibility of opening the fly shop and becoming a fishing guide," he said. There's a conspiracy theory that deep in some back room at PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra, there's been a decree made to set up courses so they would favor Tiger and the long hitters, because Tiger and the stars drive the game and ultimately the TV contract that puts money on everybody's table. The theory is simple: When you lengthen, you eliminate. Woods turns 30 at the end of the year and knows the deal. He is second on tour in driving distance at 315.2 yards, and there's the sense that's not long enough. At the Presidents Cup, Gary Player said the average drive on tour will someday be closer to 400 than 300 yards. "We have not had a Shaquille O'Neal play golf yet," he said. Just 90 miles from Disney, the University of South Florida's Brad Quiri stands out at the second stage of Q School at the TPC of Tampa Bay. At 6-foot-7, Quiri carries the ball 320 yards, and he's just filling into his frame. To keep pace, Woods has had to go high-tech himself, adding 2 inches to his driver shaft and going from graphite to steel, and now to a 460 CC Nike driver called The Sasquatch that he was bombing in practice rounds. The club has an "amateur version" head, and Woods says he likes it for the "stability" and the way he can turn the ball over. The hardest part is getting the head cover off. "The ball was coming off so fast I couldn't draw it any more," Woods said. "It wasn't staying on the face long enough." Not everybody has that problem, so this will be a good measure of whether distance matters. The tougher courses this year have been the shorter courses. |
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Disney
Wear Wanders From Wal-Mart To Dolce & Gabbana
What with crawlers to tiny teens not always having access to $1,400 (£803) for a crystal studded Mickey Mouse T-shirt; Disney has decided to go for gold, sorry, grown-ups. It all started several years ago when chairman of consumer products Andy Mooney, was lead into the treasure tunnel that time forgot, by Disney historian Dave Smith. As if upon a dream, Designer Disney was born, earned in excess of $200,000,000 since 2003, and business has yet to dwindle. While you may have missed ‘Alice In Wonderland’ fashion wear star struck events in LA’s Fashion Week this year; jewellery, tea sets, pillow cases, bathroom tiles, accessories (hats?), and more decor will be hitting the shops at the higher end next spring. The chief executive of Luxury Institute, a group researching America’s wealthy, Milton Pedraza said; "I think it's just a pendulum swinging back to the classics, and Disney is a true American and global classic." Gwen Stefani’s music video this spring might have egged the craze on a bit. So come on, what you waiting for, the lottery? |
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New
Disney fantasy to come to Henderson
New Disney fantasy to come to the Henderson Valley Studios Waitakere has scored another international film coup, with the announcement that Disney Corporation is coming back to the city to film another top children’s fantasy adventure. Disney and co-producer, Walden Media have announced they will be filming The Bridge to Terabithia., at the Henderson Valley Studios and at various locations. The production will be based at Hobsonville. “I understand the decision to film here is directly related to the strength of New Zealand special effects,” says Mayor Bob Harvey, who drove the decision to acquire the old Enza cool-stores in Henderson Valley Road and turn them into film studios. Mr Harvey says the film will be based on the award-winning children's novel by Katherine Patterson. The story follows an 11-year-old boy who befriends a girl who is an outsider and together they build a world with magical creatures, and are changed forever. Mr Harvey paid tribute to the role Film Auckland played in helping to secure the deal. Waitakere and Auckland Cities helped create Film Auckland three years ago after Xena, Warrior Princess began winding down. “People said the film industry would die after Xena but we believed that New Zealand in general and Auckland and Waitakere in particular had talent and other advantages that Hollywood and European producers simply couldn’t ignore. “Together, we made a DVD about the places and people we offer, around the world. At the same time Waitakere bought the buildings that have become the Henderson Valley Studios – and we have never looked back,” he says. “A measure of the success of film Auckland is that it is supported by two pro-active councils and partly by the fact that it works in close collaboration with the film industry. We endeavour to work the way film-makers work - and that is attractive,” he says. Pre-production on Bridge to Terabithia is expected to start within the next few weeks with principal photography starting in late January 2006, for release in 2007 The film will be directed by Gabor Csupo, who created the Rugrats and Wild Thornberrys and worked on early episodes of The Simpsons. Mr Harvey said he understood that renowned American director Martin Scorsese is also considering coming to New Zealand to make his next film, Silence. This is based on a 16th-century tale about Portuguese missionaries in Japan. “We will be trying to interest him in using the studios if at all possible,” Mr Harvey says. |
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Disney Insider - An expectant crowd gathers
in the small theater at Disney's California Adventure - a
bunch of kids on the floor up front to be close to the
action, and grown-ups and more kids behind. A host appears
and urges the audience to call Crush the turtle in from
the EAC (that's East Australian Current, natch!) and
finally he arrives. Crush looks great - exactly as he does
in "Finding Nemo," in fact - and everyone
expects a great show. But still, jaws drop as kids start
asking Crush questions about life as a sea turtle -
questions that he clearly hears, and answers
spontaneously. Crush isn't just a special effect; he's
someone you can chat with, who knows what you're saying
and always has a surprising answer.
That's the experience Guests have every day at Turtle Talk, a groundbreaking experience that goes beyond passive entertainment to let audiences "meet" a character on terms that make him feel real. How does Crush do it? Imagineer Joseph Garlington isn't telling - that would ruin the magic. And Crush's biggest fans simply don't care. "Kids have a different sense of the universe than adults do, and they divide reality and fantasy in different ways," Joseph observes. "I think most kids sort of expect that you should be able to talk to an animated character, the same way you can talk to any other performer. So the kids get a chance to talk to this animated character, and they think it's wonderful." Grown-ups can't help wondering how it works. It's quite clear that it's no illusion - Crush really hears you and responds spontaneously, and Joseph urges Guests to prove this to themselves. "The thing that is so cool about Crush is how he handles surprise. So think of a funny or interesting question, something that you think nobody might have asked him, and see how he handles those questions. When you ask him something unusual or unexpected and he answers that, the surprise in the audience is great. It's what shows him to be most believably there." For instance, Crush asked one young guest what he liked to eat, and the little boy responded, "I eat turtles!" Crush immediately fled behind a rock to escape the peril! Things like this, or Crush hearing a Guest's cell phone ring, make it clear the Turtle Talk isn't a pre-scripted show. Crush is part of a movement to create what the Imagineers call "Living Characters" - creatures that can interact with Guests in new and exciting ways, creatures that seem REAL. Another Living Character taking a somewhat different approach is Lucky the Dinosaur. Lucky debuted at Disney's Animal Kingdom in spring 2005; this fall he jetted off to Hong Kong to help celebrate the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, where he'll remain for three months. Unlike Crush, Lucky doesn't talk. However, he does walk freely around the park, among the Guests. This amazing nine-foot-tall reptile has a huge repertoire of behaviors - he can sneeze, wink, whimper, smile, laugh, bray - and even get the hiccups! Lucky's not a person in a dinosaur suit, and although a helper walks with him holding a stick for Lucky to grasp, he's not controlled by that helper. Lucky and Crush are huge steps forward in the Disney tradition of creating compelling characters. Starting with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the birds of the Enchanted Tiki Room, characters who feel real have been a Disney hallmark. It's all part of the allure of a visit to a Disney theme park. Says Joseph, "At Imagineering, we're always interested in pushing the envelope in terms of developing new and exciting ways to entertain Guests. We know that our Guests love our characters and want to be able to interact with them, and we think the work we're doing with ‘living characters' advances the bar. "Arthur Clarke said, years ago, ‘Technology sufficiently evolved is indistinguishable from magic,' and we're in that area with this show, I think." And the magic is what it's all about. |
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Wednesday October 19, 2005 |
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San Jose-based comic book publisher SLG
Publishing will release the first issue of The Haunted Mansion
comic book this week.
The comic book, based on the favorite Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions and not on the motion picture, tells the story of the 999 happy haunts who inhabit the Mansion and offers a combination of funny, spooky and scary looks at everyone's favorite Haunted House. Two Southern California stores will be marking the release of the comic with special events during the month of October. Meltdown Comics & collectibles will be hosting a gallery showing of artwork from the series, including concept art developed for the comic and pieces from unreleased issues of the comic book. The show runs the entire month of October and will end with a special closing night reception on Saturday, October 29th, from 6-9 PM. In attendance at the reception will be artists Black Olive, D.W. Frydendall and cover artist Roman Dirge. For more information on the Meltdown Comics event contact: Hazel Meltdown Comics 7522 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046 http://www.meltcomics.com Dark Delicacies, a Burbank area retailer of horror literature and merchandise will host a pre-release signing on Saturday October 22nd from 2-3 PM. Signing copies of issue #1 will be Black Olive and D.W. Frydendall. For more information on the Dark Delicacies event contact Dark Delicacies at 4213 W. Burbank Boulevard Burbank, California, 91505. Phone number: 1-888-DARKDEL Haunted Mansion will be a 32 page black & white comic book with a cover price of $2.95. Covers will be by Roman Dirge. Haunted Mansion will be available at better comic book stores and select book stores this October as well as on Amazon.com and at Hot Topic stores. The comic will also be available through the publisher's web site at www.slgpublishing.com The Haunted Mansion #1 features work by noted comic book creators including Roman Dirge (creator of Lenore), Black Olive, D.W. Frydendall and Jon "Bean" Hastings. For more information on the Haunted Mansion, or to obtain a review copy, contact the number above. |
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Raglan
Road Offers Genuine Emerald Isle Charm, Fresh Irish Fare and
Lively Entertainment
A true slice of Ireland comes to Walt Disney
World Resort with the opening of Raglan Road Irish Pub and
Restaurant at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. Owned and
operated by an Irish company, Raglan Road features the very best
of authentic Irish food, drink, heritage and live entertainment. |
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Traditional and contemporary Irish music,
storytelling and dance help create a spirited social ambience,
and the friendly pub staff brings Emerald Isle charm to
Downtown Disney. Irish musicians entertain nightly and guests
are encouraged to sing, clap and dance to the lively
performances.
The restaurant's gastronomic delights are the creation of Master Chef Kevin Dundon, one of Ireland's best-known and most celebrated chefs. With training in Ireland, Switzerland and Canada, Dundon has cooked for celebrities and heads of state, including Queen Elizabeth. His credits also include opening an award-winning Irish hotel and restaurant, appearing in his own television series on UK Food Channel, making numerous national television appearances in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, authoring the cookbook "Full On Irish" and being invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard Foundation in New York. The Raglan Road menu offers bistro-style Irish fare and fresh ingredients, all with a modern flair and Celtic creativity. Natural tastes, flavor and quality prevail in dishes such as Raglan Rack (rack of lamb on a delicate Irish stew consommé), Kevin's Kudos (oven-roasted loin of bacon with an Irish mist glaze, served with braised cabbage and creamed potato) and Salmon of Knowledge (fresh grilled salmon with a hickory-scented maple sauce). For guests wanting food to go, Cooke's of Dublin is a counter service location adjacent to Raglan Road where fish and chips and other quick and casual fare are available. There is also a retail location that offers Raglan Road and Irish-designed clothing and merchandise. "We are thrilled to introduce an authentic Irish pub to Downtown Disney," said Djuan Rivers, vice president of Downtown Disney. "The superior level of quality, authenticity and energy that this new venue brings is a perfect complement to Downtown Disney's lineup of world-class retail, dining and entertainment." "Having built more than 400 Irish pubs, literally in the four corners of the world, we believe that this is our best expression yet," said Paul Nolan, Raglan Road co-owner. "We are incredibly proud and excited to have the opportunity to bring a real slice of Ireland to Downtown Disney." The "real" Raglan Road is located on the south side of Dublin. It was made famous by renowned Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh in a love poem entitled, "The Dawning of the Day." In the 1960s, Irish folk singer Luke Kelly first put the poem to music. "Raglan Road" has become a seminal Irish song and has since been covered by such artists as U2, Sinead O'Connor and Van Morrison. As a tribute to Patrick Kavanagh, a specially commissioned bronze sculpture of the poet sits outside Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney. Raglan Road is owned and operated by Great Irish Pubs Florida, Inc., the Irish-owned company that previously created Nine Fine Irishmen at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Pleasure Island club admission is not required for entrance to Raglan Road. |
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Raglan
Road Irish pub menu features fresh foods at DTD
The shepherd's pie is Angus beef and the Colorado lamb comes with a rich port wine sauce that takes three days to create. The fish is flown in fresh daily from Boston, creatively sauced or crisped in a delicate beer batter. This isn't your uncle's Irish pub. "We left corned beef and cabbage behind 50 years ago," said Paul Nolan, co-owner of Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney. "Ireland is one of the richest and most sophisticated countries in the world, and our attitude toward food is much more expansive." Everything is fresh on the menu at Raglan Road, the new Irish pub and restaurant at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. Celebrated Irish chef Kevin Dundon is behind the superb cuisine, and calls the concept "fine dining standards in a casual context -- with Celtic creativity." Chef Dundon has cooked for notables such as Queen Elizabeth, U2 and Brad Pitt. He is best known for his own television series on the UK Food Channel and as proprietor of the prestigious Dunbrody Country House Hotel & Restaurant in southeast Ireland. "The menu is contemporary, but you'll still find Irish classics at Raglan Road," said Dundon. The diverse dishes all start with high-quality ingredients," he explained. "We know the ship and skipper's name for each fish, and the Irish bacon is from a local butcher," he continued. "Choice ingredients are the heart of each dish, all fresh, nothing frozen." There's plenty of upscale bar food for noshing, like smoked salmon and cream cheese served with blinis, scallops with a lime dipping sauce and battered cocktail sausages served with a mustard dip -- bite-sized servings all cleverly presented on upright forks. The decadent "Smokie City" is layers of smoked cod and Wexford cheddar and double cream, served with crusty bread for dipping. Little crocks of pate with chutney are perfect with a creamy dark ale. The roast rack of lamb arrives with a light, broth-based Irish stew. An indulgent loin of bacon is glazed with Irish Mist and served with creamy potatoes and braised cabbage. And, of course, there are beer-battered fish and chips with a side of tartar sauce. For sweet endings, the Dunbrody Kiss, a decadent chocolate mousse with a crunchy caramel base drizzled with chocolate ganache sauce, is irresistible. Other favorites include bread-and-butter pudding with butterscotch and crème anglaise and a Baileys coffee cream pot. "We're taking Irish food to a new level," explained Dundon. Chef Brian Kenney, who trained in Ireland with Dundon, is at the helm of the Raglan Road kitchen. Dundon was pivotal in setting up the kitchen, creating the menu and training the staff, and will travel from Ireland several times a year. When he's away, Dundon communicates with the staff via a Web camera installed in the 21st century kitchen. To complete the authenticity and complement the tradition, a full selection of Irish stouts, lagers, creamy ales and premium spirits is served. Add nightly live music by a band direct from Ireland and the true Irish ambiance is complete. "Raglan Road is authentic in every way," said Nolan, who hails from Dublin. "It's like lifting a pub from Ireland and dropping it in Orlando. It oozes Irishness." |
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ABC's
latest hit: 'Freddie'
The Freddie Prinze Jr. comedy, airing at 8:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, was the most-watched show among all viewers in its time period (9.4 million) and among the advertiser-favored adults aged 18 to 49 (5.4 million). It was helped by lead-in "George Lopez," which has been resurgent in its new 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday home, winning in viewers and adults. But "Freddie" did even better than fourth-season "George Lopez," which drew 8.8 million in total viewers and 4.5 million in young adults, according to Nielsen Media Research figures released Tuesday. For Fox, the baseball postseason has averaged 10.3 million prime-time viewers through last week, down 6 percent compared to 2004. As it has for all of the young TV season, CBS retained its position as the most-watched network for the week ending Sunday and also was No. 1 among 18-to-49 adults, snapping ABC's three-week winning streak with those viewers. CBS averaged 13.4 million viewers for the week (8.7 rating, 14 share), ABC had 10.7 million (6.9, 11), Fox 10.5 million (6.9, 11), NBC 9.6 million (6.4, 10), WB 3.8 million (2.5, 4), UPN 3.7 million (2.4, 4) and Pax TV 550,000 (0.4, 1). NBC's "Nightly News" topped the evening news ratings race, averaging 9.2 million viewers (6.5 rating, 13 share). ABC's "World News Tonight" had 8.3 million viewers (5.9, 12) and the "CBS Evening News" 6.9 million (4.9, 10). A ratings point represents 1,102,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 110.2 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show. |
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'The
Sky is Falling!'
Disney's Chicken Little video games are now available at retail outlets across North America! The game brings the excitement of the film to life, allowing gamers to play as the key characters in an endless variety of fast paced game play. For each mission, players learn to master an arsenal of gadgets, including bottle rocket jet packs, slingshots, yo-yos, cannons, hover boards, and an alien suit to get the characters out of sticky situations (alien invasions, spiraling asteroids, corn field mazes, etc). Players will master 21 levels that capture key movie moments and environments, even extending the experience into outer space! "Disney's Chicken Little" is the first computer-generated motion picture presented by Walt Disney Pictures. Coming to theaters nationwide on November 4, the story takes off where the classic fable ends. It's the tale of how Chicken Little redeems himself after the day he inadvertently alarmed the town of Oakey Oaks that "the sky is falling!" when in fact, an acorn had merely hit him on the head. The games are designed for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Xbox video game console from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and PC. For more information, please visit www.buenavistagames.com |
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Steve
Jobs and Disney, part II
As the iPod moves into the video business, Hollywood and broadcast veterans say Apple may have a tougher time dealing with TV and movie studios than it has had with the music labels. Studio chiefs have long sought to learn from mistakes made by the music industry in the digital realm, and handling Steve Jobs must be near the top of their list. With one possible exception--Disney. The Magic Kingdom has already made a deal with Apple to offer such ABC television hits as "Desperate Housewives." If Disney is seeking to curry favor with Jobs, it would make perfect sense: The company has a new CEO, Robert Iger, who ostensibly could mend some of the fences dismantled during high-profile conflicts between predecessor Michael Eisner and the Apple chief. A rapprochement at this juncture could resurrect the powerful alliance between Jobs' Pixar and Disney to create more blockbuster animated films. So even though some Hollywood executives have privately voiced concerns about security, revenue relationships and other aspects of Apple's video services, Disney may well believe that the potential gains are worth any risks. |
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KIPP
Academy math instructor wins 2005 Walt Disney teacher award
KIPP Academy math teacher Frank Corcoran would do the late, great Walt Disney proud. While the latter of the two men built the world's greatest animation and theme park company, they both share one unique common thread: They make dreams come true through their creative worlds of fun. That's why Corcoran was selected by the Walt Disney Company as one of 45 instructors around the country to receive its 2005 Teacher Award for creativity last month. During the summer, Corcoran headed to California and Disney Land to receive the honor. He decided to take some of his students from the East 156th Street School with him on the trip. "It was amazing," said Corcoran, who lives on the Grand Concourse, between 164th and 165th streets. "I was really surprised. I never thought I would be nominated, and I never thought I would be placed on that kind of level with other great teachers." Corcoran, who was nominated by one of his former students for the honor, said the Disney Company treated the teachers to free passes to its theme park and a host of other special events, including parades through the parks. The 37-year-old teacher will be heading back to Disney in October — this time in Florida — when the company that made Mickey Mouse a household name puts Corcoran through professional teacher training classes to cultivate his talents further. Like Disney, Corcoran has a knack for making the magical seem possible. He built four restaurant booths with the help of students and installed them at the side of his classroom as "Corcoran's Math Café," as the bright neon sign reads from above. The booths also have signs that invite his seventh and eighth grade algebra students to "try the pi" — a play on words off the math algebraic term. "I wanted to make a comfortable environment for my students where they aren't afraid to learn," said Corcoran, who was born in Newport, Rhode Island and graduated from Notre Dame University with a Bachelor of Arts in history. Corcoran uses his math café to do group assignments and also to provide the students with a "safe place" to do their homework after school. "They could even come by and play chess," he added. The second youngest of seven children, Corcoran was raised in a strong Irish Catholic family where his father was a lawyer and his mother was a hardworking housewife, he said. Corcoran thought about becoming a lawyer himself. But decided to join Teach for America — a national program that places young teachers across the country while they go to school at night and work toward their secondary degrees — when he graduated from college. He taught in Houston for four years when he was only required to instruct two. Corcoran began teaching math in 1996 and his innovate strategies were immediately embraced by students. He uses "The Flintstones" theme song to help kids remember basic math concepts. He also rewrote some other jingles with math concepts in place of the music lyrics, including "The Addams Family" and "I Dream of Genie." The results are music to the ears of parents and school administrators. Last year, 80% of Corcoran's eighth grade algebra class scored 65% or higher on the New York State Regents math A exam, which is often given at the high school level to ninth or tenth graders. Corcoran also has a "Wall of Fame" where he framed many of his former students' pictures with their solid test scores on the Regents below. He also has a "Wheel of Corcoran," which he spins to select a student to call upon so that his selections remain fair. "Frank embodies what it means to be a teacher — not just to children who are fortunate enough to be his students, but also to those colleagues who are fortunate enough to teach along side of him," said David Levin, superintendent of KIPP Academy, which has 46 locations throughout the country. Corcoran credits his growth as a teacher to the school, which operates Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. "That's not the usual hours for a school," Corcoran said. "It's mandatory, but the students love it here." Students love the school and Mr. Corcoran, too. "I think Mr. Corcoran is the best teacher because he helps everyone with his or her problems outside and inside the classroom," said eighth grader Joann Rodriguez, who lives on East 169th Street. Corcoran will also be announced as the New York Post Educator Liberty Medal winner later this month. |
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SigmaTel
Provides the "Magic" Inside the New Disney Mix Stick
Player
SigmaTel, Inc. today announced that its portable audio system-on-chip (SoC) solution is powering the new Disney Mix Stick Player. Powered by the SigmaTel STMP35XX, the Disney Mix Stick plays MP3 and WMA audio files and can store both data and music files. The Mix Stick Player has 128 MBytes of built in memory, enough to hold about 60 songs, with the option to increase storage capacity to 1 GByte or about 500 songs with an add-on memory card. Launched on September 29, 2005 the Disney Mix Stick Player is easily portable and creatively designed for young children and tweens and provides up to 8-hours of continuous music playback. Digital music can be downloaded onto the Mix Stick Player using standard music downloading software or children can listen to their favorite music without having to have a PC using a Disney Mix Clip. The Disney Mix Stick Players are available in four models and include stereo earbuds, rechargeable lithium battery, lanyard with safety release and Microsoft Windows® Media software. Disney also offers the Disney Jam Stand allowing kids to play music with hi-fi stereo sound from their Disney Mix Stick player while re-charging its battery. SigmaTel's portable audio SoC solutions provide high quality audio playback for portable devices such as MP3 players, language learners, and jukeboxes. The company's solutions offer market-leading benefits, including as much as a 30% lower bill of material costs, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, 50 hours of battery life on a single AA battery and incredibly small form factor designs as small as 14.5cm². With flexible software support and upgrade options, the SigmaTel SoC solution offers support for MP3 and WMA audio format algorithms as well as security in WMA DRM. |
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Hong
Kong govt may be asked for funds for proposed Disneyland
expansion
The
government may be asked for funds to finance the proposed
expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland if revenues from the theme
park's operations and alternative funding sources are
insufficient to meet the capital outlay, said Secretary for
Economic Development and Labor Stephen Ip. |
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Disney
'to film Zappa son's book'
Disney and Bruckheimer have paid $1.5m (£860,000) for the rights to Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless, the Hollywood Reporter and Variety said. Zappa wrote and illustrated the book about a brother and sister who have to rescue their father from monsters. It will be published next August, according to the reports. Ahmet Zappa is the third of Frank Zappa's four children. His three siblings are Moon Unit, Dweezil, and Diva Muffin. "I wrote the book for kids, and all these grown-ups are telling me they enjoyed it," he told Variety. Ahmet Zappa is married to actress Selma Blair and is a musician, writer and actor. A European tour playing his father's music with Dweezil had been due to start later this month, but has been postponed. |
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Disney-ABC
TV Group Restructures Communications Division
Kevin
Brockman, the senior VP of communications at the Disney-ABC
Television Group, has announced a new structure for his
department, which will now be divided into six divisions:
Entertainment Communications, Communications Resources, Kids
Communications, News Communications, Corporate Communications
and International Communications.
The
senior executives overseeing these six areas will all report
directly to Brockman. “In assessing the department, we
looked for a more strategic and streamlined way to tap into
the expertise that exists in the group, and I believe this new
structure achieves just that,” he said. “While each
channel and network daypart
retains a senior executive responsible for its day-to-day
communications strategy, we’ll now have an executive team
responsible for coordinating and enhancing those efforts as
well.” Nicole
Nichols, former VP of media relations at ABC Family, has been
promoted to senior VP of entertainment communications,
Disney-ABC Television Group, and is charged with overseeing
and coordinating the efforts of the communications division
heads for ABC Entertainment, Touchstone Television, ABC
Daytime, ABC Family and SOAPnet. Sharon
Williams, former VP of media relations at ABC Television
Network, has been promoted to senior VP of communications
resources at Disney-ABC Television Group. Patti
McTeague, former VP of media
relations at Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group, has been
promoted to VP of kids communications, overseeing
communication efforts for Disney Channel Worldwide, Toon
Disney, JETIX, Playhouse Disney, ABC Kids and Walt Disney TV
Animation. Jeffrey Schneider will remain VP of ABC News communications and Julie Hoover will continue to serve as VP of corporate communications. Siobhan Kenny, VP of branded television communications, EMEA, will assume the role of acting head of international communications. “The International Communications department is still undergoing some growth and change,” added Brockman, “and while this is occurring, Siobhan will oversee our efforts in this arena.” |
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"Little
Einsteins Halloween" Premieres Saturday, October 29 on
Disney Channel
A
Halloween episode of the new preschool series Little
Einsteins will premiere Saturday, October 29 (8:00 a.m.,
ET/PT) during Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney. |
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Disney
Italy Takes Icon Animation
Patricia
Hidalgo, the programming director at Walt Disney Television
Italia, commented, “We have been following development of
this series since its presentation in Cartoon Forum Varese
and acquisition by Disney Channel Spain. We
are very happy with the scripts, storylines and first animated
episode, we are certain it will be a very good addition to our
schedule as it will be very appealing to our girl audience
without excluding our boys as it deals with everyday teen
growing up issues that are common to both sexes in a
humoristic manner that both will be able to identify with.” Geared
to 8- to 12-year-old girls, the series was launched over the
weekend at MIPCOM Junior. Presales have been secured with Nickelodeon
Latin America, Disney Channel Spain, RCTV Venezuela and Animania
in the U.S.
“We’ve had tremendous interest in the show and are
delighted to have the Disney Channel Italy on board,” said Christophe
Goldberger, the head of distribution at Icon Animation.
“There is a place in the market for a girl’s property with
distinctive design and strong characterization and we are
confident that the series will be a great success with
audiences worldwide. We are looking forward to signing further
deals with broadcast and licensing partners over the coming
months.” The Flash series is a co-production of Icon Animation, Millimages, France 3, TV Catalunya and ETB. Icon Animation holds all distribution rights worldwide except for France, French-speaking Switzerland, Benelux, the U.K., Ireland, Iceland, Australia and New Zealand, which are held by Millimages. |
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Rediff's
TN Prabhu joins Walt Disney Internet Group
TN Prabhu, vice-president, strategy and planning, Rediff.com, has joined the Walt Disney Internet Group as director. Confirming this development to agency faqs!, Rajat Jain, managing director, Walt Disney Company (India), says, "With TN Prabhu on board, the operations of the Walt Disney Internet Group will now begin its operations in India. Prabhu possesses the required proficiency to generate new business opportunities. He will play an intrinsic role in identifying, structuring and executing new business opportunities with mobile operators, content aggregators, broadband ISPs, interactive gaming platforms and other prospective third party distributors." Prabhu, a management graduate from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, started his career with 'The Hindu' in 1989. He then went on to serve organizations such as International Data Corporation India, Cyber Media India Ltd, Cyberexpo, Ciol.com and The Times Internet. Jain adds, "Prabhu brings in a whole array of experience with him, especially of the markets in North and South India. In Disney, we emphasize technology as we believe it is the key ingredient for growth and prosperity. Prabhu's association with Disney will leverage our effort in exploring newer technologies to deliver our content and creativity in a better way." |
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Zoo
Digital wins Disney contract
ZOO Digital surged ahead today after the games publisher and DVD technology expert won a contract with Walt Disney. ZOOtech, the DVD technology division of Group, announced it has signed a contract with Walt Disney to license its unique DVD authoring software for the application of 'Menu Regionalization' for new and existing film titles. The group said the deal should start generating revenues for ZOO in excess of $1m over the next year. |
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Michael
Jackson's Mickey Mouse capers!
Former King of Pop Michael Jackson reportedly shocked hotel staff when he answered the door to his suite dressed as Mickey Mouse. Disguised as the giant cartoon character, the star reportedly showed a chambermaid into his room at London's swanky Dorchester Hotel, where the singer's children were jumping on the bed dressed as Peter Pan characters. . Jackson, 47, then removed his mask and apologized saying he and Prince Michael Jnr, eight, Paris, seven, and Prince Michael II, three, were enjoying a fancy dress party. . "The chambermaid got a real shock when Mickey Mouse answered the door. Michael was thrilled by her reaction, and then revealed himself and introduced her to his kids - dressed as Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and Captain Hook," an insider was quoted by Female first, as saying. Jackson, who once admitted Peter Pan was his idol had reportedly been enjoying a jelly and ice cream food fight with his young children. |
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Tuesday October 18, 2005 |
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Walt Disney Co. is in talks with the city of
Seoul to open a theme park near the South Korean capital,
according to news reports on Sept. 25, 2005.
The talks with the Seoul Metropolitan Government were still at an early stage, Reuters reported, citing an unidentified official at the city's investment division. Seoul Mayor Lee Myung Bak, who made attracting global business one of his campaign pledges in 2002, said the city has made "significant progress" on its plan to attract a theme park and that a decision would be announced early next year, Bloomberg News reported. Reuters said Burbank-based Disney is now conducting a viability study on a theme park in southern Seoul that is owned and operated by the municipal government. Once a popular attraction, Seoul Grand Park has since been eclipsed by newer competition. Disney is also considering whether the South Korean market is large enough to support investment for the park. South Korea has a population of 48.4 million. Earlier this year, Disney denied a South Korean media report it had reached a deal to build a theme park in Seoul, Reuters said. Disney opened a theme park in Hong Kong in September and is considering another park in Shanghai, but it's unlikely to open a second Chinese park before 2010. The entertainment giant also opened the first of two theme parks in Tokyo in 1983. Disney's four existing and proposed Asian theme parks are all within four hours flying time of Seoul, which could make it more difficult for South Korea to attract enough visitors to justify the building costs. |
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Disney
To Adopt Majority-Vote Standard For Directors
The board of Walt Disney Co., which faced a shareholder revolt last year, has voted to amend its corporate-governance guidelines to make it easier for shareholders to remove directors.
On Thursday, the Burbank media company said
that if shareholders withhold the majority of their votes
for a director, the director must offer his resignation. A
board committee will then recommend to the full board
whether the resignation should be accepted.
Shareholders chafing at the poor performance of the entertainment giant's stock withheld 45 percent of the votes for chairman and chief executive Michael Eisner at the 2004 annual meeting. As a result, Eisner relinquished the position of chairman and later announced he would step down as CEO later this year. Also Thursday, the Disney board added a provision to the company's bylaws that prohibits the buyback of any shares at above-market prices from any holder of more than 2 percent of Disney's voting shares, without shareholder approval. The change was a response to a shareholder proposal at the 2005 annual meeting. Disney has taken a number of actions over the last several years to step up its corporate governance controls. Disney also set annual terms for all board members, eliminated the "poison pill" takeover defense and required directors to own at least $100,000 in Disney stock. The latest governance changes came a week after a Delaware judge ruled that Disney directors upheld their fiduciary duty in the controversial hiring and firing of former President Michael Ovitz a decade ago. The judge, noting that events in the case took place before the recent drive to improve governance practices, rebuked the directors and said their conduct "fell significantly short of the best practices of ideal corporate governance." |
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Disney
Does Roaring Trade In Adult Apparel
Entertainment giant Disney says it has sold $200 million worth of upscale and adult clothing since 2003. |
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Open
Call! Radio Disney Kid Auditions
Radio Disney is looking for cool, fun, outgoing kids, to be part of the #1 radio station connecting families from coast to coast. We are looking for kids who can READ, act and sound great on the radio! Radio Disney will provide all audition material. Auditions are on a first come, first served basis and Radio Disney will audition as many kids as possible during the allotted time. Boys and girls 15 and under who would like to be part of the RADIO DISNEY team need to come to Cinemark 17 at 11819 Webb Chapel and LBJ in Dallas Texas Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. For more information call the Kid Audition Info Line @ 972-448-3397. |
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"The
Chronicles of Narnia" Disney MGM Studios Attraction Info
For Fans of C.S. Lewis' Timeless adventure
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The
Wardrobe", the Disney-MGM Studios transforms a soundstage
into the frozen world of Narnia and takes guests behind the
scenes of the movie making of the epic film. |
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Coming
Soon, the Corporate Drama of Disney
A playwright by the name of John Morogiello
tells The Times he is researching a
"play/musical/opera" about the ex-Disney boss titled
"The Trials of Michael Eisner." And an opera would be the perfect setting.
No one could deny the power of such lyrics as: |
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Youngster
gets to meet Mickey, Minnie
When Christian Marlowe's wish to meet Mickey Mouse granted, he not only got to visit Disneyland, he got to be Oregon's ambassador to the Magic Kingdom. Two weeks ago, 5-year-old Christian was one of 75 "wish kids" who helped the Make-a-Wish Foundation celebrate its 25th anniversary at Disneyland. In fact, Christian, who lives in Greenacres with his parents, Alex and Lizette; and his 7-year-old brother, Anthony, was the recipient of the 50,000th wish granted by the theme park. "He had a great time. It'll be a memorable event in his life," said Alex Marlowe, who buys and renovates houses for resale. During Disneyland's celebration of the anniversary, Christian got to meet Mickey, who showed him around his home and introduced him to Minnie Mouse. He also got to ride in a parade with Aladdin and met Goofy and Donald Duck, all of it caught on film by his parents as well as Disneyland staff. "It was just party after party every day," Lizette Marlowe said. "His favorite part was the confetti. He had a lot of fun throwing confetti at the cameramen." The entire trip was paid for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Christian was diagnosed on Feb. 14 with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a variety of the disease that attacks boys at an early age. Every six months, his parents take him to Portland for treatment at the Shriners Hospital, where he is examined by a geneticist and a team of medical researchers. The Marlowes were referred to Make-a-Wish by Christian's aunt, who e-mailed the organization the family would be good potential candidates. After being screened, the Marlowes met with two Make-a-Wish representatives, who asked Christian what wishes he might have. "He said he'd like a big swing set," said Alex Marlowe, "and he'd like to meet Mickey Mouse." "After the news of the diagnosis, we were pretty devastated," Alex Marlowe said "Our faith is what gets us through. Because none of us knows what the future holds." Lizette Marlowe is certain of Christian's future, though. "I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he can heal our son," she said. "My son has a bright future, I believe in that." |
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TF1
in multi-year contract extension with Disney's Buena Vista
TF1 said it and
Walt Disney Co unit Buena Vista Entertainment have agreed a
multi-year renewal of a contract whereby TF1 will broadcast in
France a range of the US company's films, series and
children's programs. |
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Tarzan
Special Edition
Swing into action and adventure with Disney's classic animated masterpiece, TARZAN, packed with fun-filled bonus features and soaring, unforgettable music including "Trashin' The Camp" and the Academy-Award winning "You'll Be In My Heart" (Best Original Song, 1999). |
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This SPECIAL EDITION features the new "Terk's
Tree Surfing Challenge," which includes three games.
There is the all-new music video "Strangers Like Me"
performed by Everlife; a new Disneypedia featurette on
"Living In The Jungle;" plus deleted scenes
including an alternate opening, filmmaker's audio commentary,
and music videos featuring Phil Collins and 'N Sync.
Disney's magnificent animated adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's famous story of the legendary ape man begins deep within the jungle when baby Tarzan is adopted by a family of gorillas. Even though he is shunned as a "hairless wonder" by their leader, Tarzan is accepted by the gorillas and raised as one of their own. Together with his wisecracking ape buddy Terk and neurotic elephant pal Tantor, Tarzan learns how to "surf" and swing through the trees and survive in the animal kingdom. His "two worlds" collide with the arrival of humans and the beautiful Jane, forcing Tarzan to choose between a "civilized" life and the life he knows and loves with his gorilla family. Filled with humor, heart and hilarious fun, TARZAN, is a timeless story of adventure. TARZAN features an all-star voice cast. Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Rosie O'Donnell, Tony Goldwyn, Brian Blessed, Nigel Hawthorne, Lance Henriksen and Wayne Knight bring this classic story to life. |
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The
Emperor's New Groove The New Groove Edition
Get into the groove with Walt Disney's hilarious animated feature film THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, available in a special NEW GROOVE EDITION. This fast-paced comedy about finding the good in everyone features a distinctive musical beat with lyrics and music by the world famous Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, Sting. Included on the film's sensational soundtrack is the Academy Award nominated song "My Funny Friend and Me" (nominated Best Original Song 2000), with lyrics and music by Sting and music by David Hartley; the upbeat "Perfect World" performed by legendary musical artist Tom Jones, and a score by John Debney. |
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David Spade (TV's "Just Shoot Me") is
Emperor Kuzco, John Goodman ("O Brother Where Art
Thou") plays Pacha the noble peasant, multiple Tony,
Grammy and Emmy nominee Eartha Kitt ("Harriet the
Spy") is the wickedly delightful villainess Yzma, Patrick
Warburton (TV's "The Tick," "Seinfeld")
plays Yzma's sidekick Kronk, and Wendie Malick (TV's
"Just Shoot Me") is Pacha's steadfast wife, Chicha.
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This
Old Mouse
WALT DISNEY (DIS) is just the kind of company the Stock Screen column would normally take a pass on. It's too big, too complicated and too widely followed to be the kind of hidden bargain we like to sniff around for. And yet, a bargain is just what Disney seems to be at the moment. It turned up recently on our Three-Point Value screen. The most rigorous of our value screens, the Three-Point screen compares companies' share prices with three different measures on their financial statements: earnings, sales and cash flow. It does so to be triply sure that anomalies and one-time events aren't skewing the results. For example, a company that recently received a large lawsuit settlement might show up on a price/earnings screen, but wouldn't necessarily appear on a price/sales screen. The opposite would be the case for one that was cutting prices too aggressively, thereby driving sales at the expense of profits. A price/cash-flow screen, meanwhile, might boot companies that continually spend too much on investments and acquisitions, while sales- and earnings-based screens might let such companies slip by. By using all three valuation measures together, our Three-Point Value search seeks an optimal blend of relevance and reliability. Its results can prove profitable, and then some. Shares of engine maker Cummins (CMI) are now up 45%, vs. the Standard & Poor's 500 index's 10% gain, since we first featured them in a Three-Point Value screen back in May 2004 ("Diesel Power"). And they're up 13% compared to the index's 1% since their encore appearance in March ("The Little Engine Maker That Could"). Run our Three-Point Value search anytime you like — it's one of 20 or so preloaded searches on our stock screener. For details on the criteria see our recipe. Recently it produced a list of 10 survivors from a starting database of more than 9,000. Let's look at Disney. With a market value of $48 billion, Burbank, Calif.-based Disney is roughly the same size as Viacom (VIA.B), and a little more than half as big as Time Warner (TWX). Measured by sales, though, it's nearly half again as large as Viacom, and about three-quarters the size of Time Warner. Sales for the company are projected to hit $32.1 billion this year, up from $30.8 billion last year. About 41% of that should come from media networks, including ABC, ESPN, the Disney Channel and minority stakes in A&E, History Channel, E! Entertainment and Lifetime Channel. The Parks and Resorts business, which includes Disney theme parks in Florida, California, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo as well as a pair of cruise ships, is projected to bring in 28% of sales this year. Another 24% should come from studio entertainment. Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films and Buena Vista Home Entertainment are among the main contributors there. The rest of sales will come from consumer products like toys and games. The media and parks businesses are expected to produce all of the company's growth this year, offsetting losses in the studio and consumer-products businesses. ABC is enjoying momentum from three top-rated shows in "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" at the moment, along with strong DVD sales of the first two. And the parks are benefiting from the weak dollar luring European tourists. The studios are suffering from lower box-office receipts in general and a string of stinkers in particular, while the consumer-products division will take a hit from the sale last year of its Disney Stores, offset somewhat by licensing gains. In all, earnings per share for the company are projected to climb 18% this year to $1.29 and another 16% next year to $1.49 — an upbeat outlook, considering that shares have slid 14% year-to-date. Not that the company doesn't face challenges of the moment. TiVo (TIVO) style recorders threaten to cut into its advertising business, which makes up 30% of company sales. Pirates aim to profit from the shift to digitized formats and broadband delivery methods for Disney's intellectual properties. Terrorists could disrupt parks sales, either directly or through an overall dampening of tourism. And for a media conglomerate, Disney doesn't have a great reputation for integrating purchases seamlessly. ABC, for example, has just recently become a meaningful profit contributor, after about 10 years as a Disney property. But the encouraging signs overshadow the negative ones. New Chief Executive Bob Iger is getting good reviews for his stressing of accountability and decentralization, as well as his people skills — all shortcomings of former boss Michael Eisner. One of the company's most recent acquisitions is that of Salt Lake City-based Avalanche Software, whose games include "Tak," "Power of Juju" and "Dragonball Z Sagas: Evolution." Analysts say the company should prove immediately useful, helping Disney create titles based on forthcoming movies. But perhaps the two strongest cases to be made for Disney are that its content library is just waiting to be exploited by new distribution channels, and that its shares look cheap. "Competition among telcos, regional bell operating companies (RBOCs) and DBS [direct broadcast satellite] is just beginning to heat up," wrote Laura Martin, an analyst with Los Angeles-based research group Media Metrics, in an Oct. 6 note. "All content production companies benefit from this trend toward proliferating distribution alternatives. High-quality, branded, globally scalable content like Disney's is the most valuable." (Martin doesn't own shares of Disney; Media Metrics doesn't do investment banking.) Disney makes our list today because its P/E, P/S and P/CF ratios are each in the bottom quartile for the media industry. Martin used no less than seven valuation methods in her recent analysis of the company. All pointed toward the stock being cheap. Two, in particular, caught our attention. One used the EV/Ebitda ratio, which forms the basis for our Takeover Targets screen. Martin called Disney's 2006 EV/Ebitda ratio of 8.0 "one of the lowest of the companies we cover." She also used a sort of backward version of our Price Check calculator, which is based on discounted cash flow analysis. Our calculator uses growth forecasts and other information to come up with a reasonable current share price. Martin used the current share price to come up with the growth rate it implies: "DIS must achieve a 10-year Ebitda [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] compound annual growth rate of only 3.9% to justify its current share price. This is well below company estimates, and seems conservative to us." |
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TV
Downloads May Undercut ABC Stations
Apple's release of TV content through the iTunes Music Store "may have helped open a Pandora's box for the media business" Apple and ABC parent company Disney "have taken a potentially significant step in the dismantling of a decades-old system for distributing TV programming to viewers." With that move, the reports posit that there could be "profound long-term consequences for broadcasters, cable systems and satellite companies if more users download shows instead of watching them the old-fashioned way." In fact, they note, Leon Long, who runs an association that represents ABC's affiliates, on Friday issued a letter to ABC network president Alex Wallau that "expressed misgivings about the partnership ... ABC affiliates are concerned that they weren't given an opportunity for financial participation in a new form of distributing shows that derives value through the promotion and broadcasting of affiliates." The Wall Street Journal received a copy of the letter and noted that part of it says: "It is both disappointing and unsettling that ABC would embark on a new -- and competitive -- network program distribution partnership without the fundamental courtesy of consultation" with its affiliates. Mr. Wallau and Mr. Long declined to comment on the letter's content, but the former said he would respond to ABC's affiliates this week. Already, the Hollywood unions representing writers, producers, directors and actors have said that they expect royalties from this new revenue stream. Writers Guild of America West president Patric Verrone told The Wall Street Journal that the deal between Apple and Disney should fall under guidelines covering video-on-demand and other pay TV formats. In addition, the Apple-Disney partnership could upset such cable companies as Comcast, which already offers video-on-demand of certain TV shows at no extra cost. Comcast has been trying to add Desperate Housewives to that line-up, according to The Wall Street Journal, but was apparently having trouble because of the lack of additional revenue to offer. Long-term, the The Wall Street Journal reporters note, all this new technology will kill "appointment viewing," the term TV networks coined to describe the phenomenon of viewers staying home to watch shows at specific times. It also spells trouble for TV advertising, given the fact that the iTunes offerings are ad-free. |
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Euro Disney S.C.A. has announced with a press release that it entered into new talks with the union representatives of the Cast members of the Disneyland Resort Paris as of October 12. Negotiations are expected to last several months since they cover a wide array of subjects from "workforce management" (work time) to the "annual salary plan". The management hopes to reach a "mutual acceptable result".The union CFDT representing Cast members of the Resort reacted with its own press release dated October 18, pointing out that the opening of talks were surprising to them. They expect that management tries to realize among others two main objectives: more flexible work times and lower wages - both most probably would have to be seen in connection with what according to so far only rumors was an underperforming summer season in which the attendance goals were not met. According to the CFDT it had been informed about the opening of negotiations about the topic "work time" earlier during on going negotiations about medical coverage for CMs (the according contract will expire December 31, 2005). |
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Disney
Deal Paves Way For Mobile Media
Last night's episode of Desperate Housewives playing on your iPod for $1.99. Believe it or not, that's what's being hailed as the next big step in digital media. The Walt Disney Co. agreed last week to make five of its current prime-time TV shows — including the hit series Desperate Housewives and Lost — available for download to a new video-ready iPod from Apple Computer Inc. The shows will be available on Apple's iTunes service 24 hours after they are first broadcast, but only at the native 320 x 240-pixel resolution of the new iPod. Systems makers like Apple face a general lack of content and a fragmented market for an emerging class of mobile video systems — realities that were reflected in last week's deal. Indeed, even Apple chief executive Steve Jobs' own studio, Pixar Animation — the only other studio besides Disney to support the video iPod at this point — is contributing just six animated shorts. The iTunes site will also provide about 2,000 music videos for download at the 320 x 240 resolution. Taking an upbeat stance, analysts said the Disney deal forms a template other TV studios will follow. "The most important things are that these are the top two TV shows, and they have set the bar at $1.99 per episode," said Van Baker, a consumer analyst for Gartner Dataquest here. Don MacDonald, vice president of Intel Corp.'s consumer division, said Disney is creating a new business model, wedged between broadcast advertising and boxed DVD sales of a series season. "This is a huge step forward in demonstrating confidence in online distribution by the studios," he said. Disney and Apple executives were naturally enthusiastic. "This is the first giant step to making content available to more people in more places," said Disney chief executive Robert Iger. Apple's Jobs said, "Sometimes the first step is the hardest one, and we have just taken it." Jobs positioned the new iPod with its 2.5-inch TFT-LCD screen as "first and foremost a music player," with video as one of its extra features. Fragmented market Barely 100,000 portable media players have shipped so far from companies like Archos, Creative Labs, Thomson and others, said Josh Martin, who tracks the sector for IDC. Lack of content is the top issue for hard-disk-based devices. Studios like Viacom are just starting to offer their MTV, VH-1 and other prime-time video programs online for PC users, but they haven't made significant inroads in video for portable devices yet. The iPods come with a 30- or 60-Gbyte hard drive. They use Apple's Quicktime to decode H.264-encoded video at 30 frames/second. The players are being offered for $299 and $399, respectively. |
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Disney
goes bling
The marketing of Mickey Mouse and his friends is getting curiouser and curiouser. The Walt Disney Co. is taking consumers down the rabbit hole to a land where crystal-studded Mickey Mouse T-shirts cost $US1400, Tinkerbell earrings run $US630, and a Cheshire Cat wrap sells for $US500 - and consumers are gladly paying. Disney's consumer division, better known for peddling kid-oriented fashions at Wal-Mart in the US, has been cashing in on a hot trend in haute couture for vintage art. The company has sold $US200 million in high-end and adult apparel featuring classic images of Mickey Mouse and his cartoon friends since 2003, and says it sees no sign that interest is flagging. This year, Disney positioned itself for the first time as a fashion player, hosting previews of its Alice In Wonderland-inspired lines of clothing, home decor and accessories at two star-studded events during Fashion Week in Los Angeles. Andy Mooney, chairman of consumer products, started Disney couture about five years ago after walking through the company's archives with Disney historian Dave Smith and finding a treasure trove of images - some of which have never been seen. He offered licences for the classic studio art to fashion designers in hopes of adding vogue to the middle-class brand. "With a lot of the higher-end items, we were trying to spread goodwill," Mooney told Reuters. "We did start this with the notion of it being a brand enhancer but it has turned out to be quite a healthy business." The key to Disney's success as a luxury brand comes mainly from its association with brands that already have cachet, said Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute, a research group that focuses on America's wealthy. "I think it's just a pendulum swinging back to the classics, and Disney is a true American and global classic," Pedraza said. "To the extent they license to other luxury brands they can be successful. Disney alone would not be as powerful." Designer Jackie Brander was among the first to license vintage Mickey drawings for her chic boutique in the trendy Fred Segal store in Santa Monica, California. Dolce & Gabbana followed with a crystal-studded Mickey T-shirt, which sold in the shops for $US1400 and flew off shelves. Disney moved into home decor and accessories this year after seeing references to its 1951 animated classic, Alice In Wonderland, appear in the pages of fashion magazines and on TV - notably in a Gwen Stefani music video in spring 2005. "When that begins to happen you just have to pay attention to the call of what's going on in society," Dennis Green, senior vice president of marketing for consumer products, said at the company's Mad Hatter Tea Party on Sunday. The targets of the new campaign, Green said, are luxury-loving teen-agers and young adults in New York, Los Angeles, London and Tokyo who "are driving the fashion industry all over the world." "If we did national TV ads going after teenagers, they would turn us off. They would think we were uncool," he said. "Teenagers have to discover the product. (Then) they tell their friends and it grows through a grass roots marketing effort" that Disney could never have developed on its own, he noted. Disney has licensed Alice and other Wonderland characters from studio art done by Mary Blair and David Hall for lines of fabric, tableware, carpet tiles, decorative pillows and throws, jewellery and clothing. It has hired Kidada Jones, daughter of music legend Quincy Jones to design a line of jewellery, cashmere throws and pillows, and to dress her celebrity friends in the posh items. The Alice line will appear in high-end US shops such as Fred Segal, Drexel Heritage, Zelen, and specialty retailers starting next spring. |
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Monday October 17, 2005 |
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Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden, and Terry
Moran have been named co-anchors of "Nightline," ABC
News President David Westin announced today.
