LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- A new "star" was recently born at Disney-MGM Studios when the quick-service nook known for years as Starring Rolls Bakery re-opened with a new look, an expanded menu and a new name to reflect the additional offerings.

Starring Rolls Café features sandwiches and salads plus pastries, desserts, gourmet chocolates and a house-blend coffee that is roasted on-site. House-made sandwiches -- including roast tenderloin, turkey on focaccia, vegetarian on flatbread and smoked salmon on a bagel -- are offered along with the signature salad of The Brown Derby restaurant at Disney-MGM Studios, the world-famous Cobb salad.

The Cobb salad, a mouth-watering blend of chopped lettuce, watercress, bacon, chicken, cheese, egg, avocado and more, is the most popular salad ordered by guests anywhere at Walt Disney World Resort. Chefs at the adjacent Brown Derby restaurant hand-prepare the Cobbs, which are served in a smaller portion size at the new Starring Rolls Café.

Pastry Chef Isaac Tamada, who also served on the opening team at Kona Café at Disney's Polynesian Resort, has created a palette of handmade and handcrafted chocolates, pastries and "mini-desserts" such as tiramisu and flourless chocolate cake.

Menu items vary in price from $.99 (mini-pastries) to $8.99 (tenderloin sandwich platter).

Animal Kingdom--Dinosaur has reopened after its rehab ahead of schedule. Apart from general rehab work, the exterior Fastpass queue and distribution has had a change around. The exterior garden area is now serving as part of the queuing system.

It's called "Walt Disney on the Front Lines: The War Years" and is the latest in a "Walt Disney Treasures" series of uncut and restored vintage films, issued in a limited number of tin boxes.

The two-DVD set contains cartoons of Donald Duck getting drafted and trying to pitch a tent; the Seven Dwarfs buying war bonds with their diamonds; clips from military training films never seen by the general public; and most interestingly, the feature "Victory Through Air Power," a politically charged film that argued for a much greater investment in American air power.

Leonard Maltin, a self-professed Disney fan, TV host and author of various film books, oversees the Disney Treasure series and said the company resisted for years releasing its wartime work.

"They were worried about offending someone, that it might be inappropriate to show it under the family brand," he said.

But the special series offered a way to package the films aimed at collectors and film aficionados, even though some of the cartoons will be as entertaining to today's youngsters as those of 60 years ago.

"What we didn't anticipate when we started working on this was that there would be resonance from this day's world activities," Maltin said. "What we find interesting is, it seems every time we go to war or have a skirmish or a conflict, we tend to demonize our enemy. This is part of human nature. If you're fighting someone, you turn him into the enemy, a villain, and caricature or ridicule is one way to do it."

Also released for the first time on DVD are several TV programs about the American space effort, originally broadcast on the "Disneyland" anthology show in the 1950s.

Maltin, 53, grew up on Disney TV fare and said the shows gained an enormous viewership in the days of limited TV choice and even caught the eye of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

"It's almost impossible to measure the impact these shows must have had on the public's consciousness and awareness," Maltin said, "and the possibility of and the benefits from space travel."

The double-DVD package "Walt Disney's Tomorrowland" includes shows on space, the moon, Mars and satellites, all with entertaining segments as well as history and scientific speculation on interplanetary travel.

Perhaps bravely, Disney also included "Our Friend the Atom," an optimistic look at peaceful uses for atomic power without reference to any of the environmental downsides we know so well today.

As he does on all the Disney Treasures discs, Maltin offers commentary and context into the current thinking that the atom isn't the energy panacea many Americans were told 50 years ago.

Also a nonstarter of sorts was Walt Disney's original vision for Disney World in Florida. His promotional film, unavailable to general audiences until now in the "Tomorrowland" set, sketched out an "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" where the latest in urban design and construction materials were to be showcased in a city of 20,000.

After Disney died in 1966, Disney's corporate heirs recast EPCOT into a permanent world's fair of corporate and international pavilions.

Two other entries in this latest release cover Mickey Mouse's later color cartoons and featurettes, and Donald Duck cartoons from 1934 to 1941. Some have been generally available on video, but all of have been restored to their pristine state.