The three will assume anchor duties Monday, Nov. 28, with Moran in Washington and McFadden and Bashir in New York. McFadden will continue to anchor and report for ABC News "Primetime," where she has had a role since 1996, and Bashir, who joined ABC in 2004, will continue to report for the news magazine "20/20." Expanding its format to multiple news topics each night, "Nightline" will be produced live from its studios in Washington and ABC's Times Square Studios in New York. Ted Koppel, who has been anchoring the program since its inception in 1980, departs ABC on Nov. 22 after 42 years at the network. "Building on the great legacy of 'Nightline' as we go forward to the next era is both a challenge and an exciting opportunity. Cynthia McFadden, Martin Bashir, and Terry Moran bring the combination of intelligence, experience, and perspective that can ensure that Nightline's future is every bit as bright as its past," Westin said. "I am delighted and honored to be working with such an accomplished team of journalists," said "Nightline" executive producer James Goldston. "These are three of the most talented journalists working in television. They will bring an incisive and distinctive edge to our journalism in the great tradition of 'Nightline'." Moran, ABC News' Chief White House Correspondent since 1999, is currently the anchor of "World News Tonight Sunday." As White House correspondent, he reports on all aspects of the Bush administration for ABC News platforms and has traveled widely covering President Bush's domestic and foreign trips. As a key member of the ABC team covering the events of Sept. 11, Moran has continued to report on all aspects of the war on terror, and in November 2003 he traveled to Baghdad to report on the U.S.-led occupation and the insurgency against it. In covering Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign, Moran also reported on the subsequent legal battle for the White House. McFadden joined ABC News in February 1994 as the network's legal correspondent and two years later was named a correspondent for "Prime Time Live," for which she has been a co-anchor since September 2004. Throughout her tenure at ABC, McFadden has reported several breaking stories, including a firsthand look at the process leading up to a man's execution on Louisiana's death row, and just this month two reports for "Nightline" on the U.S. government's attempts to secure loose nuclear materials and weapons domestically and abroad. In the wake of the London bombings last July, McFadden traveled to Pakistan for an exclusive interview with President Musharraf, which aired on "Nightline" and other ABC News platforms. For "Primetime," also last summer, she reported and anchored on the lives of children in America with a groundbreaking documentary on the phenomenon of grandmothers raising their grandchildren. Bashir joined ABC in September 2004 as a correspondent for "20/20" for which he has reported international news-breaking stories, including the investigation of BALCO founder Victor Conte. He is also well-known for the landmark documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" and other investigative reports for the BBC and ITV in Britain, including an in-depth investigation of one of Britain's most notorious, racially motivated murders. His many honors include a BAFTA Award and two Royal Television Society Program of the Year awards. |
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Iger's
Contract Shows an Educated Disney Board: Graef Crystal
The new employment agreement extended to Robert Iger, the incoming chief executive officer of Walt Disney Co., is an example of ``lessons learned.'' The contract shows that Disney's board has profited from quite a few -- but not all -- of the painful shocks it was forced to endure during the eras of Michael Eisner, and most especially, Michael Ovitz. Before I get into the good and bad parts of Iger's contract, the main thing about it is this: In comparison with Eisner, Iger has a cushy base salary and much smaller equity awards. And maybe it's appropriate to have a lower-risk, lower-reward pay package for a company that, today, is as immense as Disney. For my part, I have a certain fondness for Eisner's swashbuckling ways because he was willing to embrace the risk that was deliberately designed into his pay arrangements. I know that because as an occasional consultant to Disney's compensation committee (an engagement which ended in September 1996), I had a hand in designing Eisner's pay package. First, the good features of this new employment agreement: -- It covers a five-year period. Michael Eisner was accustomed to receiving 10-year contracts. In this era of rapid change, a 10-year guarantee of employment is simply too long. `Target' Bonus -- Iger will receive a ``target'' bonus of $7.25 million a year, hypothetically paid in a year of good but not great performance. Eisner's target bonus was approximately $10 million. -- Iger has been promised each year equity grants that have will have a value of at least four times his salary, or, at his current $2 million a year salary rate, $8 million. The way I read the agreement, that means he could, among other things, receive free shares worth $8 million or that number of stock option shares that had an estimated present value at grant of the same $8 million. That is way down from what Eisner got. In his last contract, which took effect on Sept. 1, 1996, he received options covering 24 million split-adjusted shares that Disney said had an aggregate present value at grant of $196 million. Given that the contract was for 10 years, that grant worked out to about $20 million a year or 2-1/2 times that promised to Iger. It's worth noting that 9 million option shares in the 1996 grant are, nine years later, still under water. That's because their strike prices were set as high as 200 percent of Disney's then-market price. Contingent Award -- Iger was also given a one-time contingent award covering 500,000 free shares of Disney stock worth $12.1 million at the time of the grant. To earn that, Disney's total return has to equal or beat that of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index over periods ranging from three to as long as five years. Iger also has to remain with the company during the entire period and to meet at least one other performance criterion to be established by the Disney board. Most economists favor predicating long-term pay on relative stock price performance, and not absolute stock price performance. -- If Iger is terminated for other than cause, his cash severance is limited to two times his salary and bonus. That provision would have helped a lot in the Ovitz termination, because having had his employment terminated after about 15 months, Disney had to pay him his salary and $7.5 million target bonus for the remainder of his five-year contract. Payouts and Termination -- If Iger is terminated for other than cause, he doesn't automatically and immediately vest in his equity awards. That happens only when they would have vested had Iger remained with Disney until the next normal vesting date. And if there are performance conditions attached, as with the 500,000-share grant, they remain. Also, a haircut is given based on the percentage of the five-year term that Iger actually worked. That's a far cry from what happened with Ovitz, where on the date of his firing, 9 million split-adjusted option shares, which at the time weren't vested, became immediately vested. Later, Ovitz reaped gains of about $70 million from those shares. The Bad Features So much for the good features. Here are some bad ones. -- Iger's base salary of $2 million a year is twice what Eisner was earning at the end of his tenure. And unless Iger chooses to defer half his salary until right after he leaves the company, that portion of his salary won't be deductible to the company, thereby costing the shareholders some extra money. -- There are problems aplenty with the 500,000-share performance grant. The big question is why it was made in the first place. It is often the case that a large up-front equity grant has to be made to a CEO coming in from the outside. The argument here is that you need to open the throttles wide on the 747 to get it to overcome the friction of the runway; once it's airborne, you can throttle back. But Iger isn't coming in from the outside. He has plenty of equity incentives remaining from his earlier years at Disney, first as head of the ABC television network and more recently as Disney's chief operating officer. Among other things, he had, as of Sept. 30, 2004, 5.6 million option shares outstanding. Earn-Out Flaw -- The earn-out provisions contain a design flaw known in the trade as a go/no-go feature. Vesting occurs if Disney exactly equals the S&P 500 performance, but the award is forfeited if Disney underperforms the index by 0.01 points. That's a lot of money hanging on so little change in relative performance. A better approach would have been to start vesting a few shares once Disney's total return began to surpass that of the S&P 500 and then implement a sliding scale that would vest all the shares when Disney's return exceeded that of the index by, say, 500 basis points. -- Iger has been given three tries to beat the index. For example, 60 percent of his 500,000 shares ride on Disney's relative return for the three-year period ending Sept. 30, 2008. Even if Disney underperforms the index, those same shares can again be earned based on the four-year return for the period ending Sept. 30, 2009. And if that doesn't work, they can be earned for the five-year period ending Sept. 30, 2010. Normal market volatility, which has little to do with real performance, can be a big help when you are given those three bites. -- Finally, the agreement contains some of the most contorted legal language I have ever read. I figure that the contract was originally written in English, then translated into Czech, then from there into Mandarin Chinese and finally back to English. They say you can't teach an elephant to dance. But Disney's board, this time out, shows it can do a passable foxtrot. Someday, the tango. |
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Disney
speeds after Nascar
The New York Times reported that Disney will soon announce the deal to show the races from July through November on its ESPN cable sports network and its ABC broadcast network. The races are now shown on NBC, a unit of General Electric Co.and TNT, a unit of Time Warner CNN/Money is also a Time Warner unit. Ramsey Poston, a Nascar spokesman, would not comment to the paper on any possible agreement in principle with ESPN and ABC. "No deal is done," he told the Times. "If and when there is news, we will announce it." ESPN spokesman Chris LaPlaca also would not comment on a possible deal, although he told the paper "We've said for a long time that if an opportunity presented itself to have a conversation with Nascar, we'd be glad to oblige." Nascar is second only to the National Football League in terms of television viewership, although the second half of the season has traditionally trailed the first half as the last few months have to go up against football broadcasts on most weekends. The six-year ESPN-ABC deal is worth an estimated $280 million annually starting with the 2007 season and lasting through 2012, executives familiar with talks told the paper. That's 40 percent more than the $200 million a year that the NBC-TNT joint venture has paid since 2001. NBC had an exclusive period of negotiations through the end of the year but chose earlier this month not to pursue a renewal because of the financial losses it incurred during its five seasons televising Nascar and demands for higher rights fees from Nascar, according to the Times report. It added that by waiving its right to exclusive talks with Nascar, NBC opened the door for talks to accelerate with ESPN and ABC. NBC has been willing to walk away from a number of high-priced sports rights deals in recent years rather than incur steep losses. It gave up rights to the National Basketball Association after the 2001-02 season and Major League Baseball after the 2000 season. But after dropping the NFL following the 1997 season, the network agreed earlier this year to pay $600 million annually to start broadcasting Sunday night NFL games starting in 2006. Meanwhile Disney saw its inventory of NFL games fall by half, as the Sunday night game now shown on ESPN moves to NBC next year and Monday Night Football shifts to ESPN from ABC starting in 2006. The shift left Disney with a hole in its Sunday sports schedule in the fall. Fox, a unit of News Corp., also pays $200 million a year in a deal with Nascar that runs through 2008. It gets the first half of the season, although it alternates years that it broadcasts the season-opening Daytona 500, the sports' best-rated race. The company said in a 2002 filing that it expected losses of $297 million from its deal with Nascar through 2008. In 2004, in an effort to improve the popularity of the season's last 10 races that compete directly with football broadcasts, Nascar instituted the "Chase for the Nextel Cup," a playoff-like system in which the sports' top 10 drivers in the season all have a chance to win the season point title. The change resulted in a 12 percent increase in ratings for the chase races, compared to the last 10 races of 2003, but the average ratings for those races still trailed the ratings for the first 26 races of the year. |
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Disney
Cruise Line Spooky Ships Set Sail This Halloween
Disney Cruise Line Guests are in for a
"scary good time at sea" this Halloween. Both ships
will host a spook-tacular celebration during two sailings in
October. With themed events for all ages and trick-or-treating
throughout the ship, Guests are encouraged to bring along
their costumes and join in the fun. Planned activities include
costume contests for everyone, family "scary-oke,"a
special costume party for the teens and an 80's Halloween Bash
for the adults. There are even traditional themed movies
showing at the Buena Vista Theatre, along with
"spider" cup cakes and a "witch's brew"
drink of the day in the dining rooms. |
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George Bodenheimer, ESPN and ABC Sports
President and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, announced
today, effective immediately, the reorganization of ESPN's
business functions and executive management into six specific
areas to pursue the company's primary mission to serve sports
fans and for future growth: content, technology, sales and
marketing, international, finance and administration.
The executive management team reporting to Bodenheimer includes John Skipper, who has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Content; Chuck Pagano, promoted to Executive Vice President, Technology; Sean Bratches, promoted to Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing; and continuing in their roles, Christine Driessen, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Ed Durso, Executive Vice President, Administration; and Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International. "Changes in our management ranks presented an opportunity to redefine our structure," said Bodenheimer. "Aggregating all our creative energies in one division; placing all sales and marketing in one area to sell our growing menu of services; consolidating oversight of all technology; and affirming the centralized management of all international businesses are powerful statements. I'm excited about the prospects of this realignment and the people leading these areas. Not only does this reaffirm ESPN as the leading sports media entity, it will strengthen our commitment to serving sports fans." John Skipper, Executive Vice President,
Content
Sean Bratches, Executive Vice President,
Sales and Marketing
Russell Wolff will continue in his current role of Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International. Wolff, along with the support of Driessen, has led initiatives around the world increasing the financial success of ESPN's international operations. Wolff, who joined ESPN in 1997 managing ESPN's business interests in the Pacific Rim, is responsible for all of ESPN's international business initiatives across television, radio, publishing, wireless, broadband, and ESPN Enterprises operations. Christine Driessen, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will continue to oversee all of the company's financial operations, including financial and program planning, strategic development, and office of the controller. Driessen joined ESPN in 1985. Ed Durso, Executive Vice President, Administration, will continue to oversee legal and government affairs, communications, facilities, human resources and security. Durso joined ESPN in 1989. |
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ABC
is looking for a cheap date for Saturday night
The state of network television on Saturday nights has become so dire that ABC has essentially put a prime-time slot up for auction to anyone who has a compelling idea — as long as it's done very cheaply. ABC has put the word out to Hollywood producers that a Saturday night home is available to a program that can be made for no more than $500,000 an episode, which is about a quarter of what the traditional comedy or drama costs. "Because it's Saturday night, they're willing to try things that they wouldn't try at midweek," said Jeff Bader, ABC's head of scheduling. Saturday has become the forgotten night for broadcasters, who aren't entirely sure what to do there anymore. They just know it's not worth spending much to seek an audience that clearly has other plans. "It's the loneliest night of the week for network television and television in general," said Mitch Metcalf, NBC's executive vice president for scheduling. Except for occasional specials, CBS's 48 Hours Mysteries is the only original Saturday night program on ABC, CBS and NBC this season. Fox has run COPS and America's Most Wanted on Saturday for years; the WB and UPN don't broadcast. Viewers with long memories know it wasn't always this way. Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Golden Girls and Touched By an Angel are among the classic series shown on Saturdays. You could make a strong argument that during the early 1970s, CBS on Saturday night had the single best night of prime-time TV ever: All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show and The Carol Burnett Show. Saturday night — date night — was never the most popular night for TV. But the decline in Saturday viewership caught momentum with the advent of cable television, particularly when HBO scheduled its showcase movies then. The popularity of home videos and DVDs gave viewers still more options, said David Poltrack, chief researcher at CBS. Since 2000, Saturday night network TV viewership has dropped 39 percent, compared to 16 percent for the seven nights in total, according to Nielsen Media Research. So far this season, the four networks combined average 23.1 million viewers on Saturday, or less than a typical episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or Desperate Housewives get on other nights. Along with viewers, advertisers who are increasingly adept at targeting an audience are shying away from Saturdays, Metcalf said. "They want to get their messages out before the weekend starts, before people make their purchasing decisions for the weekend," he said. "By Saturday, that ship has sailed." Lately, it's a classic chicken-or-egg argument: Are the viewers fleeing because the networks aren't offering much, or are the networks abandoning Saturdays because they sense viewers' lack of interest? Networks began dialing back early this decade. Saturday became "movie night," but even that rarely works because people are impatient watching movies clogged with commercials. With shows like The District and Hack, CBS bragged two years ago that it was the only network still in business on Saturday, but that didn't last. Now it's mostly reruns. "I'd like to think we all tried," said Kelly Kahl, head of CBS's scheduling department. "We held out probably a little longer. But the choices at some point just become overwhelming." CBS wraps its reruns in a nice bow: two hours it calls "Crimetime Saturday." It airs episodes of procedural dramas like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and gets about the same modest ratings as it did with original shows, and even does better among young viewers, Poltrack said. As a result, the network now makes a nice profit on a night where it used to lose money. Besides movies and NASCAR races, NBC has found Saturday to be a comfortable home for its Law & Order franchise. This year it has taken a cue from HBO and is using the night to give viewers a second chance to catch on with its new series. A week ago, NBC ran three straight episodes of My Name is Earl, and has also showcased Surface. "People's lives are so busy and there are so many new shows to watch," Metcalf said. "They key is to pick shows that are showing signs of growth, or that people are talking about and there are good reviews." For the past few weeks, ABC has given fans of Lost a second chance to keep up with that story. It has also aired repeats of Invasion and Commander in Chief. A combination of movies and repeats will fill out the season, Bader said. As the force behind Saturday's island of original programming, 48 Hours Mysteries executive producer Susan Zirinsky said she's happy to be scheduled there. How many times, she said, have you been home on a Saturday night and surfed aimlessly through the channels looking for something new? "We're promising a fresh apple pie at 10 o'clock," she said. She's also experimenting with new storytelling approaches. Often, the first five minutes of her show — which usually feature true-crime mysteries — don't feature reporters or any indication that its a news program. The idea is to hook viewers on stories compatible with the dramas they've just been watching. Experimentation, along the lines of what ABC is planning, might be the only other recourse on Saturday nights. Why can't the networks try out pilots of new shows, even ones executives have rejected, to see if something draws some interest? ABC has set no boundaries for the suggestions it seeks: the shows could be reality, scripted, news, sports, whatever, Bader said. "We use the summer to experiment," he said. "Well, Saturday can be our summer every week." |
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Incredibles:
Rise of the Underminer Playstation 2
Mr Incredible and Frozone return to non-stop action in the new video game Disney presents a Pixar film, The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer. The game begins at the film's conclusion - Underminer's threatening emergence to wreak havoc on the residents of Metroville. Players battle the Underminer and his robot minions in the vast underground world built by this diabolical genius. It is up to Mr Incredible and Frozone to once again save the day. Are you super enough? Features:
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For years, one of the worst kept secrets in business was the extraordinary lengths that CEOs had to go to in order to be terminated “for cause,” and thus forfeit their stunning severance payouts. Screwing up royally wasn’t enough. Sometimes neither was being charged with a felony. Now it appears that at least one oft-maligned corporate board has found the backbone to expand, rather than limit, the definition of for-cause termination. In an October filing, Disney disclosed that in new CEO Bob Iger’s contract, “cause” can include his “failure to cooperate … with any investigation or inquiry into his or the Company’s business practices … including … Executive’s refusal to be deposed or to provide testimony at any trial or inquiry.” What that means in English is that if Iger stonewalls an investigation (like, say, former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg) or pleads the Fifth, the board can send him packing without his golden parachute. “This clause is quite unusual,” says Stephen Fackler, an attorney at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher who’s crafted hundreds of compensation plans. “Presumably it signals the efforts of the board to establish a different sort of board-CEO relationship in the post-Eisner era.” Disney declined to comment. Don’t expect other boards to mimic Disney’s move overnight. Change is glacial in executive comp, and what’s more, if the clause was ever enforced, Iger could theoretically argue that he was wrongfully terminated for exercising his constitutional rights. But the more oversight by the board, the less chance it’ll ever come to that. |
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The unique world of Tim Burton's cult-classic
stop-motion animated film "The Nightmare Before
Christmas" can be experienced in interactive digital form
as The Nightmare Before Christmas video games are now
available in North America, Buena Vista Games, Inc. announced
today. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Oogie's
Revenge for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system
and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and Tim Burton's
The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King for the Game
Boy Advance system are now at retailers.
Staying true to the spirit of the enchanting property with engaging game play elements, original characters, memorable music and voice actors from the film, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King bring the imaginative world to life like never before. Gamers and Nightmare fans alike will enjoy a truly cinematic experience in these action-packed interactive adventures. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge continues the story from the film while Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King tells the story of the events before the film. "The Capcom® team and I were focused on capturing the absolute essence of the feature film while creating Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King -- both in the characters and the environments," said Deane Taylor, art director for both the film and the video games. "'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is a film that continues to delight audiences of all ages and I hope the video games will have the same impact." "The Nightmare Before Christmas property from home video to theme parks and merchandise remains both a year-round favorite and a Halloween tradition," said Craig Relyea, vice president of marketing for Buena Vista Games. "BVG is pleased to offer gamers and Nightmare Before Christmas fans an opportunity to explore the fanciful Nightmare Before Christmas world with these new video games." About Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge Developed by Capcom, this new action adventure game continues from where Director Tim Burton's movie left off 12 years ago, and expands the depth of the environments and characters from the original screenplay. Fans and gamers will enjoy an unrivaled interactive experience that remains true to the spirit of the film by incorporating faithful depictions of the original characters, beautifully rendered visuals, fun exploration and engaging game play elements. Players assume the role of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who must help reclaim the town from the mischievous Oogie Boogie and his henchmen. Game features include Jack's wide variety of attack options including the use of the new and amazing Soul Robber, costume changes with unique attacks and more. Available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge has a rating of "E10+" for Everyone 10 and older by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and has a suggested retail price of $39.99. About Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King Serving as the video game prequel to the imaginative world Tim Burton introduced in the film, this action title tells the tale of how Jack Skellington first met Oogie Boogie and saved Halloween. Players join Jack and his trusted pal Zero on a journey to locate the source of unusual bugs that start to invade Halloween Town. With help from familiar faces, and beloved characters such as Sally, the Mayor, and the inventions of Dr. Finklestein, Jack discovers that the bugs are under the command of Oogie Boogie. It's up to Jack to rid the town of this new infestation and stop Oogie Boogie from carrying out his evil plot. Developed by TOSE and available for the Game Boy Advance, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King has a rating of "E10+" for Everyone 10 and older by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and has a suggested retail price of $29.99. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Pumpkin King is the first Game Boy Advance title ever to use lenticular packaging on its box - featuring a 3-D image of Jack Skellington and the Pumpkin King. |
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A
Chance to Own a Bit of Real Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo
Destined to be collector's items, a one-of-a-kind modern interpretation of Cinderella's gown by Monique Lhuillier and a one-of-a-kind modern interpretation of Cinderella's shoes by Jimmy Choo will be auctioned off to the general public on www.DisneyAuctions.com from October 17 - 27. Each designer created the fashions in honor of Cinderella's highly anticipated October 4 DVD debut. Kelly Monaco, elegant favorite in TV's "Dancing With The Stars" and "General Hospital" wore the fashions down the red carpet at the October 2 New York DVD Premiere for Walt Disney's original "CINDERELLA," in order to raise awareness for the auction. The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, Kelly Monaco's charity of choice, will receive proceeds from the sale of the beautiful and unique designer creations. The movie that made audiences believes that "dreams come true" and one of Walt Disney's most beloved animated films, "CINDERELLA" is the sixth release in Disney's celebrated "Platinum Edition" DVD line. On DVD for the first time ever, the highly anticipated release has been digitally restored and loaded with bonus materials that allow viewers to extend their movie experience and transport themselves into the magical world of Cinderella. Both the DVD and VHS editions carry a suggested retail price of $29.99 (SRP). Walt Disney Home Entertainment is distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., a recognized industry leader. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax, Dimension and Buena Vista videocassettes and DVDs. |
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Club
Cool at Epcot opening date
Club Cool at Epcot is currently scheduled to reopen under the new name on November 16th 2005. |
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Kermit
the Frog Makes First Stop of His 50th Anniversary World Tour
in Kermit, Texas
To honor the 50th anniversary of his meteoric rise from the swamp to international icon, Kermit the Frog kicked off his celebratory World Tour on October 14 in the aptly named town of Kermit, Texas (population 5,714). At a press conference, Kermit Mayor Ted Westmoreland officially proclaimed the day "Kermit the Frog Day" in honor of the world's most beloved Frog and presented Kermit the Frog with the key to the city. In addition, the town dedicated a park to Kermit the Frog, painted his image on a water tower, renamed a street "Kermit the Frog Avenue" and arranged for a special, one-day Kermit the Frog cancellation stamp to postmark all mail leaving the Kermit, Texas post office. "For 50 years, Kermit the Frog has built a career on knowing the value of making people laugh, bringing smiles to those young and old, and teaching people how to treat one another," noted Westmoreland. "We are proud to share our town's name with such an acclaimed entertainer, as well as call him an honorary citizen of this great community." In true Lone Star State spirit, the town of Kermit, Texas embraced the arrival of Kermit the Frog in a grand manner. As part of the Homecoming festivities, Kermit the Frog announced the 2005 Kermit High School Homecoming Queen, was presented as the honorary Homecoming King and served as Grand Marshal in the annual Kermit Homecoming Parade. As a final tribute to the famous Frog, hundreds of townspeople gathered en masse onto the high school's football field. Donning green cowboy hats, they stood in formation to create a "50," as well as an outline of Kermit's head for a one-of-a-kind aerial shot. Months of detailed preparations preceded the celebration, encompassing everything from the decoration of store windows and a complete town clean up to the local Dairy Queen that offered green versions of their select menu items including green fries, green gravy and green ice cream. In addition, the students from Kermit High School created a six-foot, steel sculpture of Kermit for the Frog's special day. The grassroots effort included widespread support of the city council, parks department, local businesses and the school district. "I am over the moon with the welcome I received from the townspeople of Kermit," noted Kermit the Frog. "This celebration has truly set the bar so high, that other stops will really have to leap -- and I know a thing or two about leaping -- to match the love and support I experienced in Kermit, Texas." Following his stop in Kermit, Texas, Kermit will continue on his World Tour where he will visit fans in 50 destinations around the world, touching down in dozens of countries. The next stops on his world tour are NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and an opening night performance with the Rockettes. For more information about Kermit's World Tour, visit http://www.muppets.com. |
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Star
of ABC's 'Commander in Chief' stuck on top of Washington
The U.S. dollar is getting a modern makeover of sorts, as the Treasury Department has given its blessing for actress Geena Davis' portrait to be temporarily featured on top of President George Washington. Davis is starring in ABC's new series, "Commander in Chief," a drama about the first woman president. According to the Los Angeles Times, the network got federal officials to OK the circulation of an undisclosed number of dollar bills with stickers of Davis superimposed on the original "George W." as part of a promotion gimmick. "If you do things right, you get higher 'talk value,'" Michael Benson, ABC's senior vice president for marketing, told the Times. "It's about creating something that you want to tell your friends about, and show your family members," he said, adding: "You've got to make sure it's organic to the show, original and unexpected." Critics such as Rob Hedelt at the Frederickburg Free Lance-Star in Virginia think the program could be designed to get Americans used to having a woman running the country. "Is there something to the theory that having something happen in our national fiction makes it more likely to happen in real life?" Hedelt writes. "If that's the case, ABC's new 'Commander in Chief' may be paving the way for a woman to sit in the Oval Office, and doing a nice job telling that story, thank you very much." |
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ABC
Sports, ESPN College Football Analysts Nominate Texas Tech
Quarterback Cody Hodges
The national player of the week nominations are in and the polls are open. Red Raider fans can cast their votes for Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges for the Cingular Wireless/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Week, the only major college football honor determined exclusively by fans. Hodges was nominated for the award after recording 643 yards -- the 4th highest total in Division 1-A history -- and passed for five touchdowns in the Red Raiders' 59-20 win over Kansas State. Hodges is one of four candidates for the All-America Player of the Week, who are selected by a panel of ABC Sports and ESPN college football analysts. The other finalists are: University of Texas quarterback Vince Young, who was nominated for the award for the second time this season after recording a career-high 336 yards, including 58 rushing yards and five touchdowns -- passing for two and rushing for three more -- in the Longhorns' 42-17 win over Colorado; West Virginia running back Steve Slaton, who was nominated for the first time in his career after 31 carries, for a career-high 188 yards and six touchdowns in the Mountaineers' triple over-time win over Louisville; and USC running back Reggie Bush, was nominated for the award after 15 carries for 160 yards and three touchdowns -- marking his 5th straight 100-yard rushing game - - in the Trojans' last second win over Notre Dame. Bush's nomination also makes the fourth USC player nominated this season. Previous Cingular/All-America Player of the Week winners this season include Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley, Texas quarterback Vince Young and Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal, Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, and UCLA running back Maurice Drew. Who will be this week's winner now rests solely in the hands of college football fans nationwide. Fans have until Wednesday, October 19 at 11:59 p.m. EDT to submit their votes via wireless text messaging.* The winner will be announced October 20 in the first half of the ESPN Thursday Night College Football Game between Virginia Tech and Maryland. Fans can learn more about this week's nominees online at www.abcsportsallamerica.com or at www.cingularallamerica.com. Here's how fans can register to vote for the
Cingular/ABC Sports All- America Player of the Week this week
and every week throughout the 2005 season: Each time fans vote, they are entered into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the Bowl Championship Series game of their choice. Fans can vote as often as they like. In December, fans will get a chance to say who the best player in the nation is by voting for the Cingular/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Year. The selection process will culminate in December in a one-hour special on ABC Sports when the Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Year and the Football Writers Association of America All-America team will be announced. Last year, Texas running back and Chicago Bears first round draft pick Cedric Benson was selected by fans as the Player of the Year. * Other wireless carriers must opt-in for their subscribers to participate |
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'Angel's'
Acker Dons an 'Alias'
The "Angel/Alias" connection continued on Thursday, Oct. 13, with the debut of former "Angel" regular Amy Acker on ABC's "Alias," playing Kelly Preston, a member of a rogue spy organization headed by the nefarious Gordon Dean (Tyrees Allen). Acker now finds herself working for co-executive producer Jeffrey Bell, who took over as show-runner on "Angel" after the departure of Tim Minear, who went to work on "Firefly" with "Angel" co-creator Joss Whedon. Also on hand is "Alias" producer Drew Goddard, who previously worked on "Lost" (the other show from "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams) and Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which gave birth to "Angel." Also, Acker is working with Rachel Nichols, who plays Preston's former colleague -- and now foe -- Rachel Gibson, who has discovered she's not working for the good guys after all. Nichols came to "Alias" after a stint on FOX's short-lived crime drama "The Inside," created by Tim Minear.
"I saw Tim at the 'Serenity'
premiere," Acker says ("Serenity" is the
feature film based on "Firefly"). "I said,
'I'm working with your girl.' The whole crew of 'Angel' was
on 'The Inside,' so we keep finding people we know in
common."
Although it took a while to come to fruition, Acker first auditioned for "Alias" back when she was on "Angel." At the time, her character, science geek Fred, had transformed into a blue-skinned demon called Illyria. Acker was trying for the role of Nadia, sister of super-agent Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), a part eventually taken by Mia Maestro. "I actually had to go to the audition right from 'Angel,'" Acker says. "We had a break, and I was in the blue makeup. I had to drive across town in the blue makeup and go in. "That was the first time that I met all those guys, but we kept in touch since that. So I was just happy they asked me to do it." Because she was working long hours on "Angel," Acker didn't get a chance to see much of "Alias," but she caught up quickly. "I borrowed the DVDs from my friends and made my husband" -- actor James Carpinello -- "watch five episodes of 'Alias' every day, so we're caught up. It's great." Acker soon learned that attention must be paid if a viewer has any hope of following the convoluted "Alias" storylines. "James missed a couple in the middle, and I said, 'I can't explain it. Just go with it.'" In the great "Alias" tradition, Acker is doing fight scenes, something she already got to do on "Angel," and something she's trained for. "In college," she says, "I did three years of fight training. We did rapier and dagger, broadsword, quarterstaff and an animal kung fu style. I thought it was fun. "I've had a little experience. I've been trying to figure out how to become more believable as a fighter, but not picking fights in bars or anything." Acker also got to participate in the show's signature pyrotechnics. "I blew something up," she says. "I didn't get to actually see the explosion, but I did get to cause an explosion. It's nice, very powerful. You never know what they're going to do. It's like with Joss, you can feel like you're getting to play so many different parts, but you only have to audition for one job." Right now, Acker is scheduled for 7 to 9 episodes, but she's game for more, saying, "I'm having a great time. I'll stay on it for as long as they'll keep me." |
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Michael
J. Fox Travels to 'Boston'
Emmy-winning actor Michael J. Fox, whose last TV role was a guest appearance on "Scrubs" more than a year ago, is headed back to the small screen with David E. Kelley. Fox has signed to guest in three episodes of ABC's "Boston Legal," playing a "charismatic and dynamic" CEO who's also battling stage four lung cancer. Airdates for Fox's episodes haven't been scheduled yet. "We couldn't be more excited," Kelley says of signing Fox. "His comedic and dramatic strengths make him a natural for this series."
The former "Spin City" and
"Family Ties" star will play a character named
Daniel Post on "Boston Legal." He retains the
services of Crane, Poole & Schmidt for a suit
involving an anti-cancer drug, and later strikes up a
relationship with lawyer Denise Bauer (Julie Bowen).
Fox has been living with Parkinson's disease for the past 14 years, and in recent years it has limited his ability to put in the long hours often required of movie and TV work. His most recent on-camera work was in February 2004 when he guested on two episodes of NBC's "Scrubs." Fox has won four Emmys during his career -- three for playing young Reaganite Alex P. Keaton on "Family Ties" and one for his final season on "Spin City." He also counts four Golden Globes and two Screen Actors Guild awards to his credit. |
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Transportation
Drivers Strike; Claim Disney, Mears Stealing Business
Several transportation drivers were again protesting at the Orlando International Airport Monday, claiming Disney and transportation giant Mears are stealing their passengers. The drivers said Disney and Mears are recruiting passengers inside Orlando International Airport and taking their business. Several independent contractors said if the "Disney-Mears" coalition continues, they will not be able to make ends meet," Local 6 reporter Vanessa Medina said. "They are taking our rides," taxi driver Ed Korgan said. "They are taking rides that usually go to demand taxis." "Sometimes I work 17 to 18 hours and cannot make any money," a driver told Medina. The strike is expected to continue until Tuesday. Drivers said they fear the Disney-Mears combination will begin to take traffic from the convention center and other locations. |
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DMV
tries to take advice from Disney
If you go into Publix and ask where something is, chances are they won't just tell you. They'll show you. From the senior store manager to the newest stock clerk, employees usually will stop what they're doing and take you to the right shelf. As you leave, the cashier asks if you found everything you needed. Winn-Dixie, Albertsons and other big stores do it, too. When so many companies expect us to do their work for them - by punching one for this and two for that, pumping our own gas or using the self-checkout lane - personal courtesy sticks in the customer's mind. Walt Disney World figured that out long ago. Its employees are invariably knowledgable, cheerful people who seem to like their jobs and realize that "I don't know" is never the answer. On the other end of the customer-service spectrum is the unfair stereotype of the driver's license bureau. When Jay Leno makes a joke about bureaucrats, what does he cite? "The DMV" - and his audience laughs because we've all been there to take tests and pay fees. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wants to change that image. Director Fred Dickinson has asked Publix and Disney to train his trainers, so they can help his licensing employees deal with the daily throngs. Dickinson said some licensing supervisors went through some training with Publix and got some instructional videos. He said he's sending three trainers to Disney for customer-service drills. Submitting his budget to the governor and Cabinet, Dickinson said complaints of rudeness bothered him more than any other problem in his agency. He said it's worst in big cities, especially among resident aliens and foreign-born citizens who must show extra proof of identity. "Pretty much north of Orlando, it's not an issue," Dickinson said last week. "The big jam-up is in the big cities." Dickinson said there's a rule that employees must stay to serve everyone who is in line when the bureau closes at 6p.m., "so we have people staying until 8 or 9 at night, then coming back in at 7 the next morning." As anyone who's been there can attest, most delays are caused by the applicants not having proper identification or not following procedures that are clearly posted on the wall. But it's easier to blame the employees than ourselves. Perhaps part of the problem is that when we ask the government for any kind of license, it's an unequal equation. The state can say "no" and the customer, having waited a long time and paid a fee, can't shop elsewhere. But employees don't reject people for nothing. Maybe, when drivers flunk a test or have to pay a higher fee to restore a suspended license, they're unhappy and take it out on an overworked, underpaid employee. That gets old - fast. For the employee, you might be the 100th cranky customer at the counter today, with 30 more in line. But for you - the taxpayer, applicant and customer - the examiner is the first employee you've dealt with all day. "We're just trying to impress on our people that when somebody comes up to the counter, it's our last chance to make a first impression," Dickinson said. Well, if all else fails, maybe they could dress up like Tigger. |
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BKN
Signs New Deal With Disney ABC Cable Networks Group
BKN International AG ("BKN" or
the "Company")(AIM:BKN)(FRANKFURT:BKQ), the
Frankfurt and London listed global animation company
engaged in the distribution and marketing of animated
children's television programmes and related consumer
products, announces that its US subsidiary BKN New Media
Inc has signed a television broadcast licensing agreement
with Disney ABC Cable Networks Group in the USA on Legend
of the Dragon (the "Series"), its latest
production. The Series will premiere in fall 2006 on Jetix,
the action/adventure programming block, which airs during
primetime on Toon Disney and mornings on ABC Family. |
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The
Cheetah Girls Announce First-Ever Headlining Tour
Walt Disney Records recording group The Cheetah Girls will embark on a 17-city tour this holiday season beginning December 6th in Newark, New Jersey. The tour comes in support of the girl's new holiday CD, The Cheetah Girls: Cheetah-licious Christmas. The CD features the multi-platinum girl group's amazing vocal harmonies and irresistible growl power vibe on 13 new and favorite Christmas classics. It's the long-awaited follow-up to their ratings-smashing debut Disney Channel Original Movie, The Cheetah Girls, and its multi-platinum soundtrack. The Cheetah Girls - Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan - continue to rule the charts with their single release of "Cinderella" and their rendition of "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" from Disney's Hercules for the top-selling Disneymania 3 CD and concert DVD. Both songs remain on Radio Disney's Top 30 Countdown. In addition to touring, the trio is scheduled to appear in Macy's Thanksgiving and ABC Walt Disney World Christmas parades. They're also enjoying the simultaneous release of their latest soundtrack contribution: a rump-shaking version of the Ray Charles classic "Shake a Tail Feather" recorded for the Walt Disney Pictures computer animated film Chicken Little. Next, The Cheetah Girls prepare for the film sequel The Cheetah Girls 2, slated to premiere next summer following the release of a new The Cheetah Girls studio album and North American concert tour. Sisters Aly & AJ will take their brand of melodic rock on the road this winter with The Cheetah Girls. On their Hollywood Records debut CD, Into the Rush, the multi-talented duo prove they're close in spirit and in heart. Aly & AJ wrote all but two tracks on the album. (Their versions of "Do You Believe in Magic" and "Walking on Sunshine" were featured on the hit film Herbie: Fully Loaded). Since their album was released in August, Aly & AJ have sold over 250,000 units, and have had three # 1 singles on Radio Disney. The Disney Channel recently aired "Aly & AJ; In Concert" during their new season premiere week and will re-air the concert special October 21. The girls are also media darlings with features in Cosmo Girl, J-14, Twist, Sweet 16, a Tiger Beat cover, and critical acclaim from the highly respected Washington Post. What's more, Aly co-stars as Keely Teslow in the hit Disney Channel series, Phil of the Future, which allows her to sing and act, while AJ has had regular roles on CBS' The Guardian and the classic soap opera General Hospital. Catch The Cheetah Girls and Aly & AJ
in the following cities near you: For additional tour information and updates, please go to www.thecheetahgirlsmusic.com |
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Sunday October 16, 2005 |
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The Disney films Peter Pan and Lady
and the Tramp are part of American pop culture history,
and so are the cartoonists who brought them to life. Al Baruch
of Tamarac was one of the animators who helped create the
landmark films.
After graduating from Pratt Institute in New York City, Baruch went straight to Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif., where he got off to a shocking start. He said his jaw dropped when he showed up that first morning in 1953. He found himself working as an artistically talented janitor, not that unusual because the studio started all animators at the bottom. "They want to train you the way they do their art and they want someone who didn't come from another studio. They like a greenhorn," Baruch said. "After about five months they said, drop the mop and report to the bullpen." He was upgraded to a position they call an in-betweener, an artist who draws the 527 cels required to create 27 seconds of film. Eventually he was promoted to character-developer. For Lady and the Tramp he helped develop Jock the Scottish terrier and Trusty the English bloodhound. "I'm proud of the Scottish dog because my voice was used on it when the man who did the voice had laryngitis," Baruch said. Baruch voiced 15 lines of dialogue, but his participation turned out to be a sweet-and-sour affair. "A week and a half later Disney got sued for $15,000 for using a non-union voice," he said. "But they gave me a check and said, if you hadn't done it we'd have lost $150,000 in salaries with nobody doing anything." After leaving Disney, the artist went to New York and in 1961 signed on with Terrytoons, then a division of CBS, as a design cartoonist and animator on characters such as Mighty Mouse. "I worked on publicity, not on the film," Baruch said. "But I pitched in on the animation since I'd worked on Mickey Mouse and they figured I could do Mighty Mouse, but that wasn't my main job." Later, Baruch became a teacher and the head animator at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. "When I started teaching in the early '80s I found a whole different life for myself," he said. "I had a daughter who had leukemia twice and I devoted myself to helping children with leukemia. I can't give them thousands of dollars to do research so I'd go through the cancer wards and draw for the children." He had to give up that practice because he would break down and grieve when a child he had come to know died. In August 2004, he and his wife, Diane, moved to Tamarac. Baruch, now 77, does speaking engagements, classes and presentations like the workshop he facilitated at the Northwest Regional Library in Coral Springs in September. "I think he is a legend," said Luz Macias, a graduate library intern who was at the workshop. "He is so warm with the kids, a very chummy person." Macias said kids are shy about their work and don't want to make mistakes but Baruch put them at ease. "They really wanted to draw; that was my surprise." Baruch also teaches autistic children at Nova Southeastern University. "I found tremendous enjoyment working with these children," he said. He said he still does consignment work for Disney, but his greatest satisfaction comes from working with kids. His newest venture will be a demonstration from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Pearl Artist and Craft Supply, 1033 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park. Baruch will meet and greet young artists interested in signing up for a class he will give on animation beginning in November. The eight-week course, held at the store, will cost $25 and students will receive a discount on art supplies. In addition to drawing comic strips and painting cels, the class will hear information about salaries, how to protect their work and how to get to Disney. |
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Disney's Magnolia Course was stretched another
300 yards for the Funai Classic, but for the amateur golfer,
the course can be a struggle.
Golfers are notorious masochists, but before
teeing it up on this brutish layout, a clinical checklist, if
not a tourniquet, is paramount.
Preparing to play Disney World's newly stretched Magnolia Course is like packing for a mountain climb, except that the march is horizontal. Precautions are necessary to ensure survival and avoid embarrassment. Allergy tablet for the high rough? Swallowed. Five ibuprofen pills for a sore back? Ingested. Flaxseed oil to rub on my driver? Nope. "Flaxseed oil?" said former NFL star Darryl Talley, who was waiting his turn before teeing off on the first hole. "That's a good one." For anybody tallying with a pencil, the laughs become purely self-effacing from then on. From the Mega-Mag's new professional tee boxes, lengthened during a $600,000 makeover this summer, the course will measure a daunting 7,516 yards during this week's Funai Classic, putting it among the five longest layouts on the PGA Tour. After rebuilding the greens and tacking on another 300 yards in length, the Mag reopened Sept. 22, better known as the autumnal equinox, wherein there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and sunlight. It seemed more like the summer solstice -- you know, the longest day of the year. We emphasize long, as in 4.27 overall miles of raking, hacking, flailing and flogging that no amateur has any business attempting on even his best day. Rest assured, this was not our best day. Disney invited a small cadre of folks to the Mag's ribbon cutting, including state golf officials and various Orlando-area industry types, and dared them to play from the tips. Head pro Kevin Weickel had three words of advice when he sent a preliminary e-mail to the Sentinel: "Bring a howitzer." Indeed, henceforth, Mag is officially shorthand for Magnum. In terms of scores posted during the unveiling by some fairly competent amateurs, the Mag was not the Happiest Place on Earth -- probably because most of the planet was used to stretch the course. From the back tees, this is not your grandpa Walt's golf course anymore. Lee Rawls, the director of golf at Disney and a fair player himself, had a hot dog crammed in his mouth when he rolled in his lone birdie putt of the day, then let loose a huge whoop. You'd better pack an entire lunch before playing from the new Funai Classic tees. "Unless you are some kind of a serious golfer," said Rawls, shaking his head midway through the round, "you just don't want to play from back there." On the grownups' course We joined Rawls and Weickel during the unveiling. Our trio was the first group off the first hole, and there wasn't a divot or blade of grass out of place. The course, which opened in 1971 and hosted a tour event the first year, was closed all summer and never had looked better. Even though Weickel and Rawls have played the Mag hundreds of times between them, one lengthened tee was pushed so far back into new terrain that they spotted a new fishing hole through the trees. "You get to see the whole course from back here, that's for sure," Weickel said. Pro or wannabe, champion or chop, anybody who plunks down the green fees will have the chance to play from the Funai tees. Once among the longest courses on tour -- long-hitting Jack Nicklaus won the first three Disney titles -- Disney had fallen behind the curve mostly thanks to the technological gains from equipment. Of course, all the titanium in the world won't help a 10-handicapper beat a course that features three par-4 holes of at least 485 yards. "Technology or not, 7,500 yards is still a very big golf course," said Jim Demick, director of the Florida State Golf Association, who was on hand and played from the new Funai tees. "Disney has done a great job upgrading its courses in the last few years, and with new irrigation, new greens and several hundred more yards, the Magnolia course looks great. I look forward to seeing the pros play it all." The revamped course is tied for the fourth-longest layout on the PGA Tour, and one of those ranked ahead of the Mag is situated a mile above sea level in the thin air of suburban Denver.
Even for those of us who can wallop a driver
270 yards on occasion, it's a real grind. It's akin to
thinking that, just because you've made a few slick moves on
occasion while driving a passenger sedan, you can drive a
stock car at Daytona.
After teeing off on the 10th hole, we found a pink Dunlop ball that apparently had been whacked onto the Mag from the adjoining Oak Trail layout, where Disney stages it annual Parent-Child tournament during Funai week. Oak Trail measures a modest 2,913 yards for nine holes and is populated by youngsters. Most of the day, we felt like kids who sneaked onto the grownups' course. Disney isn't pulling any punches, either. For years at the U.S. Open, the USGA declined to list long par-4 holes at more than 499 yards because it marked a new psychological threshold. Not so here. The ninth at Disney is now a 500-yard par-4 that requires a tee shot of around 250 yards just to reach the fairway. Rough adds to difficulty That's only the half of it. Orlando is listed as roughly 125 feet above sea level, so nobody gets a break from thin air. Actually, given the Florida heat and humidity, the ball doesn't travel nearly as far as in drier climes. Tougher still, the golf ball doesn't roll much in Disney's moist fairways, which were carved from old swampland. Tee shots, no matter how hard they are crushed, tend to stop within inches of where they land. "Hey, look, I got my usual roll," Weickel cracked after his umpteenth drive in a row bounced all of a foot after landing. But that certainly beat hitting it in the rough. With the addition of a new sprinkler system, spraying a shot into the rough was like hitting it into Ben Wallace's afro. Disney superintendent Gary Myers, who has seen tour pros torch his courses with winning scores of 20-under or better, looked like Cruella De Vil as the hapless amateurs prepared to hack it around in the deep Bermuda. The added yardage won't be a huge issue for the tour pros, but with the dual difficulty of the snarling rough, the course will be far more difficult for those hitting it slightly crooked. "It's going to be very interesting to see where the tour puts the tees and from how far back they have to play," Myers said. Midway through the round, it dawned on Weickel -- who bashes it as far as many tour players off the tee -- that the yardage wasn't the toughest part of the new Mag equation. "It's the rough," he said. "I have never seen it like this. My forearms are getting tired. I'm going to have to ice them down when we finish." The rest of us needed a full-body compress. By the time we stumbled to the final tee, greens looked like tropical mirages. On the 18th, the traditional 150-yard stake, placed in the middle of the fairway, looked more like a golf tee in the distance. For good reason: The hole is a staggering 492 yards long and that 150 stake was nearly 350 yards away. For perspective's sake, across the road that serves as the entrance to Disney's two PGA Tour courses, a group of guys were laughing it up as they putted for birdies and eagles on the Palm Course's first hole. They had every reason to be giddy -- it's three strides longer at 495 yards. And it's a par-5 hole. The scorecard became a secondary issue. Weickel was 1 under at one point on the front nine, but faded on the back, where a staggering 145 yards has been added to the three closing holes. Same for Rawls and myself after respectable 41s on the front nine. Few top amateurs have the moxie to beat it 300 yards, much less a bunch of desk jockeys, so by the time our trio was finished, we were equal parts beaten up and beaten down. "Thankfully," Rawls said, "this isn't how I put hot dogs on the table." |
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Jon Burton could turn an average battle in the
video game adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
into a crimson bloodbath that would make Grand Theft Auto's
Tommy Vercetti proud, just by making a few tweaks to the
game's computer code.
Of course, Disney and the estate of The Chronicles of Narnia scribe C.S. Lewis would flip out, the game would be slapped with a 17-and-older mature rating - and it would probably spike review scores by an average of 10% across the board. Burton, director of U.K.-based game development studio Traveller's Tales, shakes his head at the contradiction of a society railing at wanton violence in video games - values he shares, as a Christian family man - and the nose-in-the-air attitude game reviewers take towards so-called family fare. Traveller's Tales' latest title will try to walk the fine line between intense action and teen-friendly fun, with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe mixing puzzle-solving and exploration with copious amounts of monster slaying. The game hits stores Nov. 15, just ahead of the Disney flick's Dec. 9 release. As a bit of a lark, the developers temporarily added computer code that instructed the game to show blood splatters with every impact of sword or arrow on monster flesh, and the screen was soon awash in red as the game's quartet of kid heroes had it out with waves of critters. But that's not what Narnia is about, said Burton. "I don't think it glorifies violence," he said. "It's not like you're getting into a car with a prostitute, sleeping with her and killing her to get the money back." Based in the Manchester suburb of Knutsford, Traveller's Tales have done everything from Mickey Mouse and Toy Story titles to games featuring Sonic the Hedgehog, Crash Bandicoot and cheeky LEGO-fied versions of Star Wars characters. "We've worked with probably everybody, bar Mario, in video games," said Burton. The Narnia game will likely be the studio's highest-profile title to date, though, especially if the film spawns the expected sequels and subsequent games. With the blessing and backing of Disney (who is bankrolling the movie) and C. S. Lewis's estate, Burton says the 21-person team who worked on the game has created something on par with what a giant like Electronic Arts would do with 10 times the resources. But it's been a labour of love for Burton and his team. He inquired about doing the game adaptation before the Narnia movie details were even finalized, feeling the books' strong Christian themes were a good fit with his own beliefs. Interestingly, he says he turned down the Harry Potter games (which eventually went to EA) for the same reason. While he doesn't feel Harry and Hermione practising magic is going to draw kids into the occult - he's a fan of the books and films - Burton just wasn't completely comfortable with translating witchcraft and wizardry into an interactive medium. "Do I want to be responsible for the game?" Burton remembers asking himself at the time. "I'm not sure." With Disney throwing a ton of cash behind the marketing of both the Narnia movie and the game, and with the game coming out three weeks before the film, much is riding on Traveller's Tales finding success with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Burton, for his part, is ready. "I will await judgment from all sides," he said. We think he means from above, too. |
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Pressed penny machines have arrived at Hong Kong Disneyland. Machines can at present be found in both Emporium and Pooh Corner. Several of the items are labeled as limited edition for the park's Grand Opening. Tomorrowland's Autopia is on track for a July 2006 official opening. The load station can now be clearly seen from the land's entrance from Central Plaza. The steel roof will feature the same wavy form that is a continuation of that found on Comet Cafe and Starliner Diner. |
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To millions The Chronicles of Narnia are a
childhood tale of wonder and triumph now made into a film that
could inspire millions of children to read. To others,
including the celebrated fantasy author Philip Pullman, they
are stories of racism and thinly veiled religious propaganda
that will corrupt children rather than inspiring them.
Either way, one thing is certain: this Christmas, and perhaps the next six, depending on sequels, everyone will be talking about Narnia. Disney is already in the middle of one of the biggest marketing campaigns in recent cinematic history. It is trying to lure both mainstream filmgoers and evangelical Christians, who will respond to CS Lewis's parallels between his characters and the Bible. HarperCollins is set to publish 170 Lewis-related books in more than 60 countries, many of them Christian-themed works. Disney has hired Christian marketing groups to handle the film. For Pullman, who is an avowed atheist and a critic of Lewis, that is bad news. 'If the Disney Corporation wants to market this film as a great Christian story, they'll just have to tell lies about it,' Pullman told The Observer Pullman believes that Lewis's books portray a version of Christianity that relies on martial combat, outdated fears of sexuality and women, and also portrays a religion that looks a lot like Islam in unashamedly racist terms. 'It's not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue. The highest virtue, we have on the authority of the New Testament itself, is love, and yet you find not a trace of that in the books,' he said. The Narnia books, Pullman said, contained '...a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice; but of love, of Christian charity, [there is] not a trace'. Certainly that is not the view of Disney. Film executives are eagerly anticipating repeating the success last year of Mel Gibson's Jesus biopic The Passion of The Christ, which was shunned by mainstream studios and then picked up by the evangelical churches. The movie then stunned the film world by raking in hundreds of millions of dollars by tapping into the previously ignored Christian market. Already American evangelicals are planning to use the Narnia film as a preaching tool. A group called Catholic Outreach has advertised for 150 co-ordinators across the country to help promote the film. It is also organising 'sneak peak' events at which trailers will be shown to church audiences and executives from the film will talk about the project. Other Christian groups and study centres are getting behind the film too. 'We believe that God will speak the gospel of Jesus Christ through this film,' said Lon Allison, director of the Billy Graham Centre at Wheaton College in Illinois. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said that the film was an ideal way for a Christian message to be brought to people who would not otherwise go near a church. 'Here is yet another tool that many may find to be effective in communicating the message of Jesus to those who may not respond to other presentations,' he said. As well as a huge potential force at the box office, the other possible benefit for Disney is to heal its long troubled relationship with America's evangelical community. Many Christian groups have often boycotted the company over such issues as holding special theme days for gays at Disneyland. But in the run-up to the Narnia release date on 9 December, evangelical leaders have been generous in their praise of the company they have often reviled. But it is not all about God. The Chronicles of Narnia seems to offer a 'perfect storm' combination of factors. As well as having the Passion's appeal to Christians, it has the special effects and fantasy-laden appeal of The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson's box-office hit that also netted numerous Oscars. That film was also seen as a huge risk at the time, but Jackson's achievement confounded the critics and proved that 'swords and sorcery' movies could strike cinematic gold. Trailers for the first Narnia film, called The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe after the first book in the chronicles, have already drawn comparisons to The Lord of the Rings' style and cinema presentation. It has the same powerful themes of a new world, complete with fantastic creatures and sweeping battle scenes against a beautiful landscape. The final crucial element in Disney's planning is turning the Narnia films into a money-spinning franchise like the Harry Potter series. Lewis wrote a total of seven Narnia books, and if the first one is a huge hit the sequels will be inevitable. That means a new Narnia film could be released at Christmas, complete with spin-off merchandising and toys, every year until 2012. But while Disney has bet big on Narnia and now waits with bated breath, there is already one winner in the saga. The film, just like The Lord of the Rings, was shot in New Zealand, which then reaped a tourism windfall. Now local tour companies are already planning to show visitors around the spot where the Narnia film's climactic battle scene was shot. |
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Disney
to brings its princesses to India
To capitalize on the booming cartoon-based toys retail market here, Walt Disney has entered into an agreement with Funskool India to retail its range of toy merchandise, which includes its Princess Collection of Dolls and Role-Play sets. Funskool will thus launch the internationally popular Disney 'Princess' Dolls and Role-Play sets this year. The products are priced between Rs 299 to Rs 649 for dolls and between Rs 199 to Rs 1500 for role-play sets, a Disney release said. "The move represents another significant step in the company's business strategy in India. With the demand growing for contemporary cartoon based toys in the Indian market, this arrangement will prove beneficial to both Disney's famous 'Disney Princess' range that are a huge rage in the international markets and to Funskool," said Rajat Jain, Managing Director, Walt Disney Television (India). Jain said they were confident that the products, hugely popular worldwide, would appeal to little girls in the age group of 3-9 years. Under the agreement, Funskool will also manufacture board games and puzzles from their facility in Goa. |
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Saturday October 15, 2005 |
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A recreational scuba diver, Tiger Woods
recently revealed in a Golf Channel interview that he can hold
his breath for four minutes. Pretty impressive.
But the folks running the Funai Classic at Walt Disney World have been bluish in the face for a week, waiting for Woods to add his name to the commitment list for the $4.4 million PGA Tour event. As he sometimes does, Woods didn't call until the 11th hour, joining the field shortly before Friday's deadline, when the 144-player field for next week was cemented. Never a doubt, right? Not really, but . . . "It's kind of like when you were young, and the best-looking girl in school says, 'Pick me up at 5 at my house,' " Disney tournament director Kevin Weickel said. "Then you're praying that she's actually there when you knock on the door at 5. Nothing's ever a sure thing." But Woods' participation at Disney comes close. Until last fall, when he was on his honeymoon, Woods had played at Disney every year since turning pro in 1996, winning twice. Coupled with the fact that Disney is hosting a clinic for his charitable foundation today, it seemed fairly certain that he'd be joining fellow Big Five stars Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, who committed earlier. With Ernie Els on the disabled list, Disney's 35th tournament will feature three of the top four healthy players in the world rankings. Shaking off a one-victory season in 2004, Woods has claimed two majors among his six victories this year, the most wins he's amassed since 2000. He leads the money list by nearly $2.2 million over Singh, who will need a huge rally in his last three tournaments to capture his third straight money crown. Not that it couldn't happen: Singh won the Disney title in 2003 and was second last year. But Woods, in eight starts at Disney, has five top-five finishes. Woods has posted rounds in the 60s in 25 of 32 career rounds at Disney, including 18 of his last 19. His scoring average of 67.63 strokes stands as the best in tournament history. "I've had good success there, and I look forward to returning," Woods said on his Web site Friday. Goosen, who will play the last three events of the year, finished 18th in 2003 in his lone Disney appearance. Between the trio, Woods, Singh and Goosen have won 13 times on the PGA or European circuits this year. The field also features two of the season's most interesting players: rookie-of-the-year frontrunner Sean O'Hair, whose family lives in Lakeland, and the underdog who almost stole the U.S. Open title, Jason Gore. The latter has won four PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments since June. The field includes several other area notables, including Heathrow's Chris DiMarco, the Presidents Cup hero who stands a career-best seventh in earnings. Orlando-area residents Charles Howell, Bart Bryant, Stuart Appleby, Trevor Immelman and Peter Lonard also are entered. The event begins Thursday at Disney's Palm and Magnolia courses. Funai Classic field at Disney's Palm and Magnolia courses Thursday - Oct. 23 |
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Latest
photo's from Everest at Animal Kingdom
Here are some of the latest photo's from Animal Kingdom's Everest. Checkout the shrine to the Yeti, could this finally be a first look at what the Yeti will look like? Perhaps, and word from the man himself "Joe Rhode" is the Yeti is on site, in pieces. The fur has been given a texture/coloring that will essentially camouflage it for a surreal effect. So now only time can tell. |
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Hollywood's Miramax Films has sealed a deal to
distribute British director Stephen Frears' controversial
drama about how the royal family coped with the death of
Princess Diana in the United States.
Industry bible Daily Variety said Friday that the studio had secured the rights to "The Queen," which is currently being filmed in Britain with Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, American James Cromwell as Prince Philip and Michael Sheen as Prime Minister Tony Blair. The film, written by Peter Morgan, focuses on the royal family in the aftermath of Princess Diana's death in a car accident in Paris in August 1997. Miramax, a Walt Disney Co. unit originally founded by Tinseltown heavyweights Harvey and Bob Weinstein who left the firm earlier this year, said the film would premiere next year but that no US release date had been set. |
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Ex-offenders
will receive another chance at job fair
A job fair to link ex-offenders with
prospective employers is planned from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday at the Pine Hills Community Center, 6408 Jennings
Road. |
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Hollywood
Calls for Cut of Video IPod Pie
In a show of unity, five unions representing actors, writers and directors issued a joint call for talks to make sure their members get a cut of revenue generated by the sale of TV shows on Apple's iTunes software. The unions sent a clear message to TV producers. "We have not yet heard from the responsible employers of our members," their joint statement said. "But we look forward to a dialogue that ensures that our members are properly compensated for this exploitation of their work." The presidents of unions representing Hollywood writers and actors were lunching at a popular Beverly Hills restaurant on Wednesday when they saw a TV report about a deal to allow episodes of ABC shows such as "Lost" to be downloaded for portable viewing on the new video iPod from Apple Computer Inc. In doing the deal with Apple, ABC became the first network to allow viewers to download episodes of their shows the day after they air on TV. Other networks are expected to follow shortly. The development was news to Patric Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, west, and John Connolly, president of the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists. The two called their counterparts at the Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America, East, which covers writers east of the Mississippi. The show of unity was unusual, coming from unions that are sometimes at odds over issues such as royalties from DVD sales. "We developed a new piece of stationary that never existed before," Verrone said of the joint statement. The unions have not yet called ABC or its parent, The Walt Disney Co., to discuss how much of the $1.99 that Apple is charging for a single episode should go to writers, actors and directors. "The guilds are our business partners, and we always welcome a dialogue with them on any business-related issue that affects their members," ABC said in a statement. The groups already have agreements that cover the re-use of their work on the Internet or in "pay per view" models, such as video on demand. The unions also have newer agreements covering work produced for the Internet. |
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Enjoy
high-profile life down on Wisteria Lane
Mehcad Brooks likes being Wisteria Lane's
latest hunk. Just don't ask him what's in the basement. |
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Make-A-Wish
sends Springville girl to Disney World
It felt like a rock concert. The lights were out, hundreds of teenagers were screaming, loud explosions of noise came from the speakers and the energy and excitement was palpable in anticipation built for the main event. But in the Springville High School auditorium Thursday morning, the cheering and clapping were for an 8-year-old girl and her family. And in the midst of the standing ovations and the spotlighted performers, were tears. On Thursday, Lauren Ostler's wish came true, and her father, Springville High welding teacher Brian Ostler was reminded once again why he loves his students -- because they, in an annual project with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, are sending Lauren, who has cystic fibrosis, to Disney World for her birthday. For her family, though, this meant much more. "The thing about it is, we know her time on Earth is short," her teary-eyed father told hundreds of teenagers, many of whom were listening to the atypical lesson from a welding teacher with tears in their eyes. "Make sure you always let the loved ones in your life know how you feel. "We're going to be able to have some times as a family to get away from things for a while," he told the packed auditorium, his voice breaking with emotion as he hugged Lauren and thanked the students and faculty. Student council adviser Brenda Burr said she suggested working with Make-A-Wish three years ago. Her son's wish for a keyboard was granted when he was 16, and she wanted to help the organization, she said. Lauren is the third child whose wish they've granted, although the first to have such close ties. "This year we went to them and said, 'Hey, we've got one right here at our school,'" she said. "This year is just extra special, to be able to do it for our very own." The announcement was supposed to be a surprise, although Brian Ostler, when he made the announcement, said he knew many people had already guessed who this year's recipient was. Then he brought Lauren on-stage to share her wish -- a week with her family in Florida to experience Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom. "I'm just elated," Brian Ostler said. "I think this year you'll see an even greater outpouring from the students than in the past, because I feel like they're just part of my family." Florida wasn't her first choice, Lauren said. She wanted to go to Australia, but the foundation requires overseas travelers to be at least 12 years old. "That kinda broke my heart," she said. "Luckily we found a different wish that we could do." Lauren, a third-grader at Art City Elementary School, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 2 years old. Brian Ostler talked about the disease his whole family lives with each day and how it affects them. Their lives are filled with doctor's appointments, several types of medicines and treatments and constant worries about what to do and what not to do. "It's a high maintenance disease," he said. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects about 30,000 people nationwide, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A defective gene causes unusually thick, sticky mucus to clog the lungs, which can cause life-threatening lung infections. The mucus also prevents digestive enzymes from reaching the pancreas and helping to break down and absorb nutrients, so Lauren, a petite child, has to consume about 3,000 calories daily, which is 50 percent more than an average adult needs. Additionally, twice a day for 20 minutes she's hooked up to a machine that vibrates her lungs and clears out the mucus, as well as making her voice vibrate, which she willingly demonstrated. Lauren also takes about 10 enzymes a day. She's limited in the physical activities she can do because she may have difficulty breathing. All of this, her father added, was on a healthy day. After the assembly, Lauren was surrounded by students who wanted to meet her, hug her and tell her how excited they are for her. She also talked to another special guest -- Alan Windley, the 18-year-old man whose wish Springville High granted last year. In addition to the Make-A-Wish announcement, Springville High made some other donations Thursday. Sixty girls and one teacher donated their hair to Locks of Love, with the school counting down to the first snipping of the scissors and cheering as girls held up their shorn braids. Student body president Zac Jensen joined the girls on stage at the end of the assembly, insisting he was not crying as he spoke. "I hope you guys feel the love that I'm feeling right now," he said. "But it's not about us. It's about Lauren and granting her wish." The school has provided a number of ways to donate money. Today is Dollar Day at Springville High; everyone is asked to donate a dollar or more and get their names on stars in the wish hallway. Spare change buckets are spread throughout the school for people to donate. Also, the Halloween Carnival is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Springville High. |
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Here's
looking at you, 'Housewives'
Sixty people are gathered in the third-floor dining room at La Tasca, a tapas bar on a trendy strip of Wilson Boulevard here in suburban Washington, D.C. And while the $1 sangrias and half-price Catalan custard cream are lures, what they've really come for is the latest gossip on another hip street. Wisteria Lane. ABC's hit Desperate Housewives has given birth to a cult following, and these fans, glued to two big-screen TVs here on a recent Sunday night, weren't disappointed. When control-queen Bree slaps her mother-in-law, Phyllis — in the middle of a restaurant, no less — hoots and hollers and cheers fill the room. Another round of sangrias, señor! In the show's second season, La Tasca is reserving the third floor solely for Desperate Housewives fans on Sunday nights, many calling ahead to claim specific tables with good sight lines — tables that will be littered with empty glasses by episode's end. "It was a slow start at first," La Tasca manager Christopher Novashinski says of the first season. "But every week it grew." Now Desperate Housewives evenings are popping up all over. One bar, featured in the just-released DVD set of the first season, even held a Bree clothes-folding contest. Chicago's white-tablecloth Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club on Halsted Street goes one better, offering up female impersonators on Sunday nights — think Joan Crawford as a desperate housewife — to entertain during commercial breaks. Similar evenings are being held in the club's sister property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Desperate Housewives evenings recall those of 20 years ago when fans gathered to spend an hour with the folks of Dallas and Dynasty. Mary Carlson, a government contractor in Washington, D.C., says Desperate Housewives reminds her a bit of Dynasty. "It's so unrealistic and over the top," she says. But unlike the wealthy world of Dynasty, what she likes most is that Wisteria Lane is just an "everyday community." And though Dynasty attracted huge crowds in gay bars across the nation, Desperate Housewives seems to be attracting most everyone: straights, gays, men and women, most of them in their 20s and 30s. "It's like getting together at a sports bar to watch a game," says Ann Collins, a secretary for Chicago's HQ Global Workplaces and a Sunday night regular at the Kit Kat. "We cheer at big moments, and we're mad sometimes. But we have a real hoot." Last Sunday's dramas on Wisteria Lane — from the emergence of the mystery man locked in the basement to Gabrielle's rosebush hacking — caused the biggest hoots of all in the Windy City. "That's right!" yells Collins' friend Charmel Johnson, a high school teacher, in support of Gabrielle's horticultural efforts. She leans across the table to high-five Stephanie Piedallu, manager of the Lakeshore Athletic Club. Watching nearby at the so-crowded-you-couldn't-even-move bar were Ryan Hastings, an elementary school theater teacher, and Eric Kuhn, a computer programmer. Hastings recently moved from Charlotte and Googled a place where he could watch his favorite show. "If you can mix half-priced martinis with Desperate Housewives, what more could you really ask for?" he says, eyes soon glued to the screen. Even wait staffers stand silently to the side, watching and laughing, hustling food and drink during commercials when the conversation picks up and fans race to the restrooms. Hastings used to go to local bars in Charlotte to watch Sex and the City but finds Housewives a superior substitute. "The ladies of Wisteria Lane have totally taken over my love for the women of Sex and the City," he says. "The women are more powerful. They get what they want." "It is taking the place of Sex and the City," agrees Elizabeth Trace, who works in hotel sales and was with four housemates who arrived at Arlington's La Tasca on a Sunday night earlier this month to grab a prime viewing table. "There's a lot more intrigue, though, with Desperate Housewives. And the new people who move to Wisteria Lane always have secrets." But unlike Sex, Desperate gatherings seem to attract almost as many male viewers as women. Many were brought along by girlfriends and acquaintances. In Chicago, gay men made up a good portion of the crowd. (The Kit Kat is located in Boystown, the city's gay area.) No matter what the viewer's sexual orientation, the show's sexy, campy stars are the lure. "I love these women! My favorite is Marcia Cross," says 70-year-old Carlos Verdecia, an editor at The Washington Times who often meets friends at La Tasca, the Desperate evenings just being a bonus. As a European, Verdecia thinks the evenings are no-brainers. "It's the perfect hangout place. People come and eat tapas and drink good wine and watch American TV." Such gatherings enhance the viewing experience, says Montana Miller, an assistant professor at the Department of Popular Culture at Bowling Green (Ohio) State University. "People look for excuses to get together. It's healthy to have that kind of social contact," she says. But while Sex and the City brought women together to "re-create and re-enact those kinds of friendships," watching the dysfunctional relationships in Desperate Housewives offers a different dynamic. "I don't think people are looking at it as a model. I hope not, anyway!" Miller says. Whatever the motive, fans are showing up. Many diners didn't even know about the Kit Kat's Desperate Housewives evenings but were thrilled with their discovery. Especially during the commercials, when the club cranks up the music and disco lights and a drag queen appears. Delores Van Cartier, a female impersonator in a long, red-sequined gown, brings whistles from the patrons, many slipping dollar bills into her dress. If that wasn't enough, Terese Murphy wanders the crowd, armed with a deck of kitschy Housewives Tarot cards to tell fortunes. Death is a jar of spoiled mayonnaise; Strength, Brillo pads; Judgment, a woman standing on a scale; The Devil, a cigarette-smoking chocolate cake with a woman's legs. And helping the evening along are martinis named for the show's stars: Bree's Key Lime Pie martini, Lynette's Lollipop martini, Susan's Coco Loco martini and Gabrielle's Gone South of the Border martini. Such evenings were supposed to be one-time-only deals. Twice at the most. The Kit Kat Club held Desperate Housewives nights for the finale of the first season and the premiere of the second. Now it can't get out of the Sunday night business. "We don't have too much of a choice!" says manager and co-owner Edward Gisiger. "It's a staple now." The premiere evening in September attracted close to 100 people (the club seats 75), and the next day people began calling for preferred tables for the following Sunday. Gisiger's problem now is that people don't move along when the show is on, leaving those with later reservations to wait for a table. The club also held a "Most Desperate Housewife" contest, the prize being a $1,500 certificate for spa treatments. The winner of the 30-words-or-less essay contest confessed that if she didn't get to a spa soon, she'd kill her husband. Erin Culbertson, a law student at D.C.'s George Washington University, rented all the episodes from last season and "caught up." Now she's ready to start the new season at La Tasca. "It's a nice way to start the week ... and it's a nice way to fill the gap left by Sex and the City." She hopes to make it a Sunday night tradition. Her friend Nelson Wagner, a law student at Georgetown University seeing his first Desperate episode this night, isn't so sure he'll stick with the show for the whole season. "A law student doesn't have much time for TV." Jarrett Miller, an Army sergeant sitting with a table of military colleagues at La Tasca, sees another problem. "Well, Sunday night football starts at 9, so ..." |
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Walt
Disney Pictures Presents Chicken Little
Oregon - WHO: Mickey Mouse and his
new pal, Chicken Little |
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Friday October 14, 2005 |
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A train collision on a Disney California
Adventure roller coaster that sent 17 riders to the hospital
was caused by air leaks in the ride's braking system,
according to a report released Thursday.
The riders were injured when one rail car on the California Screamin' roller coaster rear-ended another on July 29. Authorities said at the time that most of those hurt were treated for minor neck and back injuries and released from the hospital that same night. The crash was investigated by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which recommended that Disney review the way it inspects the ride. "We've asked (Disney officials) to review their inspection process," said Cal-OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer. "They had done some inspections and were aware of some leaks." Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chief Safety Officer Greg Hale said his crews have "taken the necessary corrective actions," that Cal-OSHA called for in its report. The ride, which was closed after the accident, will reopen Friday, Disney spokesman Rob Doughty said. |
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California
Screamin' At Disney's California Adventure Open Today
California Screamin', the high speed roller coaster at Disney's California Adventure park, will open today after nearly three months of being closed after an accident injured more than 30 people on the ride in July. Cal-OSHA determined that the cause of the accident was due to a lack of air pressure on the braking system that allowed one car to crash into the back of another. Disney said that all the necessary work has been done to fix this problem and they are happy to announce it's opening today. The ride will open at 10 AM along with the park opening. |
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Enhanced
Disney cruise ship returns to service
After 10 days in dry dock, the Disney Magic cruise ship will return to service Oct. 15 with some new features. The cost for the upgrades was not disclosed. The 2,700-passenger Magic, the company's original ship, has renovated its Vista Spa and Salon, adding three private indoor/outdoor treatment rooms for use by individuals or couples and expanded its fitness center by 1,700 square feet, bringing the total space to 10,700 square feet. Three conference rooms have been converted into additional space for youth activities, bringing the number of dedicated kids-only areas to five. A new 24-by-14-foot jumbo-screen television, totaling 336 square feet, will provide poolside movies. Disney Cruise Line offers three-, four- and seven-night itineraries to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, cruising from Port Canaveral. The Disney Magic is adding a seven-night alternate Western Caribbean itinerary next year. |
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ABC's
use of college interns for investigation angers colleges
ABC News is drawing fire for using college interns in an investigative report that alleges lax security at nuclear reactors on 25 U.S. college campuses. The Primetime Live report examines how close those interns were able to get to the reactors, theorizing the facilities could be vulnerable to terrorists who could set off bombs that release radiation into the atmosphere. ABC said its interns found unlocked doors, saw unmanned security booths and, in some cases, were given guided tours that gave them access to control rooms and reactor pools. Officials at Kansas State and Ohio State universities expressed anger about the report before its scheduled airing Thursday. "We are concerned that interns, college students, were placed in a position where they were dishonest about their roles and intentions," Terry King, dean of Kansas State's engineering school, said in a letter. ABC said its interns were instructed not to lie. Two students each from Columbia, Northwestern, Harvard, Southern California and California-Berkeley universities were working at ABC News as part of an internship program financed by the Carnegie Corp. and the Knight Foundation. They were assigned to the project and supervised by reporter Brian Ross and his investigative team — and were picked, in part, because they looked the part. "The day has long since passed that I could pass as a college student," said Ross, 56. They were told to go to the reactor facilities, say they were graduate students interested in nuclear power, and ask if they could look around. They carried regular cameras, not TV cameras, and did not say they were from ABC News. They weren't being untruthful, Ross said. Ohio State and Kansas State officials say they give tours because, as educational facilities, it's their job to spread the word about how nuclear energy is being used. Saying the interns were able to get close to the facility is "like coming to my driveway and saying, 'Guess what? I just got into McDonald's!'" said Earle Holland, Ohio State senior director for research communications. At Ohio State, security procedures were correctly followed, and the interns had their bags searched and held during the tour. The tour was ended because one of the interns attempted to take a placard that listed security precautions in case of a bomb scare, he said. At Kansas State, officials anticipated the visit; word had gotten around the small nuclear research community that reporters saying they were students had approached facilities. The students were given a tour anyway, even though this was later cited by ABC an example of a potential security risk. The interns flirted with security officers to try to get in, said Ken Shultis, Kansas State's nuclear energy program director. The guards flirted back, since they were trying to get the interns to pose for a picture they wanted to provide to the FBI. Both university officials said the interns should have identified themselves as being from ABC News. "I think the ethics is somewhat questionable," Shultis said. "It's a fine point when they were trying to misdirect or mislead." But ABC said it's likely they would have been treated differently as reporters. The point was to show how a terrorist could pose as a student and easily be a threat, Ross said. "We were students," said Dana Hughes, a Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism student who worked on the project. "We were interested in the programs. We did not hide our cameras. We were hiding in plain sight. It wasn't as sneaky as they were making it out to be." If all it took to get into facilities was talking like a student or flirting, "some people could find that a questionable line of defense," she said. Alex Jones, director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard, which provided two of the interns, said he didn't want to prejudge ABC's report. "I don't think there's anything wrong with finding out whether minimal security was being observed at nuclear facilities, providing you didn't misrepresent yourself," he said. "And from what I understand, none of these students did." Ross said it wasn't a case of the interns being taught "gotcha" journalism instead of investigative journalism. The students did a great deal of research into the nuclear programs before going to the universities, he said. The students didn't embark on the project with a specific result in mind. "A lot of them were hoping that they didn't find these stories," he said. Two of the students have subsequently gotten jobs at ABC News and Ross said he hoped the network would hire more. |
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Holiday
Cheer At The Disneyland Resort
As its 50th Anniversary "Happiest Celebration on Earth" continues in full swing, the Disneyland Resort will be decked out for the holidays with dazzling décor, magical parades, and festive shows and attractions every day from November 11 through January 2. Extended park hours for Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure will be in effect for much of the season, and Downtown Disney District and the Disneyland Resort hotels will join in the fun with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining. Disneyland Disneyland will continue to showcase its 50th Anniversary throughout the Christmas season, and will add to the golden lineup with an array of holiday shows, seasonal attractions and lively entertainment. New this year is "Santa's Reindeer Round-Up" at Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland. The ranch will be transformed into a "West Pole" getaway where Santa will unwind with Mrs. Claus and his team of reindeer. Kids and their families can chat with St. Nick, see real reindeer grazing in a corral, play some reindeer games, create take-home Yuletide souvenirs and join in holiday line dances with music from a Western trio. "Haunted Mansion Holiday" returns with a madcap celebration where the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. The ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington from the film "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" has come to the "Haunted Mansion" to transform it with his skewed vision of the holidays. The park's annual holiday parade, "A Christmas Fantasy," will be presented November 18 through January 1 on Main Street, U.S.A. This ever-popular procession depicts an enchanting collection of holiday scenes, music and a cast of Disney characters and performers in Yuletide vignettes. Toy soldiers march in cadence, friendly snowmen dance and Santa waves from a soaring sleigh as his reindeer prance below. In Fantasyland, the classic "it's a small world" will again become "it's a small world Holiday" with a seasonal overlay that transforms this favorite Disneyland attraction into a holiday trip around the world. More than 300,000 glittery lights adorn the attraction's façade. The park will be trimmed with wreaths, lights, garland and other décor, and strolling holiday performers, including the Dickens Carolers, will make musical merriment all season long. Disneyland's 50th Anniversary entertainment includes the all-new nightly fireworks spectacular, "Remember… Dreams Come True," the most elaborate pyrotechnics display in Disneyland history featuring an amazing new flight path for Tinker Bell. During the holidays, "Remember" will conclude with a stirring rendition of "White Christmas" as a magical snowfall gently flutters down on Main Street, U.S.A., Small World Mall and New Orleans Square. "Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams" continues daily on Main Street, U.S.A., immersing guests in the musical grandeur and visual spectacle of this innovative Disney parade. Within the high-speed "Space Mountain" in Tomorrowland, guests will discover new special effects, a redesigned Spaceport and other surprises, while intergalactic adventurers can battle the evil Emperor Zurg in the new "Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters" attraction. Disney's California Adventure Disney's California Adventure will celebrate the season with enhanced park-wide decorations and expanded entertainment offerings. At the new "Block Party Bash," music and excitement are cranked to the max for this high-energy street extravaganza as Disney presents the Pixar Film pals, who invite guests to dance and play as they party along the performance corridor. Performed daily, this wild block party entertains with a non-stop musical parade that doubles as an interactive street spectacular. Also new is "Turtle Talk with Crush" at the "Disney Animation" exhibit in Hollywood Pictures Backlot. Starring Crush, the sea turtle from the hit Disney/Pixar film "Finding Nemo," this incredible experience gives guests the chance to chat and joke with the animated sea turtle. Sunshine Plaza will become "Santa's Beach Blast," where the Disney characters playfully blend classic holiday images with the California beach lifestyle. Santa the surfer will greet guests near a Woody wagon sleigh, and the area will be filled with seaside-style holiday decorations. The park's lands will glow with Yuletide cheer day and night. At Flik's Fun Fair, Flik and his bug buddies will spread giant Christmas lights, oversized ornaments and towering candy canes throughout their realm. Alongside Paradise Bay, a resplendent Christmas tree will provide a dazzling sight as other nearby trees sparkle with hundreds of lights and wreathes adorn lampposts. |
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More
Information on the Cruisin' DCA Tour
Disneyland Resort - The new Cruisin' DCA Segwey Tour begins tomorrow, October 15th. The tour costs $80 (AP and CM discounts are available). Guests must be at least 16 years old and weigh no more than 250 pounds. The tour starts 2 hours prior to park opening and there is one tour per day holding 12 people. Tours can be reserved up to 30 days in advance by calling 714-781-4400. |
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Disney’s
2005 light spectacle will feature even more lights
Putting up those millions of lights at the annual Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights takes months to complete, even if they don’t screw those bulbs in one light at a time. The lighting process actually begins in August, said show producer Chris Pieser, at a recent behind-the-scenes look at the dazzling display of lights held annually at the Disney-MGM Studios. There are now so many lights in the display, which originally was part of a huge neighborhood holiday display begun by Jennings Osborne in Arkansas, that Disney officials have given up counting. “We just say millions and millions,” said Pieser. The lights don’t officially come on until Nov. 14. And while almost 75 percent of the light show was complete by early October, there is still plenty of behind-the-scenes work to be done, said Pieser. The elaborate show requires a team of 18 electricians 14 weeks to hang all those lights on the Streets of America backlit at the theme park. Counting the actual number of lights has become practically an impossibility, especially since the lights are hung in thousands of separate strings. The huge display requires nearly 12 miles of extension cord, he said. And Disney workers start from scratch each year with all new strings of lights from China. “Bulbs burn out and the brightness fades,” he said, so it is easier to have an all-new display each year. To get an idea of just how many lights there are at the Osborne display, consider that just one 70-foot tree contains 80,000 lights. Add to that the numerous buildings, a blue night sky and a dazzling 30,000-light red canopy, and the numbers soon become staggering. It’s hard to believe that the whole thing began some 18 years ago when Osborne set up his first display of a couple of thousand lights at home to please his young daughter. He liked the results so much that it soon grew to a million lights and then he bought the homes on both sides of his residence so he could put up more than 3.5 million lights. The display attracted so much attention that other neighbors couldn’t even get to their homes so Disney and Osborne decided to move the whole thing to the Disney Studio in 1995. There are now many more lights at Disney than there ever was in Little Rock, but many of the essential elements from his original displays remain intact, including the large globe, numerous flashing angels and revolving carousels and the red canopy that used to cover his driveway. All those lights continue to stun and delight the thousands and thousands of visitors who view it each year at the theme park. “We see so many amazed looks on faces,” said Pieser, “and some huge wows when the snow starts falling.” The snow element is made by using a snow fluid mixture each evening. Pieser said that 66 gallons of snow fluid are required each night to create the snowfall effect. One of the key things to look out for at this year’s display, and it will be easy to notice, is the new LED lighting on the town hall building. The new lights burn with a greater intensity and have a bonus effect, even Disney technicians didn’t expect — the lights give the building a 3D effect. Pieser said Osborne still has a lot of input on the light show and offers his suggestions. He and his family — actually it is a whole entourage — spend more than a week at the Disney complex each year to take in the show. Jennings also continues to light up Arkansas on his own. He has donated light displays to some 30 towns across the state. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights has been extended to 56 nights this year, Nov. 14-Jan. 8. In addition to the lights, the Disney Studios will also have daily showings of the Hollywood Holly-Day par-ade. Holiday activities are included in Disney-MGM Studios admission. |
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Disney
pays gallery for its name
What a stroke of luck! The entertainment giant wanted the rights to screen a children's art show of the same name but the Mollers had already filed an application for the New Zealand trademark. But after two years of legal negotiations, Disney now owns the name outright, and the Mollers are enjoying the fruits of a financial settlement they understood was considered by some intellectual-property lawyers as one of the highest they had seen. Mr Moller spent yesterday removing the signs from his gallery in Tinakori Rd, Wellington. Their other premises at Paraparaumu Beach and Palmerston North will also have to be changed. It will be a small price to pay after agreeing terms to the confidential payout. Asked whether it was a six-figure sum, Mr Moller replied: "Something like that." It was a real windfall – "totally unexpected and out of the blue". "We could have chosen some completely different name and been none the richer." The deal was negotiated via lawyers for London's HIT Entertainment, which owns TV brands such as Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine. Its subsidiary Media Merchants makes Art Attack and Disney holds the Australasian airing rights. The show started screening on Sky's Disney Channel last year while Disney was still chasing sole New Zealand rights. Wellington intellectual-property lawyer Kate Duckworth, of Baldwins, who represented Disney Entertainment, would not confirm whether legal costs were part of the settlement terms but said they could have been used "as a yardstick". It was an interesting case, she said. "On each side you've got interesting parties. One is one of the largest entertainment producers . . . and behind Art Attack New Zealand is a local artist." |
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Disney
on Ice's 'Nemo' sure to hook you
Hundreds of children and their parents found
Disney on Ice's "Finding Nemo," to be a delightful
two-hour show Wednesday at the El Paso County Coliseum. |
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Great
Day to Be a Frog: Kermit residents open their arms to His
Greenness
KERMIT -- The founding fathers of this small town can thank Teddy Roosevelt's son for their original namesake. Its present-day residents can thank Jim Henson for putting it on the map. Kermit has never been like it was Friday when it welcomed the world's most famous amphibian and his entourage. The frog was treated like a prince by the 5,700 townspeople, who rolled out the green carpet in high-hoppin' fashion for His Greenness. As one harried school teacher said as she bustled to help oversee over 500 school children who were dismissed early for the downtown festivities, "Everything's frog." "These are salt of the earth people," Kermit said in a post-celebration interview. "Where else could you come and have people treat you so well?" Kermit, mysteriously traveling sans Miss Piggy, said it was helpful to be in a town that also bore his name. "Makes it easy to remember," he said as he set out on a 50-city tour celebrating his 50th birthday. The frog's first leap landed him in Kermit, a town that couldn't seem to do enough for the lovable Muppet. An artist's rendering of Kermit's head was unveiled atop the city's water tower; a park was named after him, a street, too. Even pylons blocking off downtown were, you guessed it, green. Kermit was master of ceremonies at the Kermit High School homecoming parade and he was also to be crowned homecoming king at Friday's night's football game. Kermit was even read a lengthy proclamation by mayor Ted Westmoreland, designating Friday as Kermit the Frog Day. "Boy," Kermit said at the completion of the reading, "that's an awfully long proclamation for such a little frog." Kermit, Texas, was chosen by Disney officials, parent corporation of Kermit's creators, The Jim Henson Company, over Kermit, Va., a tiny village with only 200 people. "We're just happy to have that golden name," said Westmoreland, in his 13th year as Kermit mayor. "Something like this will make us known to the rest of the country. As only the best of mayors would, Westmoreland used the opportunity to pitch the benefits of living in Kermit, and he hopes an event like Friday's would become an annual event, further casting a postive green sheen on his town. "Kermit's a nice town with a wonderful climate," Westmoreland said. "We hope to make ourselves attractive to retirees and small business." We hope to make ourselves attrective to retirees and small business." Kermit Celebration Days was the culmination of almost three months of hard and orchestrated volunteer efforts. Work started even before Disney made it official that their famous frog would be there. "This will put us on the map," said Kermit Police Chief Ron Hoge, who was tasked with security and coordination of an inter-departmental police presence that included officers from Monahans, Odessa and Ward County. Disney had anticiptaed a crowd of as many 30,000 visitors, but by mid-day it was apparent that the number may be a bit smaller. Even though the crowd didn't appear to be what was expected, the mood was festive and for many, a day so big had never been seen, and may never again come around, a distinction that for Kermit's publicist, Danielle Clark, was daunting. "Wow ... more than anything, to be a part of something like is an honor," said Clark, who prior to representing Kermit was a publicist who worked with Halle Berry and Hillary Duff. She said despite having worked for those two megastars, she had never seen such celebration around a star as she had Friday in Kermit. When the Green One's duties are complete in Kermit, he'll next be honored at the NASA Space Center, south of Houston. Kermit's Birthday tour, which will take him around the globe, will conclude in 15 months. Steve Whitmire, the creative voice and talent behind the Kermit, will be along for the entire ride. Whitmire became the breath and life of Kermit after Jim Henson's death in 1990. |
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A tasty
surprise
The Epcot International Food and Wine
Festival lowers food prices and increases portions |
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Disneyland
Resort and the City of Anaheim Announce Inaugural 2006
Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend
The 'Happiest Race on Earth' Takes Runners Through Disneyland and Angel Stadium Feed Date:
Friday, October 14, 2005 Other events during the weekend will include the Disneyland Family Fun Run 5K & Kids' Races and the Disneyland Health & Fitness Expo at the Disneyland Hotel. The Disneyland Health and Fitness Expo will feature celebrity runner appearances, the latest trends in running apparel, technology and fitness equipment along with seminars on training, racing and nutrition, and will be open to the public free of charge. The weekend is built off the successful 13-year history of The Walt Disney World Marathon that is operated by Disney's Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Registration for the 2006 Disneyland Half Marathon begins Oct. 15, 2005, and participants may register online at www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com. The Happiest Race comes during Disneyland's 18-month long 50th Anniversary Celebration. |
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Thursday October 13, 2005 |
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Speculation emerges
after Apple, Disney collaborate on sale of ABC programs on new
video iPod.
A television
distribution deal between Apple Computer Inc. and Walt Disney
Co. that brought together CEOs Steve Jobs and Bob Iger has
stoked expectations that a separate agreement between Disney
and Jobs's Pixar Animation Studios Inc. is at hand.
Pixar shares rose as much as 3.7 percent Wednesday, rebounding from a sell-off in the media sector, after Iger and Jobs appeared on stage together to announce that Disney unit ABC would sell TV programs through Apple's iTunes Web site for viewing on computers and its new video iPod device. "I know these guys," Jobs joked just before Iger strode on stage to join him at the Apple event. Iger, the new technology-focused chief of Disney, and Jobs both called it a watershed event bringing TV to the Web and said they expected more cooperation between their companies. Their appearance also led many to guess that a new deal was in store between Pixar, which Jobs also heads, and Disney, that would extend their partnership for Disney to continue marketing and distributing Pixar's lucrative animated films. A Disney spokeswoman had no comment on Pixar. Jobs also declined Wednesday to comment on Pixar-Disney talks. But he did say: "I've enjoyed working with Disney for about 20 years now ... I've gotten to know Disney's CEO Bob Iger really well over the last few months." Sanders Morris Harris analyst David Miller said there had been a flare of speculation about a new deal. "This just proves that -- Pixar being down and now up -- the Street doesn't care about economic terms. They only care about another deal," Miller said. "If they (both) land a deal they can't lose and both stocks should go higher," Miller said. "If they permanently divorce Disney ... (Pixar's) net income would essentially double. We just don't think Pixar can lose." The two companies have long been engaged in on-again, off-again talks over a potential new distribution agreement that would extend their partnership, and they reentered talks as Iger prepared to assume the Disney CEO job from Michael Eisner, who had a rocky relationship with Jobs. Disney previously had rejected Pixar offers as bad deals for the bigger media firm, but investors punished Disney for failing to make a deal with the studio that has created a string of computer-animated hits from "Toy Story" to "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles." Disney's current agreement with Pixar expires next summer with the release of "Cars." Analysts expect Pixar to push for a distribution deal similar to "Star Wars" director George Lucas' agreement with Fox, in which case Pixar would pay a percentage of film revenue as a distribution fee and keep ownership of films and characters. Under the current agreement, Disney co-owns the films, and splits the profits with Pixar. Disney also effectively has sequel rights to the characters in the current deal. Pixar fell as low as $46.75, before rising to a high of $48.88 and closing up $1.19, or 2.5 percent, at $48.31 on Nasdaq. Disney edged down 42 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $23.35 on the NYSE. |
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Disney’s
new CEO: “If we sit back and rely on old technology, the
consumer is going to pass us by”
Robert Iger, the new appointed CEO of Disney, might have big shoes to fill by replacing the fallen King Michael Eisner. Most important, he needs to redirect Disney’s positioning and take into account the numerous new challenges of the ever-changing consumer market: a downturn in the core film business, the complications of expanding into foreign markets, particularly China and India-, and the urgency pressing upon all traditional media companies to reinvent their businesses for a new digital era. He is under pressure to devise new ways to drive growth. The 54-year-old executive inherits a company whose old way of doing business has been blown up by technology. “If we sit back and rely on old technology, the consumer is going to pass us by”, Mr. Iger says, noting the music industry made that mistake. He realizes that his biggest obstacles may be the business habits of Disney’s old employees and of theater owners, mass retailers, television affiliates and others. “We need to create an atmosphere that tolerates experimentation, even if it’s at the expense of near-term economics”. In Disney’s case, mass marketing is possibly not dead: its very profitable brand is a huge asset and the Magic Kingdom still appeals to children across the globe and with multiple social backgrounds. But Disney has to rethink how it reaches its audiences. The new technology allows companies, especially in the entertainment industry, to segment market their audience. For example, some viewers today watch video clips on cellular phones and use digital recorders that skip ads. Others watch entire seasons of a TV series on DVD, missing advertising altogether. These developments are shifting how companies reach viewers and how they set their business model based on advertising. Mass marketing that focuses on new movie releases and DVD sales needs to evolve now that the movie attendance is declining and the DVD sales stagnant. Per-per-view is on the rise as well as any type of audio and video-on-demand service, going through multiple channels: cable boxes, computers, cell phones, video games, rentals. Many marketing niches have been created with the availability and the successful penetration of new technology. Disney will have to tackle these new segments, perhaps by becoming a service provider instead of a product provider, filling up these new entertainment channels or else, the new consumer might well be passing by. |
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Drivers
protest free Disney shuttle service
More than 100 taxi and luxury-sedan drivers turned out Wednesday at Orlando International Airport to protest OIA's handling of Disney's Magical Express shuttle. The drivers, most of whom work as independent contractors or on their own, have complained that the free shuttle to the Walt Disney World resort has taken away their business at the airport. Those drivers say they rely heavily on business and leisure travelers making reservations for pick-up from the airport, but that the free shuttle has lured many clients away. Though they are prohibited from soliciting passengers at the airport, the drivers have complained that Disney was committing a similar offense with its "greeter" posted on the third level of the terminal. The airport has ordered Disney to remove those greeters by the end of the month. Disney has tried to point out the benefits of Magical Express, which transports about 5,000 people a day. It says the shuttle reduces traffic congestion and has reduced wait times in check-in and baggage lines at the airport. The program began in May and is scheduled to complete its trial at the end of 2006. |
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Hong Kong Disneyland said on Wednesday that
over 80 percent of its guests have rated the overall
experience at Hong Kong Disneyland as very good or excellent.
Don Robinson, group managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland, said in a press release that it has achieved similar ratings for park cleanness, cast friendliness and entertainment. It said similarly ,over 80 percent of the guests of its two hotels have rated a positive satisfaction and more than half said they intend to make a return visit. However, it still declined to reveal the detailed number of guests it has received in the past month. Robinson said, over the past month, Hong Kong Disneyland received thousands of guests including the first marriage proposal on grand opening day and several large family reunions destination that unites people and crates a lifetime of happy memories. He said, based on guest feedback over the past month, Hong Kong Disneyland has fine-tuned the park's operations to ensure the most magical experience possible for al guests. According to HK Disneyland, guests are choosing to purchase park tickets both on-line and the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express Station at Hong Kong Station. The project of Hong Kong Disneyland was announced in 1999 and the construction began in 2003. It formally opened on Sept. 12. |
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ABC
Affiliates Complain About 'iPod' Videos
Ad-free episodes of ABC programs Lost,
Desperate Housewives, and Night Stalker will be
available on iTunes 6 for $1.99 each. Two Disney programs, That's
So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,
also can be purchased for download to the latest creation from
Apple, the video iPod. |
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Disney
opens the Wardrobe door
The battle for family cinema-goers this Christmas began yesterday when the latest generation of British child stars were unveiled. The four - Georgie Henley, 10, Skandar Keynes, 14, William Moseley, 18, and Anna Popplewell, 16 - play the Pevensie children in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Disney's $100 million screen adaptation of the best-known of C S Lewis's seven Narnia books. The book, first published in 1950, has previously only been serialised for television but the film company hopes that Narnia will prove to be as profitable as Tolkein's Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings screen trilogy. Disney has decided to open the film in Britain on Dec 9 so as not to clash with the next J K Rowling film, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, which arrives in cinemas next month. Generations of Britons will doubtless want to see if Disney has played true or false with C S Lewis's much-loved story of the four children who step into Narnia through a wardrobe and join the lion, Aslan, in his battle with the White Witch. Anna Popplewell, who plays Susan, said yesterday that she was confident the film, on which Douglas Gresham, C S Lewis's stepson, has been an adviser and which has the approval of the writer's estate, would not have Narnia fans tearing their hair out. She said: "Personally, I think that it has stayed very similar to the book and is very faithful to the spirit." Reaction to the film will be critical for Disney. The company wants to turn Narnia, like Middle-earth, into a brand by filming all seven books. It has, however, put off a decision until it can measure the box office success of the first film. |
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Strong
Debut for Disney’s Einsteins
The little ones and their parents turned up in a big way for the premiere of Disney Channel’s new preschool series, Little Einsteins. The show’s Oct. 9 debut at 7 p.m. delivered 2.4 million total viewers, more than any other “Playhouse Disney” series premiere. Attracting some 737,000 kids 2-5, it was also the program block’s highest-rated primetime event in five years in that target demo, according to Disney Channel officials. Building on its Monsters Inc. lead-in, the debut ranked first that day among all cable and broadcast outlets among kids 2-5, as well as boys and girls of that age group. Little Einsteins -- which regularly airs weekdays at 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. -- features four music-loving protagonists, Leo, Annie, Quincy and June, as well as their versatile pal, Rocket. They introduce kids to different lands and cultures. Produced by Curious Pictures, the series blends live-action images with two-dimensional character animation. |
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Changes
to Magical Express
As of November 1st: |
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Luxury
checks in at new Hong Kong hotels
Hong Kong's high-end hotel sector just got more luxurious with a spate of new openings and refurbishments designed to cash in on the Chinese city's newfound position as a top travel destination. Spurred by a strong economic recovery from almost seven years of decline, record growth in tourist arrivals and increasing foreign investment, the city got its first new hotels in 15 years this autumn. The much-anticipated Four Seasons business hotel and the Landmark Mandarin Oriental boutique hotel generated a groundswell of refurbishments at the city's other four- and five-star properties. As a result, the city now has arguably the best rooms in the world, travel industry experts say. "Hong Kong is now competing with the likes of London, Paris and New York. It rates very close to the top," Paul Husband, of Husband Retail Consulting, which specializes in luxury retail lets throughout Asia, told AFP. "New York may just pip it for variety but Hong Kong has the edge in service -- that's something all of Asia does very well," he adds. The sleek steel and glass Four Seasons was billed as Hong Kong's first six-star hotel ahead of its opening in September, a tag general manager William Mackay has studiously tried to avoid. "That was not us who came up with that," the Englishman says. "There is no standardized rating system and hotels that give themselves such awards base them on no objective criteria. "I don't even like to say we are a luxury hotel -- that implies an element of wastefulness," he adds. Nonetheless, the arrival of the 399-room Four Seasons -- and its associated serviced apartment block next door, Four Seasons Place -- heralded nothing short of a renaissance in the territory's business hotel sector. High-end property the Island Shangri-La completed a huge refurbishment program ahead of the opening and the venerable Mandarin Oriental embarked on a huge refit. Many of the city's four- and three-star properties also decided to up the ante. "I think the Four Seasons is very good for business because there is so much demand and it helps generate even more," said Island Shangri-La general manager Franz Donhauser. "There is a relation between the different strata of hotels -- if the five-stars get better then that tends to make the four-star hotels better and that brings up the three-star hotels," he added. Hong Kong's biggest year, for hotels at least, was 1997, when all rooms were filled with travelers curious to see the last days of the former British colony and the first days of China's resumed rule. Since then the sector has been plagued by an economy that slumped in the wake of the Asian economic crisis and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2003, which decimated the tourism industry. But growth in China, which fuels a resurgence in the local economy, has brought more international business travelers to the city, and industry professionals hope the opening last month of Hong Kong Disneyland will help boost leisure arrivals, especially from mainland China. The Hong Kong government now estimates a record 25 million people will come to the city this year, making it the second-most visited Asian destination after China. With recovering demand for tourism in Hong Kong, Thailand is unlikely to see 13 million visitors this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Meanwhile, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, a smaller 119-room property in the heart of downtown, is hoping to clean up in the high-end leisure market, filling a yawning gap in the boutique market. "Hong Kong's hotels are responding to the city's economic buoyancy," said luxury retail specialist Husband. "The long-term view of Hong Kong when you put together what it has to offer -- and combine that with the casinos in Macau and the big convention centers opening nearby -- is a compelling global offering," he added. That's great news for the likes of Island Shangri-La's Donhauser, who predicts this year will be the best on record for his hotel. "There is just so much happening in Hong Kong's favor at the moment," he said. |
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Lilo
and Stitch join Ohana restaurant
Some new character friends have joined
Mickey Mouse for breakfast at `Ohana in Disney's Polynesian
Resort. Say "aloha" (hello) to Lilo, Stitch and
Pluto ... and say "aloha" (good-bye) to Chip, Dale
and Goofy. |
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Disney
Channel launches 'Higglytown Heroes' for pre-schoolers
Playhouse Disney, the preschooler’s destination on Disney Channel has lined up a novel portrayal of a “hero” for kids with the launch of Higglytown Heroes. Based on ‘the whole-child curriculum’ for preschool learning, Higglytown Heroes is an educational series that uses, humour, music and problem solving to teach preschoolers about sharing and caring roles that people play in their community. The show is a surefire inspiration to get little boys and girls up and about trying to make a better life for them and for the world they live in. Community understanding is the emphasis of the show, where kids get an insight into their daily life heroes like Zoo keepers, fire-fighters, policemen etc. The show airs on Disney Channel’s daily preschool destination Playhouse Disney, at 9.30 am and 1 pm on weekdays. Commenting on the introduction of this new and innovative series on Disney Channel, Walt Disney Television International - India director programming and production Nachiket Pantvaidya said, “The colorful and realistic animation in this series is fabulous. The show will certainly have immense appeal for preschoolers their parents and caregivers due to its content quality and learning quotient. There is a hero in everyone and this show conveys similar inspiration to kids through hallmark Disney storytelling.” Higglytown is a town filled with everyday heroes including the Postman, the Fireman and the Bus Driver. Eubie, Wayne, Twinkle, Kip, and Fran are the protagonists of the show, who go out in life to try and become a Higglytown Hero. |
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Disney
TV set for agency overhaul
Disney TV is staging a review of its entire UK agency roster as it seeks to bolster its popularity against stiff competition from rivals Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Disney TV V-P of comms, EMEA Siobhan Kenny,
who joined in July from the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport, said: 'We are operating in a highly competitive market.
It is a multi-channel world and everyone is looking for some
kind of stand-out.' |
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Disney
offers real-world experience
The Disney College Program offers paid
internships that boast of hands-on, real-world experience for
students who yearn for more than an education obtained in a
classroom. |
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Wednesday October 12, 2005 |
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A former Disney worker climbed to the roof of
the Hong Kong park's most popular attraction and threatened to
slash his throat to protest his dismissal, a Disney
spokeswoman and newspaper reports said Wednesday.
The 48-year-old man, a former security guard at the theme park, climbed to the top of the building housing the Space Mountain roller coaster on Tuesday and remained there for two hours, Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Esther Wong said. Photographs published in the Apple Daily newspaper showed the man sporting a white T-shirt with the words "blood," "reveal the truth" and "SOS" written in red paint. He was also shown placing a small penknife at his throat. The man was unhappy that he was fired three months ago for allegedly violating park rules, including using obscene language during working hours, the paper said. He climbed down unhurt after a two-hour negotiation with police and fire fighters, Wong confirmed. A Hong Kong trade union has received about 60 complaints of alleged labor abuse _ including long hours and lack of rest time _ from Hong Kong Disneyland employees since the park opened last month. But Labor Department spokesman Ricky Chan said Disney had not violated any labor laws. Wong stressed that the park has already made labor-related improvements after discussions with unionists. |
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ABC
jumping on iPod bandwagon
Apple Computer Inc. unveiled Wednesday an iPod capable of playing videos, evolving the portable music player of choice into a multimedia platform for everything from TV shows to music videos. Citing a groundbreaking deal with ABC Television Group, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said the online iTunes store will sell episodes of hit shows "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" for $1.99 each, making them available the day after they air on television for viewing on the new iPod's 2.5-inch color screen. |
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Disney
reportedly seeks court block of child TV changes
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to block new federal rules requiring broadcasters to expand children's educational programming, saying the regulations violate the free speech rights of the company's ABC television network, The Los Angeles Times reported in its Wednesday editions. The new Federal Communications Commission rules expand programming requirements as broadcasters move further into digital transmission, and also restrict children's exposure to advertising. The lawsuit asks the court to order the FCC to reconsider the new rules by Nov. 15, or stay the FCC rules until the court can have a full hearing. TV station owners are required by the FCC to air between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. three hours of educational programming for children 16 years and under, but starting in January, broadcasters will have to supply three hours each on the up to five digital channels they can multicast using digital technology, which also provides sharper pictures and better sound, the paper added. |
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Layoffs,
car-rental decline fuel shuttle debate
Beeline Ground Transportation, one of two
companies with shuttle concessions at Orlando International
Airport, said Monday it would lay off as many as 20 people
this week as it struggles to compete with Disney's Magical
Express. |
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Osborne
Family Spectacle of Lights dates extended
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Disney's MGM Studios dates have been extended. The display will now run from November 14th 2005 and continues through January 8th 2006. |
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El
Capitan Theatre Celebrates the Twelve Days of Tim Burton's
'The Nightmare Before Christmas' From Oct. 20-31
No Halloween season would be complete without a return engagement of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" at Hollywood's legendary El Capitan Theatre, and this year's festivities get underway on Thursday October 20th with a night of ghoulish delights, it was announced today (10/12) by Lylle Breier, senior vice president of worldwide special events for Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. The film will play through Halloween Eve (October 31st). Also on the bill with "The Nightmare Before Christmas" are two Tim Burton shorts, "Vincent" and "Frankenweenie." Adding to the excitement, moviegoers will receive an exclusive limited edition collectible "Nightmare" button -- a different one on each of the twelve days, with a special 13th pin available only on Halloween to those who have attended all the previous days. Disney's Soda Fountain & Studio Store (adjacent to the theatre) gets into the spirit with a special "Nightmare Before Christmas" Sundae made with pumpkin ice cream, homemade fudge and marshmallow, and Halloween sprinkles, served in a collectible "Nightmare"-themed bowl. The opening night festivities will include a special filmmakers' panel featuring Ken Page (voice of Oogie Boogie), Shelley Duvall (star of "Frankenweenie"), "Nightmare" director Henry Selick, associate producer Kathleen Gavin, and author Frank Thompson (The Making of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas"), plus other special surprises. Channel 7 entertainment reporter George Pennacchio is scheduled to moderate the 7:00 pm panel (which precedes the film), and Thompson will host the late show starting at 9:50 pm. As an added bonus, Henry Selick's recently completed CG animated short, "Moongirl," will be shown. Guests will also be able to play the latest "Nightmare Before Christmas" interactive games from Buena Vista Games -- "Oogie's Revenge" (for PlayStation 2 and Xbox), and "The Pumpkin King" (for Game Boy Advance). Tickets can be purchased at the box office (6838 Hollywood Blvd.), by calling 1-800-DISNEY6, or online at www.elcapitantickets.com. Commenting on the announcement, Breier said, "The Halloween spirit is alive and well on Hollywood Boulevard at the El Capitan Theatre as we once again celebrate the wildly imaginative films of Tim Burton. Fans love coming to the El Capitan Theatre to see their favorite Halloween treats from Tim, and the response grows stronger each year. We've added some fun new activities and great giveaways this year, and our opening night filmmakers' panel gives fans a chance to hear some special insights about the making of these unique films. Whether you come dressed as Jack Skellington, Sally, the Clown with the Tear-away face, or as you are, we know you're going to have a great time during our twelve night celebration of Tim Burton's holiday masterpiece." First released in 1993, Touchstone Pictures' stop-motion animated musical-fantasy, Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was directed by Henry Selick ("James and the Giant Peach"), and based on a story and characters by Tim Burton. The film follows the earnest-but-misguided adventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's beloved Pumpkin King, as he attempts to take over the Christmas holiday. Against the advice of Sally, a lonely rag doll who has feelings for him, Jack enlists three mischievous trick-or-treaters -- Lock, Shock, and Barrel -- to help him kidnap Santa Claus. Jack eventually realizes his mistake but has to contend with the evil Oogie Boogie before he can make things right and restore the Christmas holiday. With ten ghoulishly delightful songs by Danny Elfman (who also provided the singing voice for Jack) and the vocal talents of Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, and Ken Page, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" combines the artistry of stop-motion with state-of-the-art technology to create a unique and entertaining moviegoing experience. "Frankenweenie," a 30-minute featurette directed by Tim Burton and written by Lenny Ripps, was originally released in 1984. An homage to the great horror films of the 1930s, this clever black-and-white send-up follows the efforts of young Victor Frankenstein to bring his beloved pet back to life after the dog is killed by a car. Using the techniques of his legendary namesake, Victor causes panic in the neighborhood during the course of his unconventional experiment. Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern, Paul Bartel and Barrett Oliver star. The 1982 stop-motion animated short, "Vincent," marked Tim Burton's professional directing debut. Seven-year old Vincent Malloy would rather be Vincent Price than a little boy and re-imagines his life as a horror film -- much to his mother's dismay. Co-produced by Burton and Rick Heinrichs, this merrily macabre effort won acclaim at festivals around the world. The narration is provided by the late great Vincent Price himself. "Moongirl" is the latest animated short film from "Nightmare" director Henry Selick. Produced by Portland Oregon-based Laika Entertainment, where Selick now serves as supervising director and is developing several feature projects, the film represents Selick's first CG animated effort. The film recently finished an Oscar qualifying run in Los Angeles. |
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Disney Insider - Right now it's the tastiest
time of the year at Epcot. The World Showcase Promenade is
overflowing with food and wine from all over the world, thanks
to the 10th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival,
which will continue through November 13.