One treat is the collection of Mickey Mouse introductions to the daily "Mickey Mouse Club" TV segments. Maltin hinted that a future Disney Treasures release will focus on the MM Club – a project he said he is keen to get his hands on.

The Disney Treasures sets, only on DVD, retail for $33.99 each but are widely available at discounted prices. So far, the series has included two sets of early Mickey Mouse cartoons, one on Goofy; a collection of "Silly Symphony" cartoons; the "Davy Crockett" TV shows from the 1950s; various shows and documentaries on Disneyland; and "Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studios," a set of films and TV shows over the years.

On all the DVDs, besides Maltin's commentary, there are additional treats, such as still photos, sketches, interviews with animators and Disney executives and "Easter eggs" of hidden features found by clicking on certain elements in the setup screen.

Maltin said the Disney Treasures series has been renewed for another year.

"I've had the time of my life for the last three years working on the discs," he said.

"I feel like I knew Walt Disney. I grew up with the 'Disneyland' show and 'Mickey Mouse Club.' People who only know the name Disney as a corporate name don't really have that connection to Walt Disney. I did because I watched him every week (as host of 'Disneyland'). That had a lot to do with my becoming a movie buff, an animation buff."

The meeting today by top Disney executives has several goals, including giving a glimpse of the company's future business strategies and detail the economic benefits of the entertainment company's various operations in a 2004 world economic-impact report.

Central Florida is the home of Walt Disney World, one of the world's most popular vacation destinations and major component of Florida's tourism industry.

Meeting at Walt Disney World to officially unveil its newest resort, Disney Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Al Weiss, president of Disney World Resort, said the company would not open its gates "if we didn't feel it was safe for our guests or cast members."

Weiss and other Disney executives also said they are optimistic about the Central Florida tourism industry heading into the summer vacation season.

"Tourism recovery is happening," Weiss said. "Summer looks very strong."

Weiss noted record passenger loads at Orlando International Airport in March as evidence of the area's tourism rebound. The 2.93 million passengers passing through the airport was the busiest month since March 2001, when 2.91 million passengers used the airport.

Tricia Kearns, spokeswoman for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc., said a 2002 study put together by the visitors bureau showed 71 percent of domestic tourists to the Orlando area visited at least one of the area's theme parks, including those operated by Disney or its competitors.

Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is the fifth Disney Vacation Club to be built at Walt Disney World. Disney announced plans for Saratoga Springs Resort, which includes 184 vacation homes, more than two years ago.

The resort is themed in Victorian architecture with the historic influence of horse racing. The lakeside community recaptures the heyday of upstate New York country retreats in the late 1800s.

For three performances a day, every day, the Pioneer Hall Players, better known as The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, show up for work at Pioneer Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

Since June 1974, that adds up to more than 28,000 performances, which has to be a record of some sorts, certainly for a dinner theater production in the state of Florida.

Through the years there have been literally dozens of men and women who have played Dolly, Flora, Jim Handy, Johnny Ringo, Six Bits and Clair, the six characters who make up the Pioneer Hall Players.

And once a Pioneer Hall Player, apparently, always a Pioneer Player.

As the Hoop-De-Doo Revue nears its 30th birthday event, Disney officials gathered up a few of the original players to view a performance of the ever-popular Western vaudeville-style show.

And that means plenty of reminiscing and singing along.

“Our guests just come back time after time to see the show,” said Gene Columbus, a former production stage manager with the revue starting back in 1977.

The revue actually got its start as a college workshop summer production, but proved to be so popular that a permanent professional cast began performing the show in September of 1974.

“The audiences just love the characters, and I believe the actors feel the same way” about the roles they play. “It’s hard to find an actor who didn’t love the show.”

Maybe one of the things that makes a couple from Ohio who saw the show 10 years ago on their honeymoon and return for their anniversary is its continuity.

The more the world changes, the more the Hoop-De-Doo show remains the same.

Maybe the price has gone up over the past 30 years — a newspaper article reviewing the show in 1976, commented that the adult ticket priced at $12.50 was a bit expensive, “you do get fed and feted right,” — there is a lot of comfort in the familiar down home humor and music, served up along with all those spare ribs, fried chicken, corn and baked beans, and that strawberry shortcake.