The Insider spoke to Nora Carey, the festival manager, to get all the delicious details! A self-confessed "foodie," Nora is responsible for coordinating all of the culinary and wine events during the six-week run of the festival. These range from freestanding "marketplace kiosks" dotted around the World Showcase Promenade, offering bites and sips from 27 nations or regions, to seminars and spectacular tasting dinners. Guests can watch cooking demonstrations, learn more about wine, or simply nibble their way from booth to booth sampling the cuisine.
According to Nora, one event not to miss at
this year's festival is the Australian wine walkabout.
"There are five notable wine regions in Australia, so our
Guests can buy what we call a ‘passport,' which allows them
to have some wine from each region as they walk through the
experience," she explains. But in typical Disney fashion,
the walkabout offers not just the chance to taste, but an
immersion in the Australian world from which the wines come.
"In addition to that we have some indigenous dancers from
Australia. We also have wine seminars and cooking
demonstrations in that space. All this happens out on the
promenade, so Park Guests can take advantage of this."
The heart of the celebration is the Festival
Center. Guests can use it like a hub to find out what
activities are available, but there's also a merchandise shop
and a wine shop there, in case Guests would like to take home
some of the wine they sampled at the marketplace kiosks.
There's also a wine bar there and that's where you'll find the
complimentary wine seminars -- they're held all day long, with
no admission cost, in 45-minute sessions.
Many events are open to anyone who happens to be visiting the Park at the time, but for the serious food fan the Festival offers special weekend events. Nora says she's especially excited about "Our ‘Exquisite Evening' dinners at Epcot, where we host a guest chef and we have a dinner for about 70 Guests, usually themed around the wines. We have other paid events, like wine schools. This year we have Andrea Immer, who will be hosting one, and Karen MacNeil will be doing ‘Mastering Wine 101,' which should be fun." Other highlights include a champagne and sparkling wine bar at the Festival Welcome Center; tasting events and demonstrations by guest chefs like Ming Tsai, John Ash, and Bradley Ogden; a weekly Party of the Senses grand tasting event with live entertainment by Cirque du Soleil; and nightly Eat to the Beat! concerts combining delicious food and tasty licks from live bands. On November 13 it will all vanish until next year, leaving a good taste in the mouths of those who attended. Until then, eat, drink, and be merry at Epcot's celebration of the pleasures of the table. |
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Santa
Claus is coming to Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World - Santa
Claus is coming to Downtown Disney Nov. 19. |
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Walt Disney Studios is hoping that the same
kind of church-based campaign that helped turn "The
Passion of the Christ" into a blockbuster will convert
C.S. Lewis' children's classic "The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" into a big-screen
franchise — with "Lion King"-sized profits.
Directed by Andrew Adamson ("Shrek"), the $150 million mix of computer-generated imagery and live action is due out Dec. 9 from Disney and Walden Media. Based on the first installment in a book series that has sold a combined 90 million copies over 55 years, the project seems tailor-made for the faith and family market. Still, says Dennis Rice, Disney's senior vice president of publicity, the initiative is "only one arrow in a large quiver of arrows" as the studio prepares to unveil one of the largest marketing campaigns it has mounted. Among the companies with tie-ins: McDonald's, General Mills, Virgin Atlantic, Oral-B, Kodak and Taubman Centers, at whose shopping malls this season's holiday festivities will be "Narnia"-themed. More than 50 licensees are manufacturing items such as board games, porcelain dolls, trading cards and photo albums; HarperCollins is publishing more than 140 editions of "Narnia," including six box sets and 31 audio versions, and a video game is due in November. The push comes at a critical time for Disney. The studio is desperately seeking a blockbuster hit, and one that could deliver any number of sequels, along the lines of Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter" and New Line Cinema's "Lord of the Rings." Not only is Disney lacking in the franchise department, but its onetime stranglehold on family animation has been weakened by a flood of competitors. "This is a huge roll of the dice for Disney and Walden," said "Narnia" producer Mark Johnson. "But the payoff could be enormous." "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" tells the story of four children who are evacuated to the countryside during the World War II bombing of London, only to find a magical wardrobe that leads to an eternal world. Themes such as good versus evil, betrayal and, ultimately, forgiveness are woven into the tale. Some people regard a central character — Aslan, the lion — as a Christ figure tortured in place of a young human sinner. Others contend that Lewis' books should be seen as myth rather than biblical allegory. "Everyone has his own take on the book, to which the movie is faithful," said Disney's Rice. "Rather than embracing any interpretation, we're remaining neutral, adopting the Switzerland approach." A movie doesn't have to be overtly religious, though, to connect with the church-based audience. The promotional campaigns for New Line's "Secondhand Lions," Universal's "Cinderella Man" and Screen Gems' "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" — just for starters — were directed at a grass-roots evangelical component. And Disney courted this demographic when releasing family-oriented fare such as "Miracle," "The Rookie" and the recent "The Greatest Game Ever Played," albeit nothing on the scale of "Narnia," company executives say. "Many people put churchgoers and Hollywood on the opposite sides of the equation," said Paul Lauer, whose Motive Entertainment orchestrated the "Passion" campaign and has been working on doing the same for "Narnia" since early this year. "But churchgoers are hungry for movies reflecting strong values — like 'Narnia.' " The 5-year-old Grace Hill Media, in which Jonathan Bock and Ted Gartner are partners, also has signed on to the "Narnia" campaign. The industry leader in church-based promotion, it has worked on 80 films, including "Lord of the Rings," "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Bruce Almighty." Outreach Inc., one of Motive's partners and a "Passion" veteran, is producing resource materials including a DVD aimed at ministers, educators and scout troops to help them integrate the movie into their respective curricula. Disney also is reaching out to 40,000 youth ministers nationwide and has marshaled the support of leading clergymen. Group sales — many organized by churches — are in the works. When it comes to connecting with young people, some clergy believe, story-telling is far more effective than an academic approach. While "The Passion" was "powerful and specific," "Narnia" provides some "very real answers to problems in the universe," said Ric Olsen, senior associate pastor at Harbor Trinity Church in Costa Mesa. Calif. Olsen was contacted by Outreach to record a segment for Disney's promotional DVD on "Narnia," one of his favorite pieces of literature. He's also conducting a series of pre-sermon talks about the movie and trying to rent the Irvine Spectrum for a night, just as he did with "The Passion." Hollywood has been wooing churchgoers since its early days. No matter that some of the clergy regarded movies as a tool of the devil. Legendary director Cecil B. DeMille, whose father had studied to become a priest of the Episcopal faith, reached out to that audience in the 1920s with biblical-themed films such as "The Ten Commandments" and "The King of Kings." The commercial success of "The Passion" increased studio openness to the church-based audience, Motive's Lauer said, as has the recent decline at the box office. |
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Lunch
with Walt Disney World Animal Programs
Walt Disney World guests
can get up-close-and-personal with a dolphin trainer,
veterinarian or animal curator during a new "Lunch with
Walt Disney World Animal Programs." |
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Germantown
girl Ambassador at Make-A-Wish celebration
Shelby Johnson, a 17 year-old girl from Germantown, and her family will be in Anaheim, California next week at the Disneyland Resort to help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Shelby is representing the Mid-South Make-A-Wish Foundation as am ambassador to the celebration. She is one of only 75 "wish kids" from around the world selected for this honor. "Shelby personifies the hope, strength and joy that we celebrate every day," Make-A-Wish Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer David Williams said. "She and her life-affirming story are an inspiration to all children confronting life-threatening medical conditions." Shelby's physical battle is against juvenile dermatomyositis, a disease that attacks the immune system. From childhood, Shelby dreamed of becoming an artist, an interest that led her to wish for a trip to Paris, France. To be ready to fulfill her dream, she researched Paris' museums and landmarks and studied the French language and history. Shelby's wish was granted in May 2002, when The Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South threw her a "bon voyage" party with items such as pastries with French flags and an artist drawing caricatures. Shelley was also given her own easel, art supplies and a drafting table. Following the party, Shelby and her family flew to Paris where they visited several art museums, toured the city aboard a double-decker bus and explored the Eiffel Tower. They also took a side trip to the coastal region of Normandy. "Going to Paris was my dream as long as I can remember," Shelby said. "Being an artist, it just seemed to be the center of something I loved. In the midst of a very bad relapse, it showed me that people cared about me and my family. The Make-A-Wish Foundation gave me a new vision, something to hope for and the desire to get better." The art supplies given Shelby were put to good use. She has donated original artwork to several chapters and national corporate sponsors, and to date she has raised enough money to grant four wishes to other children. "We cannot imagine a better ambassador to represent our chapter at this great anniversary celebration," said Tawnette Baker of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South. Shelby's art also graces the cover of the recently released book, "The Power of a Wish: A Celebration of Love, Hope and Gratitude" by Ali Lauren Spizman. "The Power of a Wish" features inspirational stories about wish kids and their unforgettable wish experiences, as well as celebrities and heroes from all walks of life sharing their life-changing experiences in making wishes come true. In Anaheim, Shelby will be a featured guest during celebration dinners with Disney characters, share birthday cake with the "Official Wish Granter" - the Genie from Aladdin, be a part of the fun of the 50,000th Disney theme park wish granted, ride in a Disneyland parade, enjoy Disney's "Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular" and attend a live concert at Disney's California Adventure Park. A visit to a Disney theme park is still the Foundation's most often-requested wish for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Disney fulfills more than 5,000 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation alone each year, including theme park trips, visits to the set of a Disney film or television production, spending time with animators and meeting favorite characters. "A visit to Disneyland was the first official wish ever granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, so we were pleased to offer our hospitality to the Foundation and all of their ambassadors," said Jody Dreyer, senior vice president, Disney Worldwide Outreach. "Making dreams come true for children and families is what Disney is all about and so it is only fitting that we take time to celebrate." Disney makes a difference in the lives of children in need around the world through global outreach programs, local community initiatives and the Disney VoluntEARS program. Last year, Disney donated more than $165 million in cash and in-kind support to worthy charities around the world, Disney VoluntEARS contributed more than 168,000 hours of service and the company drew upon its unique magic to make wishes come true for children and families. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Begun in 1980 when a group helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 73 chapters in the U.S. and its territories and 28 international affiliates on five continents. Granting more than 11,700 wishes a year and 144,000 wishes worldwide since inception, the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates ㈭? Years of Making Wishes Come True" in 2005. |
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Marketing
of 'Narnia' Presents Challenge
With two months to go before the release of its big-budget film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the Walt Disney company wants very much to whet audience appetites by placing music from the soundtrack on radio and music-video channels. But Disney's tricky marketing strategy for "Narnia" - which includes aggressively courting Christian fans who can relate to the story's biblical allegory while trying not to disaffect secular fans - is particularly tricky when it comes to music. The spiritual character of "Narnia" is being reinforced with the debut on the charts last week of a Christian pop album of music inspired by the film. But prospects for a previously announced secular soundtrack now seem cloudy, executives involved in the process say. Disney executives say that at the very least the CD will be delayed beyond its planned Oct. 25 release. Mitchell Leib, president of music for Disney's Buena Vista film unit, said he still expected to assemble and release a secular soundtrack before the film's Dec. 9 opening. But he cited production snags. He said he was still awaiting a recording by the rock band Evanescence that is intended as the film's closing song. He added that planning had also been complicated by last-minute decisions about how music will be used in the complex, special-effects-laden film. The Christian-oriented album's status as the only "Narnia" musical project in the marketplace, for now at least, could upset the studio's plan to balance two audiences. "If they go ahead and release only the one soundtrack, I think they're risking being identified as turning toward a blatantly religious company, which does turn some people away," said Chris Ahrens, founding editor of Risen, a San Diego-based lifestyle magazine that explores the spiritual beliefs of entertainment figures. On the other hand, Mr. Ahrens said, if the music strikes a chord in the Christian market, "I think that's huge for Disney in terms of the movie audience." He added, "It seems like a huge gamble." The absence of the secular album could represent a golden opportunity for the Christian-music unit of EMI Group, the label that released the "Narnia" album, and the contemporary Christian genre in general. The album - which features original songs by such Christian pop mainstays as Jars of Clay and Steven Curtis Chapman - sold an estimated 5,200 copies in its first week, barely a blip on the overall Billboard sales chart but enough to rank as No. 10 among contemporary Christian music CD's, according to Nielsen SoundScan. And the album already appears to be crossing into territory where the genre is rarely marketed, said Bill Hearn, the president and chief executive of EMI's Christian Music Group. EMI has been promoting "Narnia" songs to mainstream radio, and Mr. Hearn said 16 stations playing "adult contemporary" music have added Mr. Chapman's song "Remembering You" to their playlists. The music video for the song is also expected to be included on the film's DVD, he said. "We believe these songs are appealing to anyone who loves 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' not just to the Christian audience," Mr. Hearn said. "The songs are written specifically to reach a wide audience." The lyrics in most of the songs on the album are generally inspirational, as in Mr. Chapman's song ("And I'll watch as the sun fills a sky that was dark/ And I'll be remembering you"). Others specifically reference the spiritual roots of the classic C. S. Lewis novel on which the film is based, where the lion Aslan is conceived as a symbol of Jesus. Bethany Dillon's "Hero," for instance, includes the lines: You bridged the gap The "Narnia" film arrives as the entertainment industry is taking notice of - and trying to profit from - what it views as the increasing influence of religiosity on American culture. Hollywood has been casting about for the next blockbuster on the order of last year's "Passion of the Christ." And in the music business, major labels have been turning to the Christian touring circuit - especially in rock music - to find new talent with the potential to cross into the mainstream, as they did with bands like Switchfoot and Relient K. Coinciding with "Narnia," in which EMI is aiming to reach as far as possible into the mainstream, Disney has moved to target the Christian audience. Earlier this year, Disney signed a deal in which EMI - the biggest label in the Christian genre - will distribute recordings like "Baby Einstein" and "Winnie the Pooh" to Christian retailers, the company's first such arrangement. In the case of the film, however, Mr. Leib said he is not worried that the Christian-music-based soundtrack will skew mainstream fans' perceptions of the film. Disney is not using music from the Christian-oriented "inspired by" album in its television advertising for "Narnia," nor in the film itself, Mr. Leib said. "It's only visible to that audience," he added, referring to the Christian market. He added that the mainstream album would be released through Disney's own record label, as would a planned children's CD. Mr. Leib said he initially questioned why EMI wanted to release its Christian-film-related album more than two months in advance of the movie - an unusually lengthy lead time - but then decided it would be appropriate because of the time required to build support for songs on Christian radio. For his part, Mr. Hearn said he pushed to release the album early to capitalize on the companies' summer marketing efforts, which included playing the "Narnia" movie trailer at Christian music festivals and performances by artists on the album at "Night of Joy," an annual Christian music event presented at the Walt Disney resort in Florida last month. The "Narnia" tale, he noted, "is a world-renowned story, and it creates great exposure for our artists not only inside the Christian community but outside." |
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Walt
Disney Records' Playhouse Disney Imagine
a
Imagine and Learn With Music. The CD features 30 songs from the top-rated shows seen everyday on Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney preschool programming block. With the motto "Imagine and Learn," Playhouse Disney programs are focused on a preschooler's learning on multiple levels. Now wherever they go, kids can enjoy the music from their favorite Playhouse Disney shows including The Wiggles, Bear in the Big Blue House, Rolie Polie Olie and JoJo's Circus and never-before-released songs from the newest shows like The Doodlebops, Higglytown Heroes, The Koala Brothers and Little Einsteins. The Playhouse Disney Imagine
and Learn With Music track list includes: |
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Limited
Edition Artwork by Dave Avanzino Featured on Disney Auctions
One-of-a-Kind artwork by Dave Avanzino is available through Disney Auctions. Current items feature Stitch, Mara from Indiana Jones Adventure, Jessica Rabbit, Tinkerbell and others. http://auctions.images.go.com/Images/I-Catalog/disneyauctions/collections/col_Avanzino.htmlLearn |
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Disneyland Paris -
Father Christmas couldn't wait to celebrate at Disneyland
Resort Paris so decoration has already started even before the
Halloween season is over. The Pumpkin Men lost a lot of ground
when the witches appeared but now they already have to share
their favorite time of the year with the Christmas
decorations, that are being placed all over the park, too.
On Main Street U.S.A. you can find new lampposts decorated with the images of the beautiful Disney princesses. With the lampposts in place it seems that there will be no more room for the arches that have been the main decoration of the street during Christmas the last years. On the Sleeping Beauty's Castle the lights already return and will illuminate the castle in a beautiful Christmas atmosphere once the Pumpkin Men have left. Walking on right into Fantasyland more Christmas preparations can be found. Belle's Christmas Village is under construction and the first little houses have already founds their place. With another three weeks of Halloween season time to go it might be a good idea if Father Christmas stays on the look out so the pumpkin Men wouldn’t start painting his decorations orange taking revenge on his early arrival. |
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Good news for Irish
writer Cecelia Ahern, whose unpublished novel If You Could See
Me Now has been snapped up by the folk at Disney Pictures.
Hugh 'X-Man' Jackman is slated to star in the major motion picture. Ms Ahern has already had her novel PS: I Love You taken up by Warner Brothers. |
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Disney Channel's service
in Korea in recent months has taken on a completely new
promotional strategy _ putting more emphasis on the
educational aspects of their programs.
``Though we aren't an educational channel there are certainly educational aspects to our shows. Market research results told us that Korean viewers were very much interested in education, which we found very interesting, '' said Raymond Miranda, managing director of Southeast Asia and Korea region at Walt Disney Television International, during his visit to Seoul earlier this week. ``If that is what we know interests viewers, we just want to let them know it.'' Standing at the threshold of many industry changes, be it novel technology or even new regulations, the managing director of the Southeast Asia and Korea region at Walt Disney Television International says that now is when marketing and promoting plans one takes make a difference and set you apart from others. ``And finding more ways to get in touch with our viewers is what Disney values the most at this point,'' Raymond Miranda said. Promoting the channel, encouraging participation on-line and through airplay is all great he says, given how much Disney has done since it was first launched here in 2002, but nothing compares to on-ground promotion. ``Only kids know what kids want and they are always so honest which helps us on our part,'' Miranda said. ``Then it is our job to make programs that children can relate to.'' On this note he added that present a new show to be broadcast in the coming months is in the works. ``It will be about the festivals celebrated all over the world. The focus will be not what they mean to my parents but rather what meaning they have to me.'' With Disney Channel's Korean feed starting broadcast on Skylife channel 654 in 2002, preschooler-targeted Playhouse Disney hit airwaves last year. Disney Channel is currently the most viewed among the eight foreign satellite channels. |
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Disney
World Resorts Spice Up The Holidays With Sweet Treats
Guests who stay at one of the Walt Disney
World Resort Hotels this holiday season will find
themselves immersed in a fantasy land of gingerbread,
chocolate and other delectable treats. |
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Tuesday October 11, 2005 |
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Senior executives of The Walt Disney Company
(NYSE: DIS) will discuss fiscal full year and fourth quarter
2005 financial results via a live Webcast beginning at 4:30
p.m. EST on Thursday, November 17, 2005 (results will be
released at 4:01 p.m. EST). To listen to the Webcast, point
your browser to www.disney.com/investors.
The discussion will be available via re-play through December
1, 2005 at 4:00 p.m. PST.
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Experience the awesome action-packed adventure
of BIONICLE 3: WEB OF SHADOWS, the all-new, full-length
CGI-animated movie revealing new layers of the amazing world
of BIONICLE, premiering on DVD October 11. The toy inspired
characters of BIONICLE have come to life in the bestselling
direct-to-video movies BIONICLE: MASK OF LIGHT and BIONICLE 2:
LEGENDS OF METRU NUI. Presented by the LEGO Company, BIONICLE
3: WEB OF SHADOWS is produced by Miramax Films and Good Story
Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
This all-new CGI-animated movie uncovers intriguing new
secrets from deep within the BIONICLE universe. Experience
every action-packed moment as the six Toa Metru encounter
strange and dangerous new foes, including the spidery Visorak,
when they go back to the island city of Metru Nui to fulfill
their duty. Packed with exciting bonus features, BIONICLE 3:
WEB OF SHADOWS is a must-own for BIONICLE fans.
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Cool bonus features are: an exclusive BIONICLE
DVD animated comic book – an animatic version of the popular
BIONICLE comic book with voices, music and sound effects; a
Set Top Explorer that takes fans deep into the background of
the BIONICLE characters; an animated movie "The Toa
Hordika and The Mask of Light" from the BIONICLE website;
a BIONICLE music featurette with the end title song
"Caught In A Dream" played over BIONICLE graphics;
and more.
In BIONICLE 3: WEB OF SHADOWS the legendary BIONICLE heroes are ensnared in webs of deceit, intrigue and betrayal. Even more secrets will be revealed from deep within the world of BIONICLE, and the Toa will face their greatest challenges yet in an all-new, CGI-animated epic. With one final duty to fulfill before they can build their new home on the island of Mata Nui, six great Toa heroes return to Metru Nui and find their once-glorious city shrouded in shadows and overrun by a sinister pack of spidery, web-slinging Visorak. Mysteriously transformed into strange beast-like creatures known as Toa Hordika, the Toa realize their mission to rescue the stranded Matoran – held captive by dark powers – will be anything but easy. Poisonous foes, extraordinary friends and epic trials and triumphs are spun into this action-packed adventure. Original music by Nathan Furst. Screenplay by Brett Matthews. Directed by Terry Shakespeare, David Molina. |
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Walt Disney Records releases the perfect CD for
rocking around the Christmas tree with Radio Disney Jingle
Jams, in stores October 11, 2005. The collection includes
holiday songs from today's most popular Radio Disney artists
including Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff and Jesse McCartney.
Five of Radio Disney Jingle Jams' seventeen tracks are newly
recorded original and classic holiday tunes from tween
favorites such as B5, Caleigh Peters and an all-new collection
of Disney Channel stars.
The disc complements the upcoming Radio Disney Jingle Jam concert tour headlined by listener favorites Everlife and B5. The tour will hit major city malls throughout the country during the holiday shopping season with additional special musical guests joining the fun to spread holiday cheer at every stop along the way. Created and produced by Disney/ABC Radio Networks, Radio Disney is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week radio network similar in style to Top 40 music radio, targeting kids in a format parents can trust. It is the only 24/7-radio network reaching families through the fun of music. Kids help select the music played on Radio Disney which includes pop, rock, retro and evergreen hits. Radio Disney empowers kids by honoring their love of music. Go to RadioDisney.com for more information. Radio Disney Jingle Jams track list includes:
Radio Disney Jingle Jams will be available
October 11, 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.
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Walt Disney World is currently offering a paid
college internship program for students, which will take place
in Florida over the course of one semester.
Danny Butts, a senior theatre design and production major and Walt Disney College Program campus representative, took part in the program and said it was a life-changing experience. "You can take on pretty much any role down there at the Walt Disney Resort. You can do quick-service food and beverage, merchandise, custodial, operations, hospitality [or] life-guarding. Pretty much any role you can think of down there is available to college program participants. "You work in the theme parks, resorts or hotels somewhere on the property of Disney. You also have the opportunity to take classes through Disney University," Butts said. Junior public relations and dance major Michelle Murphy is also an ISU campus representative who spent a semester working in Florida for the program. "The Walt Disney World College Program was a great experience for me. "The people that I met, the students that I was with and the networking opportunities that I had...you know the people at work who were higher up in the company. It really kind of gave me an edge for my career later on in life," Murphy said. Butts said the program is beneficial to any participant who plans on having a career when they are finished with college. "It's a great experience. Putting Disney down on your resume is like a golden ticket. "So just to say that you've worked for Disney and that you've acquired all of the Disney heritage and values will make you very marketable when you get out into the job world," Butts said. Murphy said because of her internship with Disney, she could potentially get a career with them in the future. "If I'm interested in going back to work for the company, I already know so many people who have full-time jobs there, so they could definitely help me get a career started there," she said. During the internship, students do not have to worry about housing, as everything is provided. Murphy said rent and bills are automatically deducted from each student's paycheck. Students are responsible to pay for transportation to and from Florida, extra food, entertainment and a three-hour required course if they want to continue at ISU. Students who are interested in participating in the internship program can go to wdwcollegeprogram.com, or they can attend the final presentation at 6 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 11 at the College of Business room 366. A campus recruiter from Disney will be there to answer any questions. Butts said students will have an opportunity to sign up for an interview after the presentation. "Basically if you want to be part of the Disney magic, if you want to help guests have an amazing experience down in Florida and if you're outgoing and have fun, that's what they look for. "They look for a little personality, that little spark," Butts said. |
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"The
Kingdom Keepers" Book & CD Audio Book Signing
On October 21, 2005, join Disney's Contemporary Resort BVG gift shop for a special appearance and signing of "The Kingdom Keepers" by Author Ridley Pearson. |
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Join Disney’s Contemporary Resort as it hosts a
special appearance by best-selling author Ridley Pearson. Ridley
will read excerpts from his new book, The Kingdom Keepers and
perform book signings. Guests purchasing The Kingdom Keepers book at Disney’s Contemporary Resort BVG gift shop the day of Ridley’s appearance will receive two free gifts with their purchase. These gifts include a Limited Edition Kingdom Keepers pin while supplies last and 50 credits for Disney’s free online game, Virtual Magic Kingdom – www.vmk.com. |
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Event: “The Kingdom Keepers” Book
& CD Audio Book Signing
Event Date: Friday, October 21, 2005 Event Signing Times: 9:00am – 11:00am & 5:00pm – 8:00pm Event Location: Disney’s Contemporary Resort’s 4th Floor Concourse Adjacent to the BVG Gift Shop “The Kingdom Keepers” Book: Retail: $17.99 plus tax “The Kingdom Keepers” Audio CD: Retail: $29.95 plus tax |
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Bardel
Titles Score Toon Disney Slots
Bardel Distribution, via its agent B Wooding
Media, has sold the animated features Dragons: Fire & Ice,
Dragons: The Metal Ages and
Silverwing: The Movie Trilogy, to Toon Disney in the U.S. The Dragons movies will be featured in the Jetix block at 7 p.m., and will be supported with cross promotions in fall 2005 and fall 2006 through retail partners Megabloks and Lions Gate Entertainment. “These high energy films are certain to capture the imaginations of our viewers and deliver them to fantastical worlds where anything is possible,” said Tracy McAndrew, the director of Jetix original series development and acquisitions. |
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Why
Mark Shapiro Left ESPN
In 12 years at ESPN, Mark Shapiro may never have ventured into the anchor chair on SportsCenter, but the prolific programming and production exec, who departed the cable network on Oct. 3, certainly left his mark. On his watch, ESPN launched ESPN Original Entertainment, a controversial venture that has spun off some of its most profitable shows, including the edgy talk show Pardon the Interruption. Shapiro, 35, also led ESPN negotiations
with pro sports leagues, alienating some execs with his
in-your-face style. As he prepares to join Washington Redskins
owner Daniel Snyder to become the new CEO at Red Zone LLC, an
investment group seeking management control of amusement-park
chain Six Flags (PKS), Shapiro sat down for an interview with
Mark Hyman, BusinessWeek's contributing editor for
sports business. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow: |
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Disney
recruiter to visit Chemeketa
The Disney College Program will be recruiting on the Chemeketa Community College campus Oct. 26. College students in the program work in Disney theme parks and resorts, take courses in hospitality and communications and participate in networking events. The program is open to all undergraduate students of any major who have completed at least one semester of school. The recruiter will hold two information sessions, one at 2 p.m. and the other at 5 p.m., in Building 3, Room 116 on the Salem campus, 4000 Lancaster Dr. NE. Interested students must attend one of these presentations to interview for the program. For information, go to www.disneycollegeprogram.com, or call (800) 722-2390. |
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Disney's
Chicken Little - "CHICKINTERPRETATION" Pin Release
& Signing
Event: Disney's Chicken Little "CHICKINTERPRETATION"
Pin Release & Signing Event Information: Inspired by this artistic outpouring by Feature Animation, the Disneyland® Resort in turn selected some of our favorite "Chicken Little" poses and have created a collection of four pins. These special "Chicken Little" pins will be released on Saturday, October 15th and the Feature Animation Cast Members who created the inspiration pieces for them will be on hand to sign them for Guests. The pins will be limited to an edition size of 1000 each and will be offered for $8.95 each, plus tax. The pins will include: Chic Cousteau by Debbie Vercellino In addition, on October 15th, the first 5000 children (ages 9 and under) to visit the World of Disney Store in the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort will receive a pair of CHICKEN LITTLE glasses! Walt Disney Pictures presents CHICKEN LITTLE in theaters November 4, 2005. Chickinterpretation Exhibition: We ask that you bring no personal items to be signed and that only TWO (2) purchased items be signed per Guest. Artist signing is subject to space and time availability and is not guaranteed. Event information subject to change without notice. Separate admission is required to enter Disneyland Resort theme parks. |
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ESPN
Has a Ratings Ball
Sports programming dominated the upper Nielsen echelons of ad-supported cable last week, driving ESPN to the top spot in primetime and to a second-place finish in total programming day. Benefiting from the combination of the National Football League, college football and Major League Baseball’s playoffs, the total-sports network scored a 3.8 household average in primetime during the week of Oct. 3-9, according to a Disney ABC Cable Networks Group analysis of Nielsen Media Research data. That put ESPN well ahead of second-place, commercial-free Disney Channel. USA Network, bolstered by the return of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s Monday Night Raw, pinned down the third spot with a 2.2. Year-to-date leader Turner Network Television was fourth with a 2.0, while Lifetime Television was fifth with a 1.8. Rounding out the top 10: Nick at Nite’s 1.6; Cartoon Network and Fox News Channel, both with a 1.5; TBS at a 1.3; and Spike TV with a 1.1. Finishing just outside the top 10 were MTV: Music Television, FX and Hallmark Channel, each with 1.0 averages. Measured on a total-programming-day basis, perennial leader Nickelodeon edged ESPN 1.7-1.6, according to the Disney analysis of Nielsen data. Nick at Nite was third with a 1.3, followed by a 1.1 apiece for Disney and TNT. Backing out the three hours of live Raw fare that marked WWE’s return to the USA ring after a five-year stint on Spike, ESPN tackled all of the other top shows for the week, headed by its coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals-Jacksonville Jaguars NFL game (a 6.7 Oct. 9) and the American League Division Series game between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (a 6.0 Oct. 7). Disney’s Halloweentown High and Lifetime’s Haunting Sarah were the highest-rated movies of the week, posting a 3.6 (tie for 13th) and a 3.5 (tied for 15th) Oct. 3. The third installment of the third season of FX’s plastic-surgeon series, Nip/Tuck, recorded the highest series performance of the week: a 3.5 Oct. 4 (a tie for 15th). |
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'Housewives'
Beat Yankees on Sunday
Fast National ratings for Sunday, Oct. 9, 2005 FOX got a fairly good showing from its playoff baseball coverage Sunday, but ABC and "Desperate Housewives" still controlled the night. ABC averaged a 10.4 rating/16 share in primetime to beat FOX's 7.8/12 (its numbers may change some due to live football and baseball broadcast). CBS was third at 7.3/11, and NBC, 6.8/10, was not far behind in fourth. The WB was a distant fifth at 1.8/3. Among adults 18-49, ABC's 7.0 rating led the field by a considerable margin, with FOX, 4.5, finishing second. NBC was third in the demographic at 3.0, followed by CBS, 2.8, and The WB, 1.2.FOX won the first hour of the night, averaging 9.8/16 with late-ending NFL games and the start of Game 4 of the Yankees-Angels playoff series. CBS got a 7.4/13 from "60 Minutes" to take second. "Dateline" averaged 5.4/9 for NBC, narrowly beating "America's Funniest Home Videos" on ABC. The WB trailed with repeats of "Reba." "Cold Case," 10.3/16, moved CBS into the lead at 8 p.m., with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," 8.7/13, taking over second place for ABC. FOX's baseball coverage was third at 7.1/11, while NBC held steady with "The West Wing." "Charmed" scored a 2.5/4 for The WB. ABC took over at 9 p.m. with "Desperate Housewives," the night's top-rated show at 15.7/23. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" was second for NBC at 8.0/12. The Yankees-Angels game kept FOX in third, and CBS dropped to fourth with its Sunday movie "The Hunt for the BTK Killer," 5.9/8. The WB concluded its night with "Blue Collar TV." At 10 p.m., "Grey's Anatomy" kept ABC in the lead with a 12.0/19. "Crossing Jordan," 8.4/13, finished second for NBC. Baseball posted a 7.6/12 for FOX, and CBS' movie came in at 5.6/9. |
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Nick
Lachey, Lance Armstrong Among AMA Presenters
An all-star roster of presenters from the music world, Hollywood and sports will be handing out trophies on the "2005 American Music Awards" special, airing on ABC-TV, Tuesday, November 22. The initial list of presenters for this year's show includes cycling champion Lance Armstrong, Toni Braxton, Ryan Cabrera, Chingy, Australian songstress Delta Goodrem, Nick Lachey, Ludacris, John Mayer, Jesse McCartney, Sean Paul, "The Simple Life"'s Nicole Richie, LeAnn Rimes, "Phantom Of The Opera"'s Emmy Rossum, "American Idol"'s Ryan Seacrest, "Jake In Progress"s John Stamos, Sugarland, "Night Stalker"'s Stuart Townsend & Gabrielle Union, and Gretchen Wilson. Performers announced for the special thus far are Mariah Carey, Kenny Chesney and Rob Thomas. Additional performers and presenters will be added to the line-up and announced at a later date. Host of the 33rd annual special is Cedric "The Entertainer." A total of 21 publicly voted awards will be presented on the "2005 American Music Awards" in eight areas of music -- Pop/Rock, Country, Soul/Rhythm & Blues, Rap/Hip-Hop, Latin Music, Adult Contemporary, Alternative Music and Contemporary Inspirational. |
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Winnie
the Pooh in Frankenpooh - Movie Review
A few weeks prior to Halloween I gather up the videos that have been stored so we can view them again. Winnie the Pooh – Frankenpooh is one of those movies I first purchased when my children on the Autism Spectrum were five and six. The video actually consists of three separate stories with the total running time at thirty-two minutes. The stories are meant to be frightfully fun and filled with treats for the viewers. Winnie the Pooh - Frankenpooh begins with
many previews of Disney videos including more Winnie the Pooh
selections as well as other stories. The first segment is
entitled, Monster Frankenpooh with Tigger, Rabbit and Gopher
sitting around Piglet’s house while he prepares to tell a
scary story about a scientist. As Piglet begins with the
daytime setting of his story Tigger changes the picture to be
nighttime for the added scary effect. Piglet and Tigger go
back and forth creating the backdrop for the story of the
scary scientist. Tigger suggests the scientist should create a
monster so Doctor Von Piglet makes a Monster Pooh. |
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Limousine
Drivers Host News Conference at Orlando International Airport
Disney Airport Contract Forcing Them to Run on Empty and Destroying Viable Small Businesses. WHO The Greater
Orlando Livery Association, the largest membership |
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Monday October 10, 2005 |
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The Hong Kong government has decided not to
prosecute the local Disneyland - in which it has a majority
stake - for asking health officials to remove their badges and
hats when visiting the park to investigate possible food
poisoning.
An opposition lawmaker on Sunday said the government - as both investor in the park and regulator - faced a conflict of interest and should have asked for an outside legal opinion. In an embarrassing controversy before its official opening last month, a Disneyland worker asked health officers investigating possible food poisoning at two restaurants to dress inconspicuously to avoid alarming guests attending a park preview on Aug. 30. A Food and Environmental Hygiene Department spokesman who declined to be named said Sunday the Department of Justice has told the department that it won't prosecute Disneyland. "After carefully considering all the relevant evidence and factors, the Department of Justice decided not to prosecute," the spokesman said, without elaborating. Opposition lawmaker Fred Li said the government should have consulted outside legal counsel to ease concerns about a conflict of interest. He charged that the government decided against prosecuting to avoid embarrassment. "The government and Disneyland are partners. If it sues Disneyland, it will cause a certain level of embarrassment. That's the political reason (for not prosecuting)," Li said. Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government, but the local government shouldered most of the construction cost and holds a 57 percent stake. Critics say officials gave Disney an overly favorable deal. Disneyland has repeatedly apologized for the uniform flap, which drew stern rebukes from local officials who said the park isn't above the law. The food hygiene spokesman said food inspectors who have visited the park after the incident haven't met with any problems. A Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman didn't immediately return a reporter's call seeking comment. |
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Buena
Vista Games Expands Executive Team
Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), today announced two key executive hires to help manage the company's growing video game development and publishing business worldwide. Filling the newly created positions are Raj Murari, vice president, strategic development and integration, and Mark Meyers, vice president, internal studios. "As we continue to strengthen our internal games publishing operations, it was essential to add new positions in the areas of internal studios management, new business development and operational integration," said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games. "Raj Murari and Mark Meyers bring tremendous experience to the BVG executive team, from development studio operations to building and integrating new business acquisitions and partnerships globally." As the vice president, strategic development and integration, Raj Murari's responsibilities include creating strategies, seeking out new business opportunities and the global operational integration of BVG business expansion initiatives. He is also responsible for establishing BVG's business in Asia. Murari will report to Graham Hopper. Murari brings to BVG his functional expertise, global experience and talent for driving teamwork. For the past year, he served as vice president of finance for both global softlines and global toys, Disney Consumer Products (DCP). He joined Disney in Hong Kong in 1996 and was promoted to vice president and CFO of DCP Japan. Later he served as CFO of Walt Disney International - Japan. Prior to joining Disney, Murari spent four years in management consulting for Booz Allen & Hamilton. He has an MBA in strategy and finance from Yale University. In Mark Meyers' new position as BVG's vice president, internal studios, he will lead BVG's internal studios, Avalanche Software in Salt Lake City and Propaganda Games in Vancouver, and spearhead their continued growth and success. Meyers will also manage studio technologies and set strategies for technology sharing. Additionally, Meyers will manage the integration of these resources into BVG processes and operations. Meyers reports to Mike Ryder, BVG's vice president, worldwide production. Meyers previously served as studio director at Redzone Studio and co-director of 989 Sports at Sony Computer Entertainment America. In his role at Sony, he developed and managed an organization that was responsible for multiple products on the PlayStation®2, PlayStation Portable and Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3. Before this, he spent six years with Midway Games in a variety of production roles, most recently as executive producer, director of engineering. About Buena Vista Games Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG) is the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company. BVG publishes, markets and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with third-party interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. For more information, please log on to www.buenavistagames.com. |
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'Commander
in Chief' Gets Production Shift
Geena Davis is still president but there's a new commander behind the scenes of "Commander in Chief," ABC's hit freshman series. Steven Bochco, of "NYPD Blue" and "Hill Street Blues" fame, is taking over production of the White House drama from its creator, Rod Lurie, Touchstone Television said over the weekend. Lurie will remain as executive producer of the series and has signed a two-year deal with Touchstone, a division of ABC's parent company Disney, to develop and produce new series. TV veteran Bochco was hired to help "Commander in Chief" run more smoothly and get episodes done on time, a television executive close to the series said Sunday. Production had to stop at one point because scripts were unfinished, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to maintain working relationships. "I've been a huge fan of Steven Bochco's for over two decades," Lurie said in a statement. "I'm blown away, excited to see how much more he will electrify 'Commander in Chief.'" The series stars Davis as Mackenzie Allen, who moves to the Oval Office from the vice presidency after the president's death and must fight to establish her credibility amid political scheming. The unexpected production shift comes as "Commander in Chief" has registered strongly with both critics and viewers. The premiere of the Tuesday night series drew 16 million people, while the second episode was watched by close to 17 million. Reports that Lurie and ABC had creative differences over upcoming story lines were inaccurate, network spokesman Kevin Brockman said. Lurie has been known primarily for his film work, including "The Contender" and "The Last Castle." His TV credits include the 2003 series "Line of Fire." Bochco signed a production deal last month with Touchstone. |
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See
the First Four Minutes of Chicken Little
MoviePhone.com is showing the first four minutes of Disney's upcoming film Chicken Little. Click the link below. |
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A
Whole Ghost Of New Halloween Surprises At Disneyland Resort
Paris
From October 1 to 31, 2005, guests will be invited to discover a colorful Halloween season in Disneyland Park that will be full of surprises!! The spirit of Halloween is up for grabs, with the Pumpkin Men and Pink Witches out for possession of this frighteningly fun festival. Whose side will you be on? This year's season sees a surprising twist to the Halloween theme. A witch, Gruzella, has crashed into the town square gazebo, mysteriously making time stand still (hence the reason why a host of dastardly Pumpkin Men have been frozen in their attempt to claim Halloween as their own, and paint Disneyland Park orange!). But Gruzella has disappeared! Her mission? To reclaim Halloween from those pesky Pumpkin Men and return it to what she believes to be its rightful owners – witches! To help her in her quest, Gruzella has rallied a host of pink witches - cauldrons at the ready - to her cause, to combat the Pumpkin Men who seem more determined than ever to paint the town orange. Throughout the Halloween season, the Pumpkin Men and Pink Witches will get up to all sorts of tricks (and treats) to take control of Halloween, and guests will need to choose sides during a fun and interactive experience that lasts throughout the day, every day, in Disneyland Park. The Wonderful World of Disney Parade will once again become the Disney Villain Parade, the stage for yet another bickering battle between the Pumpkin Men and the Pink Witches. At the foot of Sleeping Beauty Castle, a giant pumpkin will be home to a fantastical face painting workshop free for all children under 12, while HalloweenLand will be home to the "Pink Witches Convention Academy", complete with some original and interactive cauldrons that guests can use as the backdrop for a spooky souvenir photo. Furthermore, Disneyland Resort Paris will host two Halloween parties where creatures of the night will feel right at home! On October 30 and 31, 2005, from 8.30pm to 1am, guests will be able to experience a host of attractions and unique Halloween entertainment in Disneyland Park. |
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Mickey's
Very Merry Christmas Party
A winter wonderland of holiday fun awaits guests on 14 nights in 2005 -- Nov. 27 and 29, Dec. 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 20. Separate admission to the event is required. Each date will feature delicious treats served at locations throughout the park, two performances of "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade," holiday storytelling, live music, unique merchandise and exclusive Disney character shows including "Mickey's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and "Celebrate the Season." New this year is a spectacular fireworks display filled with traditional holiday music. Plus, families can enjoy unlimited use of popular attractions such as "Mickey's PhilharMagic," Stitch's Great Escape! Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan's Flight, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, and many more. But that's not all -- the weather forecast predicts snow falling on Main Street, U.S.A., and guests may even get a greeting from Santa Goofy! Advance tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party are $38.95 plus tax for guests ages 10 and above, $29.95 plus tax for guests ages 3-9. (Children under 3 are admitted at no charge.) The advance ticket prices are good only for the Sunday-Thursday dates. Tickets on the day of each party are $43.95 plus tax for guests ages 10 and above, $34.95 plus tax for guests ages 3-9. For more information, call 407/W-DISNEY or visit disneyworld.com. |
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Mandara
to open Disney spa
Steiner Leisure, which owns the Mandara Spa brand, has signed a contract to build and operate a luxury spa at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, US. The new Mandara Spa will replace a smaller existing spa at the 745-room hotel. Details of the spa’s facilities have yet to be confirmed but amenities will include a number of treatment rooms, a couples’ treatment suite, a health and fitness club, saunas, steamrooms and a beauty salon and nail spa. It is Mandara’s second such agreement with Disney, following the deal to operate a luxury spa at the Walt Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin hotel in Orlando, Florida. Leonard Fluxman, Steiner’s president, said: “We are pleased to be able to build our relationship with Disney.” |
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Lucci
to headline Disney's Super Soap Opera Weekend
Daytime TV legend Susan Lucci, pictured below, has confirmed her participation in ABC Super Soap Weekend presented by Colgate Total, a fan fest bringing popular ABC Daytime stars to the Disney-MGM Studios Nov. 12-13. The event, celebrating its "10th Diamond Anniversary" this year, will feature a variety of opportunities for fans to see their favorite stars. The Wide World of Soaps Live! Talk Show at the ABC TV Theater, for example, will give Guests an exclusive look at show clips and sneak previews of upcoming episodes during live conversations with soap stars. Other offerings include a Super Soap Special Edition of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – Play It! attraction, pairing lucky contestants from the audience with a pair of ABC Daytime celebrities; celebrity motorcades; Colgate Total Street Jam nighttime entertainment, a star-studded concert following a Grand Motorcade; chances to meet stars and get "On Location" Autographs; SoapNet's "I Wanna Be A Soap Star" experience, which lets selected contestants show their acting chops as they compete for prizes during a live stage show; and Soap Central, a popular gathering place selling event merchandise, as well as show costumes, props and other one-of-a-kind items from ABC soap sets. ABC Super Soap Weekend is included with Disney-MGM Studios admission. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com/supersoap, or log on to www.abc.com and enter keyword Super Soap. |
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Disneyland
Resort Paris To Present Grease For A Rock N' Toll Holiday
Season at Disney Village
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Disneyland, California, Disneyland Resort Paris will play host to a smash hit musical set 50 years ago: Grease! During the launch weekend for Wishes, the new sight and sound spectacular that plays in Disneyland Park throughout the Summer months, the two main characters from Grease, Danny (Paul Manuel) and Sandy (Hayley Evetts), announced that this most iconic of musicals will play at Disney Village during the Christmas season. The 50th anniversary of Disneyland will be celebrated throughout 2005, and Disneyland Resort Paris guests can discover this show at the Dome in Disney Village from 14 December 2005 to 8 January 2006. Originally a musical and then a cult film, Grease takes you back to the golden years of rock'n roll, with its 1950s high school décor, a love story based around the drive-in and the jukebox and, most importantly, that all-important style… Grease tells the story of the emergence of a new culture and evokes the golden years when worries were few. The music, played by a live band, the story and fantastic choreography combine to create a whirlwind of music, lights and color. With 25 singers and dancers and 7 musicians onstage, Grease is sure to captivate and delight while taking you back to the happy days of the 1950s. The timeless songs have become classics and have already won the hearts of countless audiences over the years. You're the One that I Want, We Go Together, and Summer Nights are just a few in the hit line-up. A favorite of parents yesterday, today Grease is also a hit with teens, proving that the magic of Grease never goes out of style. |
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Disney
Is Expecting New Mothers Magazine
Disney Publishing Worldwide Inc.'s Wondertime next year will become the newest player in a competitive sandbox of magazines seeking the attention of mothers with young children. Oversized like Real Simple magazine and with similar white space and a trapezoid logo, Wondertime is for women with children up to age 6 who are keen to nurture their offspring's love of learning. "It's more about the joy of parenting and less about the job of parenting," David A. Mevorah, New York-based publisher of Wondertime, said of the magazine's positioning. Wondertime will compete with magazines like Parents, Parenting, American Baby, Child and Scholastic's Parent and Child. It also will go up against Web sites like BabyCenter.com and books on pregnancy and baby care. The quarterly launches Feb. 14 with a guaranteed rate base of 300,000 before going bimonthly in 2007. The introductory subscription offer is competitive at 10 issues for $10. A newsstand copy will cost $4.95. Wondertime will be Disney's third parenting magazine after FamilyFun and Disney Adventures. Circulation will be built by tapping lists of partners as well as company properties like the Baby Einstein toy line and DVD brand Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Prenatal and first-book lists will mail, too. Edited out of Northampton, MA, by Lisa Stiepock, Wondertime's editorial will have a mom-to-mom tone based on five years of research. Themes include fun foods, family travel, social responsibility, great gifts, obsessions, inspirations and instructions. "This is not an angst-driven publication," Mevorah said. "This is a relaxing publication." Disney hired ad agency Vitro Robertson, San Diego, to handle advertising that breaks this week with an insert in media trade publications. The insert's headlines and copy are engaging. It starts with: "Does the world really need another parenting magazine? We wonder." A baby is shown reaching out to a soap bubble. Another page shows a crouching little boy examining the grass. The headline says, "We wonder if knowing right from wrong is just as important as knowing right from left." Then there's a shot of a child peeping through a cardboard box. The headline hits home: "We wonder why learning happens at the least likely of times. Sometimes, when you're busy guarding the fort." The insert is taglined, "Celebrate your child's love of learning." Copy at the end says that Wondertime will give moms "what they want -- the chance to see the world through their child's eyes and celebrate the wonder of this all-too-fleeting time." Billboard ads, cross promotions with titles like FamilyFun and other Disney properties as well as targeted mail drops comprise the rest of Wondertime's marketing. Direct mail is to drop later this quarter after creative on the test package is completed. As is the case with most magazine publishers, mail is expected to be the marketing workhorse for circulation. "That's the way we're going to grow our subscriptions," Mevorah said. Albeit basic, the site at www.wondertime.com is already live and equipped to handle self- and gift subscriptions. Mevorah was hesitant to disclose charter advertisers, but he said the magazine resonated with brands in logical categories and segments like baby care, diapers, food, entertainment, toys, children's television programming, automotive, travel, electronics and household products. "What we're looking to do is be the launch of the year," he said. "We want to be the fattest-telephone-book-looking magazine of the year." Positioning is key. The name Disney doesn't feature on the cover. But it will have this line below the Wondertime name: "From the editors of FamilyFun." "We didn't want people to think this is a Disney magazine," Mevorah said. "It doesn't have Disney characters. We're looking to build non-Disney-branded properties. When you say Disney, you get different connotations from moms and different connotations from advertisers. It's just a magazine targeted at moms, but it's not Disney-branded. It's Disney-backed." |
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Exclusive
Interview with Master Replicas' Kevin Eslinger
An interview with Kevin Eslinger, Master Replicas' Product Designer for the Disney division. He created the Chronicles of Narnia replicas How did you land a job like this and what excited you about this career? I was actually happily working at McFarlane
Toys when I found out about the job at Master Replicas. At
first I did not take the interview that serious but as soon as
I visited the Walnut Creek office I knew Master Replicas was
the place I wanted to work next. I only hoped they wanted me
as well. I was actually at Toronto Film Festival (my brother
is a director and the world premier of his first movie was
showing) when the VP of Product Development called me up with
the job offer. |
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Who'll
be the beast of the box office for Christmas
They're set to be the two big beasts of the movie jungle this Christmas. And Hollywood pundits can't wait to see who wins the box office battle between Aslan, lion hero of The Chronicles Of Narnia, and the 21st century version of King Kong. Movie watchers had expected the producers of the two effects-packed blockbusters to make sure they were released as far apart from each other as possible. But it turns out that King Kong will have its UK premiere on December14 - just five days after Narnia. Both movies will be backed by£10million publicity campaigns, and both have to make more than £60million to break even. Robert Mitchell of Screen International magazine said: "It is absolutely vital that these films make an impact during their first week. "By the time they open, people will have made up their minds whether they are going to see them or not. "These are not word-of-mouth pictures. That will grow over time." Prince Charles will be among the first to see Narnia in Britain when it has its royal premiere at the Albert Hall, London, on December 7. The Disney-produced film, a £62million blend of live action and effects wizardry, is based on CS Lewis's classic children's book The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. It stars Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan and Tilda Swinton as the evil White Witch, and is directed by Andrew Adamson, who made Shrek and Shrek 2. The movie opens to the public on December 9. Mitchell said: "Disney badly need Narnia to be a hit because they want to make a series of films based on the CS Lewis novels. They simply cannot afford the film not to do well." The new King Kong, produced by Universal and directed by Lord Of The Rings mastermind Peter Jackson, cost £72million to make. Its backers will hope Jackson can provide them with another winter box office smash. King Kong stars Adrien Brody as hero Jack Driscoll, Naomi Watts as love interest Ann Darrow and Jack Black as scheming film director Carl Denham. Andy Serkis, the man behind Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings, plays the digital version of King Kong. King Kong is expected to be classified as 12A and Narnia PG |
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Rubik's
World Championship at WDW Nov 5-6
This year's Rubik's World Championship will be held at Walt Disney World's Pop Century Resort November 5th and 6th. |
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Sunday October 9, 2005 |
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Inspired by the Mad Tea Party sequence in the
1951 Walt Disney animated feature film "Alice in
Wonderland," the Mad Hatter Tea Cups features a whimsical
array of colorful cups and saucers that spin guests into
fun-filled Wonderland. Guests control how much and how fast
they spin in the giant teacups.
The Mad Hatter Tea Cups attraction features 18 oversized teacups which rest on three spinning turntables. Guests actually sit in the teacups and control the spinning effect with a giant rotating wheel that sits in the middle of the cup. |
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The canopy-covered attraction is brightly
decorated with crazy colors inspired by "Alice in
Wonderland." The teacups are painted in an array of
patterns and symbols, and the floor is adorned with a spiral
pattern to enhance the playfully dizzying effects of the
attraction.
Mad Hatter Tea Cups spotlights characters from "Alice in Wonderland" and music from the film's Academy Award-winning score. The medley of background songs includes "The Caucus Race," "The Unbirthday Song," "The March of the Cards" and "AEIOU." The popular attraction is featured around the world at every Disney theme park location. Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida named the attraction the Mad Tea Party; Tokyo Disney Resort named it Alice's Tea Party; and at Disneyland Paris it is named Mad Hatter's Teacups. About Fantasyland When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in California in 1955, it was often said that Fantasyland was the favorite of all the lands he created. It is the place where classic stories come to life as Disney characters star in attractions that warm hearts and bring smiles to guests' faces. Fantasyland creates a colorful storybook world where guests young and old can enjoy classic attractions together. When they walk through the grand entrance of Sleeping Beauty Castle, guests are immersed in a happily-ever-after world where fairy tales come to life. Attractions enable guests to meet their favorite Disney characters in Fantasy Gardens, take a royal ride aboard Cinderella's Carousel, journey through Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood, take a spin in the Mad Hatter Tea Cups and fly with Dumbo the Flying Elephant. |
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What's new on
VMK
VMK has a new look as Main Street has recently
been decorated for Halloween. Parts of Tomorrowland have also
opened and a new maze game is now available for play. Today is
the second day of the Maze event going on for different prizes,
Information below as well as some screen shots. |
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Above are photo's of Main Street decorated for Halloween |
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Above Left is the new Entrance and above Right is part of the new Tomorrowland |
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Above Left is the upcoming Haunted Mansion Game and Above Right is the Herbie Clips |
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A Disney
accent
Mickey Mouse, Sleeping Beauty's castle and the Lion King are all here at Disney's new theme park in Hong Kong, along with classic rides familiar to fans of other Disney theme parks -- Space Mountain, the Mad Hatter Tea Cups and Dumbo. But in creating the Disney experience for a mostly Chinese audience, this thoroughly American -- and notoriously detail-obsessed -- company has incorporated many elements of local culture. Experts in the Chinese tradition of feng shui -- the belief that harmonious energy and good fortune can be achieved by the correct positioning of furniture and other objects -- were put on the payroll. And while Coke and hamburgers can easily be found, guests can also dine on dim sum and sweet-and-sour pork. Signage is in both Chinese and English. On the advice of feng shui masters, the park faces the water with mountains in the back. The feng shui experts even picked the opening date of the park -- Sept. 12. Park officials also tweaked the layout to conform with feng shui principles. They recommended "no fire" zones in restaurant kitchens -- with an eye to keeping the five elements of metal, water, wood, fire and earth in balance -- and water fountains. A giant fountain near the park entrance features Mickey Mouse surfing on a stream of water spouting from a whale. Statues of Donald Duck and Minnie Mouse stand nearby. Visitors can navigate the park with signs written in their native Chinese, but the rides also include bilingual explanations. Inside the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride, a talking animated Buzz Lightyear figure speaks in English while Chinese subtitles are flashed on a display board nearby. Disney has delved deepest into local culture with the menu, which encompasses several Asian cuisines. Apart from Chinese staples, there's also Kashmiri chicken curry and shrimp-and-vegetable tempura. The Asian culinary delights are served in restaurants with decidedly un-Chinese architecture, providing a sometimes bizarre East-meets-West contrast. The Tahitian Terrace restaurant serves roasted duck and curry laksa noodle soup. The Viennese-influenced Market House Bakery in Main Street, U.S.A. uses European decor but juxtaposes Western pastries with Hong Kong-style delicacies. Chocolate croissants and cinnamon rolls are displayed alongside barbecued pork puffs, egg tarts and pineapple buns. The rest of the park -- and even supporting infrastructure -- is vintage Disney. Hong Kong's subway operator has launched a Mickey-themed train carriage -- with windows and hanging straps shaped like the character's head -- to ferry visitors from a suburban rail line to the park and back. Hong Kong Disneyland also includes a variety of Disney attractions found elsewhere. In addition to Space Mountain, Mad Hatter Tea Cups, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, there is a Jungle River Cruise and the "Festival of the Lion King" show, inspired by the animated movie. Anchoring the park's skyline is a replica of the original Sleep- ing Beauty Castle from Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., the flagship park that opened 50 years ago. And "The Golden Mickeys," a Broadway-style show that until now has been seen only on Disney cruises, has come ashore with its debut in Hong Kong. One standout in Hong Kong is Mickey's PhilharMagic in Fantasyland, a 3-D show with appearances from Mickey, Donald Duck, Ariel from "The Little Mermaid," Aladdin, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and Simba. With the help of 3-D glasses, the Disney characters appear as if they're right in front of the viewer. When Donald Duck is splashed with water, the audience is likewise sprinkled. The scent of cherries fills the theater when a dessert dish shows up on screen. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy certainly aren't alien to the children of Westernized Hong Kong, but the average person in mainland China, a major target market for Hong Kong Disneyland, is less Disney-savvy. So Disney has launched a massive marketing campaign. It tapped clean-cut Hong Kong pop star Jacky Cheung -- a singer and actor who is one of the biggest acts in the Chinese-speaking world -- as park spokesman. Since July 2004, Chan has hosted a TV program aired in both China that shows classic Disney movies. Disney also has introduced a fashion line at bargain-clothing retailer Giordano, which has 1,500 outlets in Asia, Australia and the Middle East, 644 of which are in mainland China. The clothing features pictures of Disney characters ranging from Mickey to Nemo. A heavy dosage of all things Disney aside, Hong Kong Disneyland offers a rare expanse of space and lush greenery in a densely populated territory better known for its towering skyscrapers than wildlife. The park is a landscaping achievement, reproducing a slice of America with Asian accents. The driveway leading to the park entrance is lined with tall palm trees, and Adventureland mixes palm trees with bamboo fences, torches, rock formations, straw-thatched roofs and a fake jungle river in what resembles the set of the TV show "Survivor." Long open-air shelters that make up the bus depot are decorated by old-style lamps and rotating fan blades hanging from the ceiling, creating the feel of a saloon in the old American West. At 310 acres, Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disney park in the world, but Disney says expansions are planned. One addition already lined up is the Autopia car ride in Tomorrowland. Pricing at the park is affordable by Hong Kong standards but on the higher end for visitors from China. Even in the commercial hub of Shanghai, which enjoys a much higher standard of living than most Chinese cities, the minimum monthly wage is a paltry $85. At the Emporium souvenir shop, a Mickey Mouse key chain costs $7.70; a standard Hong Kong Disneyland cap is priced $13. Admission is $45 for the weekend and public holidays, $38 on weekdays -- the cheapest among Disney's five parks around the world. Children under 11 pay $32 on weekends and $27 during the week. The park houses two hotels -- Victorian-style Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, with lots of towers and fussy architecture, and the sleek-looking Disney's Hollywood Hotel. These accommodations are steeply priced: Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel starts at $205 a night, and Disney's Hollywood Hotel's cheapest room costs $128. For budget travelers, staying in the city is recommended. Hong Kong offers hotels in many different price ranges, and the park is only about a 20-plus minute subway train ride from downtown Hong Kong. |
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Teen
hangouts make waves on ships
It could be a teen's worst nightmare: stuck on a cruise ship with Mom and Dad for an entire week. Or it could be a dream come true. Thanks to Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, Princess and other lines, teens now claim space in "adult-free" zones. Depending on the ship, they can enjoy teen discos and coffee bars, sports activities and bungee trampolines. Royal Caribbean also offers rock climbing, ice skating and in-line skating. The raddest nightclub is Fuel on Royal's Mariner and Navigator of the Seas, according to teen votes cast on Cruisemates.com, a Web site for cruisers. In second place is Optix on sister ship Adventure of the Seas, with third through seventh places claimed by discos on Carnival's Conquest, Miracle, Legend, Spirit and Paradise. Carnival recently teamed with the Coca-Cola Co. to create Club O2, a teen program that will be operational fleetwide on the line's 21 vessels by year's end.
Club O2
The O2 in the name refers to oxygen, which, according to the line, represents energy and renewal. Club O2 includes a dance floor with a DJ and a large-screen plasma TV displaying the hottest movies and music videos. Selected Carnival teen clubs also will feature a library with popular teen books and magazines, video games, a 16-monitor video wall, and listening stations where teens plug in to hear favorite idols, from Kelly Clarkson and Alicia Keys to Fabolous. Teens can enjoy karaoke, nightly themed parties, late-night movies, video-game contests and sporting events. And in a nod to the reality-show craze, they can play daily games based on The Bachelor (or The Bachelorette), Fear Factor and Survivor. Carnival also offers teens shore excursions: cave tubing in Belize, horseback riding in Cozumel and swimming with stingrays in Grand Cayman. Annually, Carnival carries teens "in the tens of thousands," a spokesman says. Carnival's competitors are also chasing teens. Over at Disney Cruise Line, The Stack on Magic and Aloft on Wonder provide havens for teens to meet and chill. Open all day and half the night, they're packed with such teen must-haves as comfy couches, a soda-and-smoothies bar, Internet access, plasma-screen TVs, board games and loaded MP3 players. Disney's shipboard activities include Digihunt, a scavenger hunt in which teens armed with digital cameras decipher Morse code and international flag codes and compete in trivia contests. There's also a program called Shooting Stars, in which teens make a movie that is then screened on board.
Teen beach
Disney even reserves a beach on its private Castaway Cay Island exclusively for teens. A teen excursion there, called The Wild Side, invites them to solve a mystery while exploring the island in sea kayaks, on bicycles and with snorkel gear. Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America boasts a gyroscope, an open-air sphere (originally developed for NASA to train astronauts in weightlessness) and a bungee trampoline. The line also has a passport program in which, for $34.50, teens get a booklet of 20 coupons for nonalcoholic drinks and entree to afternoon dance parties with a DJ and pizza. On the last evening of a cruise, teens from 13 to 17 attend the Farewell Frat Party. Celebrity Cruises tailors its youth programming to teens in two age groups: 13 to 15 and 16 to 17. Teens don't get short shrift on Holland America ships, either, where the Loft and Oasis are adult-free zones. The Loft is indoors with music, video games and dancing; Oasis is outdoors with hammocks, a refreshment area, a waterfall and music. With all this activity at sea, here's a tip for teens: Don't forget to set aside some time for Mom and Dad. After all, they're paying for your cruise. |
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Ridley Pearson
Ridley Pearson is known for gripping, stylish crime novels. These include his series featuring Seattle police Sgt. Lou Boldt and psychologist Daphne Matthews and an equal number of stand-alones, among them Cut and Run (Hyperion, 369 pp. $23.95). Published last spring, that thriller centers on a witness protection marshal who makes the mistake of falling in love with a protected witness. Recently Pearson has branched out into young-adult fiction. The Kingdom Keepers (Disney Editions, 336 pp. $17.99), published in September, is a high-tech thriller in which five teens find themselves pitted against villains who threaten Disney World. He is also collaborating with Dave Barry on a trilogy of prequels to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, volume one of which, Peter and the Starcatchers (Disney Editions, 464 pp. $17.99), came out last year. The Starcatchers books originated with a question posed by Pearson's 5-year-old daughter as he read Peter Pan to her at bedtime. ``But Daddy,'' she asked, ``how did Peter Pan meet Captain Hook?'' As Pearson told USA Today, ``I experienced a brain freeze and said right back to her, `Paige, that is a novel, and I'm going to write it.' '' He enlisted the help of longtime friend Barry. The two collaborated mostly via e-mail in writing the book. |
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Saturday October 8, 2005 |
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Growth in Hong Kong's retail sales slowed in
August, government figures issued Friday show, as a slight
decline in mainland Chinese visitors offset still-strong
domestic demand.
But economists said they expect the expansion in retail sales to accelerate in the final months of the year, helped by higher tourist arrivals for the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland and the October national holidays. The Census and Statistics Department said the nominal value of August's retail sales increased 6.1% from a year earlier to HK$16.5 billion, down from a revised 7.1% rise in July to HK$17.4 billion. After adjusting for price changes, the volume of August's retail sales grew 5.3%, down slightly from revised 5.8% growth the previous month. The latest results were slightly below market expectations. Estimates in a Dow Jones Newswires survey of 10 economists centered on a rise of 7.4% by value and 6.1% by volume. "The moderation in (retail sales) growth was mainly a result of a decline in mainland China tourists during the month of August," said Dai Daohua, an economist at Bank of China in Hong Kong. "Some tourists had delayed their visits to the city until after Disneyland opened in mid-September." While the total number of visitors to Hong Kong rose 2.6% from a year earlier to 2.1 million in August, tourists from China actually fell by 1.4% to 1.2 million, and accounted for 60% of all visitors to the city. "As August was part of the peak traveling season for Hong Kong residents, local spending would be slightly affected as well," said Daniel Chan, senior investment strategist at DBS Bank in Hong Kong. For the first eight months of 2005, total retail sales rose 7.6% in value and 6.7% in volume over the same period last year, the government said. Sales of electrical goods and photographic equipment continued to grow most markedly in August, rising 14.4% by volume from a year earlier, followed by the sales of miscellaneous consumer goods, which grew 8.2% by volume. Chan said he expects growth in retail sales to pick up in the final months of 2005. "The growth momentum will certainly accelerate after September, with the Disney theme park already open. The last quarter is also traditionally the peak season for tourism and conventions, which will help boost consumer spending." Bank of China's Dai said the value of Hong Kong's retail sales will likely exceed 8% growth for the full year, while volume will grow about 7% as a result of continued recovery in local consumption. However, a government spokesman said after the data was issued that while the labor market and tourism numbers are strong, there could be "some negative impact" on consumer demand as a result of recent, successive interest-rate increases. |
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Disney's 'Sprites' is a musical delight I wouldn't ordinarily take time to review a five-minute TV program, but Disney Channel's new "Johnny & the Sprites" deserves the attention for two reasons. One, it's planned to be expanded anyway, into its own 30-minute series sometime next year. Two (in this case, the much more telling reason), its star and executive producer is John Tartaglia, nominated for a Tony for his dual role as Rod and Princeton in the hit Broadway musical "Avenue Q." "Johnny & the Sprites" premieres Sunday night at 7:25 on the Disney Channel, right after the premiere of "Little Einsteins." Beginning Monday, it airs daily at 8:25 a.m. as part of Playhouse Disney's children's lineup next week. Unlike "Avenue Q," where Tartaglia was seen working the puppets and supplying their voices, "Johnny & the Sprites" has him as a human being, surrounded by puppets operated by unseen others. He plays Johnny T, a guy with a guitar who retreats to a small place in the woods for inspiration and solitude - and, instead, finds himself surrounded by cuddly, juvenile sprites. Ginger is a girl sprite who's good at sports; Basil is a guy sprite who isn't - but has other skills. In subsequent episodes, there's also a mole named Seymour and the recurring character Mrs. Moldystew, a cranky human neighbor. There's a music number in every episode, tied, as in "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," to a daily theme: taking turns, celebrating your own strengths, sharing and so on. The sharing episode, in which Seymour the mole learns not to eat all the lettuce in Johnny's garden, contains a typical rhymed couplet: "Sometimes, it's a pain/ to give up your romaine." Musical numbers are prerecorded and obviously lip-synched, but viewers young enough to embrace "Johnny & the Sprites" on its own terms won't be sophisticated enough to notice or care. Tartaglia is as affable here as he is onstage singing for adults, and there's no reason to doubt that an expanded time slot will allow the show to do even more ... and include more music. |
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Disney Channel turning tykes into "Einsteins" The Baby Einstein Co. was started in 1997 by the mother of a newborn who wanted to introduce her baby to art, classical music and language and poetry in an age-appropriate manner. From that goal, a line of Baby Einstein videos was created. In November 2001, Disney bought the company. Playhouse Disney, Disney Channel's block geared to preschoolers, offers "Little Einsteins" as the latest installment. This series is aimed at "older" kids -- preschoolers. The animated series centers on a quartet of precocious, multiracial kids and their learning adventures. It uses proven methods of repetition and enthusiasm to introduce music and art. Each episode includes a famous work of art. The premiere, "I Love to Conduct," uses Edward Hicks' "The Peaceable Kingdom" with Norwegian Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: Morning Mood." To instill the tune, characters make up lyrics describing their actions. The main title theme by Billy Strauss is catchy and endearing. Executive producer/writer Eric Weiner effectively combines the classics, while introducing words more complicated than in the infant-designed videos (for example, "crescendo" and "diminuendo"). On Monday, the show moves to its regular time slot, 8 a.m. daily and 12:30 p.m. weekdays. |
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Parking Increase at WDW as of 10/9
Effective October 9, 2005 parking fees are as
follows:
$9.00 - Car/Taxi/Shuttle/Limousine $10.00 - Camper/Trailer $12.00 - Bus/Tractor Trailer |
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A paparazzo was charged with child endangerment and battery for allegedly striking one 5-year-old child with his camera and shoving another out of the way to take pictures of actress Reese Witherspoon and her children at Disney's California Adventure theme park last month.
Todd K. Wallace, 44, of Beverly Hills was
charged Friday with six misdemeanor counts and is due back in
court Wednesday, Assistant City Attorney Patrick Ahle said.
A phone message left for for Wallace early Saturday was not immediately returned. Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez said Wallace is charged with battering the 5-year-old's mother, who is a friend of Witherspoon, as well as two Disney employees. Martinez said Wallace became angry when the "Legally Blonde" star and her friends declined to be photographed and began cursing them. Wallace was initially arrested only for investigation of using his body to push the Disney employees who came to the group's aid, Martinez said. The incident left some of the children in tears. Wallace was convicted in 1993 in Los Angeles County of second-degree burglary and receiving goods by fraud, according to state corrections records. He served more than four years in prison. Tabloids must realize that "battering and endangering a child to get a picture for their magazines is criminal and not business as usual," said Witherspoon's attorney, Blair Berk. In August, prosecutors decided not to charge paparazzi whom Witherspoon said chased her from her gym and trapped her outside the West Los Angeles gated community where she lives with her husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, and their two children. |
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Disney to target tweeners with live action, local acquisitions The tweener (10 - 14 years) audience segment is currently underserved by the kids' channels in India. Or so feels Walt Disney Television International (India) director programming and production Nachiket Pantvaidya. In order to cater more to this segment and expand the overall kids market in India, the Disney Channel is planning to pump up its live action programming. And it is also looking at local acquisitions to support this strategy. The channel is strong among pre-school and family audiences. "Our movies have family appeal. Besides, we have premium quality preschool content," he says. According to Pantvaidya, 84 per cent of kids are on GECs (general entertainment channels) while only 16 per cent of them were on kids channels. "Before the entry of the new kids channels in India, this percentage ratio of kids' viewing was 90:10. There has been a shift in kids viewing because of the wide range of options that are today available to them. I feel that the 16 per cent number has the potential of touching 30 per cent or as high as even 40 per cent in two years' time," he says. Driving this growth will be live action programming, he adds. Disney Channel is also expanding its preschool band from 1 November by an additional nine hours. The channel will have nine hours of preschool programming on weekdays from 7 am - 3 pm and from 8 am - 10 am (two hours) on Saturdays and Sundays. That makes it 44 hours of preschool programming in a week. At present the Disney Channel has 35 hours of preschool programming in a week, which is aired on weekdays from 8 am - 3 pm. Cartoon Network and Pogo, on the other hand, have a combined offering of 11-12 hours a day of preschool content. Nick has a preschool block called Nick Jr. Toon Disney, Pantvaidya feels, has a potent mix with action programming like Spiderman and strong franchisees like Mickey Mouse. |
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Pop
Group KNOCKOUT to Work with Disney Entertainment
KNOCKOUT teamed up with Disney Entertainment
and will do performances at Downtown Disney. |
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'Ears'
to you, Disneyland
"Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me ...." That song hasn't left my head since Monday morning when, for a moment, I was a Disney Mouseketeer; honorary member of the Mickey Mouse Club. Monday marked the 50th anniversary of the debut of the original Mickey Mouse Club on Oct. 3, 1955, and Disneyland rolled out the red carpet - well, actually it was the black carpet in the shape of the infamous Mickey Mouse ears - to celebrate. Helping with the celebration were 10 of the series' original Mouseketeers - Don, Tommy, Cubby, Sharon, Sherry, Cheryl, Karen, Lonnie, Doreen and Bobby - who spent Sunday and Monday entertaining park-goers and signing memorabilia sold exclusively for the anniversary event. A week ago, the curtain call went out to Disneyland's Annual Passport holders that the park was in need of some help with the celebration - 900 of us, to be exact. So Monday morning, there I was, at 4:45 a.m. waiting in line for the Timon parking lot to open at 5 a.m., just for us. A group of Disney lovers, ages 18 and up, waiting to make a lifetime dream come true. Our job - form the world's largest pair of black Mickey Mouse ears and turn them gold. Awesome job. I pulled into the parking lot, just a few cars ahead of me, and took a deep breath and waited anxiously and a bit impatiently to get this adventure under way. Finally, we were rolling. Once parked, we walked briskly to the main gate where we would sign in - this was a bit of a race because Disneyland said once it reached its quota for 900, the gates would be closed. This is no short walk, and I was impressed by the passion that drove people older than me, some of them relying on canes and walkers to get around, make this trek. There were maybe 100 people in line ahead of me, so again, a deep breath of relief, and I stood fast in my spot, unwilling to budge before the gates opened at 6 a.m. - no one was going to get my place in line. That 45 minutes ticked by slowly. I was constantly looking at my watch, waiting, waiting, waiting like a kid at Christmas. The big, brightly wrapped gift was right in front of me and I couldn't wait to tear it open and experience what was inside. Finally, it was time to enter. All dressed in black pants and black shoes, we were ushered past a table where we received a black, long-sleeved T-shirt; black Mickey Mouse ears; and a black plastic bag we were to drape around our necks. Inside the bag - our props, gold pompoms. Cool. We each had a colored wristband designating which of the four groups we were part of. I was among the "red" group, which formed the right ear. Once inside - feet already starting to hurt from standing in line so long - there was no time to rest on our laurels. It was rehearsal time. First with Sean, who stood high atop the Main Street train station, and worked with us for about 45 minutes while down the street, at Sleeping Beauty's Castle, the actual Mouseketeers were working on their part of the routine. Sean's mission: Get this group of mostly amateurs to learn a routine of dancing, clapping, singing, cheering and - most importantly - getting those pompoms out of the bags and into the air with precision timing. We immediately learned we had a problem with our props - many of the pompoms stuck to the insides of the plastic bags. Not good considering we needed to pull these golden babies out and get them in the air in a split second. Turn the bags inside out, we were told. OK. Then the bags started breaking from the strings around our necks. Bring in the black tape. OK. Pompom and bag troubles solved. Next it's time to learn - or for many of us, relearn - the lyrics to the opening and closing Mickey Mouse Club songs. These songs provided important cues for when we were to dance a little, sing a little, clap a little and finally - when to bring those pompoms out. It came with the closing song: you know the one - "Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company. M-I-C - See you next week; K-E-Y - Why? Because we like you. M-O-U - (OK, hands inside your bags, and grab those pompoms and get ready) S - (NOW!!! pull those golden beauties out of your bags and shake 'em high above your heads) - E!" That single task was the most important for the day, and the timing had to be perfect. One missed cue and that beautiful video footage and still photo Disney was looking for of the biggest pair of ears going from black to gold would be blemished. Got it. Kind of. A couple of run-throughs and it was time for us to join the "real" Mouseketeers at the castle where we would iron out the kinks under Marilyn's direction. We did it over and over, from top to bottom, middle to end, backward, forward for another 45 minutes or so. Some of us were still a little off with timing of whipping those pompoms out of the bags and into the air. The clock was ticking and we needed to get it together for the 9 a.m. performance that would be filmed and photographed by media teams for all to see, and Marilyn was getting nervous. Let's take it from the top and do it all the way through, Marilyn says. OK, got it. Time for a short break while the Mouseketeers get into costume. Music to my ears, because as much as I'm enjoying myself, my feet are killing me, and getting off them for even five minutes is heaven. Finally, it's show time and the cameras are rolling and clicking. Fifteen minutes later my time in the limelight is over. But I leave Disneyland with yet another wonderful memory to treasure and a story to tell. All of it well worth waking up before the sun and well worth the sore feet. |
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Friday October 7, 2005 |
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Disney DIS announced Thursday that former CEO Michael Eisner resigned from its board of directors Sept. 30. We are not changing our fair value estimate for the shares at this time. We are encouraged by Eisner's early departure because we believe it could result in more freedom for new CEO Bob Iger to manage the company as he sees fit, rather than under Eisner's continued watch. We had been concerned that Eisner would emerge as Disney's chairman, since current chairman George Mitchell is stepping down after this year. We continue to recommend purchase of Disney shares at a moderate discount to our fair value estimate. |
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Michael Eisner has cut all ties with the
company he ran for 21 years. The Walt Disney Co. said Thursday
in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that
Eisner "no longer provides any services" for the
entertainment and broadcasting company.
He resigned as the company's chief executive on Sept. 30, but had been expected to keep his seat on Disney's s board of directors until new directors were elected next year. In a surprise move, he resigned his board seat last Friday and will not serve as a company consultant, as he had been entitled to do under his employment agreement. In its SEC filing, Disney also revealed details of its contract with Eisner's successor, Robert Iger. The new Disney boss has signed a five-year contract and will retain his position as the company's president. He will receive a salary of $2 million a year, the same amount he was paid last year as Disney's president and chief operating officer. Iger will also receive bonuses and other incentives tied directly to the company's performance. His annual bonus target will be a minimum of $7.25 million. He will receive a long-term incentive bonus of company stock with a target value of $8 million per year, also tied to performance. The bonus and long-term incentive could be raised or cut to zero, depending on the company's performance. Iger also receives a one-time bonus of 500,000 shares that will vest over five years if the company's stock performs at least as well as the S&P 500 Index over the same period. |
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ESPN
Restructures Management
Following the departure of Mark Shapiro, executive VP of programming and production, ESPN has restructured its management, putting senior executives in charge of the key areas of content, revenue and technology. George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, said Thursday he has named John Skipper as executive VP of content, Sean Bratches as executive VP of sales and marketing and Chuck Pagano executive VP of technology. Continuing their senior roles are Russell Wolff, executive VP and managing director of ESPN International, Christine Driessen, executive VP and chief financial officer and Ed Durso, executive VP of administration. "Changes in our management ranks presented an opportunity to redefine our structure," Mr. Bodenheimer said. "Aggregating all our creative energies in one division, placing all sales and marketing in one area to sell our growing menu of services, consolidating oversight of all technology and affirming the centralized management of all international businesses are powerful statements." |
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The
Make-A-Wish Foundation & Disney Celebrate the 50,000th
Disney Theme Park Wish
Christian Marlowe, a 5-year-old from Coos Bay, Ore., was all smiles today aboard a magic carpet when he, along with the Genie from Aladdin, a huge magic lamp and a special cake, arrived in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland for a ceremony in his honor. Christian is the 50,000th child to have a Disney theme park wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Disney. His special wish was simple: he wanted to visit Disneyland and meet Mickey Mouse. In attendance with Christian, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, was his brother Anthony, his sister Jennifer and his parents Lisette and Alex. Also recognized during the ceremony was Octaviana Trujillo, who is the mother of Frank "Bopsy" Salazar -- the very first child to have a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Disney 25 years ago. More than 75 other past and present wish children from around the U.S. and abroad also gathered as ambassadors for the week-long celebration, which also commemorates Make-A-Wish's 25th Anniversary. In addition to being a part of the 50,000th wish celebration, the ambassadors were featured guests during a Cinderella-themed birthday party last night, and they will ride in a Disneyland parade, enjoy a performance of Disney's "Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular" and attend a live concert at Disney's California Adventure Park during the rest of the week. "Through all of our outreach programs, Disney is committed to granting wishes for children to brighten their lives, and the lives of their families, when they need it most," said Jody Dreyer, senior vice president, Disney Worldwide Outreach. "Through our work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, we are proud to make possible the special wishes of children that bring joy to them in so many meaningful ways." "Each child in attendance here today serves as an inspiration to all children confronting life-threatening medical conditions," said Make-A-Wish Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer David Williams. "Children's wishes not only bring them happiness and give them something to look forward to during treatment, but they also give the family quality time to spend together." Relax and enjoy they did. Mickey invited Christian to his house for a special meet and greet before the park opened. The two new friends spent time together and took a walk together, hand-in-hand, through the streets of Mickey's Toontown. Christian is also spending a week at the Disneyland Resort as part of his wish. "Christian's wish is the beginning of something very special," said Lisette Marlowe. "If you have faith and believe that your child can become better, then they will. This is Christian's first time at Disneyland and we are thrilled to see the joy on his face. When he is happy, we are too." A Disney theme park visit remains the Foundation's most requested wish for children with life-threatening medical conditions. In fact, Disney fulfills more than 5,000 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation each year through its corporate charitable outreach program. Disney wishes fulfilled have also included cruises, visits to the set of a film or television production, spending time with animators and meeting favorite characters such as Mickey Mouse, or Disney Channel personalities like Raven-Symone. "Disneyland has been a magical place for many people throughout the world for 50 years," said Disneyland President Matt Ouimet. "That magic is even more powerful to our Cast Members when we meet the children and their families who come to us as part of a special wish. We are honored to be involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and are humbled to bring joy to each child who visits us." The Make-A-Wish Foundation and Disney began their relationship in 1980, when Disney helped the newly formed charity grant its first wish to a 7-year-old, Frank "Bopsy" Salazar. Bopsy actually received three wishes as the first recipient: he wanted to go to Disneyland, he wanted to be a fireman and he wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. Bopsy helped to establish the long-running relationship between the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Disney. In addition to Disney's sponsorship of the 25th Anniversary Conference, American Airlines generously flew each ambassador and their family to California to mark the occasion. About Disney and the Make-A-Wish Foundation Disney brightens the lives of children in need around the world through global outreach programs, local community initiatives and the Disney VoluntEARS program. Last year, Disney donated more than $165 million in cash and in-kind support to worthy charities around the world. Disney VoluntEARS contributed more than 168,000 hours of service and the company drew upon its unique magic to make wishes come true for children and families. For more information on Disney's outreach efforts, please visit www.disneyhand.com. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 73 chapters in the U.S. and its territories and 28 international affiliates on five continents. Granting more than 11,700 wishes a year and 144,000 wishes worldwide since inception, the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates "25 Years of Making Wishes Come True" in 2005. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org. |
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Eisner's
Disney Now Officially All Iger's
It seems Disney's
Eisner Era is officially over. In a filing with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, the entertainment and
broadcasting monolith said that its former chief executive
would "no longer provide services." The statement
comes on the back of Michael Eisner resigning from the board
of directors last Friday--surprising, since he'd been expected
to stay there until next year. And although he's entitled to,
the ex-CEO will apparently not serve as a consultant to the
company; perhaps symbolically conveying that his influence is
well and truly history. Michael
Eisner has cut all ties with the company he ran for 21 years.
The Walt Disney Co. said Thursday in a filing with the
Securities and Exchange Commission that Eisner "no longer
provides any services" for the entertainment and
broadcasting company. |
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Lifting
the Lid: Disney governance case not over yet
The legal battle over the hiring and firing a decade ago of Walt Disney Co.DIS executive Michael Ovitz -- one of the biggest cases to go to court concerning boardroom conduct -- just won't go away. Lawyers who lost, led by high-profile plaintiffs' attorney Melvyn Weiss, are readying their appeal and point to the judge's own words in his August decision that found in the Disney board's favor. While Delaware Chancery Judge William Chandler ruled that the media conglomerate's board did not break the law in shelling out $140 million in severance to Ovitz, he questioned the independence of the board and called former Chief Executive Michael Eisner "imperial" and "Machiavellian." While many experts say they doubt the appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court, that state's highest court, will meet with much success, they say the appeal means the book isn't closed on the long-running case and the matter remains a hot topic in boardrooms throughout corporate America. Overall, directors at other companies feel vindicated by the court's ruling that the Disney board did not shirk its duties, but "it's not like they're popping champagne corks," says Michael Melbinger, a partner at the law firm Winston & Strawn LLP in Chicago, who advises corporate boards. Many directors feel "chastened to perform better in the future, but at least they know that if they follow good procedures and do the right things, they should be protected," he said. LONG-RUNNING CASE Weiss's firm, Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP, sued Disney over Ovitz's severance in 1997, a year after the media company removed the one-time Hollywood talent agent and close friend of Eisner as its president after just 14 months on the job. Weiss wants the payout, plus interest, returned to the company. His firm is set to file their appeal briefs in the case before the month is out. The case has been wending its way through the court system in Delaware, where many big U.S. companies are incorporated, for years. The original complaint was dismissed, but that decision was reversed on appeal and an amended version of the shareholder derivative suit was allowed to proceed. Judge Chandler issued his ruling in August, several months after wrapping up a trial in the case. Weiss, whose firm is known for representing shareholders against big corporations such as Exxon and R.J. Reynolds, isn't giving up without a fight. He told a recent corporate governance gathering that the judge's 175-page decision looked like a victory for his side -- except if one read the final few pages -- and said he thought there was a strong case on appeal. "We're going to argue that the court wrongly reached the conclusion that the directors should not be held liable," in the appeal said Steven Schulman, Milberg Weiss's lead trial attorney in the case. In the judge's view, "the law gives the directors an enormous amount of discretion and leeway -- far more than we think they should have been afforded." A Disney spokesman declined comment. There are not many cases where the Supreme Court in Delaware has tossed out a lower court's ruling based on the facts in a case, said Lawrence Mitchell, a professor at George Washington University Law School who studies corporate law. Still, there is a slight possibility that the higher court could come to a different conclusion about whether the Disney directors breached their so-called duty of "good faith," a fairly vague notion under Delaware corporate law, he said. "It is hard to think on the facts as the chancellor found them that it would be a breach of good faith," Mitchell said. The directors "were very lazy, there is no question, but a breach of good faith almost surely means more than laziness." Experts, though, say they are sure of one thing in the long-running lawsuit: it continues to cost both sides plenty. Litigating the case so far is estimated to have cost millions of dollars for Disney and Weiss's firm. And for Disney -- even though it came out on top in the judge's ruling -- the appeals process prolongs an embarrassing chapter that company executives would rather forget. "It still is going to cost them," said Melbinger, of Winston & Strawn. "It has already cost them in an incalculable amount of bad publicity. It cost them a fortune in legal fees and it's still going to cost more." |
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Tiger
Woods Foundation Junior Golf Clinic Oct. 13-16
Nearly 100 junior golfers from several cities in North America will converge on Disney's Palm and Magnolia golf courses for the Tiger Woods Foundation Junior Golf Clinic, Oct. 13-16. Inner-city golf programs representing Syracuse, N.Y., Calcasieu Parish, La., Leon, Mexico, and Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, will participate in the three-day event at Walt Disney World Resort. The youth golf programs were selected to participate through a formal bid process. The foundation's Junior Golf Committee reviewed all bids and ultimately selected the participating groups through detailed criteria that measured inner-city youth golf initiatives, community support and participation in local junior golf programs. The experience will include tickets to Disney theme parks, a pitch, putt and drive skills competition, a junior golf clinic and an exhibition by Tiger Woods at Disney's Magnolia driving range on Saturday, Oct. 15. (The golf competition, clinic and exhibition are private events not open to the general public.) The trip culminates with the young golfers experiencing Disney's latest, most thrilling attraction, Soarin', at Epcot, followed by a special nighttime party. The event marks the 39th clinic held by the Tiger Woods Foundation since its inception in 1996, and the fourth clinic held at Walt Disney World Resort. The Foundation seeks to empower young people to reach their highest potential by initiating and supporting community-based programs that promote the health, education and welfare of all America's children. More information can be found at tigerwoodsfoundation.org |
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Girl
Says Disney Crew Member Exposed Himself
Authorities are investigating accusations of indecent exposure on one of Central Florida's most popular cruise ships. A girl on the Disney cruise ship Wonder said a crew member exposed himself to her during the cruise. The girl identified one of the crewmembers on the ship as the person responsible for the incident. Families boarding the ship for the next cruise were surprised to hear it. Passengers boarding the Disney Wonder did so with the realization that the real world sometimes intrudes even in the happiest place on Earth. One man cruising with his children said his natural inclination might be to let down his guard a little on a Disney cruise. "No doubt, I always keep track of my children. I think that's the responsibility of any parent," said passenger Wesley as he boarded the ship. Authorities are releasing little information about what happened aboard the Wonder. It has been officially confirmed that a girl under the age of 18 said a member of the ship's crew exposed himself to her while the ship was in port in the Bahamas this week. Since the alleged crime occurred while the ship was docked in another country, it is under investigation there. U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, are assisting with the investigation. Passenger Chris Bravo was taking his children aboard Thursday. "We would keep a pretty close eye on our children anyway. This is just another reminder of why it's important to do so," said Bravo. "The crew needs to take steps, any steps possible, to make sure that the guests on this trip, or any other trip, are taken care of," said Wesley. Families said whatever happened is not enough to spoil their plans for a good time. "I'm sure that we'll have a good time, and I'm sure that the Disney staff will be that much more attentive because of the allegations. So from that perspective, it's probably the safest cruise to go on today," said Bravo. A Disney spokeswoman said the crewmember was kept separate from the passengers for the remainder of the cruise. The crewmember has now been suspended and will not be on the ship for the next voyage. |
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PGA
Tour Players Must Go to Greater Lengths to Claim Record Prize
in 2005 FUNAI Classic as Disney Stretches Course to Over 7,500
Yards
While some lucky golfer is going to claim a FUNAI Classic record first prize of $792,000 when the PGA TOUR returns to Walt Disney World Resort Oct. 20-23, he is going to have to go a little further to win it. That's because Disney's venerable Magnolia course has been stretched to more than 7,500 yards -- a distance more than 300 yards longer than the course played in 2004 when rookie Ryan Palmer earned a three-stroke victory over Vijay Singh and Briny Baird ... and nearly 600 yards longer than the course played in 1971 when Jack Nicklaus won the first "Disney." More than half of the holes have been lengthened, either by building new tee boxes or by lengthening existing tee boxes. Measured by shear distance, the Magnolia course now will be among the 10 longest tracts that the PGA TOUR players face in 2005. Topping that list is Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colo., which hosts The International. It is 7,619 yards. Tickets for FUNAI Classic championship rounds (Thursday-Sunday) are $30 per day. Tickets for practice rounds (Monday-Wednesday) are $10 per day. A weekly badge providing admission to practice days and the championship rounds is $50. Advance tickets are available by calling the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce at 407/835-2525 or by visiting Orlando.org . |
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Eyes
on Eisner, Again
Probably sensing that lingering around Disney as a mere board member would prove fruitless, ex-CEO Michael Eisner has resigned from the entertainment giant's board. The move comes just as his hand-selected successor, Robert Iger, took the helm earlier this week. It's probably best for both Disney and Eisner that he chose to leave now instead of finishing out his term. This way, Iger can tackle the many challenges that Disney faces without being distracted by Eisner's shadow, while Eisner can carve out his next professional chapter. Yes, that's right. You certainly didn't think that Eisner was going to just retire, did you? Sure, he's loaded, but someone as driven as Eisner is bound to take on a new challenge. More importantly, given his rather unceremonious departure, I'm sure that Eisner would like one last crack at going out on top. Where will he wind up? Eisner's annual shareholder letters often included warm anecdotes of his own family. It's a bond that he's unlikely to neglect. His son Breck Eisner recently made his big-screen directorial debut with Viacom's Sahara, so it's only natural to wonder whether Eisner will get back to his Hollywood roots by starting a family business with his rising-star son. He may also be intrigued by satellite radio. Just as Sirius tapped radio programming mastermind Mel Karmazin to lead the company after he ended his tenure with Viacom, perhaps Eisner's future is with XM Satellite Radio. XM CEO Hugh Panero has done a great job in keeping the company on top, but if it was the star power of Karmazin and Howard Stern that attracted investors to Sirius, perhaps XM would entertain bringing Eisner on in some programming capacity. The power struggle at Six Flags is also interesting. It would give Eisner a shot at redemption by turning around the troubled regional amusement park operator. However, it would probably be too much of a direct affront toward Disney. Eisner is more likely to attempt to restore his image as a crafty entertainment-industry leader in a capacity where he's not a direct Disney competitor. Besides, he has burned bridges at many of the company's rivals, such as DreamWorks Animation and eventually Pixar. In the end, I would be shocked if Eisner faded away from the spotlight. Opportunities will present themselves. He may not nibble at first, but he'll come around. This isn't the last you've heard of Eisner. |
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Has
Disney Lost Its Class?
Every Holy Cross student has experienced the
magic, though they might not tend to flaunt it. The cheery
songs, predictably happy endings, overly gorgeous princesses,
and ridiculously charming princes-it's all part of the
brilliant formula of a classic Disney movie. |
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Bochco
appointed to serve as 'Chief' showrunner
There's a new power in the White House. Veteran producer Steven Bochco has been recruited to take the showrunner reins of ABC/Touchstone TV's promising freshman drama "Commander in Chief" Touchstone confirmed Friday. "Chief," which stars Geena Davis as the first female president of the United States, has undergone some behind-the-scenes changes during the past few weeks as series creator-executive producer Rod Lurie turned his attention from supervising the writer's room to directing "Chief" episodes. With Bochco coming on board, Lurie will remain an executive producer on the show but will move on from day-to-day involvement with "Chief" to develop new projects for Touchstone. Bochco, whose long list of credits includes ABC's "NYPD Blue" and most recently, FX's "Over There," signed a three-year overall development and production pact with Touchstone last month |
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Tartaglia's
"Sprites" to Debut on Disney Channel Oct. 9
Fans of John Tartaglia, who is currently starring in the Las Vegas production of Avenue Q in the roles he created on Broadway, can catch the actor on the Disney Channel Oct. 9. "Johnny & the Sprites" — a five-minute program starring and executive produced by the actor — will debut that evening at 7:25 PM ET. The program follows the premiere of "Little Einsteins." "Sprites" will be expanded into a 30-minute series sometime in 2006, and the five-minute version will begin airing daily at 8:25 AM ET on Monday, Oct. 10. The show follows Johnny T (Tartaglia) as he moves into an extraordinary tree house left to him by his late uncle. There he meets a group of magical beings known as Sprites, who take Johnny into their special world. Johnny T returns the favor by showing the Sprites what it means to be human. Each episode features a musical number. John Tartaglia made his Broadway debut in Avenue Q. He received a Tony nomination, a Theatre World Award and the Clarence Derwent Award for that performance. The singer-actor also appeared in the Children of Eden and Hair benefit concerts and in the City Center Encores! presentation of Carnival. His TV credits include eight seasons on "Sesame Street" as well as "Animal Jam," "Bear in the Big Blue House," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." Tartaglia was also seen in the Empty-Handed concerts at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and has performed solo evenings at the Ars Nova and Joe's Pub. |
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Storyline
sells Warren tale
ABC has bought a one-hour dramedy script
inspired by the music of songwriter Diane Warren from
Touchstone Television and Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's
Storyline Entertainment. |
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Thursday October 6, 2005 |
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Walt Disney Co. (DIS) Chief Executive Officer
Robert Iger will earn $2 million in salary during his first
year on the job, and will be eligible for a minimum,
performance-based bonus of $7.25 million, the company said in
a securities filing on Thursday.
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When Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule eight
years ago, many feared the glitzy former British colony would
be flooded with bedraggled masses of mainlanders. But these
days, a new type of mainlander invades the city: the
big-spending nouveau riche tourist.
The stores and tourism officials are thrilled with the new visitors, who have played a key role in revving up Hong Kong's once-slumping economy, especially this month, during China's "Golden Week" _ a holiday celebrating National Day that encourages Chinese to crack open their swelling bank accounts for a spasm of traveling and splurging. The number of mainland visitors hit 7 million _ the same size as Hong Kong's total population _ during the first half of this year, and another 500,000 are expected during Golden Week, Oct. 1-7, the Tourism Board said. "We come here because all the latest designs are here. It's great to have so many big labels in one place, too," gushed Shanghai visitor Liu You. She splurged $721 on a flashy Gucci monogrammed handbag and lost no time in heading over to Louis Vuitton for more purchases. Once looked down upon as hopelessly crude peasants, nouveau riche mainlanders with a love for excess are now credited as a great blessing to Hong Kong's economy. It was once hard for them to visit Hong Kong because of tight traveling restrictions. Although Hong Kong is part of China, the capitalist city has been promised a wide-degree of autonomy and mainlanders need permission to cross the border. But two years ago, the restrictions were relaxed, largely due to prodding from Hong Kong, which was struggling to recover from the economic ruin caused by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Throngs of visitors from the wealthier provinces _ especially neighboring Guangdong, with a population the size of Germany's _ have crossed the border to roam the upscale malls here for the latest tax-free luxury goods. "People who have the money all come here to buy branded products and jewelry. They know their handbags and gold aren't fake if they shop here," said Hong Kong Retail Management Association chairman Bankee Kwan. Although luxury retailers like Louis Vuitton have spotted the rapidly developing Chinese economy and have scrambled to open stores there, very few shoppers opt to buy on their homeland. Last year, the Chinese purchased 12 percent of global luxury goods, but only 2 percent of those were bought on Chinese soil, according to a Goldman Sachs report last year. Compared to the mainland _ where everything from soy sauce to duvets could be counterfeit _ goods sold in Hong Kong are not only 20 to 30 percent cheaper due to tax advantages, but are also perceived as exemplars of quality control when compared to those on the mainland. While proud that the country is rising on the international stage, Hong Kong people tend to be wary or resentful of the newfound swagger of Chinese luxury shoppers. They also realize that these wealthy visitors only represent a tiny percentage of China's population. There's no denying that the spending habits of some mainland shoppers are catching up to Hong Kong levels, though. "Hong Kong and mainland shoppers spend about the same on average _ roughly HK$3,500 ($450) per session _ but let's not forget the average income of Hong Kong people is much higher than that in the mainland," said Paul Law, financial controller at jewelry chain Luk Fook. More than half of the chain's customers hail from the mainland, he said. And soon, Hong Kong will not be enough for the new Chinese shopper, as overseas traveling becomes easier for mainlanders. The novelty of shopping in Hong Kong seems to have worn out for some of the richest Chinese visitors, and the Tourism Board says the average spending per trip has gone down from $670 in 2003 to $554 now as the trend to shop here has spread to visitors with mid-incomes. "Some of our Chinese visitors are bound to be diluted to Europe and long-haul destinations sooner or later. We can't rely on them for a sustainable retail economy," said retail manager Kwan. |
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Latest
Photos from Everest
Below are some of the latest photo's taken of Animal Kingdom's Everest. |
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Computer
company employee busted for accessing info on Tokyo Disney
Resort visitors
A computer company employee was arrested Thursday for stealing personal information on visitors to Tokyo Disney Resort from the operator of the facilities, police said. The 40-year-old suspect, whose name was not immediately disclosed, is accused of violating the anti-hacking law. The man had been commissioned by Oriental Land Co., the operator of the amusement parks in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, to develop the software for its computer system, according to investigators. In November last year, the man hacked into Oriental Land's computer, and illegally obtained personal information on those who purchased the facilities' "passports," such as their names and ages, prefectural police said. In January this year, Oriental Land announced that personal information on approximately 120,000 visitors had been leaked. Prefectural police investigators subsequently learned that a personal information dealer in Kyushu had bought the information on TDL visitors from the man. |
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Foolish mortals everywhere will have reason to
host their own swinging wakes when SLG Publishing, in
partnership with Disney Publishing Worldwide, releases the
first issue of The Haunted Mansion, a comic book anthology
based on the classic Disney E Ticket attraction. Scheduled for
an October 2005 release, The Haunted Mansion will feature
stories by some of SLG Publishing's top creators including
Roman Dirge (Lenore), Serena Valentino (Gloomcookie,
Nightmares & Fairy Tales), as well as from some talented
newcomers.