The dinner show, including tax and gratuity, is now $49.01 for adults, ages 12 and up, but that doesn’t stop the show from being sold out daily. Indeed, reservations are required.

Sitting at a table full of former Hoop-Dee-Doo performers is not unlike attending a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Everyone knows the words to every song, along with all that corny, homespun dialogue.

“The show has changed somewhat through the years, but it really hasn’t strayed that much,” said Patty Kalber, who played Dolly from 1983-89 and is now an entertainment manager at Epcot.

Kalber, who is also a veteran of the old Diamond Horseshoe Revue over at the Magic Kingdom, said being a part of the Hoop-Dee-Doo ensemble, was something she always wanted to do, and like her fellow former Pioneer Players, she still misses those performances.

Both on-stage and off, just about everyone associated with the show is part of one big family.

“Even the service staff feels the same way,” said Kalber, who was greeted time and time again with hugs and smiles as more food was brought to the table. “Some of them have been here for 25-30 years.”

“People who come back year after year, usually look for the same server,” said Wayne Gagne, who performed Jim Handy in the 1970s, moved to California, only to return for another stint with the show 1981-86.

If anyone should be familiar with the show, it would be Gagne, who also worked as stage manager. And even though the years have passed, he still seemed to know every line and routine from the show. So he wasn’t all that surprised when he was singled out by Dolly early in the show as the object of her flirtation and sweetly called him Wayne at tableside.

What Gagne forgot, though, is that the bit has a closure at the end, and the entertainer, who is still an entertainment team leader at Disney, was immersed in conversation at the table when Dolly purrs up on stage that what she really wants is Wayne.

Gagne looked up in horror and said his own name in unison with Dolly.

Dolly immediately came running down from the stage, with bright spotlight in pursuit, and planted a big kiss on the former performer.

“I can’t believe I forgot about that,” said the red-faced Gagne, “but actually, it was kind of fun.”

And fun is what the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue has been excelling in for the past 30 years. The cast really has a good time putting on the show, and it rubs off onto the audience.

“I really miss the feeling of family with the cast and the audience,” said Gagne. “And the ribs. I miss the ribs.”

There will be a special private midnight performance of the Hoop-De-Doo Revue on June 14 marking the 30th anniversary of the show. The cast will include many of the original performers from the show, and the audience as well will be made up of former members of the Pioneer Hall Performers.

Daily showtimes are 5, 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. For reservations call 407-WDW-DINE.

"The unproven writing and graphics quality of Disney's work with computer-guided-image animation may have an unintentional 'contagion' impact since consumers may subconsciously associate these films as Pixar product," Reif Cohen said in a report issued Thursday. "In addition, too many releases may fatigue CGI's scarcity value, which has created consumer intrigue for this 'event' animation format."

Reif Cohen's comments mirror those made by Pixar CEO Steve Jobs (news - web sites) in recent months. Addressing the issue of Disney-produced sequels during his company's fourth-quarter earnings call in February, Jobs was blunt about his feelings on the subject.

"We feel sick about Disney doing sequels because if you look at the quality of their sequels ... it's been pretty embarrassing," Jobs said, citing such examples as Disney's recent sequels to "Peter Pan" and "The Lion King."

As much as Jobs dislikes them, such sequels have been major hits for Disney, which has generated more than $1 billion in cash flow to date from direct-to-video releases. Reif Cohen estimates that Pixar would receive an 8% royalty fee from Disney on such releases, while Disney would keep the lion's share of the profits.

Reif Cohen said Disney is looking to turn out these sequels in hopes to in some degree replicate the 'Shrek 2' phenomenon. The DreamWorks-produced sequel to "Shrek" has broken several box office records since being released last week.

"[The books are] about five teenage girls (ages 13-14) who practice witchcraft. Disney is not only selling witchcraft, they are selling lust and astrology – to children! Look at the way they have them dressed!" shouts the site.

According to a statement from Disney Publishing Worldwide, the book series was introduced in the U.S. last month after years of success in other nations.