SLG's Haunted Mansion comic book will draw from the strong visual elements of the ride for it's stories and will not be based on the feature film. "The ride's elements really lend itself to an anthology comic book" commented SLG Publishing president and series editor Dan Vado "there are 999 ghosts living in the mansion, that means there is potential for 999 different stories." The comic, in a series of stories that will run through the first several issues, will create a new back story for the Mansion and tell the intertwining stories of The Ghost Host, Madame Leotta, and the Bride who resides in the attic. How they all came to be in the mansion, and the mansion's powerful attraction to spirits and ghouls, will all be revealed. "The goal is to create a comic book that feels like a little piece of the ride living in your bookshelf," added Vado. "The end result should be something that will satisfy the casual reader as well as the hard core ride fans (like myself) who have spent good chunks of their lives riding The Haunted Mansion over and over again." Vado admits that the partnership between SLG Publishing and Disney seems like an odd fit. Known for comics like Lenore, a dark humor comic featuring stories about a little dead girl by Roman Dirge, SLG is hoping that the combination of the companies creative sensibilities and Disney's vast wealth of characters will make for, at the very minimum, some interesting comic books. "SLG Publishing has a reputation for publishing entertaining and cutting-edge comics," said Margie Chan, vice president, English Language Licensing Worldwide, DPW. "They have used these talents once again to bring an entirely new vantage point to our classic properties." Haunted Mansion will be a 32 page black & white comic book with a cover price of $2.95. Covers will be by Roman Dirge. Haunted Mansion will be available at better comic book stores and select book stores this October as well as on Amazon.com and at Hot Topic stores. The comic will also be available through the publisher's web site at http://www.slgpublishing.com |
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ESPN
Ad Sales Chief promoted to larger role
Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN named John Skipper to a new role that encompasses programming responsibilities once held by Mark Shapiro. ESPN was busy this week briefing media buyers of the changes, first reported on Adage.com Oct. 5. In addition to running programming and production at the cross-platform sports brand, Mr. Skipper is also expected to take on additional responsibilities beyond ESPN at other Disney properties, said one media buyer who was briefed by ESPN. |
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Disney
Toys Offers Holiday Gifts That Foster Creativity,
Interactivity and Imaginative Play
Tots Will Flip For Tumble Time Tigger; Little Princesses Can Magically Interact With Cinderella; Kids of All Ages Can Unleash Creativity With the Disney Dreamsketcher Tech-enhanced toys will be the ultimate gift this holiday season, and Disney Toys offers a variety of unique toys that will keep kids interested and playing well into 2006. Disney Toys combines new technology with traditional toys in unique play patterns that will inspire kids to stretch their imaginations and encourage interactivity. Parents looking to cut through the clutter and find the ultimate toy need look no further than Disney Toys' holiday offering for infants, boys and girls. Additionally, kids can re-live the excitement and adventure of Disney's holiday blockbuster, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The Deluxe Battle Set (6 to 11) brings together highly detailed and articulated characters from the armies of Aslan and The White Witch for a final battle between good and evil. Seven figures feature in this set. Available in November, the suggested retail price is $14.99. All products will be available nationwide at major retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us and Kmart, as well as Disneyshopping.com. |
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Entry
into Material Agreement, Change in Directors or Principal
Officers
On March 17, 2005, the Registrant reported the selection of Robert A. Iger as Chief Executive Officer of the Registrant to be effective at the end of the Registrant's 2005 fiscal year. On October 3, 2005, the Registrant entered into an employment agreement with Robert A. Iger under which he will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Registrant, commencing October 2, 2005. Mr. Iger will be the Registrant's highest ranking officer and report directly to the Board of Directors. He will have the duties and responsibilities customarily exercised by the person serving as chief executive officer of a company of the size and nature of the Registrant. The Registrant has also agreed to nominate him for re-election as a member of the Board at the expiration of each term of office, and he has agreed to continue to serve on the Board if elected. The agreement, which has a term that
continues through the last day of the fiscal year of the
Registrant ending on or about September 30, 2010, provides for
Mr. Iger to receive an annual salary of no less than (and
initially equal to) $2,000,000, payable in accordance with the
Registrant's prevailing payroll policies. The agreement
provides that the portion of Mr. Iger's base salary that was
deferred pursuant to his prior employment agreement will be
paid, together with interest at the applicable federal rate
for mid-term treasuries, reset annually, no later than 30 days
after Mr. Iger is no longer subject to the provisions of
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (or at such later
date as is necessary to avoid the imposition of an additional
tax on Mr. Iger under Mr. Iger is also eligible for an annual, performance-based bonus under the Registrant's applicable annual incentive plan (currently, the Registrant's Management Incentive Bonus Program). The contract provides that the Compensation Committee of the Registrant's Board of Directors will set a target bonus each year. The target will be not less than $7.25 million. The actual amount of the bonus paid, if any, will be set by the Committee based on the performance of the Registrant pursuant to the then applicable annual incentive plan. Mr. Iger is also eligible to receive equity-based long-term incentive awards under the Registrant's applicable plans and programs. For each fiscal year during the term of the agreement, Mr. Iger will be granted a long-term incentive award having a target value (as determined in accordance with the practices used to value the awards made to other senior executive officers of the Registrant) equal to four times the initial annual base salary payable to him under the agreement. The Registrant's Compensation Committee may also increase the award value of any award based on its evaluation of Mr. Iger's performance. The long-term incentive award for the fiscal year commencing in October 2005 must be made not later than March 31, 2006. These awards will be subject to substantially the same terms and conditions (including vesting and performance conditions) that will be established for other senior executives of the Registrant in accordance with the Board's policies for the grant of equity-based awards, as in effect at the time of the award. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors will determine the form and terms of any such long-term incentive award in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan, including, without limitation, establishing performance conditions and/or continued service requirements as a condition to any such award becoming vested, in whole or in part. The above-stated minimum annual bonus and long-term incentive award opportunities do not guarantee Mr. Iger any minimum amount of compensation. The actual amounts payable to Mr. Iger in respect of such opportunities will be determined based on the extent to which any performance conditions and/or service conditions applicable to such awards are satisfied and on the value of the Registrant's stock Accordingly, Mr. Iger may receive compensation in respect of each such incentive opportunity that is greater or less than the stated target value (and which could be zero), depending on whether, and to what extent, the applicable performance and other conditions are satisfied. Pursuant to the agreement, Mr. Iger is receiving a one-time grant of 500,000 performance stock units, each of which will be the economic equivalent of one share of the Registrant's common stock (and will be entitled to be credited with additional stock units equivalent in value to any dividends payable on the common stock). Mr. Iger's ability to vest in such performance stock units is contingent upon the satisfaction of two separate performance conditions. First, the Registrant's total shareholder return from the grant date until the end of the applicable measurement period must meet or exceed the total shareholder return for the S&P 500 Index for the same period, which in each case will be determined based on results reported by a financial reporting service selected by the Compensation Committee. There will be three measurement periods applicable to the total shareholder return test, with one such period ending on the last day of each fiscal year ending on or about September 30, 2008, September 30, 2009 and September 30, 2010. This total shareholder return condition may be satisfied as to 60% of the performance stock units as of the last day of the fiscal year ending on or about September 30, 2008; 80% of the performance stock units (reduced by any such performance stock units that become vested as of the last day of the fiscal year ending on or about September 30, 2008) as of the last day of the fiscal year ending on or about September 30, 2009; and 100% of the performance stock units (reduced by any such performance stock units that become vested as of the last day of the fiscal year ending on or about September 30, 2008 or September 30, 2009) as of the last day of the fiscal year ending on or about September 30, 2010. Additionally, to vest in any of these performance stock units as of any such date, performance conditions that will be established by the Compensation Committee for the purposes of complying with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code from among the criteria approved by shareholders must also be satisfied with respect to a performance period ending on the dates outline above. Under the terms of this performance stock unit award, any of the units that do not vest as of an earlier measurement date, because either the total shareholder return condition or a performance condition established under the 2002 Executive Performance Plan is not satisfied as of such date, may nonetheless become vested as of a later measurement date, subject to the achievement of both applicable performance conditions as of such date. Mr. Iger is entitled to participate in employee benefits and perquisites generally made available to senior executives of the Registrant. Mr. Iger's employment may be terminated by the Registrant for "cause," which is defined as (i) conviction of a felony or the entering of a plea of nolo contendere to a felony charge; (ii) gross neglect, willful malfeasance or willful gross misconduct in connection with his employment which has had a material adverse effect on the business of the Registrant and its subsidiaries, unless he reasonably believed in good faith that such act or non-act was in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Registrant; (iii) his substantial and continual refusal to perform his duties, responsibilities or obligations under the agreement that continues after receipt of written notice identifying the duties, responsibilities or obligations not being performed; (iv) a violation that is not timely cured of the Registrant's code of conduct or any Registrant policy that is generally applicable to all employees or all officers of the Registrant that he knows or reasonably should know could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the Registrant; (v) any failure that is not timely cured to cooperate, if requested by the Board, with any investigation or inquiry into his or the Registrant's business practices, whether internal or external; or (vi) any material breach of the covenants for the benefit of the Registrant referenced below that is not timely cured. In the event of such termination, the Registrant's only obligation is to pay any amounts unconditionally accrued, earned or vested through the date of termination (such as his earned and deferred base salary). Mr. Iger has the right to terminate his employment for "good reason," which is defined as (i) a reduction in any of his base salary, annual target bonus opportunity or annual target long-term incentive award opportunity; (ii) the failure to elect or reelect him as a member of the Board, or the removal of him from the position of Chief Executive Officer; (iii) the removal of him from the position of President (other than in connection with the appointment of another person who is acceptable to him to serve as President); (iv) a material reduction in his duties and responsibilities (other than in connection with the appointment of another person to serve as President); (v) the assignment to him of duties that are materially inconsistent Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers (b) - (c) The information set forth under Item 1.01 is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, on September 30, 2005, Michael D. Eisner tendered his resignation from the Board of Directors of the Registrant, effective immediately. Mr. Eisner's status as Chief Executive Officer of the Registrant ended at the conclusion of the Registrant's fiscal year on October 1, 2005, and he no longer provides any services for the Registrant. |
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Former
Disney CEO in NZ
Entertainment business leader Michael Eisner, the man who turned around the Walt Disney Company's fortunes, will be a keynote speaker at the inaugural Global Business Forum in Auckland next year. Mr Eisner, who stepped down as chief executive of Walt Disney last month after 21 years at the helm, transformed Disney from a company with revenues of $US1.5 billion ($NZ2.18 billion) in 1984 when he took over to $US30.8 billion ($NZ44.93 billion) in 2004. Mr Eisner recently said the future of all business will be based on innovation and creativity. "If we're going to compete in the global marketplace, you must be willing to take intelligent risks. And you must encourage failure - because you won't get success without it." Event director Max Markson said it was an "incredible honour" to have Mr Eisner address the forum. He is one of five internationally noted speakers - the other four have yet to be announced - who will feature at the conference in Auckland, Syndey and Melbourne, on February 20, 21 and 23 respectively. |
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Hugh
Jackman to Star in Disney's Now
Walt Disney Pictures has acquired rights to
the Cecelia Ahern novel If You Could See Me Now and will
turn it into a musical vehicle for Hugh Jackman, reports Variety.
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will produce with Jackman and
John Palermo.
Ceclia is the 23-year-old daughter of Ireland's prime minister Bertie Ahern. Zadan and Meron executive-produced Chicago and will produce Hairspray for New Line. Jackman would play the imaginary friend of a lonely 6-year-old who has been left behind by his mother and is being raised by his aunt. The twist: The aunt can suddenly see the imaginary friend, and a romance blossoms between them. Hyperion will publish the book early next year. Jackman, who is filming X-Men 3, and Palermo are also producing a Wolverine spinoff that is being written by David Benioff for Fox. |
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Walt Disney Records
releases the perfect CD for rocking around the Christmas tree
with Radio Disney Jingle Jams, in stores October 11, 2005. The
collection includes holiday songs from today's most popular
Radio Disney artists including Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff and
Jesse McCartney. Five of Radio Disney Jingle Jams' seventeen
tracks are newly recorded original and classic holiday tunes
from tween favorites such as B5, Caleigh Peters and an all-new
collection of Disney Channel stars.
The disc complements the upcoming Radio Disney Jingle Jam concert tour headlined by listener favorites Everlife and B5. The tour will hit major city malls throughout the country during the holiday shopping season with additional special musical guests joining the fun to spread holiday cheer at every stop along the way. Created and produced by Disney/ABC Radio Networks, Radio Disney is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week radio network similar in style to Top 40 music radio, targeting kids in a format parents can trust. It is the only 24/7-radio network reaching families through the fun of music. Kids help select the music played on Radio Disney which includes pop, rock, retro and evergreen hits. Radio Disney empowers kids by honoring their love of music. Go to RadioDisney.com for more information. Radio Disney Jingle Jams track list
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The
Enchanting Music of Walt Disney's Cinderella Returns With the
Cinderella Special Edition Soundtrack and Read-Along CD
Walt Disney Records honors one of the most
celebrated soundtracks of all time with the release of the
Cinderella Special Edition Soundtrack on October 4, 2005. The
Cinderella collection features original classics from the film
plus 2 new artist tracks -- "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart
Makes" performed by pop/R&B artist Kimberley Locke and
the original song "Beautiful" (inspired by Disney's
Cinderella) co-written and performed by platinum-selling pianist
Jim Brickman and featuring TV star Wayne Brady on vocals. This
must-have CD complements the first-time-ever release of the
digitally restored, 2-disc Platinum Edition Cinderella DVD,
available just in time for the holiday season on October 4,
2005, and packed with new bonus features and enhanced picture
and sound.
A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes
A Visitor/Caught in a Trap/Lucifer/Feed the
Chickens/Breakfast is Served/Time on Our Hands
The King's Plan
The Music Lesson/Oh
Sing Sweet Nightingale/Bad Boy Lucifer/A Message from His Majesty
Little Dressmakers/The Work Song/Scavenger
Hunt/A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes/The Dress/My
Beads/Escape to the Garden
Where Did I Put That Thing/Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo
Reception at the Palace/So This Is Love
The Stroke of Midnight/Thank You Fairy
Godmother
Locked in the Tower/Gus and Jaq to the
Rescue/Slipper Fittings/Cinderella's Slipper/Finale
I'm in the Middle of a Muddle (demo recording)
Dancing on a Cloud (demo recording)
Beautiful performed by Jim Brickman featuring
Wayne Brady
A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes performed by
Kimberley Locke
On October 4, 2005, the Cinderella Special
Edition Soundtrack will be available for a suggested CD retail
price of $12.98 and the Cinderella Read-Along will be
available for a suggested retail price of $5.98. All Walt
Disney Records audio products also can be ordered by visiting http://DisneyRecords.com
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Kimmel
Stays with ABC Through '06
ABC will stay in the late-night talk game for at least another year or so. The network has picked up "Jimmy Kimmel Live" through 2006. The show, which has experienced a ratings bump recently, has been on the air for better than 2 1/2 years. Airing after ABC News' "Nightline" in most of the country -- and starting a half-hour later than NBC's "Tonight Show" and CBS' "Late Show" -- "Jimmy Kimmel Live" averages about 1.5 million viewers per night. ABC says the show's ratings for the week of Sept. 5 were its best since late last year in total viewers and adults 18-49. |
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Shaftesbury
Sells Kids Series to Disney
The Shaftesbury
Sales Company has announced the sale of 26 half-hour episodes of
the kids’ comedy series Life
with Derek to international broadcasters, including Disney
Channel in the U.S., where it recently premiered Sundays at 6:30
p.m. Life
with Derek
is a half-hour comedy series about a modern blended family. “We’re
excited to be working with Disney on Life
with Derek," said Suzanne French, VP, children’s and
family programming, Shaftesbury Films. "The chaotic
shenanigans of the Venturi/MacDonald household is a great fit
with the Disney brand and should connect strongly with their
very loyal audience”. Shane
Kinnear, VP, The Shaftesbury Sales Company, noted that Life
with Derek has also been picked up by Disney Channel in
Germany, Italy and Latin America. “Rounding out the first wave
of sales for Life with
Derek is a license from broadcaster France 2, who closely
followed development of our series,” Kinnear added. Commissioned by Family Channel in Canada and produced by Shaftesbury Films, Life with Derek will air in Canada in the spring of 2006. The Shaftesbury Sales Company is taking the series to MIPCOM. |
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Wednesday October 5, 2005 |
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Workers in Florida could soon have the legal
right to carry loaded guns to work.
Companies such as Disney and Universal Studios, who attract millions, could face charges if they try to stop them. Both theme park operators, who together employ 70,000, currently forbid firearms on their premises and say the safety of their patrons is top priority. But two State lawmakers have introduced a bill that would see employers facing charges and fines if they try to stop staff bringing weapons to work, providing they are kept in their vehicles. The move comes just days after a controversial new law came into effect in Florida making it legal to use deadly force in self-defense. Anti-gun groups immediately announced plans to issue warning leaflets at airports telling the 1.5 million British tourists who visit every year not to pick a fight with a local - or risk being shot. They also plan to take adverts in British newspapers. Both Disney and Universal chiefs said they were opposed to the guns at work law. But it's backed by the National Rifle Association, who wield great power in Florida politics. |
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New
Finding Nemo game debuts for tykes
Buena Vista Games Inc. Wednesday announced the release of Finding Nemo: Learning with Nemo, a new learning game aimed at kids ages 2 to 5. The game ships on hybrid CD-ROM for Macs and PCs and costs US$19.99. It’s rated “EC” for Early Childhood by the ESRB. In Finding Nemo: Learning with Nemo, kids get to join Nemo and Dory during Nemo’s first day of school. You’ll collect pictures of sea creatures in a scavenger hunt, play Pearl’s Garden Eel Bingo, Knock ‘Em Down Nemo, Turtle Hopping at the EAC and more. The learning game reinforces important concepts like letter, number and color recognition. And as kids play, they can take pictures of collectibles to add to an album in “Undersea Sticker Fun.” The game was developed by In Light Entertainment and is published by Disney Interactive, an imprint of Buena Vista Games Inc. Buena Vista Games’ Web site hadn’t been updated with information about the new game as MacCentral posted this news, and hadn’t made available system requirements, either. |
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A Maine lobsterman who lost his right arm in a
fishing accident eight years ago returned to a new home and a
new boat Tuesday, courtesy of the ABC show, Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition.
Doug Goodale and his family were finally shown the log home that was erected in the past week by a crew from the show and a team of 1,400 volunteers. The family was whisked off for a Disneyland vacation while the crew demolished the Goodales' double-wide trailer and replaced it with a log home. Hundreds of volunteers have been working around the clock to complete the project. It's not clear who nominated the family for the show. The program picks families who have endured economic hardship or a horrific accident. In 1997, Goodale's arm got caught by a trap-hauling winch aboard his lobster boat and he cut through his own flesh to free himself. |
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Fireworks
at Disney take toll on locals' sleep
Residents of Discovery Bay are losing sleep since the opening of Hong Kong's Disneyland theme park, district councilors said. Island district councilors said residents have complained the theme park's nightly fireworks display is beginning to take a toll on them, with sudden explosions and loud noises disrupting their sleep. "Residents of Discovery Bay are worried that these firework displays would become more elaborate and frequent as the theme park is now officially opened to the public, and the noise and air pollution in the area would worsen," said island district councilor Yung Wing-sheung. "The theme park's fireworks display commences at 9 pm, which is the ideal bedtime for young children. If the management of the theme park can arrange an early time for the fireworks program, it would be less of a nuisance to residents," she told reporters at a district council meeting yesterday. Responding to the call, officials from Environmental Protection said they do not see any serious breach of environment regulations, but would advise the theme park's management to pay more attention to environmental issues. Yung said Disney management should fulfill their civil responsibility and give the residents of Discovery Bay a clear and direct response. "It is very disquieting to be awoken from your sleep by a sudden loud noise in an otherwise peaceful and quiet environment, and this will have a long-term effect on the health of residents," she added. Yung also recommended the establishment of an independent mechanism to monitor the operation of the theme park. Meanwhile, some district councilors at the meeting said restaurants in the outlying islands have enjoyed more business since the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, adding that tourists visiting the park will bring more economic activity to the area. "A balance between business activity and civil duty should be struck, and we must discuss these issues further with the theme park's management," they said. |
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“Cruzin’
Disney's California Adventure" New Tour
“Cruzin’
Disney's California Adventure park” is the latest tour
offered to Guests seeking a new and thrilling way to explore
the Disneyland Resort. Scheduled to debut on November 7, 2005,
this tour comes with a surprising, two-wheeled twist! |
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Sky,
Disney in carriage dispute
Sky and Disney are locked in ongoing
negotiations over a new contract for carriage on the former's
digital service. |
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The Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea
amusement parks had a total of 11.66 million visits in the six
months through September, down 3.1% from a year earlier, amid
the just-ended world exposition, their operator Oriental Land
Co said Monday.
The figure showed the first contraction in two years on the basis of the first six months of its business year to March 31. With people who visited the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture more than it anticipated, the operator's efforts to attract visitors to DisneySea by introducing new attractions and holding various events were outweighed, the company said. |
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Disney
World to participate in job fair for storm evacuees in Houston
Walt Disney World heads to Houston this week
for a Hurricane Katrina job fair, hoping that hundreds of
evacuees stranded in Texas will say, "We're going to
Disney World." |
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Radio
Disney Launches ``RADIO DISNEY NOW'' Podcast for Kids and
Families
Radio Disney has launched its own podcast, RADIO DISNEY NOW, available through RadioDisney.com. Embracing today's increasingly tech-savvy kids and families, RADIO DISNEY NOW is the latest Radio Disney service to exemplify the network's multi-platform accessibility. Whether on terrestrial or satellite radio, digital cable or satellite television, the Internet and now, podcasts, Radio Disney's aim is to easily and conveniently serve its growing audience of kids and families, wherever they are. Specific RADIO DISNEY NOW podcast content includes Radio Disney favorites: INSIDER - Get the inside scoop on all of your favorite artists, CD releases, concerts, events and more. SOUND FILE - Catered to music lovers, SOUND FILE highlights what's new in the "Pop Artist" arena. This feature takes a closer look at the newest bands and artists on the scene. It's the 411 on the future music divas and the princes of pop! 60 WITH - Each day, : 60 WITH brings the hottest bands right to you. Learn the inside scoop on your favorite bands and celebrities and get answers to crazy questions like who plays practical jokes and who likes to cook. |
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Wheeler
catches six-pound bass at Disney
For 12-year-old Kody Wheeler of Carrollton, it was the fishing trip of a lifetime. He caught the biggest fish of his life and he did it at Wilderness Lake at Disney World in Orlando. He also met Mickey Mouse. Kody, a sixth grader at Carrollton Middle School, who is confined to a wheelchair, and 20 other youngsters with disabilities were guests at the Wheelin' Sportsmen National Wild Turkey Federation Ultimate Fishing Fantasy at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort on Sept. 22-25. |
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"It was fun. Everything
was fun," said Kody, who reeled in trophy size fish.
Among the fish he landed were six and four-pound largemouth
bass, and big crappie that weighed more than two pounds.
Besides the fishing, Kody and his parents, Christie and Kenny Wheeler, had the opportunity to explore Disney's Magic Kingdom and a dinner at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. The Outdoor Channel's "Fishing Across America" host Dave Maynard was on site catching the excitement and fishing action on camera for an episode of his show. The NWTF and BASS also videoed future TV shows at the event. Kody, who was injured in an auto accident in 1997, has never let his disability slow him down. Although he is paralyzed from the chest down, he rides a four-wheeler and skate boards using his hands. Last fall, he participated in the Bernheim NWTF Wheelin' Sportsmen deer hunt for people with disabilities at Bernheim Forest near Bardstown. There Kody met Billy Mudd, who lives in Bardstown and is the event coordinator for Wheelin' Sportsmen in Kentucky. "He was the youngest of 16 hunters last year. It was his first time, and he didn't get a deer... but now I've got me a friend," said Mudd, who recommended Kody for the national Disney fishing event. The NWTF and its local chapter picked up most of the expense for Kody and his parents, Kenny and Christie Wheeler of Carrollton, to make the trip. "Everybody was wonderful. All the Disney people were great. It was wonderful for them and NWTF to do this," said Kody's mother, Christie. "The Wheelin' Sportsmen staff and participants are thankful for the opportunity to fish and have fun at Walt Disney World(r) Resort," said Kirk Thomas, Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF national coordinator and founder. "One of the greatest joys is seeing a child with disabilities have fun outdoors, and that is what Wheelin' Sportsmen is about, helping people with disabilities get outdoors and get active." Many people with disabilities of all ages are once again enjoying the outdoors thanks to Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF. The event at Walt Disney World(r) Resort is an example of ways Wheelin' Sportsmen opens doors of opportunity for people with disabilities of all ages. "This was a great chance to bring organizations like Disney Sports & Recreation, Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF and Bass Anglers Sportsman Society together to introduce a world-class fishing experience to these youth," added Greg Waldron, manager of fishing operations for Walt Disney World(r) Resort. "This event with the NWTF was one of our most meaningful events ever hosted." Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF events are held in communities across the nation. The program also provides a full-color, quarterly magazine for its members. Wheelin' Sportsmen magazine is dedicated to the education and entertainment of disabled outdoors enthusiasts. "It's a great program and it's great what NWTF has done for the turkey," Mudd said. "I grew up here in the woods and never saw a turkey. Then, NWTF got involved and there are turkeys running down Main Street." The Bernheim Chapter of NWTF will host its fifth annual deer hunt next weekend during the Youth Hunt at Bernheim Forest. Hunting in the special event is not limited to youngsters, but people of all ages with disabilities. On Friday night, the chapter will host a benefit and social at the Bardstown Days Inn with proceeds going to the Wheelin' Sportsmen program. For additional information on either event, contact Mudd at 502-543-1587. For more information about Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF or to become a member, call (800) THE-NWTF or visit the Web site at www.wheelinsportsmen.org. GREEN RIVER LAKE - Although the water hasn't cooled much, fishing has starting picking up at Green River Lake, according to Buddy Loy at Emerald Isle Marina. He says crappie are being taken in 8-15-foot of water on minnows. Catfish are being taken on nightcrawlers and minnows. "They're also doing pretty good on muskies," he added. As the water continues to cool, fishing should continue to improve. |
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Disney's
'Aladdin' to come to life on Floyd Central's stage
The magic of a Disney cartoon will come alive on the Floyd Central theater's stage tomorrow. The musical version of "Aladdin, Jr." is part of a combined class project between musical theater lab production and technical theater students. Acting and production work has been going on in classes for about five weeks. In addition to the typical evening and matinee performances, about a dozen elementary schools will bring select classes to special viewing of the one-hour musical. "Kids all know "Aladdin, Jr." and it's a fun show, as far as the characters and the music," said Chris Bundy, director of theater arts for Floyd Central. "A lot of kids have never seen live theater and that's essential to their growth as well-rounded individuals." While some students are beefing up their vocal muscles, the crew behind the scenes has been hard at work creating eye-catching scenery for the production, which includes a life-size recreation of an elephant. "The head moves back and forth and it will be amusing for kids as Aladdin waves to them all," said Floyd Central technical theater student Nick O'Connor. Although technical students normally don't receive as many accolades as their counterparts, Bundy said pursuing a career in stage design, lighting or sound is often a good move. "It carries the same benefit, as far as teamwork," Bundy said of the relationship between technical arts and acting. "There's a much greater demand for tech theater than actors. "It's a good career move for kids to do tech theater." Senior Chad Sutton is one of Bundy's prot/g/s who is planning to pursue a technical stage-based career. "I enjoy building stuff and being backstage," Sutton said. "All the weight's on our shoulders to get it done and the actors rely on us to do our part. "Spending time in the theater...it pretty much is a home." For O'Connor, acting was never really an option. "Since I can't act and I certainly can't sing that well, it's why I do it," he said. "I like watching each component come together that's necessary to produce the show." After "Aladdin, Jr." wraps up in a few days, technical theater students will devote the remainder of their time to preparing for "A Christmas Carol," which features one of Floyd Central's largest stage sets ever created. That show begins on November 11. |
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ABC
has a big anchor decision
When Jennings was in his prime, ABC's "World News Tonight" had the best of all worlds. It came across as a unique form of television news. It was smart, above all. The correspondents, grilled first by Jennings, sounded like minor experts in their fields by the time they reached the broadcast. Their on-air dispatches were well written, crisp and concise. Rarest of all, the segments had a notable absence of hype. Jennings apparently was a taskmaster, as his colleagues maintained. Jennings died of lung cancer on Aug. 7. Conspicuous by its silence, ABC has yet to announce a full-time successor. And now what? If ABC, a unit of Walt Disney DIS , wanted to maintain continuity, the obvious and appropriate choice to follow Jennings would be Charles Gibson. Gibson has paid his dues. Yes, he has contributed his fair share of inane chatter and foolish clowning as the long-time news anchor on "Good Morning America." But sadly, that kind of behavior practically goes with the turf. When in Rome ... Even so, more than anyone else at ABC, Gibson conveys a sense of dignity and erudition. And unlike some morning hosts who shall go nameless (OK: I'm referring to NBC's GE Matt Lauer in this case), Gibson doesn't seem to get star-struck on the air. Further, Gibson sounds like a news anchor. By contrast, much of the morning-news crowd over at CBS occasionally seems to be overwhelmed by the weight of a story of historic consequence, such as the deadly tsunami of last December and Hurricane Katrina a month ago. While Gibson doesn't yet have the gravitas of a Jennings (then again, who does?), he would come across as perhaps (a tad, anyway) less bland than NBC's Brian Williams. In any event, Williams has won raves from many pundits - particularly for his empathetic reports from flood-ravaged New Orleans -- since he succeeded Tom Brokaw as the anchor of "The NBC Nightly News." With an eye on the competition, Gibson would also skew younger than CBS' Bob Schieffer. He is basically warming the big seat as CBS head Leslie Moonves daydreams about seeing Katie Couric of NBC's "Today" show anchoring a radically different, multi-media version of the "CBS Evening News." It would feature multiple anchors and an accent on interactive communications with the audience watching at home. Moonves is said to covet Couric because she remains the most popular morning TV personality of them all, despite the media's full-court press on the state of her mind, soul and legs. Of course, if Moonves did eventually succeed in recruiting Couric, ABC might then feel a need to rush its own Elizabeth Vargas, a capable veteran newswoman, into the Jennings slot. While two-person evening-news anchors have a dubious history, ABC might feel it has no choice if it wanted to try to balance the effect of Couric. I get the feeling that all of this maneuvering boils down to Moonves being content to play a high-stakes game of chicken with ABC. He will stare down ABC and hope his rival blinks first - by naming its successor to Jennings before he picks CBS' next news anchor. Once Moonves, as able a programmer as TV has seen in the past decade, knows who will be leading "World News Tonight," he can make his move. So, then, if Gibson is such an ideal choice, why isn't he ensconced in the job right now? After all, Jennings' post has been vacant on a full-time basis since he announced his illness in April. Howard Kurtz, the Washington Post's media reporter, astutely pointed out on Monday (on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show) that Gibson is far more valuable to ABC, strictly as a moneymaker, on the morning show than he would be in an evening-news slot. "Good Morning America" -- with its "Desperate Housewives" trivia bout, nonsensical plugs for other ABS shows and endless stream of vacuous celebrity interviews -- reaps bigger profits than ABC's "World News Tonight" broadcasts. Isn't TV news just a swell business? Forget issues of money, gravitas, demographics and succession. I'd bet on Gibson to succeed Peter Jennings. He would be a good selection - and, yes, the right choice. |
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Completely
Updated Edition of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World
Resort Now Available
Be one of the first to own a copy of the
newest edition of the Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World
Resort. This completely updated guide is overflowing with
loads of information, tips and techniques for a world class
vacation. With it, anyone can plan a visit in which each day
includes the best that Disney has to offer. |
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The
Voices of Cinderella
Disney Insider - She's a lovely lady who's
turning 55 this year, but doesn't look a day over 20. She's an
enduring icon of romance and enchantment. And she speaks to
the dreamer in us all. She's Cinderella, possibly the
best-loved of Disney's screen princesses. When "Cinderella" was still on the drawing board, June Foray was thrilled to get the call from the Disney Studios to come do voice work on a new animated feature. She was a little taken aback to learn that she had nothing to say - June was cast as Lucifer, the mischievous cat. "When I got there, it was just mad cat noises for Lucifer!" she laughs. "I didn't have any dialogue, but I was working for Walt Disney! That was a pretty exciting thing." After "Cinderella," June went on
to a successful career as a voice actress, portraying a
variety characters for different studios. And she had another
notable moment at the Disney Studios, this time when
"Peter Pan" was in production. "The casting
director called me and said 'June, you want to work again?'
and I said 'Yes, I'd love to work again at Disney!'" she
remembers. "And he said, 'Well, you'd better bring your
bathing suit.'" June was perplexed (and a little
suspicious), but the call turned out to be legit - June was
the model for one of the mermaids in Never Land's lagoon, a
job that entailed climbing up and down a canvas-covered heap
of lumber with her legs tied together to simulate a tail.
"One of the mermaids in 'Peter Pan' looks like me ... but
she doesn't have the stiff neck I had after that day!"
she chuckles. |
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Tuesday October 4, 2005 |
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Walt Disney Co. shares
climbed Tuesday on the second day of the Robert Iger era,
following a letter the new chief executive sent to
shareholders promising to better meld the media giant's
creative content with new technologies.
Disney (DIS) shares closed up 55 cents, or 2.3%, at $24.56, after being up as much as 3% at one point. Analysts speculated the jump came from a letter that Iger sent to shareholders Monday, outlining a strategy to emphasize creating quality content and using "cutting-edge" technologies to showcase that material. There also was some speculation that a renewed deal with computer animator Pixar Inc. (PIXR) was in the offing. "I wish it was," said Jake Balzer, analyst at Guzman and Co. Then again, it may just be that Iger simply took the time to send the letter that encouraged retail investors. "For some time, we held that Bob Iger's value-add to Disney is his people skills," said Laura Martin, analyst for Soleil Media-Metrics. "That is a big value creation in Hollywood." Iger took over Monday for Michael Eisner, who ran Disney for 21 years before retiring amid controversy over the last half of his tenure. Eisner decided to step down as chief executive after being stripped of his title as chairman following a shareholder revolt led by Roy Disney, nephew of founder Walt Disney. Iger later patched up differences with Roy Disney and his business partner, Stanley Gold, both former board members. He has said he's renewed talks with Pixar, which has said it would dissolve its partnership with Disney after next year. Pixar has been responsible for a number of hits such as "The Incredibles," "Finding Nemo" and "Toy Story." |
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The glass slipper finally fits … on October
4, Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) proudly debuts the
long-awaited two-disc Platinum Edition of Walt Disney's
original beloved classic, CINDERELLA. On DVD for the first
time ever, the highly anticipated release has been digitally
restored and loaded with bonus materials that allow viewers to
extend their movie experience and transport themselves into
the magical world of Cinderella, and to gain fascinating
insight into the animated classic with never-before-scene
bonus features and footage.
The clock strikes midnight as one of Disney's most popular fairytales makes her long-awaited DVD debut after having been unavailable in any form for almost 10 years -- as the sixth release in Disney's celebrated "Platinum Edition" line. The CINDERELLA DVD plays off the theme of transformation found in the movie -- having undergone a painstaking restoration with the use of state of the art digital technology. DVD bonus features also play off this unique theme, demonstrating the fairytale's integral part in the lexicon of pop culture with exciting bonus items such as the all new featurette ESPN Classics' "Cinderella Stories" which showcases many of the most unbelievable "Cinderella" moments in sports history. An all-new DVD-ROM feature, "The Royal Life," allows participants to scan their picture and become part of a fairytale world that they can create (read on for more complete bonus material details). Also returning on VHS, both the DVD and VHS editions will carry a suggested retail price of $29.99 (SRP). As well, a special DVD Collector's Gift Set will accompany the release, priced at $49.99 (SRP). A major initiative across The Walt Disney Company, CINDERELLA activity will span beyond home entertainment to bring the magic of Cinderella to life. This includes an unparalleled Disney Consumer Products (DCP) partnership which will see the release of dozens of new products in all major retail categories, including toys, apparel, electronics, fast moving consumer goods, stationery, home furnishings and much more (from third quarter 2005, into the holidays and well into 2006). Nearly 10 years in the Disney vault, and not released theatrically since 1987, the twelfth feature film to come from The Walt Disney Company, CINDERELLA was produced by Walt Disney himself, and is one of only three films to have utilized the skills of every member of the formidable group of key animators that have been affectionately dubbed his "nine old men" (others are Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan). Originally released in 1950, the film features the voice talents of Ilene Woods (Cinderella) and Eleanor Audley (the wicked Stepmother), while future talk show host Mike Douglas supplies the singing voice of Prince Charming. Nominated for three Academy Awards, the film enjoyed theatrical releases in 1950, 1957, 1965, 1973, 1981 and 1987, drawing more than 75 million moviegoers and grossing more than $350 million (combined box office, adjusted to current dollars). Since going back into the Disney vault after its VHS release in 1995, CINDERELLA has become the most requested Disney title for release, even above such classics as "The Lion King," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Beauty and the Beast." |
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Disneyland
Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of "The Mickey Mouse Club"
Disneyland, "The Mickey Mouse Club" and the Mouseketeers - - three American pop culture icons - - share their 50th anniversaries in 2005 and ten of the original Mouseketeers returned "home" to Disneyland today to celebrate their golden milestone where they first made their initial public appearance. In salute to one of the most popular children's television shows of all-time, the Mouseketeers were at Disneyland for a reunion saluting the debut of the classic 1950s television series. |
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The special salute honoring the original cast of
Mouseketeers and "The Mickey Mouse Club" is just one
of many memorable moments taking place during the 18-month
Disneyland "Happiest Homecoming on Earth" 50th
anniversary celebration as it kicks into high gear and continues
throughout 2006. Additional upcoming milestones and celebrations
include "Golden" holidays at Disneyland, the January
opening of the all-new attraction "Monsters, Inc. – Mike
& Sulley to the Rescue at Disney's California Adventure and
the 40th anniversary of "it's a small world."
In a nostalgic ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Mouseketeers reflected on 50 years of "Mouske-Memories" in story and song before unveiling the world's largest pair of "Mouseketeer Ears," comprised of nearly 1,000 "Honorary" Mouseketeers filling the expansive forecourt of the castle. Seen from above, and to the strains of the familiar "Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater," the iconic black ears with the "Mickey Mouse Club" logo magically came alive and transformed to shimmering gold to mark the milestone occasion. "We are very proud to honor the Mouseketeers for their contributions to Disneyland and to children's television," said Matt Ouimet, president of Disneyland Resort. "The Mousketeer hats that 'The Mickey Mouse Club' made so popular 50 years ago continue to be popular with Disneyland Guests today." "The Mickey Mouse Club" made its national television premiere on Monday, October 3, 1955, on the ABC television network. The Mouseketeers were a talented cast of youngsters that starred in the popular variety series that included cartoons, music and live-action adventures. The show began with the famous "Mickey Mouse Club March" (a tune still familiar with today's generation) and ended with another popular song, "The Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater," which expressed a heartfelt goodbye with the famous: "M-I-C – See ya real soon – K – E – Y – Why? Because we like you! M-O-U-S-E." |
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The Mouseketeers were first introduced to the
public during the live broadcast of the Disneyland's grand
opening, televised nationwide on Sunday, July 17, 1955. They
were featured in the inaugural Main Street parade and were
showcased with their very own musical production number. All 24
initial Mouseketeers performed the "Talent Round-Up"
song at the Mickey Mouse Club Theater in Fantasyland,
culminating in the soon-to-become familiar "Mouseketeer
Roll Call." Over the course of a four-year run (1955 –
1959), 39 original Mouseketeers appeared on the show.
For many years The Mickey Mouse Club Theater at Disneyland was the official home of the Mouseketeers. Opening on August 27, 1955, the theater featured a program of Disney cartoon shorts and 3D films. On November 24, 1955, Disneyland premiered the elaborate "Mickey Mouse Club Circus," starring many of the Mouseketeers as stunt riders and trapeze artists, plus head Mouseketeers Jimmie Dodd and Roy Williams. From 1963 - 64 the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland became the "Mickey Mouse Club Headquarters" where children could sign-up and get their own official membership cards in the club. |
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Throughout the years the original Mouseketeers
have returned to Disneyland numerous times, including reunions
in 1980, 1990, 1995 and most recently at the actual 50th
anniversary of Disneyland on July 17, 2005.
"The Mickey Mouse Club" featured numerous Mouseketeers that would go on to successful entertainment careers including Annette Funicello ("Babes in Toyland," "The Shaggy Dog," numerous "Beach Party" films with Frankie Avalon), Bobby Burgess ("The Lawrence Welk Show"), Tommy Kirk ("Old Yeller," "Swiss Family Robinson"), Cubby O'Brien (professional drummer for numerous Broadway shows and headliners) and Tommy Cole (Emmy Award winning make-up artist). The show was revived in 1977 as "The New Mickey Mouse Club" with a whole new cast of Mouseketeers including Lisa Whelchel who later starred in the hit TV series "The Facts of Life." From 1989-1994, the "MMC" was broadcast on The Disney Channel and launched the careers of such successful performers as Christina Aguilar, J.C. Chasez, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russell, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. |
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The
Henry Ford brings magic of Disney to Dearborn
They say that great minds think alike.
However, they don't always share the same vision. When they do,
and these minds combine, incredible things start to happen. |
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These men shared a vision of a better future and
fed off of each others' ideas to create some of the most amazing
things in the world today. Encapsulating the life's work of Henry Ford is the Henry Ford Museum, located in Dearborn. The museum includes models of cars, explanations of assembly lines, the original Model T and, at any given time, numerous exhibits showcasing important aspects of history. On Sept. 30, great minds were melded once again as the Disneyland exhibit opened at Henry Ford Museum, celebrating its 50th year. The man behind the magic. |
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Walt Disney lived the American dream. He was
born into a poor family in Illinois and was discouraged from
pursuing art, his biggest interest.
Disney went to Hollywood with only $20 in his pocket to make a name for himself in show business. Disney spent much of his adult life in California; that's where his studio was and that was where he built Disneyland. However, it's no mistake that the world premiere of hundreds of Disney artifacts should be at Henry Ford Museum. In fact, it makes perfect sense: The Disney name is returning to the place where it began. Before creating Disneyland, Walt Disney made several trips to Greenfield Village in the 1940's. It was there that Main Street and the railroad sparked ideas in Walt Disney's head. This, along with his long time wish to create an amusement park where children, as well as parents, could have fun together, became Disneyland. The making of Disneyland In one weekend, Disney worked with Herb Ryman, one of the first Imagineers, to create a blueprint for Disneyland. The huge drawing was shown to investors, who made it possible for Disney's park to open on June 17, 1955. Disney later called opening day "Black Sunday;" the park was rampant with problems. Among those were uninvited guests climbing over the fence and into the park. Rides broke down, restaurants ran out of food and the asphalt-not yet dry-took women's high heels right off of their feet. Critics said that Disneyland wouldn't last a year. Obviously, they were wrong The Imagineers, who were integral in helping the park come together, were dubbed as such by Disney himself. They were and still are a group of now hundreds of engineers, designers and others who help to create the rides in Disneyland and other Disney theme parks throughout the world. They're also the people who helped to make Henry Ford Museum's Disneyland exhibit possible. The Exhibit The exhibit was originally scheduled to open on Sept. 23. The opening was rescheduled for a week later due to a delay in the shipment of the materials necessary to build the exhibit. Fans can be assured that the exhibit is worth the wait. Visitors to the museum can wind their way throughout all the usual exhibits: the Model T, clocks and others. Then, tucked over in a far corner of the main floor, a purple glow will emerge. There, museum goers are led into the world of Walt Disney. The exhibit is built as a maze of dimly lit corridors, and can seem confusing at first, even overwhelming. "You have the feeling that you've seen something that not many people have seen before," says Prathima Ramesh, one of the museum's public relations directors. And it's true. Walking through the exhibit is like a look behind the curtains of the life of a man most people could only dream to live up to. The exhibit takes visitors through the history of Walt Disney's life with a combination of pictures, artifacts, storyboards, drawings and videos. The exhibit itself is quite high tech, complete with touch screens, interactive history of the theme park and special games for people to play. There seems to be an endless amount of information as the walls guide people from the historical section of the exhibit into an open area where they can explore the four original parts of Disneyland: Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and Frontierland. The last section of the exhibit highlights the work of the Imagineers, showcasing their work on such rides as Peter Pan's Flight and Indiana Jones. It also includes a section on the 1964-65 World's Fair, where Disney premiered the world's first talking audio-animatronics figure: a life-size Abraham Lincoln. Attendants of the fair were so amazed that they claimed that they had seen the real Lincoln on stage. The Disneyland exhibit offers an enriching experience that, in the spirit of the man himself, is enjoyable for parents and children alike. Whether they've never been to Disneyland or they go every year, the life of Walt Disney and the story behind the magical land of Disney is sure to amaze any fan. |
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Disney
to Scale Back Muppet Holding Staff
According to published reports, several senior staff members of the Muppet Holding Co., including VP and general manager Chris Curtin, will be let go in the coming weeks. Curtin has only been on the job since last April, when The Walt Disney Co. completed the acquisition of the Muppets. The Hollywood Reporter cited a Disney spokesman as saying that Curtin’s appointment had always been seen as a temporary one, pending the property’s full-scale integration into Disney’s television and consumer products businesses. Some published reports have indicated that Curtin’s removal—he is a former special assistant to ex-CEO Michael Eisner—was new chief Bob Iger’s way of showing that Eisner’s long reign at the company is officially over. |
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Disney
Stores offer Authentic, Character-Inspired Halloween Costumes
Most Popular Disney Character Costumes Include Disney Princesses, "Tink," Incredibles and Pirates -- Stylish Accessories Add Extra Pizzazz This Halloween, enchanting Disney Princesses, heroic Incredibles and swashbuckling Pirates will stand out as kids transform themselves into their favorite Disney characters during Halloween parades and festivities. Disney Store offers Halloween costumes with authentic Disney designs and stylish, add-on accessories - including shimmering fairy wings, silver-buckled belts and a fun assortment of sparkling tiaras and feathered hats - to make Halloween dressing truly unforgettable. Disney Stores nationwide are offering colorful, Disney character-themed outfits, plus over-the-top deluxe collections with spectacular embellishments. "Parents have come to rely on Disney Store for costumes featuring authentic Disney design, high quality and durability," said Mario Ciampi, President of Disney Store. "After the school parades and trick-or-treat marathons are over, kids can still magically transform themselves into their favorite Disney characters by wearing their costumes for imaginative role play with family and friends." For Girls Deluxe Disney Princess costumes include satin hangers and big-sweep skirts for added "twirlability." Faux fur capes, wands, crowns complete these ensembles in true regal style. Disney Store will release a special deluxe Cinderella fantasy costume at the end of September in celebration of the upcoming release of Buena Vista Home Entertainment's Cinderella Platinum DVD. The Cinderella accessory cape features an embroidered story on its blue satin lining. Many girls long to transform themselves into Tinkerbell this Halloween and sprinkle pixie dust throughout their neighborhoods as they trick-or-treat. "Tink" is extremely popular this year, and delightful accessories such as shimmering green shoes, a dazzling magic wand and stunning fairy wings add a special magic touch. For Boys Plush Costumes For Babies And Kids |
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Dear Iger...
Do they fit? Those mouse ears? Do they feel all warm and fuzzy, or are they already starting to tighten their grip on your noggin like some medieval vise? Robert Iger, you took over as CEO of Disney (NYSE: DIS) yesterday, but it's never too early to study the rise and fall of the man who preceded you at the family entertainment giant. Michael Eisner's tenure at the helm spanned two decades. He seemed flawless through the first half of his run. With President Frank Wells at his side and Jeffrey Katzenberg manning the animation studio, Eisner was practically infallible early on. Disney was able to upgrade its theme parks and reestablish itself as the undisputed champion in feature animation. Then 1994 rolled around. Wells died. Katzenberg left the company after being passed over for the promotion that he had earned. Instead, Eisner turned to his friend Michael Ovitz. It was a disastrous hiring move. It ended with a costly golden parachute and a wave of executive defections that cost Disney dearly. Today, former Disney executives can be found running prolific companies like eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY), Gap (NYSE: GPS), and DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA). Gray matter deferred is never a pretty thing. In this case, folks were bailing due to Eisner's often abrasive, micromanaging ways. The irony, though, lies in the company that you are inheriting, Bob. Eisner has often been painted as a control freak, but where was the Disney quality coming from in his final years? Disney's best animated films were being rendered by Pixar (Nasdaq: PIXR). The company's best live action movies were the handiwork of the Weinstein brothers at Miramax. Organic rainbows seemed to be in short supply. With a few notable exceptions, Disney was opening half-day gated attractions, while stocking its established theme parks with cookie-cutter diversions. The $19 billion acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC appears brilliant these days, with ESPN humming along and ABC back on top, but there were also some iffy buyouts like Infoseek and the $3 billion Fox Family purchase. That's why Eisner narrowly escaped being voted off the company's board last year. He was still demoted to pacify Disney shareholders. After all, the majority of the votes that were physically cast were calling for his outright ouster. The highest of highs had cascaded into the lowest of lows. He had evolved into CEO non grata. So let's think about this for a spell. Eisner had the benefit of pulling off a spectacular corporate turnaround in his first dozen years, and Wall Street's patience still wore thin. You shouldn't expect a kinder crowd. You have to start strong and stay there. It won't be easy. In fact, your task is the equivalent of sorting out a Rubik's Cube. In the dark. Underwater. Disney watchers are a pretty demanding lot. One camp sees Disney as the benchmark of family entertainment and views any straying as heretical. Another camp feels that today's audiences have waning attention spans and require a shock to the moral system to keep them entertained. One camp sees Disney's theme parks as the upper echelon of theme park excellence and demands endearing, innovative attractions at no cost. Another camp sees the merit in cost-cutting measures to prop up margins throughout the company. The kicker? It's going to floor you, Bob. You need to please all of the camps, all of the time. Despite a set of expectations that seem mutually exclusive, you have to satisfy them all. It's your second day in office and that burnt smell that's flaring up your nostrils is the stench of Iger effigy dolls burning in your Burbank parking lot. That leaves you with three options:
It doesn't seem fair? No one said it would be. However, early indications are that you're off to a good start by delegating authority. Willing to share the load isn't just a great indicator that your ego is in check. It's also a great way to make sure that your best talent sticks around, knowing that the public accolades will be there at the end of a successful day. Keep it going, now. Repairing some of the relationships that Eisner has frayed has to be a top priority, but you must be realistic. The Weinsteins aren't coming back. Pixar, with its coffers brimming and pedigree proven, is never going to sign another deal that will give a studio a piece of the action. However, the illusion of continuity is important, if it furthers Disney's association with golden brands. There is nothing wrong with continuing to work with Pixar come 2007, even if it's only for a thin cut as a distributor. There is also no harm in swigging pride out of a shot glass and bending to some of the Weinstein demands, even if that means bidding handsomely on one of their future projects. It wouldn't be too bad to jot down the name of every disgruntled former executive that is doing great things elsewhere and forging new alliances. Expand on Disney's relationship with eBay in a very public way. Talk to Gap about a clothing line that would work at its concepts geared toward younger shoppers. Offer up an exclusive programming channel to Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA). There is no olive branch twisted enough to make DreamWorks Animation less of a direct competitor, but take the time to pay homage to Katzenberg. Give him the love -- and credit -- that he never got from Eisner. Ultimately, you need to recognize that Eisner's ascent was guided by a rebirth in the company's animation studio and at its theme parks. True, it was all Disney had at the time. Disney has evolved into a more diverse company over the years, thanks to its success with everything from broadcasting to cruise ships, but your path to winning over the skeptics starts with mastering the original basics. Even if easing up on the purse strings seems blasphemous, spend the money to build out Animal Kingdom in Florida and California Adventure in Anaheim. Go for the jugular, if only to feel your hands vibrate with every "wow" evoked. Make that same commitment to theatrical animation. The same animation and imagineering divisions that have been decimated over the past few years need to be rebuilt, stronger than before. You can do it. Take the cash flow improvement in broadcasting and plough it back into animation and imagineering. Those are the two areas that, if successful, will trickle down to fuel the entire company further -- and higher. Make it happen and the next time you smell something burning it will be those Burbank campfires, with historians telling anyone within earshot of a master magician by the name of Robert Iger --who took on the impossible and hogtied it in five seconds flat. He was perfect. In perpetuity. |
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Did
ESPN Overpay for Baseball Rights
The Fox Network and ESPN are not popping any
champagne corks yet, but the baseball postseason, which begins
tonight on Fox, appears set to hit a home run. |
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ABC
Radio Networks Signs Exclusive Deal With Emmy Award-Winning
Broadcaster
ABC Radio Networks today announced an exclusive agreement that adds Emmy Award-winning Hispanic broadcaster Maria Celeste Arraras to the syndicator's rapidly-expanding lineup of on-air talent. The new deal extends ABC Radio Networks' growing reputation as the leading developer and marketer of Spanish-language radio programming in the United States. As outlined in the agreement, Maria Celeste will host a short-form feature segment airing at various times throughout the day across all ABC Radio Networks en Espanol programming including the Hispanic Morning Drive, Hispanic Advantage Network and ESPN Deportes. The features will offer advice for Hispanic families on health and wellness delivered with all the personality and credibility that has made Maria Celeste one of the most trusted and popular celebrities in America. "Maria Celeste is already a huge international star, and a first-rate journalist," said Darryl Brown, executive vice president and general manager of ABC Radio Networks. "ABC Radio Networks is excited to join forces with such a media dynamo and we look forward to developing additional programming opportunities for her to reach Spanish-speaking radio audiences across the country." In addition, Maria Celeste will work with ABC Radio Networks on the "Closing the Health Gap" campaign (http://www.healthgap.omhrc.gov/), which focuses on the importance of good health among America's communities of color. The campaign is part of ABC Radio Networks ongoing partnership with the United States Department of Health and Human Services and multiple corporate sponsors. "I am extremely pleased to be associated with ABC Radio Networks, the market leader in its field," said Maria Celeste. "This is a tremendous opportunity and I look forward to communicating with millions of Hispanic-Americans across the country through the intimate medium of radio." Distinguished as "one of the most dynamic and well-rounded communicators" by New York's Daily News, Maria Celeste is a respected, multi-lingual newswoman, a best-selling author and elegant star. She holds the distinction of being the only face to grace the cover of People en Espanol six times. People magazine selected her as one of its "50 Most Beautiful People" three times. "There's no question that Maria will bring much needed attention to the major health problems affecting Hispanic families," said Kevin Miller, senior vice president of business development at ABC Radio Networks. "Our research indicated that she was the ideal personality to make health and wellness front burner issues in America's Hispanic community." Maria Celeste began her broadcasting career as a reporter and anchor on Puerto Rican television. She later joined the Univision affiliate in New York. Celeste moved on to become Los Angeles bureau chief and news anchor for the network's weekend newscast. Later, she would go on to anchor the network's top-rated newsmagazine program, Primer Impacto. Maria Celeste made headlines after striking a deal with Telemundo/NBC to be the host and managing editor of her own show, Al Rojo Vivo Con Maria Celeste, one of the most successful news magazine programs in the United States. The program regularly ranks number one in major markets, including New York, where it has beat all other Spanish and English language programs in its time slot. The broadcast is seen across the country and in more than 15 Latin American countries. In addition, Maria Celeste served as a popular Today and Dateline NBC contributor. On the night of Maria Celeste debut as a contributor for Dateline NBC, the show experienced a dramatic audience increase in both Hispanic and Anglo demographics. Former NBC president and COO Andrew Lack told the Los Angeles Times, that Maria Celeste's "was one of the highest [rated] segments at Dateline that quarter." He described her as a "serious, smart journalist." Maria Celeste co-hosted the Brown-Black Democratic Presidential Debate, a number one-ranked cable news special, in 2004. She also covered major historical events such as the fall of the Soviet Union, Olympic Games and numerous presidential elections. "Maria Celeste is well known and loved in the media and advertising community for her talent and what she stands for as a person," said Carlos San Jose, director of Hispanic sales ABC Radio Networks en Espanol. "We look forward to working with her and our advertising partners on this very exciting project." Maria Celeste's book, Selena's Secret, was described as "Simon & Schuster's most successful frontline title in Spanish," by Publisher's Weekly. She recently finished a storybook for children that will be published by Scholastics in the fall of 2006. She currently resides in Miami, Florida with her three children, who are ages seven, six, and four. |
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Hong
Kong Sees Large Inflow Of Chinese Mainland Tourists
Over 400,000 people, including Chinese mainland tourists, have arrived in Hong Kong from marine, land and air check points from Friday to Saturday noon, to spend the National Day "Golden Week" holidays starting on Saturday. Hong Kong Disneyland has been a major tourist attraction for the Chinese mainland holiday makers. Several hundreds of tourists arrived at the theme park before its opening and the park opened one hour earlier than the usual time. Hong Thai Travel Services Ltd has already listed the two-day and three-day Hong Kong Disneyland tours as one of the major tours for the company during the holidays. In the first three days of the Golden Week, the travel agency will arrange about 500 passengers to visit Disneyland each day and quite a number of travel agencies have already asked the Hong Kong Disneyland to increase entrance ticket quotas for them. Hong Kong tourism sector believed the Oct. 2 and 3 are expected to be the peak period for Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong Disneyland spokesperson said on Saturday that sales of the theme park tickets were quite good. However there remains tickets during the Golden Week. By the noon of Saturday, over 10,000 tourists went to visit the Disneyland and the park has already decided to extend its business hours to 10:00 p.m. during the holidays. Tourists usually wait 15 to 30 minuets for playing an outdoor game. The ceiling number of tourists to the theme park is about 30,000. Hong Kong Ocean Park, a rival of Hong Kong Disneyland, said on Saturday that it received similar number of tourists on Saturday as that of last National Day. To attract more travelers, the number of daily dolphin performances have been increased from two to five a day. The Ocean Park expects to receive 10 per cent of more tourists to the park during the Golden Week. It received over 90,000 tourists during last Golden Week. In an effort to attract more passengers, the newly opened Sogo department store in Tsim Sha Tsui and a number of Hong Kong retailers are offering discounts targeting at Chinese mainland holiday makers. The Times Square arranged buffoon carnival and a precious watch exhibition apart from offering top-prize coupons as much as 15,000 HK dollars (US$1,935) for its customers during the holidays. The Harbor City, biggest shopping center in Hong Kong along one side of the Victoria Harbor, opened its outdoor car parking lot to passengers to watch the fireworks display Saturday night, in an effort to lure more customers. The Harbor City distributed tickets for watching the fireworks display to passengers via Hong Kong Tourism Board. The Immigration Department has already added 250 staff members to various check points to help the smooth clearance of passengers to Hong Kong. In Lo Wu Check Point, Hong Kong's biggest land check point, passengers have to wait about 15 minutes for clearance during the peak hours on Saturday. Hong Kong tourism sector expects to receive a total of 500,000 Chinese mainland tourists around the Golden Week, up 10 per cent over last year's same period. |
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In conjunction with the sequel, Return to Never Land, Disney has reissued the original Peter Pan in a new special edition DVD (Buena Vista Home Entertainment, $29.99). Although the special edition boasts a high def master with grain reduction, the picture quality looks very similar to the previous version. However, the sound has been remastered to Dolby Digital 5.1. Extras include two new documentaries; audio commentaries from three of the "Nine Old Men," Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and the late Mark Davis, as well as historian Leonard Maltin; a DVD storybook; and treasure hunt game. In addition, the studio debuts Disney’s American Legends on DVD (BVHE, $29.99), a collection of celebrated animated shorts, including Johnny Appleseed, The Brave Engineer and Paul Bunyan, as well as the all-new John Henry. Also includes the Donald Applecore classic short with Donald Duck in a hilarious battle with Chip and Dale over an apple tree. |
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Disney
TV & Feature Sequels: Earning Biz Model Has Adult Fans
Flying Mad
As Animation Magazine Managing Editor Bill
Desowitz writes in our current print issue: When it comes to
features, it seems Disney TV Animation is busier than ever,
with Return To Never Land opening in theaters [today], and
Cinderella II: Dreams Come True and The Hunchback of Notre
Dame II premiering on DVD and VHS on Feb. 26 and March 19
through Buena Vista Home Entertainment. |
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Walt
Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel
Appoints Ryan Johnson Sales Manager
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel has named Ryan Johnson sales manager. He will be responsible for serving meeting planners in the southeast region. Johnson, a graduate of Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in hotel, restaurant and institution management. His 10-year career includes positions in food and beverage and sales management. Johnson is a member of PCMA and MPI. According to Erik Berger, general manager, “We welcome Ryan to our team of sales professionals. We are certain he will prove to be a valued resource for our meeting planner colleagues in the southeast market.” The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is the Southeast’s most comprehensive meetings destination, offering flexible meeting space to accommodate groups large and small, coupled by an award-winning team of banquet, catering and convention service professionals. The hotel features 17 themed restaurants and lounges, including two celebrity venues; five swimming pools, two health clubs, and five nearby championship Walt Disney World Resort golf courses, plus an array of specialized Walt Disney World meetings services, available only to groups meeting in Walt Disney World Resort. Located within the Epcot Resort area, the hotel is nearby Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Magic Kingdom Park, and is conveniently accessible to Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios via water and walkway. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel can be found at www.swandolphinmeetings.com. |
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Disney
Channel and Nickelodeon Announce Halloween Tricks and Treats
Taking the low-density marathon-type route, the Disney Channel began its family-oriented "Hauntober Fest" -- a Halloween-themed movie every night at 8 ET/PT in October -- over the weekend. We caught the charming-if-tepid Halloweentown High last night, about attempts by a well-meaning teenage witch to integrate the denizens of Halloweentown with humans - very multi-culti. Continuing the "sympathy for the
freaks" theme, tonight "children risk their lives on
Halloween to help a mummy reunite with a lost love and save
his soul" in Under Wraps. Twitches,
starring Disney Channel stalwarts Tia and Tamera Mowry as twin
girls separated at birth who meet on their 21st birthday and
"must learn to use their magical powers to save the
parallel world of Coventry," debuts Oct 14. "Shriekin' Weekend" schedule (all times ET/PT): Friday Night Marathon, October 28 7:30 p.m. - Catscratch/"Scaredy Cat" -- Holiday Premiere -- It's Halloween: superstitious Gordon's most dreaded day of the year! After locking himself in his room to ward off evil, Gordon grudgingly allows Blik to decorate the house. Unfortunately, when Blik turns the mansion into a giant spaceship, real aliens mistake it for their long-lost mother ship and show up to reclaim it. The three brothers must band together to defend their house, a mission made more difficult by the fact that the aliens have launched it into outer-space - with everyone inside it. 8 p.m. -- The Fairly OddParents/"Scary GodParents" - Timmy finds himself mummified in two-ply toilet paper and trick-or-treating with Vicky as his chaperone. Tired of not having a cool costume, like the Jack-O-Bots in his favorite Crash Nebula Halloween special, "Crash Nebula vs. the Pumkinator," Timmy wishes everybody's costume were "real and scary." So it goes that everyone in the world becomes the character his or her costume denotes. The bad news is the rich kids are in the Pumkinator costumes, and when Timmy's wish comes true, THEY become the Pumpkinator - a gigantic monster doomsday device that can destroy the world. Oh ... and the Yugopotamians are angry they weren't invited. 8:30 p.m. - Danny Phantom/"Fright Night" -- Heroic title teen battles the evil ghostly Spirit of Halloween a.k.a. Fright Knight. In an attempt to beat Dash in a haunted house decorating contest, Danny "borrows" Fright Knight's enchanted sword. When the powerful apparition arrives to retrieve his magic saber, he decides to stick around long enough to turn the real world into his own stormy realm of terror, but Danny Phantom has other ideas. 9 p.m. -- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius/"Nightmare in Retroville" - With his latest invention, the neutronic monster maker, Jimmy transforms his friends Carl and Sheen into a vampire and werewolf for Halloween, and the pair quickly mutate into real monsters. And as Vampire Carl and Wolf Man Sheen prowl the streets in search of fresh victims to indulge their carnivorous appetites, Hugh Neutron accidentally turns himself into a duck-loving version of Frankenstein's Monster. It's now up to Jimmy to reverse the effects of his invention before Carl, Sheen and Hugh wreak havoc on Retroville monster-movie-style. Saturday, October 29 -- Morning Marathon 7:30 a.m. -- Rugrats/ "Curse of the Werewuff" -- On "Hallowmean," the babies get lost in a haunted house, and to make matters scarier, Angelica convinces them they'll turn into whatever their costumes denote and that only she can break the spell -- if they fork over their candy. Fearing a life as a werewolf, Chuckie pleads with the other babies to give up their treats -- until he finds his inner werewuff, stands up to "Princess Angelica" and leads the babies to safety. 8:30 a.m. - The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius/"Nightmare in Retroville" 9 a.m. -- SpongeBob SquarePants/"Scaredy Pants" 9:30 a.m. - Catscratch/"Scaredy Cat" 10 a.m. - The Fairly OddParents/"Scaredy Godparents" 10:30 a.m. - Danny Phantom/"Fright Knight" TEENick Primetime Holiday Specials - Saturday, October 29 8 p.m. - Zoey 101/"Haunted House" Holiday Premiere - In keeping with Halloween tradition at Pacific Coast Academy, the upper school builds a haunted house for the lower school, and Logan promises that his creation will be especially scary. But when Zoey's little brother and his roommate get lost in the house, Zoey and Logan wonder if something otherworldly has taken it over. 8:30 p.m. -- Unfabulous/"The Dark Side" Holiday Premiere -- Mari and Cranberry are throwing their annual "Spook-tacular." When Geena assures Addie that Spin the Bottle doesn't have to be totally random, Addie vows not to chicken out like she did last year. 9 p.m. - All That -- The cast shows off their Halloween costumes: Jack is Bryan, Chelsea is Jack, Kyle is Chelsea, Gio is Pickle Boy, Bryan is Kyle, Pickle Boy is Gio and Shanea's a Ballerina! The girls have a Halloween slumber party at Claudia's house and play with her "magic" dolls, one of which happens to be a mummy with Tom Green inside. Sunday Monstrous Six-Hour Marathon, October 30 12 p.m. -- Catscratch/"Scaredy Cat" 12:30 p.m. -- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius/"Nightmare in Retroville" 1 p.m. -- Rocko/"Sugar Frosted
Frights" -- Filburt discovers the legend of the Hopping
Hessian and the potency of candy when Rocko and Heffer
introduce him to the concept of trick-or-treating. 1:30 p.m. -- Rugrats/ "Curse of the Werewuff" 2 p.m. -- The Angry Beavers/ "The Day the Earth Got Really, Really Screwed Up" -- While out trick-or-treating, the Beavers discover that the scary house on the hill is home to their B-movie star hero Oxnard Montalvo. A glowing space object there thrusts them into a wild "movie" that combines bits of every bad black & white sci-fi film Oxnard ever made. In true B-movie fashion, it's up to the Beavers to defeat the monsters. 2:30 p.m. - ChalkZone/"Pumpkin
Love/Snap's Nightmare" - episode premiere -- Rudy uses
ChalkZone to sneak his award-worthy "Jill-o-Lantern"
to the pumpkin contest and avoid Reggie's smash-happy fists.
But along the way the evil "Jack-O," a
pumpkin-headed rock star/villain (voiced by Tim Curry), falls
in love with Rudy's Jill and kidnaps her. 3 p.m. -- CatDog/"CatDogula" -- It's Halloween, and Cat is costumed as Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii, while Dog dons Count Dogula garb to go trick-or-treating. Dog is bitten by Nosferacho, a Peruvian vampire tick, and turns into a vampire. Then the tick bites Lola, Rancid, the Greasers, Mervis, Dunglap and Randolph. Armed with his garlic lei, Cat heroically fights off Dog, the vampire mob and the Peruvian vampire ticks, then soaks them all in garlic juice to make them normal again. 3:30 p.m. -- The Fairly OddParents/"Scary Godparents" 4 p.m. -- As Told by Ginger/"I Spy a Witch" -- When Ginger wins the lead in "I Spy a Witch" - a musical rendition of The Crucible - her jealous understudy Miranda takes revenge and center stage by transforming the school statue into a witch and planting incriminating evidence in Ginger's bag. Principal Milty kicks off a campaign to uncover the culprits, and last minute evidence turns Miranda's trick into a treat for the vindicated Ginger who reclaims her rightful role in the play. Meanwhile, when Carl and Hoodsey fail to unnerve Lois with their Halloween pranks, they try to summon Maude from the cemetery. 4:30 p.m. -- Hey, Arnold/"Arnold's Halloween" -- On a creepy Halloween night, the neighborhood comes down with alien fever when Arnold and Gerald broadcast a mock radio show, warning of a spaceship landing. Meanwhile, Helga and the gang go trick-or-treating in cool, space alien costumes. Arnold and Gerald must come to the rescue before their friends come to a spooktacular demise. 5 p.m. - SpongeBob SquarePants/"Scaredy Pants" 5:30 p.m. - Danny Phantom/"Fright Night" Nick Jr. Halloween Day Marathon: Monday, October 31 9 a.m. -- Dora the Explorer/"Boo!" -- It's Halloween, and trick-or-treating Dora and Boots are surprised by a cute little monster who they help hurry home before the arrow on the big clock strikes 12. It's a spooky journey, as we find pumpkins that match to get out of the Pumpkin Patch and take a ride on a broomstick through the Good Witch's forest. We reach the Monster House as the clock strikes 12, just in time for a Halloween Party. 9:30 a.m. -- Blue's Clues/"What Is Blue Afraid of" -- Blue is scared, and kids play Blue's Clues to determine what is frightening her, in the process searching for clues, investigating shadows and conceptualizing what objects are making them. 10 a.m. - Backyardigans/ "Soccer Monsters" -- Holiday Premiere -- Pablo is a noisy but lonely Soccer Monster who hordes soccer balls in his castle's gym, while Tyrone is a no-nonsense, Dragnet-style detective. He and soccer loving Uniqua brave the Monster's Castle to rescue her kidnapped ball. Sixties Rock/English Pop underscores this action-packed mystery as the friends try to get the job done without being turned into Soccer Monsters themselves. 10:30 a.m. - Dora the Explorer/ "Dora Saves the Prince" -- A storybook wicked witch banishes a young prince to the High Tower. Dora and Boots jump into the book to save him. Armed with the magic word "Abre," Dora and Boots must make it through the Big Gate, across Crocodile Lake to the High Tower in time to save the Prince. But watch out for that witch. 11:30 a.m. -- LazyTown/"Rottenbeard" - Disguised as a pirate, fiendish Robbie Rotten takes the kids on a treasure hunt and uncovers a bogus piece of the LazyTown stone, rendering everyone lazy until Sportacus reenacts the final confrontation between the original Rottenbeard and the mysterious hero who once saved all of LazyTown. 12 p.m. -- Blue's Clues/"Blue's Big Costume Party" It's the day of Blue's costume party and lots of silly spooky things are happening. Magenta doesn't have a costume, so we play Blue's Clues to help her figure out what to wear. All day long our friends come visit in their costumes and we have to use our observation skills to figure out who they are. Meanwhile, we count beanbags to help Blue and Magenta determine who won their game of Monster Toss and skidoo into a picture of a haunted house, where we help our friend Boo observe, think and test ideas so we can find Oogullah Buggla. 12:30 p.m. - Dora the Explorer/"Boo!" 1 p.m. -- Little Bill/"The
Halloween Costume" -- Bent on being Captain Brainstorm
for Halloween, Little Bill is crestfallen when his costume
disappears in a mix-up, but when he fantasizes about saving
Captain Brainstorm from Tickle Slime, he learns that there's
more than one solution to every problem. Little Bill surprises
and impresses all with a homemade, super-deluxe Captain
Brainstorm outfit. 1:30 p.m. - LazyTown/"Cry
Dinosaur" -- Ziggy quivers from monstrous dinosaurs
lurking in the darkness at his first campout, where
dinosaur-costumed Robbie wreaks havoc and Sportacus saves the
fright-filled day 2:30 p.m. - Rugrats/"Candy Bar Creep Show" -- Stu and Didi build a haunted house for Halloween, and the Rugrats sneak in looking for Reptar bars. They get tangled up in the props and Grandpa thinks the place really is haunted. "Monster in the Garage" -- The adults blame Spike for mysterious accidents in the garage, but Tommy believes his pet is innocent. Convinced the accidents are caused by a monster, Tommy talks the other Rugrats into a garage expedition. 6 p.m. - Catscratch/"Scaredy Cat" 6:30 p.m. - Danny Phantom/"Fright Knight" 7 p.m. - The Fairly OddParents/"Scary GodParents" 7:30 p.m. - The Adventures of Jimmy
Neutron, Boy Genius/"Nightmare in 8 p.m. - SpongeBob SquarePants/"Scaredy Pants" |
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This is a scene-by-scene account of “Song of
the South.” Nothing has been left out except two brief
transitional scenes in which the plantation’s slaves are
shown singing. The only other significant moment occurs before
Uncle Remus leaves the bedroom in the penultimate scene. He
confides to Johnny’s grandmother that, quoting a line from
“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “everything is satisfactual.”
That’s it. Simplistic, hokey and sentimental, yes. But
hardly offensive or objectionable in any way. The main
character is not Johnny of course, but Uncle Remus. And he is
not, as some would contend, a servile slave or Uncle Tom,
bowing and scraping at every turn. There’s barely a
discernible “Yes ma’am” in his dialogue, and none of the
black characters address anyone with the usual excessively
subordinate terminology assoc-iated with slavery or its era.
For good or ill, there’s little historical authenticity of
any measure to be found in “Song of the South.”
But then, the place hardly seems like a real plantation and the black characters bear little resemblance to slaves, even as they’re otherwise portrayed in movies of the period. Essentially, “Song of the South” is just too kindhearted. When Uncle Remus feels unwanted, he just packs up and walks off the plantation as if he’s free to do what he wants. Even the singing style of the slaves bears no resemblance to that of spirituals or traditional work songs. There’s also a conspicuous lack of a white foreman and slave drivers. Indeed, there’s no apparent authority anywhere in the film, and Johnny’s grandmother seems to be running a nice country house, not an active cotton plantation. Even if one assumes that the story takes place after the Civil War, and that the blacks are sharecroppers, the situation is pretty benign. There have always been accusations that this is equally problematic, that a rosy picture of white masters and black servants is being depicted. Picketers at the time of the film’s initial postWorld War II release cried “That we fought for Uncle Sam, not Uncle Tom.” But this point of view ignores the utter artificiality of the scenario on every level. The relationships are too personal for such an interpretation, and actually yield to a few subversive and noteworthy instances of social commentary throughout the film. When Miss Sally scolds Uncle Remus, she realizes that she’s gone too far and clearly regrets it. She appears to be about to apologize, but stops herself. There’s also the matter of invit-ing Ginny to Johnny’s birthday party. Miss Sally tries to dissuade Johnny. The implication is that, being from a family of sharecroppers, she doesn’t really belong. It’s an interesting comment on class differences, of which Johnny has no conception. The mention by Johnny’s father in the carriage at the beginning of the film is also fraught with implication. The reference to the trouble from the newspaper articles is ominous, and it’s hard not to assume that Johnny’s father is some kind of liberal reformer. Being a time prior to the Civil War, it’s equally hard to imagine exactly what he’s interested in reforming, but reality is less of an issue than how the characters are perceived. Undeniably, “Song of the South” is no more about slavery or the real antebellum south than 50's sci-fi is about science and tech-nology. The film seems to take place, as do so many from this period, in a pristine storybook fairyland. The brilliant Technicolor is part of this, as well as the sets themselves. Every-thing is too perfect, and the exteriors don’t even appear to be taking place outside. Although Uncle Remus and the Hattie McDaniel character do speak in a typical southern black English, it’s substantially muted, and when Remus sings, he employs a perfect, almost operatic elocution. There’s nothing indicating that they, or anyone else, are actual slaves. They appear to be merely servants. Their songs are also inauthentic, sounding like those of the typical Hollywood musical of the time, which of course they are. As a Disney spokesman said publicly at the time of the 1986 re-release, “It’s not an authentic portrayal of any-thing.” On the other hand, for a glimpse of some truly objec-tionable caricatures, look at the gestures or mannerisms of, say, Stepin Fetchit or Amos ‘n Andy, all of whom, by the way, have been well-represented by appearances on television and home video since their inception. If the film has any villains, it’s the Faver boys, who are presented as white trash, complete with tattered clothes and no shoes. The drama of virtually every scene in which they appear is constructed to be at their expense, and they’re the only totally unsympathetic characters in the story. Johnny is no prize either, but much of that is due to the heightened, artificial acting style of child actors of the time. It’s Uncle Remus we care about and identify with, for he’s the boy’s surrogate father, protector and mentor. Once again, one can complain of the innocent, revisionist nature of the film and its much-loved literary source. But black critics have often complained equally about serious academic endeavors in which slavery was depicted realistically. A proposed Smithsonian exhibit several years ago on the subject was protested on the basis that this was not the “image” that blacks wanted to see of themselves. A current project to create a museum of African-American history has also been conflicted by the question of how to depict slavery. However, a few years ago, a small yet horrifyingly brutal photo exhibit on lynching made its way around the country and was enthusiastically well-attended by huge crowds of both races, precisely because it was so sobering honest. So, fortunately, the truth will come out. Eventually. There’s an implication that these so-called negative images or stereotypes convey some kind of message about the subordinate nature of blacks, as if the intent is advocacy instead of drama. This is an absurd concept, which forms most of the bases for these kinds of cultural battles. Thus, phrases such as “rein-forcing stereotypes” and “negative images” are flogged to the point of knee-jerk self-parody. If every character in a target film like “Song of the South” reinforces a stereotype and every scene is full of negative images, then the concept ceases to mean anything, if it ever did in the first place. There’s also a convenient failure to point out that the white characters are just as stereotypical as the black characters. It’s so common to hear how instructive movies are that to oppose this impression is to appear to stick one’s head in the sand. But what of stereotypes? The very word is now synonymous with outraged condemnation. This is a serious problem. All one has to do to denounce a film or place it in a negative light is make an accusation of stereotyping. It’s a pejorative term. But a stereotype is merely a standard character. Most actors throughout the golden age of Hollywood made their livings playing stereotypes. Edward Arnold was often the stern father, under-standing mentor or ruthless banker, as he was most famously in “It’s a Wonderful life.” C. Aubrey Smith was always the fatherly aristocrat, the personification of a beneficent British empire. In over a dozen Sherlock Holmes films, Nigel Bruce was the avuncular friend and sidekick. Ralph Bellamy was the all-around good guy who lost the girl in so many films that other films made reference to it as an in-joke. Dwight Frye, famous as Renfield in “Frankenstein,” played nothing but nervous lunatics. In fact, most major stars played stereotypes as well. Most of the characters played by Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart or Katherine Hepburn were just as standard. Yes, they were the leads in their films and benefited from a little more shading and complexity. But they each played, with a few odd exceptions, extensions of the persona that the studios had decided they could best handle. Most were not allowed to play against type more than once in a while. Olivia De Havilland waged a major battle with Louis B. Mayer of MGM to be able to shuck off her sweet, wholesome on-screen persona. The reason audiences wanted to be cool and jaded like Bogie or plucky and tough like Rosalind Russell is because they embodied those traits over and over again. Cinematic drama, and to a lesser extent, most forms of drama, is made up of stereotypes. It’s too superficial to be able to handle too much complexity and contradiction in its characters. There’s simply no time to plumb the depths of human emotion and psychology in a ninety minute comedy or a two-hour drama. When it comes to black characters, as opposed to white ones, cultural critics seem to have already determined that they can’t be anything but stereotypes, in the negative sense. Actually sitting down and judging a given film that’s been painted with this brush is to see that they’re no more standard than any other characters. Often, the filmmakers go out of their way to avoid stereotypes, drama be damned, purely to avoid criticism. It doesn’t matter, the accusations are so automatic as to seem mandatory. Either that or they go in the opposite direction, to condemn the filmmakers, usually with just as much vitriol, of “conspicuously avoiding offense.” They just can’t win. Creating a legitimate black character seems to take a Manhattan Project of meticulous care. But I have yet to see any of these objectional stereotypes. The claims are always absurd. I’m sure I could view any film written and directed by a black filmmaker and lodge the same criticism at its own black characters, or more perverse-ly, at its negatively stereotypical white characters. Why not, if that’s the game we’re playing? The essence of the issue is the insidious substitution of stereotype for what is really meant here: caricature. But none of these characters comes close to caricature, and if they did, they would be dramatically incongruous to the stories being told. Unless the films in question are animated cartoons, which are supposed to be made up of caricatures, they have to be legitimate or make no sense in that context. Mammy and Prissy in “Gone with the Wind” are stereotypical, but not caricatures. They actually have a lot of personality, much more than that story required, and are fan favorites. Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara’s father are also pretty standard. We don’t really notice because the sheer force of personality that both Clark Gable and Thomas Mitchell bring to those roles. Even Scarlett herself is pretty familiar. But because she’s the center of the nearly four hour film, there’s more time than usual to give her more complexity than the usual romance novel heroine. A lot of credit must also go to Vivien Leigh, a phenomenal actress getting the most out of a starmaking role. If any of these characters had been caricatures, the film would’ve fallen apart in the first hour and seemed interminable. Uncle Remus may indeed be a stereotype, the wise thoughtful black man mentoring the impulsive, inexperienced white boy. But these are dramatic stereotypes and scenarios, not racial ones. They speak, not to the forced limitations of real people, but to the narrow parameters of storytelling. Uncle Remus is no more of a stereotype than a dozen John Wayne heroes or Conrad Veidt vil-lains. That he becomes a guardian and surrogate father to Johnny takes that stereotype into what is actually revolutionary territory. Would a real plantation boy have been allowed to develop such a familiar relationship with an actual slave? Todd Boyd, a USC film professor, has labeled SOTS “a very racist film,” condemning Uncle Remus as another “passive, non-threatening slave.” Professor Boyd is merely taking advantage of the opportunity to protest the film and hawk the academic party line. Even worse, film critic Roger Ebert, in a shameless act of patrician condescension, wants the film restricted to a highly selective scholarly audience. Apparently, the general public is simply not responsible enough to see the film unsupervised. “I’d hate to be an African-American child going to school on the day after its release,” goes his argument. This sounds suspiciously like the old Catholic Legion of Decency’s practice of viewing films to see if they’re suitable for everyone else. Come on. If a few priests can watch a film and come away unscathed, so can the rest of us. No doubt the same critics would defend the buffoonish images and behavior of gangsta rappers. Why is Uncle Remus an unforgivable stereotype, but not Tupac, with his gold jewelry and doo-rag, not to mention his stereotypically hip-hop demise? Even celebrated and revolutionary characters, both black and white, become stereotypes by default. “Raisin in the Sun” was shattering and revolutionary in its time, and the lead in the film, played by Sidney Poitier, jumped off the screen with his ferocious honesty. But by the 70's, this character, the angry black rebel ready to explode, had become so standard that it bordered on self-parody. The character of the long-suffering religious mother was also pretty hoary by then as well. They both were even the objects of ridicule in a satirical play by George C. Wolfe, and subsequently, a hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch in which not only the characters were parodied, but the melodramatic, scenery chewing acting style to boot. Nowa-days, these sorts of standard characters would no doubt be met only with laughter by black audiences. Familiarity really does breed contempt. This underscores the ephemeral nature of commercial drama. As important and revolutionary as a play or a movie may seem at the time, its effect is always rendered of lesser significance later. When the Cosby Show came along in the 80's, black audi-ences welcomed, and even celebrated, its depiction of “these positive role models.” Cosby and Phylicia Rashad played highly cultured professionals, a doctor and lawyer, living in a nice brownstone of their own, in an affluent, racially diverse Brooklyn neighborhood. After a few years, when the show had become just another part of the cultural landscape, black critics and pundits once again denounced the show as an unrealistic portrayal of black life with which few black families had anything in common. The show was seen almost as a cruel taunt to the thousands of blacks struggling to break into the middle classes, let alone the upper class. It’s also interesting to note that Cosby’s own famous Saturday morning cartoon of the early 70's, “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” was full of stereotypes. But nobody cared back then. It was a good show, endearing, funny and irreverent, even with the earnest lesson that Cosby himself summed up on-screen at the end of each show, followed by a song played by the kids, of course. What does it say about our time, then, with its alarmist self-righteous indignation and moral superiority making their shrill presence known at every conceivable opportunity, as opposed to the previous one, a much more thoughtful era, in which the ability to maintain a distance from the content of its popu-lar art created some of the best films and TV shows in American cultural history? Because of this lack of obsession with score keeping and ethnic cheerleading, there was also much more crossover interest back then. Despite the fact that there were no white characters on “Fat Albert,” white kids, myself included, watched it faithfully. On the other side, the Isley Brothers 1971 album, “Givin’ It Back,” included covers of songs by white folk artists such as Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Stephen Stills and Neil Young. We can hardly imagine a black group doing that now. Even more astonishing is the 1969 song by country music legend Merle Haggard, “Irma Jackson,” an ode to unrequited interracial romance. C & W stars would never do such a tune today. Less due to the touchy subject matter, but merely because of their narrowly focused, narcissistic sensibilities and marketing demographics. Before the left took haughty possession of “diversity” as its highly guarded political territory, American culture actually was diverse. It was the hair-splitting oversensitivity and constant accusations to the contrary that turned a natural aspect of all culture into a political and cultural minefield. This brings us to the next issue, and perhaps the most important, the contradictory impulse among black Americans to both celebrate and reject the full depth and breadth of their rich history. Discomfort with slave images are understandable, especially since slavery is so recent. It hardly seems the dusty, distant stuff of ancient history, which is no longer taken so personally. Perhaps, as the twenty-first century evolves, the same result will occur. But for the moment, when elderly blacks still have first hand knowledge of Jim Crow and their own grand-parents were ex-slaves, there can be little change. It’s too close and too painful. American blacks have been trying to leave this horrible legacy behind for the last century. They don’t want it to be a reflection of them, and thus the chief basis on which they’re perceived. But this has created an unfortunate impetus among blacks to completely reject their culture and history. There’s always a question of what it means to be black, or whether one is “black enough.” Despite the impassioned overtures by black intellec-tuals about the importance of education, there remains a persistent discomfort with academic accomplishment. Articulate blacks are still accused of “talking white” by their peers. Anything that compromises one’s street cred is rejected, or is at least the source of great inner conflict, for fear of alienating the larger black community. Visit any college with a minority of black students and they’ll be seen eating and socializing together. This was well-documented in the 1997 book, “Why Are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” More interesting, however, is the occurrence of the few black students who seem to float casually between the smaller black group and the larger white one. They’re invariably criticized by their fellow black students, who resent their comfort and familiarity with both student communities. They no doubt wish they could do the same, but simply don’t know how. They don’t even try, assuming that they have nothing in common with whites and cannot possibly be friends with them. The whites often make the same assumption, but they have less to lose in the equation. The fact is, the blacks, living in an essentially white society, are obligated to bridge that gap, or risk permanently limiting their professional futures. The true problem is a masochistic self-consciousness, as if blacks are simply too aware of their blackness. The best example of this on film is “A Soldier’s Story.” The Sarge, played by Adolph Caesar, is alternately protective and contemptuous of CJ, an unsophisticated country boy. He’s the best player on the company baseball team, as well as an affecting blues singer and guitar player. Sarge both hates and loves CJ’s simple, natural talents, and his unself-conscious good nature. CJ embodies the limitations of being black, as Sarge sees them. At times, he can’t stand CJ’s very presence. He chastises him, demanding that he “Cut out that guitar-pickin’-sittin’-’round-the-shack music!” It’s painful to watch Sarge’s descent into bitterness, but that’s the point of the film. More so than it’s murder mystery plot. Sarge is so aware of his blackness that his self-hatred causes CJ to commit suicide and results in his own murder. Now one might argue that the larger white society makes this so, and in many situations, this is true. But blacks would probably be amazed by the many situations in which this assumption is theirs alone. And even those that have a racial aspect, do not have a racist one. In a recent book about black/white relations, it was pointed out that it’s an insult for white women to run their fingers through their long hair in the presence of black women. The real question there is why the hell are black women so interested in the hair of white women? I would sincerely doubt that they are, and the writer is making another of these bogus academic assertions. One can only imagine the reaction to a white academic making such a statement as, When black people dance in the presence of whites, it’s an insult to them. The problem is that ethnicity is both vastly overrated and, in a smaller sense, equally underrated. Ultimately, no one can say what engages, inspires and teaches us. To assume that people have a deeper understanding of “their” culture, or are more motivated by positive examples of it is a ridiculous illusion. If we believe, as the so-called tolerant among us propose, that race is a fiction and has no value, then no one can say they even have a specific culture, much less have some greater connection to it or gain a more profound sense of self from it. Suzan-Lori Parks, the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright of the recently acclaimed “Topdog/Underdog,” mentioned in the New York Times that she had a great artistic epiphany upon finally reading and understanding Shakespeare. Similarly, Martin Scorcese was inspired in the mid-fifties by the Apu trilogy of Indian film director Satyjit Ray. He remarked that the simple stories of working class city life reminded him of both Italian neo-realist films and life in his parents’ small lower Manhattan neighborhood. Words and images speak to us because of who we are as individuals, not as members of huge groups. Tell me you are black, white, Catholic, Jewish, etc. and you have told me next to nothing. That’s the starting line, not the finish. One might even go so far as to say that the more distant, or foreign, a culture is, the more it is likely to affect us, for we’re able to see it as a distinct whole, enormous and overwhelming, precisely because it’s so new and different. We also do not have a vested interest in it and are more open to its seductions. Whereas the burden of our own culture is often resented for our obligations to it. It’s something we have to live up to and become custodian of, thereby neutralizing most of its allure and power. The only way to really deflate the racial aspects of culture is to ignore them. As Cornel West points out in “Race Matters,” a race consciousness, a continual search for what he terms black authenticity, will always lead people astray. Instead of objective judgement and moral reasoning, an oversensitivity and ultra-awareness of all things racial produces a lack of meaningful and lasting accomplishment. The intellectual cheap thrill that comes from accusations of racism only leaves the accuser empty and frustrated. Racially fetishistic acts such as the “Million Man March” appeal to the ego and actually bring nothing to the black community. One can see the appeal, but if ever there were a pyrrhic victory, that’s it. And there wasn’t just one of these marches, but quite a few, until the very idea became a joke. But then it’s much easier to attempt to shame others into action than doing something yourself. One has to wonder if the explosion of superficial protest, the politics of outrage, the culture wars, etc., aren’t merely a desperate cover-up for the confusion and impotence brought on by matters of racial inequality. Now that we know all too well just how pervasive and complex the depth and destruction of racism are, honestly, what can we do about it? One either believes in the uniform equality of humanity or one does not. The concept cannot be taught, and only the hardcore racist can change himself. The practical denunciation and banning of “Song of the South” is, in essence, hitting a very small nail with a huge hammer. Disney would no doubt further defend itself by the claim that it does not wish to be seen making money from such a questionable source. It might go so far as to claim that it doesn’t even want to actually make money from such a questionable source. But this, alas, is not the case, for the company makes a lot on “Song of the South.” Millions of people visit Disney World every year. One of its major attractions is Splash Mountain. Along with Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s probably the most famous and popular of rides. The company only recently found a way to fully exploit Pirates with a blockbuster summer film of the same name. But it has been eagerly exploiting Splash Mountain for decades. The ride isn’t based on any story, film or book in the Disney cannon, not directly. But the company pretends that it is, for its family friendly characters are none other than Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and ornery ol’ Brer Fox, from “Song of the South.” Uncle Remus, however, is conspicuously absent. It’s a tribute to Disney’s marketing that it has managed to extract the nostalgia and animation from the film that dare not speak its name, while completely abandoning their supposedly embarrassing source. Mi-raculously, the ride is advertised and conducted as if it has nothing to do with “Song of the South.” One almost has to simply stand back and applaud such a seamless act of commercial sleight of hand. Under the radar of the academics and cultural critics who’d excoriate SOTS and Disney, the film is, and has been, a huge industry. It makes millions for Disney despite all the hoopla, and the company’s scrupulous manipulation of its squeaky clean reputation. For some reason, the emblematic use of the SOTS characters at a major theme park ride continues to escape notice. It’s all the more peculiar considering that there’s no natural connection between Splash Mountain and the briar patch characters of the Joel Chandler Harris stories. Conversely, there is no Splash Mountain among Disney lore either. It comes from no book, no movie, no cartoon short. The Splash Mountain ride is the re-ult of a much more conventional theme park need, the roller coaster. How could the intended best and most famous amusement park in the world, when it was built, not have a roller coaster? In many ways, the roller coaster is what has always defined the amusement park. Coney Island had, and still has, the Cyclone. In fact, it’s probably what keeps that rickety, obsolete old park from being torn down. Disney World had to have something comparable. Being in a warm weather beach setting, this signature attraction also had to reflect that virtually year-round feature. It needed some kind of water-oriented coaster that was unlike any ride anywhere else. Unfortunately for its synergistic impulses, the company had never set a story on or around a water slide or a big lagoon it could exploit. So it just made one up and pretended that it was as much a beloved favorite of the Magic Kingdom as Mickey Mouse or the ominous castle in “Sleeping Beauty.” A flume, the ride is magnificent and a lot of fun, a must for any visitor. One sits in a log-shaped car, slides down a long chute, and plunges into a man-made lake. It’s a lot more exhilarating than diving into a briar patch. But this isn’t enough in terms of the Disney experience. Without corresponding animated characters, there’s less identification and therefore less of a connection, especi-ally for children. Fortunately, some were available. Brer Rabbit, Fox and Bear weren’t otherwise occupied. Neither were Uncle Remus and the Tar Baby, but they were summarily dismissed from the Splash Mountain setting a while back after some minor criticism regarding their inappropriate nature. Characters also provide something else essential to the Disney experience, souvenirs. The SOTS characters have been com-pletely severed from their cinematic origins, freeing them for the aggressive marketing that is now a crucial source of revenue in the entertainment business. Ancillary sales, as it’s known, including cable and video, often total more than domestic box office for new films. For older and classic films, the exploitation of nostalgia can turn into a virtually neverending stream of money. Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear represent Splash Mountain and Disney World in the form of everything from key chains and fridge magnets to figurines and stuffed animals. Do not underestimate this area of commercial representation. It has gone beyond a consolatory trinket to appease the kiddies on the way home after they’ve been torn away from the park, to become an end in itself. These items make millions. Action figures alone are so essential to the fan base of an entertainment product that it seems only network news anchors aren’t represented by them. Walk into a comic shop or toy store and prepare to be astonished, truly astonished, by the number of action figures. No longer reserved for the biggest stars and blockbuster films, they exist for “Reservoir Dogs,” “Clerks,” “The Osbournes,” Fritz Lang’s silent “Metropolis,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” you-name-it. They even have them for Sigmund Freud and Edgar Allan Poe. No doubt, some toys support their films, rather than the other way around. |
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Monday October 3, 2005 |
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Walt Disney World's Magical Express program is
under fire once again.
On Monday, a few dozen cab drivers gathered at Orlando International Airport to openly protest the program, which provides free bus transportation and baggage handling exclusively for guests staying at Disney-owned and -operated hotels upon check-in and departure. Carolyn Fennell, a spokeswoman for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, says the protest did not pose an interruption in cab service for visitors. Disney officials were not immediately available for comment. The latest protest comes just a few weeks after the Greater Orlando Livery Association called for an end to the ground transportation agreement between GOAA and Walt Disney World, calling it "an unfair business practice" that gives the Central Florida resort "exclusive and unprecedented access to travelers." However, Fennell says airport officials have made strides in revamping parts of the program to accommodate livery and driver concerns. For instance, at its Sept. 20 meeting, the authority voted to remove Disney greeters from the airport's third level and ordered that beginning Oct. 31, 2005, only those Disney guests who pre-arrange the service with the resort will be able to take advantage of it. "The authority entered into this as a customer service agreement," explains Fennell. "We will continue to work with Disney on the operational aspects of the program." Among the concerns of GOLA's 200 luxury transportation business members were the creation of a monopoly by Disney and decreased competition for the small businesses running trips between Disney and OIA. The group claims that since Disney initiated the program in May, GOLA members have seen a significant reduction in their business, calling the economic impact immediate and directly correlated to Magical Express. Now, Central Florida cab drivers are backing up these concerns with their protests, says Mike Mckenzie, owner of Wheels to Wings Transportation and incoming president of GOLA. "The protests are about how the cab drivers' business revenue has been depleted since Magical Express started. For years, the premium runs have been from the airport to Disney. It was their bread and butter. The only runs the drivers get now are from the airport to residential areas or International Drive," explains Mckenzie. And that change makes a big difference in how much a cab driver takes home. While a cab ride from OIA to Disney costs between $55-$65, one to I-Drive averages about $23 and one to Semoran Boulevard about $12. To make matters worse for the drivers, says Mckenzie, there are fewer runs to go around as well, leaving many drivers in the bullpen for hours waiting for their next fare. Mckenzie saw his own airport limousine service revenue drop this summer from $700-$800 a month to about $55. "The Disney runs have been wiped out," says Mckenzie. "The drivers can't operate in these conditions." |
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Disney's
Wilderness Lodge tops family-friendly ratings
Disney's Wilderness Lodge in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., took first place on a list of family-friendly resorts voted on by readers of Travel + Leisure Family magazine. Disney properties took five of the top 10 spots for North American resorts. Rooms that are baby-proof, hotels that offer hangouts for hard-to-please teenagers, healthy kids' food and spas that have services appealing to different age groups were among the amenities valued by readers who took part in the survey. No. 2 on the list of North American properties was the Four Seasons Resort Whistler, in British Columbia, Canada, followed by Disney's Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, Calif.. Next were Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, both in Lake Buena Vista. Sixth on the list was the Keltic Lodge Resort & Spa, in Middle Head Peninsula, Nova Scotia, followed by Jenny Lake Lodge in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. The Tides Inn, in Irvington, Va.; the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, British Columbia, and Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Florida rounded out the top 10 list. By region, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Kaupulehu-Kona topped the list of family-friendly resorts in Hawaii. In Latin America, the Llao Llao Hotel & Resort, Golf-Spa, in Bariloche, Argentina, was No. 1, while in the Caribbean, the Four Seasons Resort Nevis was ranked first. The survey appears in Travel + Leisure Family's fall/winter issue. The magazine is mailed to Travel + Leisure subscribers and is not available on newsstands, but the list of family resorts can be seen online at www.tlfamily.com. |
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Fine
dining complements wine at Disney Festival
For many wine fanciers, wine is food. But during the six-week Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, fine dining becomes an integral part of Disney's wine extravaganza. The experience starts with small servings at kiosks and culminates with fine-dining meals featuring elegant cuisine. The festival showcases 11 Exquisite Evening dinners and nine Signature Dinners. "Exquisite Evenings are an elegant, dress-up affair held in the World Showplace inside Epcot," says Festival Manager Nora Carey. "A visiting chef and a Disney chef are spotlighted, as are wines from two vineyards with their owner or winemaker." The Signature Dinners are hosted by Disney chefs in their own restaurants. For example, at the California Goldmine dinner on Oct. 13, California Grill Executive Chef John State will host Chef Bradley Ogden of the Lark Creek Inn and two chefs, Bart Hosmer and Carlos Sanchez, who worked with State. That meal features Fife and Neibaum-Coppola wines and will include prime lamb loin by Ogden, along with State's playful Kobe beef sloppy Joe sandwich, made with shredded short ribs and a sauce using Fife Old Vines Zinfandel. At another dinner, Disney's Jiko restaurant Executive Chef Anette Grecchi-Gray celebrates the 10th anniversary of the festival with an all-champagne Brilliant Bubbles dinner. Grecchi-Gray and Christine Weissman, catering chef de cuisine from Disney's Contemporary Resort, will co-host chefs Nora Pouillon of Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C., and Susanna Foo of Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine in Philadelphia for a five-course meal, capped by a 1996 Dom Perignon and a '98 Moet-Chandon Brut. Both Disney chefs also are hosting Signature Meals in their own restaurants, featuring an Indian-inspired menu and another from the Republic of Botswana in Africa in Jiko and a California-themed evening at California Grill. All 20 of the fine-dining dinners have been sold out for weeks, but Carey says there's hope. "We have added waiting lists for the first time for this year's events," she says. Also, all reservations are subject to a 72-hour cancellation policy, so it isn't unusual to see some drop-off three days prior to an event, thus, a patient, well-timed inquiry can sometimes yield results. Information and reservations are available at a special reservations number, (407) 934-3378. Carey says another way is to plan ahead. Disney offers its own dining club for $75 a year that provides an advance look at the events so when tickets go on sale, well-organized diners can secure their tickets. |
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Walt Disney Co.'s Touchstone Television will be
investigated for possibly breaking Ontario privacy laws when
it used real patient medical records during a filming in
Toronto, the Toronto Star said today.
The ``fake garbage'' that littered a downtown street yesterday for the filming of a show about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. were actually medical documents, including ultrasounds and X-rays, from a Toronto clinic. They included patient names and addresses and government health insurance numbers, the newspaper said. Ontario privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian said she would begin an investigation, the Star reported. Ontario's Ministry of Health also plans to start an investigation, spokesman David Spencer told the newspaper. An unidentified Touchstone Television spokesman told the Star the company removed the documents from the scene when it learned of the contents and they would not be used again. Touchstone Television spokeswoman Sharon Liggins didn't immediately respond to a request for comment left on her answering machine by Bloomberg News. Fabricating paper for film shoots can take a lot of time and work so producers often go through garbage bins or buy it at out-of-business sales, an unidentified Toronto-based film art director not affiliated with the Sept. 11 show, told the newspaper. |
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HK
sees strong inflow of holiday makers
Over 400,000 people, including Chinese mainland tourists, have arrived in Hong Kong from marine, land and air check points from Friday to Saturday noon, to spend the National Day "Golden Week" holidays starting on Saturday. Hong Kong Disneyland has been a major tourist attraction for the Chinese mainland holiday makers. Several hundreds of tourists arrived at the theme park before its opening and the park opened one hour earlier than the usual time. Hong Thai Travel Services Ltd has already listed the two-day and three-day Hong Kong Disneyland tours as one of the major tours for the company during the holidays. In the first three days of the Golden Week, the travel agency will arrange about 500 passengers to visit Disneyland each day and quite a number of travel agencies have already asked the Hong Kong Disneyland to increase entrance ticket quotas for them. Hong Kong tourism sector believed the Oct. 2 and 3 are expected to be the peak period for Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong Disneyland spokesperson said on Saturday that sales of the theme park tickets were quite good. However there remains tickets during the Golden Week. By the noon of Saturday, over 10,000 tourists went to visit the Disneyland and the park has already decided to extend its business hours to 10:00 p.m. during the holidays. Tourists usually wait 15 to 30 minuets for playing an outdoor game. The ceiling number of tourists to the theme park is about 30,000. Hong Kong Ocean Park, a rival of Hong Kong Disneyland, said on Saturday that it received similar number of tourists on Saturday as that of last National Day. To attract more travelers, the number of daily dolphin performances have been increased from two to five a day. The Ocean Park expects to receive 10 percent of more tourists to the park during the Golden Week. It received over 90,000 tourists during last Golden Week. In an effort to attract more passengers, the newly opened Sogo department store in Tsim Sha Tsui and a number of Hong Kong retailers are offering discounts targeting at Chinese mainland holiday makers. The Times Square arranged buffoon carnival and a precious watch exhibition apart from offering top-prize coupons as much as 15,000 HK dollars (1,935 US dollars) for its customers during the holidays. The Harbor City, biggest shopping center in Hong Kong along one side of the Victoria Harbor, opened its outdoor car parking lot to passengers to watch the fireworks display Saturday night, in an effort to lure more customers. The Harbor City distributed tickets for watching the fireworks display to passengers via Hong Kong Tourism Board. The Immigration Department has already added 250 staff members to various check points to help the smooth clearance of passengers to Hong Kong. In Lo Wu Check Point, Hong Kong's biggest land check point, passengers have to wait about 15 minutes for clearance during the peak hours on Saturday. Hong Kong tourism sector expects to receive a total of 500,000 Chinese mainland tourists around the Golden Week, up 10 percent over last year's same period. |
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Digital
Disney…Iger Looks At New Ways To Reach Audiences
Disney CEO Robert Iger wants consumers to be
able to access Disney content whenever and wherever they want
it and is talking about selling episodes of ABC hits such as Lost
and Desperate Housewives online. |
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Disney
Gives $150 Million Send-Off to 'Cinderella'
The Walt Disney Co is unleashing a $150 million marketing blitz for the release of its "Cinderella Special Edition" DVD this week in what one toy industry analyst called "a smart strategic move" for a holiday season where consumers may be pinching pennies. |
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Disney Box
Office
Disney's Touchstone Pictures' Flight Plan was number one in its second week of release. Disney's The Greatest Game Ever Played opened in the nine spot. 1 - Flight Plan (Touchstone Pictures) Weekend Total: $15,038,000 (Total: $46,145,000) 2 - Serenity (Universal Pictures) - Weekend Total: $10,141,000 (Total: $10,141,000) 3 - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Warner Brothers) - Weekend Total: $9,755,000 (Total: $32,910,000) 4 - A History of Violence (New Line Cinema) - Weekend Total: $8,200,000 (Total: $8,969,000) 5 - Into the Blue (MGM/Columbia) - Weekend Total: $7,000,000 (Total: $7,000,000) 6 - Just Like Heaven (DreamWorks SKG) - Weekend Total: $6,100,000 (Total: $38,396,000) 7 - The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Screen Gems) - Weekend Total: $4,400,000 (Total: $68,522,000) 8 - Roll Bounce (Fox Searchlight) - Weekend Total: $4,025,000 (Total: $12,673,000) 9 - The Greatest Game Ever Played (Walt Disney Pictures) - Weekend Total: $3,749,000 (Total: $3,749,000) 10 - The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Universal Pictures) - Weekend Total: $3,110,000 (Total: $101,396,000) |
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Arielholics
Invite Fellow Mermaid Fans to El Capitan Theater
The music, fun, and excitement
under the sea resurfaces at the El Capitan Theatre. Come enjoy
Disney’s 28th animated masterpiece, Awash with breathtaking animation, unforgettably colorful characters, and two Academy Awards for score and song, "Under The Sea," THE LITTLE MERMAID is one of Disney's most cherished films. Ariel, the fun-loving and mischievous mermaid, is enchanted with all things human. Disregarding her father's order to stay away from the world above the sea, she swims to the surface and, in a raging storm, rescues the prince of her dreams. Determined to be human, she strikes a bargain with the devious seawitch, Ursula, and trades her fins and beautiful voice for legs. With her best friend, the adorable and chatty Flounder, and her reluctant chaperone Sebastian, the hilarious, reggae-singing Caribbean crab, at her side, Ariel must win the prince's love and save her father's kingdom -- all in a heart-pounding race against time! Ticket Price: $20 |
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Disney
Online and Kauffman Foundation's 'Hot Shot Business' Exposes 'Tweens'
to the Excitement and Challenge of Entrepreneurship
To say that Ethan, a sixth-grader from Lincoln, Nebraska, has been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug is something of an understatement. One of the tens of millions of kids who play Disney Online and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's Hot Shot Business game each year (http://www.hotshotbusiness.com), this enterprising twelve-year-old has experienced first-hand the challenges and rewards of opening and running a business in Hot Shot's entrepreneurial community, Opportunity City. Hot Shot Business, the award-winning Internet entrepreneurship simulation, now has been enhanced to give players an even more realistic and challenging taste of what it takes to start and run a business. Jointly developed by the entrepreneurship experts at the Kauffman Foundation and Disney Online's creative team, Hot Shot Business blends fast-paced, fun game play with real-world lessons to teach ``tweens,'' children ages 9 to 12, entrepreneurship concepts and skills. Operating his business, Penguin Landscaping, puts Ethan in touch with the community. ``I keep prices low at the beginning, hoping to build up the number of customers. I look at what people need and start charging a little more for those services,'' he says. ``Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.'' Tapping into tweens' natural curiosity and Internet savvy, Hot Shot Business welcomes kids to ``Opportunity City,'' where animated teen characters Kate and Jack help players recognize and act on business opportunities to meet the citizens' needs. Players can borrow capital or put up their own money to open a business such as a skateboard factory, a landscaping service, pet spa, comic book shop, and new this year, a candy factory. In addition to the new candy factory, enhancements launched this month at http://www.hotshotbusiness.com include: a formalized teacher curriculum to adopt Hot Shot Business into the classroom, a series of ethical dilemmas that kids must address, and enhanced music and animation. As in real life, the decisions a kid makes about his or her business has consequences that extend far beyond profits and losses. There are environmental factors to reckon with (e.g., conserving water while operating a landscaping company), as well as finding ways to provide jobs for members of the community. ``These enhancements offer an even greater real-world experience for kids to learn about the issues associated with entrepreneurship,'' said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. ``Exposing kids early to the rewards, challenges, and ethical considerations of decision making helps prepare America's next generation of strong and successful business owners - a group that is vital to the continued health of our economy.'' ``Through the power of a dynamic and very fun Internet environment, kids and budding entrepreneurs alike have really embraced this game and continue to show great enthusiasm for it as we develop and include new elements,'' said Steve Parkis, vice president premium products, Disney Online. ``This game has been a terrific collaboration by tapping into both the Kauffman Foundation's entrepreneurship education expertise and Disney Online's strong history of creating compelling online content for kids and families.'' Hot Shot Business was launched in May 2003 following a Kauffman Foundation study that found that 41 percent of kids ages 9 to 12 would like to start their own business, but don't know how. Since then, Hot Shot Business has been among the most popular content published on Disney Online (http://www.disney.com), the number-one kids' and family entertainment destination, which attracts more than 12 million unique visitors each month. In addition, many kids have played Hot Shot Business at the Opportunity City exhibit at INNOVENTIONS East pavilion at Epcot(r) at the Walt Disney World(r) Resort. At this exhibit, kids can get a sense of what it's like to be an entrepreneur by visiting several kiosks and trying their hand at a variety of interactive activities, from a special version of the ``Hot Shot Business'' computer game to viewing a presentation called ``Everyday Entrepreneurs'' that spotlights real-life child entrepreneurs. ``Historically, very few children have thought of entrepreneurship as a career choice. We are hoping this game will move the thought of owning their own business to the same cognitive level as other more popular career choices,'' explained Craig Armstrong, Kauffman's director of youth entrepreneurship education. ``Our children are our future, and since more than 50 percent of new jobs come from small business, it is imperative that we encourage today's children to be the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.'' Hot Shot Business has garnered several awards, including The Parents' Choice Gold Award, Best Education Web Site for the Web Marketing Association's 2005 Web Awards and Best Education Web Site, Best Game Web Site, and Best of Show in the Web Marketing Association's 2003 Web Awards. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with partners to advance entrepreneurship in America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at http://www.kauffman.org. |
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Disney's
Cinderella New York Premiere
'Dancing With The Stars' Winner Kelly Monaco wore one-of-a-kind modern interpretations of Cinderella’s Dress by Monique Lhuillier and Cinderella’s Slippers by Jimmy Choo that were showcased at the Ball and auctioned off for charity post event. |
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| On October 2, horse drawn celebrity carriages arrived to a grand red carpet and a Royal Ball fit for a princess that took place in honor of the most treasured of all fairy tales . . . Walt Disney’s original animated feature Cinderella . . . coming to DVD October 4. The afternoon began with celebrity arrivals via carriage to the red carpet, followed by a screening of the digitally restored masterpiece at the famed Ziegfeld Theater. Guests were then treated like royalty as they attended a festive Cinderella Ball at the historic Waldorf-Astoria hotel. | ||
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Celebrity participants included Molly Shannon,
Kimora Lee Simmons, Kelly Monaco, Star Jones, Clint Black,
Catherine Oxenberg (actress and real-life princess), Ashley
Tisdale and Brenda Song (Disney Channel's The Suite Life of
Zach and Cody), Ali Lohan and more
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Platform
Publishing Lets the Toons Out With Disney's Toontown Online
Sony Online Entertainment's Platform Publishing, a cross-platform publishing, distribution and marketing label, and Disney Online in association with Buena Vista Games announced today that Disney's Toontown Online, the award-winning massively multiplayer online (MMO) game designed for kids and families, is now available at retail. The family-friendly online game carries a MSRP of $19.99, which includes a two-month subscription to the game service. The retail version of Disney's Toontown Online will come with a CD-ROM disc, a game manual and a Cog poster in the box, as well as access to an in-game kart racer for the newly-added Goofy Speedway kart racing track. "Toontown Online is fun for players of all ages, and this marks the first time that new Toons will be able to find the game in traditional retail locations," said John Needham, chief financial officer and senior vice president of business development, Sony Online Entertainment. "Toontown Online is a great way for families to play together online. We're very excited that Platform Publishing can help bring this piece of Disney magic to an all-new group of players." Team up with thousands of players for fun and excitement in Disney's Toontown Online. Disney's Toontown Online (www.toontown.com) is an award-winning multiplayer online game filled with non-stop play, ever-changing adventure and irreverent fun. Players create their own cartoon characters (Toons) and join forces to save the world from the Cogs, humorless business robots who are attempting to turn the colorful, happy world of Toontown into a dark metropolis of corporate monotony. It's always growing, always changing and a wild world of cartoon adventures. Toontown has been designed primarily for children ages 8 to 12, but is enjoyed by kids and adults of all ages. Player feedback reveals that many families are playing the game together, with parents enjoying the game as much as their children. Unique in the game industry, players are evenly split between boys and girls. Toontown has received multiple awards, including Computer Gaming World's MMORPG of the Year in 2003, a 2003 Parent's Choice award, and the 2005 WiredKids Safe Gaming Award. Toontown Online is rated E for Everyone (cartoon violence and mischief) by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, and carries a monthly subscription fee of $9.95. |
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Breaking
Up Is Hard To Do
Why Pixar can't leave
Disney. How did Disney wind up with four Pixar-created franchises? After Steve Jobs bought George Lucas' computer-animation division in 1986, he needed the muscle of a Hollywood studio to get this new form of 3-D animation into theaters worldwide. Disney, with its Disney Channel, theme parks, and family-friendly Walt Disney brand, was a natural ally. So, in 1991, Jobs entered into a deal with Michael Eisner to co-produce its first animated feature, Toy Story. Disney agreed to finance the movie completely, while Pixar's creative guru John Lasseter would develop and direct. Disney would then get the lion's share of the proceeds—87 percent, including its distributing fee. Though it took almost three years to complete, Toy Story proved to be not only an immense box office success but the most lucrative toy-licensing platform in Disney's history. Jobs negotiated a better deal in 1997 with Eisner for five more animated features. Pixar again assumed full creative control of the movies while Disney was in charge of the distribution, marketing, exploitation, and licensing. In this deal, Pixar paid half the cost of developing and producing the movies and shared 50-50 the money that flowed in from all sources, after Disney deducted its advertising, print, and out-of-pocket expenses and took its 12.5 percent distribution fee. The only revenue Pixar was not entitled to was that which was earned from Disney's theme parks. When it came to the sequels, Eisner insisted that Disney have the rights to make an unlimited number of sequels with the characters and computerized algorithms from the originals. Pixar had the option to buy into the sequels by putting up half the financing, but it would get only 35 percent of the proceeds that remained after Disney repaid itself its expenses and took its 12.5 percent fee. Since this was a deal-breaker, Jobs handed over the sequel rights, but he was not happy about it. After fruitlessly attempting to renegotiate the sequel option with Eisner in 2003, Jobs announced in January 2004 that after Pixar completed its contract by delivering its fifth and final movie, Cars, it would terminate its arrangement with Disney and not participate in any of the sequels, leaving Disney with four franchises. All that Pixar would get would be a small royalty (3.5 percent of the proceeds until each movie reaches cash break-even and 7.5 percent afterward). Even with Pixar's incredible track record, Jobs has found that getting a new partner is easier said than done. Since Universal and Paramount have decided to disband their international distribution arm, UIP, Jobs has only three choices if he wants a distributor with the global clout that comes close to Disney's—Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros. But in the 20 months that have elapsed since he fired his parting shot at Eisner, Jobs has not been able to make a suitable deal with any of these studios. The reason is not that the studios lack appreciation for the creative genius of Pixar and its pioneering work in computer graphics, but that any new Pixar films would face a potentially awesome competitor: Pixar sequels. For example, a new Pixar film might find itself competing for summer play dates with The Incredibles 2, backed by a Disney juggernaut of merchandising tie-ins with fast-food restaurants, toy licenses, informational shows on the Disney Channel and overseas channels, and its proven Pied Piper effectiveness in recruiting children's audiences. Simply put, it would be Pixar vs. Pixar. Ironically, the only studio that can release a Pixar movie without the threat of such competition is Disney. Just as second chances with happy endings are a formula for success in children's movies, Jobs may prudently decide, especially now that Eisner is gone, that breaking up with Disney is not worth the effort. |
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Disney’s
Aladdin Chess Adventures: Let Aladdin Guide you in a Magical
World of Chess
Black Bean delivers strategy to a younger audience with Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures, releasing on the 4th of November 2005 on PC CDROM. Fly away on Aladdin's magic carpet and set out on the most exciting chess adventure ever! Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures transports children to their favorite cities, such as Agrabah, the Cave of Wonders, and the mysterious City in a Bottle. Game Features: Journey through Aladdin's magical world while learning the classic game of chess in this innovative and fun-filled adventure.
Travel through 8 different worlds, each with 12
unique locations.
Dominate your opponent by purchasing rare artifacts
that will take your game to the next level.
Engaging game play with over 95 challenges such
as puzzles, speed trials, mini-games and more.
Chess Adventure uses the proven teaching
methods featured in the top-rated Majestic Chess
Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures is a game for all ages and would make an ideal stocking filler this Christmas. Its unique style and approach to teaching a timeless classic game makes it fun and educational; It is a great way to introduce the game of chess to children, and will even help adults polish up any forgotten skills! Marco Minoli, Head of Marketing at Black Bean Games said " The game is the perfect mixture of positive learning and sheer entertainment and we expect it to go down a treat this Christmas with all the family". |
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ABC Sunday lineup crushes competition ABC steamrolled the competition again Sunday with its murderer's row of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy." "Housewives" led the charge for the network with 26.7 million viewers and 11.8 rating/26 share in adults 18-49 demographic turning out for the second episode of the series' sophomore season. The show didn't quite match its own season premiere numbers from last week, but it came close and still had enough pull to beat the 18-49 numbers of its broadcast competition combined, including NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (12 million, 3.3/7) and the first hour of CBS' telepic thriller "Mayday" (10.5 million, 2.6/6). ABC's spike with "Housewives" was book ended at 8 p.m. by "Extreme Makeover" (14.2 million, 5.8/15) and at 10 p.m. by "Grey's Anatomy" (18 million, 8.3/20). |
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For loved ones
Thousands of people took a stroll through Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure on Sunday - all for the good of Children's Hospital of Orange County. The 15th Annual "Walk in the Park" is the nonprofit hospital's most successful fundraiser. Participants were cheered on by Disney characters during the 5-kilometer route, which ended with a celebration in Downtown Disney in Anaheim. Total participants: about 12,000 Funds raised Sunday: More than $1 million Total money raised since the first CHOC Walk in 1991: more than $7 million |
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Disney-ABC
Promotes Cheng
Albert Cheng has been elevated to the newly created position of executive vice president, digital media at Disney-ABC Television Group. Cheng had been senior VP, business strategy and development for Disney and ESPN Networks affiliate sales and marketing. In his new role, he will be responsible for general management and strategic oversight of digital media, as well as development of ancillary revenue streams for the company’s broadcast and cable networks, including ABC Entertainment, ABC News, ABC Daytime, ABC Family, Disney Channel and SOAPnet. He will lead a newly formed digital-media team that oversees product development, marketing and operations for the group’s digital-media-content platforms, including video-on-demand, broadband, Web-based and mobile platforms and interactive-television technologies. Cheng reports to Disney Media Networks co-chairman and Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney. |
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'Everyone
every day' welcome
La Habra resident Kevyn McCall feels a tad uncomfortable holding hands or linking arms with a man during monthly trips to Disneyland. But this weekend, he felt more secure because he wasn't alone. Up to 30,000 gays and lesbians swarmed into Walt Disney Co.'s local venues this weekend for the eighth annual Gay Days, an unofficial event that includes three days of theme-park trips, film screenings, talks and parties. Eighties pop princess Tiffany performed at Downtown Disney and stars, such as Peter Paige of the Showtime show, "Queer as Folk," made appearances. The Gay Days participants, often donning red shirts, rode roller coasters and strolled Main Street alongside the traditional family park-goers. Throughout Disney's California Adventure on Sunday, same-sex couples pushing strollers and men or women swinging hands with partners were about as common as heterosexual couples doing the same. Side comments and snickers from other park visitors were kept to a minimum. McCall saw a fellow visitor's jaw drop at the site of men holding hands. Other than that, guests were friendly, he said. "It's great to see a force out there. You realize how many there really are out here," said McCall, 41, who owns a construction company in Santa Ana. "Disneyland's very gay friendly, tolerant to everyone." Since its debut in 1998 with about 2,500 attendees, founder Jeffrey Epstein said the event has stayed true to its original goal: creating a day where gays and lesbians can come together without fear of stares or insults. While conservative groups have called for boycotts of Disney because of Gay Days and other policies, there were no protests over the weekend, which is par for the course for this normally tame event. "It's a place we can gather safely. It's not about sex or exposing anything," said Brendan Bertges, 24, of Anaheim, a volunteer coordinator. Disney rents space to organizers, just like any other group, but does not sponsor Gay Days. "Disneyland welcomes everyone every day," said Disney spokesman Bob Tucker. Generally, Epstein said, many gay people are among the biggest Disney fans, often holding annual passes to the theme park. Some Gay Days attendees had theories about why Disney is so popular in their community: "I think a lot of gay people have the experience of being an outsider," said Epstein of West Hollywood. "But Disney is a place where everyone is welcome and everyone is treated so well. I think there's an element of gay aesthetics that are over the top, larger than life." Worthie Meacham, a board member for Gay Days, said gay people are often interested in quality in items such as food and fashion. "If you are looking at quality in entertainment, Disney is at the top of its game," said Meacham of Los Angeles. Vito Grandolfo, 39, of Aliso Viejo said the affection for Disney goes deeper. "Gay men don't get to have an adolescence. We tend to fake our adolescence. We tend to relive that when we're adults," he said. Some attendees, such as Grandolfo, said their presence around straight families gave them the chance to show that gays and lesbians are normal - and not the flamboyant and promiscuous people often portrayed in the media. Some attendees emphasized that they are in long-term relationships and have families. Antioch residents Dave Pursley, 43, and Todd Drummond, 36 - partners for 13 years - bought a brick for the promenade outside California Adventure to mark their anniversary date. One family, who came from Fresno, includes two mothers and two fathers who are raising a 2 -1/2 -year-old son. "It's a sense of community within a greater community. It's almost safety in numbers," said Kathy Adams, 51. "It's almost like Christmas at Disneyland for gays and lesbians." |
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Sunday October 2, 2005 |
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Iger
gets keys to Magic Kingdom
As the home of the Oscar ceremony, the Kodak
Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard is used to stars. They were out
again in force at the end of last month as 2,000 people
gathered for a showcase of Walt Disney’s forthcoming films. There seemed to be a health kick going on — the veggie burritos were most popular, the sticky buns untouched and water was more popular than coffee. The pre-show talk was of Disney’s health. The Magic Kingdom officially gets a new boss tomorrow, its first in 21 years. Bob Iger, the new chief executive, takes over from Hollywood legend Michael Eisner, a man who in the first decade of his reign turned Disney from a sleepy also-ran into a media giant. But, sometime in the 1990s, Eisner lost his magic touch. His accomplishments have been clouded by an angry shareholder rebellion triggered by years of disappointment. The studio division, too, has been in trouble. After recent disappointments such as Terry Gilliam’s $100m (£57m) The Brothers Grimm, Disney announced it would lose up to $300m in its fourth quarter. As the crowd took their seats, one man grumbled about the length of the presentation. He said: “Disney has been a real disappointment in recent years. This had better be good.” And it was. The showcase started with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra playing live as Johnny Depp appeared on screens piloting his sinking pirate ship to port in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. As the video and the orchestra then swept through Disney’s history, themes emerged — from pirates (Depp gave way to Captain Hook and Peter Pan) to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Women performed miraculous makeovers — Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, Pretty Woman, Mulan. It was the sort of stirring presentation that made bad films look good. Displaying an easy charm to rival any Oscar night host, Dick Cook, head of Disney’s studios, introduced the crowd to Jodie Foster, promoting Flightplan, last weekend’s box-office hit. Then a husky was brought on to promote Eight Below Zero, a heart-warming film based on the true story of some very cold dogs trapped in Antarctica. Sir Elton John made a surprise guest appearance, thumping out Crocodile Rock, to a delighted audience. His score for The Lion King gave Disney one of its biggest hits and led to a smash Broadway show. Now he’s working on a new cartoon, Gnomeo and Juliet, and took a day off from sell-out concerts in New York to promote it. Mel Gibson, in Old Testament beard, promoted his new film, Apocalypto, which will be performed in the ancient Mayan language. But the real meat of the day was a full-length screening of Chicken Little. As Iger prepares to take the hot seat, the film goes to the heart of many of his dilemmas. At a recent analyst conference, Iger said Disney’s three main priorities were creativity, technology and international growth. On TV, Disney is firing on all three fronts. Last year the company’s ABC TV division, which Iger ran, put out both Desperate Housewives and Lost. The second seasons are now attracting huge audiences in the US as the first seasons sell well on DVD and attract surfers to Disney’s internet sites. The shows have also proved an international sensation. A Brazilian Housewives is now being made for the South American market. But life has been tough at the studio — and especially its animation division, which has had to rely on Pixar, led by Apple computer boss Steve Jobs, for major successes such as Toy Story and Finding Nemo. While retailers and distributors are excited about Pixar’s next film, Cars, they are wary of Disney’s fare. A bust-up between Eisner and Jobs has left the future of that pact hanging in the balance. Marketing executives at Disney privately admit that a poor run of cartoons has made retailers reluctant to commit to merchandise ahead of a film’s opening. Chicken Little is the first cartoon from Disney since its decision to drop hand-drawn cartoons in favour of computer-generated characters like those made by Pixar. For a tiny chick, Chicken Little has a lot riding on his head. Executives say this is just the first of a new generation of Disney animated films. But if the sky falls in on Chicken Little, it will be a big blow. At lunch — an ominous buffet of fried chicken — the audience was unsure about the film. Many wanted to leave before the afternoon show. But Cook had promised more surprises. The few that did go missed two films that look set to provide Disney with a blockbuster Christmas: The Chronicles of Narnia, Disney’s film of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which looks every bit as much swashbuckling fun as the first. One forthcoming attraction was missing: Iger. The new Disney boss officially starts tomorrow, but at the end of last week he was in New York for the memorial service of ABC newscaster Peter Jennings, his daughter’s wedding and a Goldman Sachs conference. Iger is one of the new, greyer generation of Hollywood bosses. In the 1980s and 1990s Hollywood was ruled by the giant egos of Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michael Ovitz, Barry Diller and a host of names as large as the companies they ran and for whom Hollywood was the centre of the universe. The new kings of Hollywood are a more subtle presence. Michael Lynton, who runs Sony and had a stint at Disney earlier in his career, has spent much of his life working in publishing. He has a shelf of Penguin Classics in his office. Brad Grey, now head of Paramount, was a talent agent and made television. His boss, Tom Freston, rose to prominence at MTV. Peter Chernin at 20th Century Fox, owned by Sunday Times parent company News Corporation, is the consummate corporate executive whose brief extends well beyond Hollywood. In a sense, Iger is the flip side of Eisner, a role he played since he became Eisner’s deputy in 2000. A popular internal candidate for the job, he had his critics outside the firm. Stanley Gold, a former director, called him “a modest man with a lot to be modest about”. In James Stewart’s book Disneywars, Iger is depicted as Eisner’s yes man. Stewart claims Iger almost passed on Lost and Housewives, charges Iger rejects. His transition to chief executive has been far smoother than critics predicted. A notorious micro-manager, Eisner has gracefully stepped back out of the limelight in recent months. “He has been unbelievably co-operative, helped by the fact that we worked together for so long, and there was not a glitch at all,” Iger told the Goldman Sachs conference. Andy Bird, president of Disney International, said: “The external perception of what was happening here was not in line with the internal reality. We had to just put all that noise aside.” Bird pointed to shows such as Lost and Desperate Housewives, the opening of Disney’s theme park in Hong Kong and forthcoming films such as Pirates — all the product of Disney’s most turbulent years. “It’s not as if this came from nowhere. We didn’t just reach into some cupboard for a jar of magic formula,” he said. Eisner’s transformation of Disney may eventually outshine his troubled exit. Iger inherits a company that is more than 20 times as large as the one Eisner joined in 1984. Back then Disney was a movie studio and theme-park operator with revenues of $1.5 billion and net income of about $98m. Today it is a global enterprise that in the last fiscal year reported profits of $2.3 billion on revenues of $30 billion. Eisner’s departure followed a battle with shareholders, led by Gold and Roy Disney, nephew of the company’s founder. They were angered by Eisner’s perceived arrogance and Disney’s lacklustre performance. As Eisner leaves, life looks better for Disney. The television business has been turned round and Disney’s parks are at last attracting the numbers of visitors they last saw before September 11 decimated world tourism. The $3.2 billion Hong Kong Disneyland looks set to introduce an enormous new audience to the Magic Kingdom. Disney’s consumer-products division — which had revenues of $2.5 billion last year from sales of Mickey Mouse figurines and stuffed Winnie the Pooh dolls — is being made over by former Nike executive Andy Mooney. Mooney sold most of the loss-making Disney stores and started building relationships with mass merchandisers such as Tesco, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. He also pushed Disney Princess, a new range aimed at young girls and capitalising on the company’s powerful back-catalogue princesses. It has so far generated more than $3 billion in sales. But there are serious issues ahead for Iger. Disney is unique as a leading media company. Unlike rivals, it does not own a major means of distribution. News Corp has Sky and DirecTV, Time Warner and Viacom have cable. Many of the big media companies have also been buying up internet companies. Iger’s strategy is to build up the brands he owns already. Disney, along with its peers, was burnt by the dotcom boom and lost $1 billion on Go.com, an internet portal. “I don’t see us playing catch-up to the Googles of this world or going into the aggregated portal play per se, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity for the company to grow in that space and we will continue to,” Iger said. In the studio business, the loss of Pixar would be a huge blow. The studio’s struggling live- action business got a much-needed box-office lift last month when the Jodie Foster thriller Flightplan became the top-grossing film with $24m. But other recent offerings, including Herbie: Fully Loaded, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Brothers Grimm, were disappointments. Even in TV some analysts worry that ABC has had too much of a good thing. Topping the success of Lost and Housewives may prove a tall order. “The upside in prime time may be limited,” said Spencer Wang, analyst at JP Morgan. He believes growth may even slow at ESPN, Disney’s phenomenally successful sports network. As Eisner exits, it will be the legacy of his successes rather than his failures that Iger will have to compete with. |
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First
Honda Given Away in Disneyland's Civic-A-Day Giveaway
Kami McGiffin, 23, of Riverside, Calif., was the first winner of a 2006 Honda Civic on Saturday, October 1, in Honda’s month-long Civic-A-Day giveaway at the Disneyland Resort. Presented daily throughout October, the contest is part of the re-launch of “Space Mountain.” |
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Honda’s “The Coolest
Ride in the Galaxy” sweepstakes is the latest addition to the
18-month celebration of Disneyland’s 50th
Anniversary that continues through 2006. Each day, one
lucky guest at Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure
will win a new 2006 Civic. Park guests receive a
scratch-off card upon entry, with finalists participating in a
daily ceremony to award the car at a replica of “Space
Mountain” in the Disneyland Resort Esplanade.
“I can’t believe this is happening to me,” said McGiffin. “I wasn’t even planning on coming to Disneyland today, but I am so glad that I did!” McGiffin, a student at Riverside Community College, was visiting Disneyland with friends. In addition to winning a new Civic, she also received two Deluxe Annual Passports providing a year’s admission to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, and a pair of golden “Mouse Ears” commemorating Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary. As Disneyland marks five decades of fun with new shows, adventures and attractions, Honda debuts its all-new eighth-generation 2006 Civic |
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Raglan
Road Irish Pub and Restaurant Opens Oct 21st at Downtown
Disney
Irish hospitality and a bit of blarney come to Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort when Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant officially opens Oct. 21. Raglan Road delivers an experience immersed in genuine Irish atmosphere -- from food and drink to live music and entertainment. Traditional and contemporary Irish music, storytelling and dance help create a spirited social ambience and the friendly pub staff brings Emerald Isle charm to Downtown Disney. Irish musicians entertain nightly and guests are encouraged to sing, clap and dance along to the lively performances. The Raglan Road menu blends traditional Irish fare and fresh ingredients, all with a modern flair. Natural tastes, flavor and quality prevail in dishes such as Raglan Rack (rack of lamb on a delicate Irish stew consommé), Sea Leek (oven-baked fillet of sea bass served on a fondue of leeks) and Kevin's Kudos (oven-roasted loin of bacon served with braised cabbage and creamed potato). With capacity for 600 guests, Raglan Road is warm and welcoming with custom furnishings, lighting and wall coverings -- all designed and built in Ireland by Irish craftspeople. Irish antiques, ornamentation and bric-a-brac complete the authentic décor. Raglan Road is owned and operated by Great Irish Pubs Florida, Inc., the Irish-owned company that previously created Nine Fine Irishmen at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Pleasure Island club admission will not be required for entrance to Raglan Road. |
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Disney's
Magic gets a makeover
Disney Imagineers are working their magic on
Magic. The 7-year-old vessel -- which, in ship years, is
nearly middle-aged -- is getting a face-lift. |
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Disney
Fine-Tunes Wireless Scheme
In a nondescript office building in North Hollywood, members of the Disney Mobile team are busy ramping up for the launch of a youth-oriented wireless service sometime early next year. Banking on the connection families have to the Disney name, not to mention its vast portfolio of content, the entertainment company believes it has a powerful proposition for families that are considering a first-time wireless phone for their youngsters. Company executives are cagey about many of the specifics of their offering, particularly regarding how they plan to entice families to sign up for their service instead of the popular family plans offered by traditional operators. But one thing they will talk about is the importance of offering a customized handset. George Grobar, senior vice president and general manager, says the handset is a critical element to the MVNO and the company is having devices customized for its target audience instead of just picking a portfolio of handsets that other operators or MVNOs already are offering. "We have a well-thought-out set of requirements that will be integrated into the phone," he says. CUSTOMIZATION IS KEY Although the Walt Disney Company has made its interest in the wireless world known for some time, it wasn't until July that the company made its intentions public by announcing its relationship with Sprint, which will provide the underlying wireless network. The company's hesitancy to act upon its long-time MVNO aspirations wasn't based on uncertainty, Grobar says. Instead, the company was waiting for the market to mature enough and the time to be right. In addition, it was also conducting a lot of research. "This is a complex business and we wanted to make sure we had done our research," Grobar says. With the underlying network designated, Disney Mobile is now zeroing in on handset makers. Grobar says handset manufacturers have responded to Disney's demands and have been willing to work with the company and its specific requirements. One of the most critical elements will be the user interface, something that Grobar admits has been difficult for others to get right. "I think that's been one impediment to data consumption among adults. They don't know how to get to it." Disney Mobile knows that many of its target audience will be more tech-savvy than their parents, but the parents are the ones ultimately making the purchase. "What helps us is that we are thinking about a specific market segment," Grobar says. "We want to make this experience great. We want to simplify it. And we want to be able to personalize the experience and get the things that are most relevant to our segment closer and easier to get to." HIGH ASPIRATIONS Parents are likely to purchase cell phones for their tweens, which Disney defines loosely as children between ages 10 to 14, for safety and security reasons. But Grobar understands that the cell phone that tweens want is likely a product that they aspire to, meaning that what they really want is the phone that their older teen counterparts are using. "We think that's where the unique aspects of personalization come in," Grobar says. "A cell phone that is targeted to a 15-year-old is actually going to appeal to an 11-year-old. We have to have solutions that cater to that element." ENTICING FAMILIES Disney executives aren't the only ones closely watching the wireless market trends and the steady decline in the age for first-time cellular phone users. Traditional wireless operators have their eyes on this trend as well. In fact, the growth of family plans has been strong among wireless subscribers. According to an M:Metrics Benchmark Study in June, 37 percent of wireless subscribers participate in a family plan. Despite the preponderance of family plan subscribers, Grobar believes Disney will have an opportunity to make inroads with families, particularly when parents first start to consider buying a cell phone for their child. "We think that when parents are looking to get their child into wireless for the first time, they also look at other wireless options for themselves. We think we can take advantage of that," Grobar says. Of course, the company also plans to incorporate its content into the mix. How it will charge or handle content downloads is still being determined. Wireless content is popular with family plan users. M:Metrics found that 41.4 percent of subscribers who use mobile data services belong to family plans. According to Seamus McAteer, chief product architect and senior analyst at M:Metrics, this presents some challenges because the person paying the bill is not necessarily the same person consuming the data. "Marketing is a critical component to the success of mobile content and applications," McAteer says. With a goal of launching in 2006, Disney Mobile is busy fine-tuning its MVNO play in the tween market. Though the company is reluctant to reveal many details of its strategy, Disney Mobile executives seem confident that their offering will be unique and appealing to the finicky tween first-time cell users as well as their parents. |
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Cinderella
(Disney Special Platinum Edition)
On DVD October 4th. |
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Last March, executives from the Walt Disney Studios approached the visual-effects wizards at George Lucas's company, Industrial Light and Magic, with an audacious request. Could they convert the forthcoming Disney animated film "Chicken Little" into 3D? In less than four months? "We gave it serious consideration, and we decided they were out of their minds," said Colum Slevin, senior director of computer graphics at Industrial Light. "'Fourteen hundred shots in 14 weeks? You're dreaming.'" But Disney persisted. And Slevin's team of techies came through, as audiences will be able to see for themselves beginning Nov. 4, when "Chicken Little" opens across the country--and in at least 85 movie theaters equipped with costly state-of-the-art 3D projection equipment, silver screens and the latest in goofy-looking 3D eyewear. The 3D technology is more advanced than anything audiences will remember from the 1950s or even from recent hits like "Spy Kids": no red-and-cyan lenses, no eyestrain, no headaches. And no bulky electronic glasses like at Imax theaters. "You've not seen anything quite like this," Richard Cook, Disney's studio chairman, assured hundreds of exhibitors and others before showing them a sample recently. All but lost in their excitement over the technology is a huge milestone for Hollywood: The 3D release of "Chicken Little" first requires the conversion of those 85 theaters to digital projection technology. For years, the movie industry has been struggling to replace its expensive film distribution system with digital technology. For the studios, the change promised huge savings: About $1 billion a year is spent making film prints and shipping them to thousands of theaters. For theater owners, it meant smaller savings, but improved quality. A movie could run for weeks--or indefinitely--without the scratches and other defects that become noticeable after as few as 10 screenings of a celluloid print. Last month, the Hollywood studios finally settled on a set of technical standards for the digital cinema introduction. Also recently, the studios, theater owners and equipment vendors have reached consensus on the basic framework to pay for the change to digital, which costs about $85,000 an auditorium. All that was missing was a catalyst for making the investment. Proponents of digital cinema are hoping it will be provided by 3D movies like Disney's "Chicken Little" and next summer's "Monster House," from Columbia Pictures and director Robert Zemeckis. Given that Zemeckis's "Polar Express," from Warner Bros., earned roughly 10 times as much in Imax 3D as it did in 2D, that is a big catalyst, executives say. "3D, at the moment, is driving the bus on this digital rollout," said Michael V. Lewis, chairman of Real D, a Beverly Hills optics company that developed the equipment and eyewear to bring "Chicken Little" to theaters in 3D. But there is also a fairly sizable school of thought among studio executives--and influential filmmakers like James Cameron, who has said he will shoot only in 3D from now on--that 3D, despite its history as a fad, could this time have a momentous effect on cinema, the way silent movies gave way to talkies and black-and-white to color. "I honestly don't think it's a novelty," said Charles Viane, president of distribution for Disney, which may release all its future animated movies in 3D should "Chicken Little" meet expectations at the box office. "I think you'll miss the dimensionalization in movies that don't have it." "Chicken Little" would not be coming to market in 3D had Disney not been impatient to break the stalemate between studios and theaters over digital conversion. But it also required significant leaps forward in technology, which the 4-year-old Real D and the 25-year-old optics company it acquired in February, StereoGraphics, had been pursuing for some time. Newfangled 3D The hard part of 3D is to make sure the left eye sees only the left image, and vice versa. Real D, executives say, does so with an adapter mounted on the projector that polarizes each alternating image so that it can be seen only through the appropriate lens on Real D's cheap disposable glasses. The system is hardly perfect. It requires installing a special silver screen, which is a disadvantage for showing standard movies; the rapid frame rate slightly diminishes the resolution of the image, from 2,048 pixels to roughly 1,700; and even Real D executives acknowledge the system would be impractical for theaters with more than 300 seats because of screen size constraints. But executives from some of the 22 theater chains that have signed up so far--among them AMC, Loews and Regal--say they prefer it to a competing system, from In-Three and NuVision, that would use standard screens but require costly electronic eyeglasses, forcing theaters to spend money sanitizing, maintaining and securing them. The main disadvantage of the Real D system is cost: The company charges at least $50,000 upfront for each theater, and $25,000 a year. Tom Stephenson, chief executive of Dallas-based Rave Motion Pictures, said he had signed up to convert nine of his 300 screens to Real D and was exploring whether to charge a dollar or two more for tickets, or whether increased ticket sales and concession receipts would ultimately cover his costs. Real D guarantees at least two 3D movies will play in those theaters each year, Stephenson said. "Is that enough? No, but if it turns out people are really drawn to this technology, you'll get more than that." Among prominent filmmakers, who are eyeing dwindling box-office figures just as uneasily as theater owners, several have seized on 3D as almost a panacea. "As the public's home television and sound systems get better and better, what is the reason they have to go to the movies?" said Jon Landau, a partner in Cameron's company, Lightstorm Entertainment, which is making the action fantasy "Battle Angel" in 3D. "We believe 3D is one of those things that people will come out of their homes in droves to see. From the big-scale movies to the small dramas--if you have somebody on their deathbed, and an intimate moment, you are much better off dropping the barrier of the screen, putting the audience in that moment, and putting it in 3D." Whether the next "Terms of Endearment," let alone the next "Terminator," will be seen by millions in 3D is anybody's guess, of course. But the digital introduction, on which 3D technology will piggyback, is picking up speed. After months of wrangling between the studios and several vendors, the first deals are being signed that could lead theater owners to buy and install digital projectors. The structure of the deals follows a pattern. Theater owners pay roughly $10,000 toward the $85,000 cost of converting each auditorium. The balance is recovered, typically over 10 years, from the movie studios, which pay "virtual print fees." These fees, which start at around $1,000 for each copy of a movie delivered to a theater, are intended to approximate the studios' financial savings on film prints and shipping. They have agreed to steer that money to the suppliers of digital cinema equipment. Under the first major deal announced so far, Disney said on Sept. 15 that it would pay virtual print fees toward the installation of projectors from Christie Digital Systems USA, under a nonexclusive deal financed by Access Integrated Technologies, a start-up that is hoping to carve out a slice of the expected market for digital distribution to theaters. The gamble for Access, of Morristown, N.J., is that studios will release enough digital movies, and agree to pay the virtual print fees, to cover the cost of the equipment and installations--and to lower the cost of capital for a company with just $12 million in trailing 12-month revenue. "Somebody's got to be willing to put up what somebody has called brave equity to get something like this going," said A. Dale Mayo, a former theater owner who is chairman and chief executive of Access. Lurking around the corner, however, are film industry heavyweights like Technicolor, a unit of the Paris-based media services company Thomson, along with its rival Deluxe and the sound company Dolby Laboratories. Dolby has financed the purchase of digital systems for those theaters converting soon, for "Chicken Little" for example, hoping to gain exposure for its own servers and cinema management software. So goes the competition on the digital frontier. "It's street-fighting right now," said Jack Kline, president and chief operating officer of Christie Digital. "In order for the market to have confidence in the digital experience, we need real experience," said Michael Karagosian, digital cinema consultant to the National Association of Theater Owners. "We need at least 1,000 systems, with all the vendors delivering content to theaters in a flawless way, so the movie arrives, it's shown, the audience is entertained with the same reliability as today with film." That's a tall order, he cautioned. "We now have a 99.98 percent availability rate" for film projection, he said, referring to the incidence of equipment malfunction. "That means that two out of 10,000 shows fail, where you have to get a voucher. We don't expect to hear, 'The server didn't work.' But there are plenty of stories already about expired encryption keys, the date set wrong, somebody didn't push the right button." He added, "We're talking about putting desktop technology in the theater. Do you trust your boot-up every time?" |
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Every young girl fantasizes
about her glass slipper, fairy godmother and a little
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo. Credit Walt Disney's 1950 animated
classic "Cinderella." Ilene Woods, now 76, provided
the voice of the film's heroine. As the movie gets a DVD
release this week, she spoke with NEWSWEEK's Ramin Setoodeh
about those magical days long ago. Excerpts:
How did you audition? Does Cinderella look like you? What do you think of the Drew
Barrymore version of Cinderella? Own any glass slippers? Just one more question, what does
your husband think of your new hairdo? |
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Saturday October 1, 2005 |
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Disney Likely To Decide On Theme Park In S.Korea Next Year Walt Disney Co. is reviewing the marketable value of a theme park it is considering building just outside Seoul, and the decision will likely be made early next year, city officials suggested Friday. "The review has continued since early last year," a Seoul city official on investment planning said, requesting anonymity because of the uncertainty of the Disney plan. "Disney has usually taken about two years to review the marketability in other countries... It has been said the review here has been favorable so far," he said. Gwacheon, a city just 18 kilometers south of Seoul, has gained extra points because of the increasing flow of Asian tourists who visit the country to see Korean drama and film locations, Seoul officials said. Gwacheon would be an easy spot for Asian tourists, as well as locals, to drop by as part of their itinerary, they said. Meanwhile, Disney said it now has "nothing specific to announce." South Korea is a potentially attractive market for Disney but the company has no definite plans yet, spokeswoman Lisa Haines said in a telephone interview with Yonhap News Agency. Gwacheon, linked to the capital by its subway system and highways, is also the home of Seoul Grand Park and the government complex. Disney has two theme parks in Asia, one near Tokyo and another in Hong Kong that opened this month. |
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Since blasting off on April 9, 2005, Disneyland
Paris’ revamped Space Mountain attraction (titled Space
Mountain: Mission 2) has already welcomed more than 2.7
million space voyagers in the six months it has been open.
The popular roller coaster at Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort Paris underwent a major refurbishment this past winter to install new special effects, scenery, and soundtrack to create a new twist on a Discoveryland favorite. Space Mountain, one of the most popular attractions in the entire resort, was inspired by Jules Verne’s book From the Earth to the Moon. With the Space Mountain: Mission 2 refurbishment, riders are now launched from the base of the Columbiad Cannon, creating a moment of weightlessness and a more thrilling “lift-off” launch through the forces of acceleration. Riders are launched into space, and while Space Mountain previously only went to the moon, Space Mountain: Mission 2 takes explorers to the outer edges of space to encounter asteroids, comets, and other space phenomena. The new Disneyland Paris Space Mountain
soundtrack composed by Michael Giacchino enhances the high
speed attraction through space. Michael Giacchino has also
composed the new soundtrack to the revamped Space Mountain
roller coaster at Disneyland in California - part of the park’s
50th anniversary celebration - as well as the score for
Disney/Pixar’s hit computer animated film The Incredibles. Guest research surveys now indicate a 87% satisfaction rate for Space Mountain: Mission 2 riders, a higher satisfaction rate than the original Space Mountain attraction received. |
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Kodak
and Hong Kong Disneyland present photo collage celebrating
happiest moments in life
To celebrate the Grand Opening of Hong Kong Disneyland as it heralds a new era of magic, Eastman Kodak Company and Hong Kong Disneyland have together produced an enormous photo collage, which combines more than a thousand pictures that capture the happiest moments of life. The unique photo collage is displayed at Hong Kong Disneyland from today until Oct 28, 2005. “Kodak is at all times devoted to provide the most innovative digital imaging products for its consumers worldwide,” said Gladys Ngai, Director of Marketing Communication, Digital & Film Imaging Systems, North Asia Region, Kodak (Hong Kong) Ltd. “Our products help consumers to capture every precious moments in life. We enable people to share these jovial extracts through our diverse products and services. Following the tradition of Kodak – ‘Share Moment, Share Life' – we especially selected Hong Kong Disneyland – a magical place that brings people enchanting enjoyment – as the exhibition venue of this photo collage. We hope guests from all over the world can feel and share the happiest moments conveyed in the pictures.” “Over the past two months, families from all over Hong Kong have been submitting their happiest moments, and the photos in this photo collage show how guests discover the delightful and joyful experiences in their lives. We are pleased to be working with Kodak to enable all guests visiting Hong Kong Disneyland to capture magical moments and create memories that will last a lifetime," said Josephine Lam, Director of Product Development Trade, Special Events and Alliance Marketing at Hong Kong Disneyland. The photo collage is 8 feet wide, 6 feet tall, composed of 1,065 pictures. All the pictures are winning selections from the “Share Your Happiest Moments” Campaign held in August 2005. The classic Sleeping Beauty Castle forms the backdrop of the photo collage, with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse welcoming all guests in the center. The “Share Your Happiest Moments” Campaign received more than 4,000 photo entries. Among them, 1,065 pictures that best suited the theme of “happiest moments” were selected to form this unique photo collage. The photo collage is displayed at Hong Kong Disneyland so that the winners can become part of it and share their high spirits and achievements with all the guests there. |
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TV
watchdog dismisses Snow White complaints
The more than 350 complaints made against celebrity offspring Joyce Cheng Yan-yee's appearance on television as Snow White at Disneyland's opening gala have been found unsubstantiated. The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (Tela) ruled late last week that the show was not "unsuitable for children" and did not "cause distress". Since her appearance as Snow White in Hong Kong Disneyland's opening gala on September 11, which was broadcast on TVB Jade, Tela has received 363 complaints. Cheng is the daughter of veteran actress Lydia Shum Din-ha and actor Adam Cheng Siu-chau. The 18-year-old girl who used to weigh 102kg received a lot of media exposure after she successfully lost close to 45kg over the past two years. Tela's principal entertainment standards control officer (broadcasting) Rose May Li said all the complaints were very similar: Cheng pretending to be a princess was disturbing, unsuitable for children to watch and could mislead them. They said the show should have indicated that parental guidance was necessary. "It seemed like complainants were focusing on the target [Cheng], instead of any violation of broadcasting laws," Ms Li said. Both Disney and TVB declined to comment on the ruling yesterday. TVB has received three complaints about the show. Media critic Stephen Sze Man-hung said those who complained were overreacting. "The reason for all these complaints might be because most people's perception of a princess is an innocent, elegant and beautiful western woman. Using somebody [Cheng] who did not have a beautiful face or the perfect body to portray a princess may have offended people and ruined their perception of a princess." Her exposure in the media in the past months could have escalated the negative response, he added. "There was no nudity or anything that violated broadcasting laws [in the show], so I think the complaints might have been targeted at her personally." |
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Eisner's
Farewell: 'I've Learned So Much'
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael
Eisner spent his last day at the Burbank entertainment giant
Friday. As promised, he sent a farewell e-mail to the
company's 129,000 employees. Here are the highlights of the
eight-paragraph letter: |
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What little girl hasn't dreamt of waving to
an adoring audience from a seat within Cinderella's crystal
coach?
For 31 little girls -- one each day in October -- it will be more than a dream as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom recognizes the first-time DVD release of the motion picture "Cinderella" with Cinderella Honorary Princess of the Day. Each day, an honorary princess will be chosen and will receive a Cinderella gown and tiara for the special occasion -- a ride in Cinderella's horse-drawn coach ahead of the 3 p.m. parade in an honorary princess procession. She will be accompanied by banner carriers, coachmen and Cinderella's adorable mice, Suzy and Perla. The honorary princess will also be invited to a private meeting with Cinderella herself. And, of course, she will receive a copy of "Cinderella" on DVD. "Cinderella" goes on sale Oct. 4 as a Buena Vista Home Entertainment two-disc Platinum Edition digitally restored DVD with bonus features and enhanced picture and sound. Unavailable in any form for almost 10 years, "Cinderella" is the sixth release in Disney's celebrated "Platinum Edition" line. Among the bonuses: an all-new DVD-ROM feature, "The Royal Life," which allows participants to scan their picture and become part of a fairy tale world that they can create. |
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Walt
Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner steps down after 21 years
defined by successes, turmoil
Michael Eisner, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, ended a 21-year term Friday as leader of the entertainment giant. Eisner has presided over one of the biggest growth periods of the Walt Disney Company and is certainly one of the most influential people in the history of the entertainment company. Facing pressure to step down, Eisner had declared that he would leave his post on September 30, 2005, a year earlier than he had planned. Michael Eisner has been celebrated for both his early creative expansion as well as criticized for his later reactionary reluctance. A major figure in the growing concept of the “celebrity CEO,” Eisner expanded an animation company with a few theme parks into an entertainment powerhouse with a diverse portfolio including television networks, Broadway productions, cruise ships, and an internet group. Eisner oversaw a new golden age of the animated musical with hits such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. He also expanded the Disney theme park franchise around the world, including Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened earlier this month. He also added hotels and more theme parks, creating multi-day resort destinations. However, in recent years, Eisner has been criticized for his new reluctance to spend too much on new creative ventures and risks, preferring to stay with well-established and guaranteed revenue streams, such as direct-to-video sequels, which are profitable and cheaper to make, or less-developed theme parks such as Disney’s California’s Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney Studios in Disneyland Resort Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. All of those parks have been criticized for having too few attractions, with some being off-the-shelf or mere reproductions of other parks’ rides instead of the well-themed and new experiences Disney theme parks had become famous for. Eisner has also had public spats with leaders of Miramax and Pixar, fracturing or ending lucrative partnerships due to personal differences. The Disney CEO even faced a crisis in his
own position when dissident shareholders Roy Disney and
Stanley Gold launched the Save Disney campaign to oust
Eisner from the Walt Disney Company. The movement raised
much publicity, but Eisner’s declaration that he would
step down rendered the Save Disney movement no longer
relevant and Disney and Gold reconciled with the Walt Disney
Company. Bob Iger now takes over the Walt Disney Company as CEO, and although Iger was hand-picked by Eisner, analysts and critics are encouraged by a new leader with a new style to take the Walt Disney Company into the coming years. |
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How
Eisner saved the Magic Kingdom
An initial meeting with Michael Eisner can be instant seduction. It was that way for me when I first met him 15 years ago. We were having breakfast at the Bel-Air Hotel, a ritzy Los Angeles stopover for stars and big-money execs. It's not far from where Eisner, his wife, Jane, and their three sons lived. Eisner arrived late for that first meeting (which I would later learn was his custom), hair still wet (we both had plenty more of it back then), explaining that he had worked with one of his sons that morning on a school project. It was clear to me that he was a family guy, and he seemed ideally suited to run the company to which Americans entrusted their children's entertainment. And for much of his early years at Disney, he did that with a flair that might have made old Walt proud. But as he leaves his job as CEO of the Mouse House on Oct. 1, ending a 21-year tenure — sometimes successful, often stormy — as Hollywood's most recognized mogul, it's hard to remember him as the self-deprecating dad he was back then. Instead, there's the embattled CEO who infuriated shareholders some 18 months ago in Philadelphia, when 45 percent of them voted against him remaining chairman of the company he had headed since 1984. Lost on the protesters who rallied with dissident former board member Roy Disney on that chilly March day was the memory of the Michael Eisner who had saved an American institution. Dream team Today, Disney is a giant, and last year it earned $2.3 billion, on revenues of $30.7 billion. On Eisner's watch, the outfit opened theme parks in Paris and Hong Kong, expanded its parks in Orlando and Anaheim, and once again made movies that folks wanted to see. Disney revived its near-moribund animation studio, bought a TV network, and became the most powerful company in sports programming, thanks to ESPN. Eisner didn't do it alone. He was part of a Hollywood Dream Team. There was former Warner Bros. President Frank Wells, a craggy, sometimes absent-minded lawyer who could doze off during a lengthy discussion but was the glue that held the Mouse House together. Studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg helped Eisner resurrect the company's animation unit with the tirelessness of a man who slept only five hours a night and famously told employees that "if you don't want to work Saturdays, don't bother coming in on Sunday." Gary Wilson came from Marriott and brilliantly financed Disney's film and theme-park expansion. Fairy tale sours But every letter hit on the same theme: Disney was a creative company. And Eisner was clearly its creative leader, working tirelessly to make the company's films, TV shows, and theme-park rides the best they could be. He got sick, he once told me, from riding the newly designed Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland so often. Life isn't a Disney fairy tale, and the Eisner sheen didn't last. The animated flicks started flopping in the late '90s, ABC struggled, and terrorism and economic woes took their toll on parks here and in Paris. Top executives started leaving the company in droves. And Eisner was seen less as Disney's knight in shining armor and more as Grumpy, caustic to those with whom he disagreed and deceptive even with people who regarded him as a friend. Midget ire And Eisner never seemed to get over his pillorying by the press after Katzenberg's departure. That saga played out in the media like a Shakespearean tragedy, right up to when Katzenberg successfully sued in 1999 for the money he said Disney cheated him out of. "I was the cheerleader, he was the tip of the pom-pom," Eisner told his ghostwriter, Tony Schwartz, according to Schwartz's notes read at the trial. It also came out at the trial that Eisner said "I think I hate the little midget" to Schwartz, referring to the diminutive Katzenberg. That was the height of Eisner's darkest period. Through much of his final decade at Disney, the CEO was under siege for a series of corporate failures that seemed to be magnified because of his celebrity and Disney's larger-than-life place in Americana. When Disney made R-rated movies, the Religious Right protested. It made the same mistake as other media concerns — investing too early in the Internet — but Disney's $820 million write-off for its Go network in 2001 became the talk of Hollywood. Battle-weary Still, there's no getting around the numbers. Disney's stock price, despite a nice runup earlier this year, is still around where it was in 1997. When Comcast made a run at Disney in 2004, Eisner had the look of a defeated executive. "I have had better days," a bleary-eyed Eisner told several of us reporters at an analysts' conference in Orlando the morning the Comcast offer was announced. In time, Disney beat back Comcast, but it hardly mattered. A few weeks earlier, shareholders had rebuffed Eisner at the company's annual meeting (ironically in Comcast's home city of Philadelphia), withholding so many votes that it was clear support for his chairmanship had waned. (A drained Eisner forgot to announce the final tally, bringing even more attention to the embarrassing vote.) Later that night, the Disney board stripped him of the chairman title, and a few months later, he announced that he would step down in a year. On the mend But in the most recent interview we did, three years ago, he was cold and distant. Gone was the boyish exec at the Bel-Air Hotel who talked of his family and joked easily. He sat stiffly in a chair in his office at the Team Disney building and was in defense mode. He reminded me that Disney had spent billions to rebuild its theme parks and launch a cruise line and that was why earnings were depressed. "This is a company built on some of the strongest brands anywhere, and we will show everyone that again," he told me then. True enough. The company again looks strong. ABC is on a roll. Folks are lining up outside the theme parks. Overall, earnings are up by 24 percent through the first nine months of its fiscal year. Eisner is turning over a company on the mend to Bob Iger, his hand-picked successor. The company isn't planning a large send-off for Eisner. He's expected to write a simple farewell note to Disney employees. It's a shame: The man who rebuilt Walt's company will be remembered more for his controversies than for saving an American institution. |
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