"Since W.I.T.C.H. was first introduced in Italy in 2001, we have experienced an unprecedented global response to the characters and the concept," said Robert Iger, president and COO of The Walt Disney Company. "W.I.T.C.H. is a great example of Disney's ability to create and launch exciting properties in different parts of the world and by the many talented people at Disney's different divisions. Its expansion into the world's largest market through multiple business units of the company should ensure duplicating the success it has seen around the world."

The nine-book series is patterned after "the fastest growing girls' comic magazine in the world, published monthly in over 64 markets and in 27 languages," Disney says.

The name W.I.T.C.H. is comprised of the first initials of the five girls who are "ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret – they each have the power to control a natural element."

Said the Disney statement: "Will controls energy, Irma commands water, Taranee has power over fire, Cornelia controls earth, and Hay Lin dominates air. The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds."

The critical site, ac18.org, claims the books "no doubt will begin a gradual progression toward the occult practice for some young people. Satan wants nothing more than for a person's life to be filled with things that appear to have meaning, but in the end have none and keep a person from tasting the truth. He tries to use a world filled with illusions and fantasies … to fill our lives with things that only deceive and bear no fruit."

On the W.I.T.C.H. website, each of the five girls has a page with a bulletin board that provides information about them. Among other things, each board contains a sign announcing that person's astrological sign.

Disney claims 50 fan websites have begun in response to the "W.I.T.C.H. phenomenon," and that a major consumer-products campaign is under way to respond to "tweens … clamoring for more W.I.T.C.H."

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At Walt Disney World

Friday
4 p.m.
1) Backdoor to the Future

Your hotel room at a Disney resort comes with a parking pass. Make good use of it by driving to the Beach Club Resort. Then it's just a five-minute walk through Epcot's backdoor, the International Gateway, to the heart of the park. In the northeast corner of the Future World section are two of Disney's most popular thrill rides: Test Track and Mission: Space. Depending on which attraction still has Fastpasses (by 4:20 on a recent Friday afternoon the ones for Test Track were gone, while Mission: Space had slots starting at about 7), get a Fastpass for one and get in line for the other. Either way, expect to wait more than an hour for a five-minute ride. At Test Track, where you're supposedly testing out a new model for G.M., you'll spend most of that time listening to head-banging assembly-line percussion punctuated by a near constant whoosh! from overhead — which will soon be you, roaring around the steeply banked outdoor curve of the track in your test car, screaming with joy.

6 p.m.
2) What's Cooler Than Cool?

To kill some time before your Fastpass comes up, head across the Epcot plaza to the Imagination building. Each of Disney World's parks has its own 3-D show, and Epcot's "Honey I Shrunk the Audience," with Rick Moranis reprising his movie role as the inept inventor Wayne Szalinski, is fairly mild (though you'll want to watch out for the sneezing dog). On your way to "Honey," make a quick detour through Ice Station Cool, a lumpish igloo near the Innoventions West building. Inside is an unexpectedly child-pleasing walk-in fridge with free samples of Coca-Cola brands from around the world, including VegitaBeta from Japan, Krest ginger ale from Mozambique and the acutely medicinal Lychee Mello from Thailand. On your way out of "Honey" make time for the dancing fountains nearby. And when you finally do get on Mission: Space, heed the advice of a father dropping his sons off for their second ride: "Look straight ahead and don't shut your eyes."

8 p.m.
3) Fill Up and Wind Down

The tacos al carbon ($6.99) and combo platters (a chicken taco, a beef burrito and a quesadilla; $7.49) are only passable at the Cantina de San Angel, but a bracing frozen margarita ($7.25) should help clear the space whirl in your head. After dinner at one of the Cantina's outdoor tables, get another margarita to sip as you stroll back toward the International Gateway bridge, a perfect spot for taking in the 12-minute IllumiNations spectacular that lights up the sky with lasers, fireworks and a giant floating globe. Even better, as soon as Kellie Coffey stops singing "We Go On," you can scoot back to your car and be home within minutes, while everyone else is still waiting for the parking lot tram.

Saturday
8 a.m.
4) Glass-Slipper Special

If you think getting a reservation at Chez Panisse is hard, you haven't tried breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom, the holy grail of character breakfasts (call exactly 90 days in advance at 7 a.m. Eastern time, credit card in hand; spots are usually gone by 7:15). Easier to land is a priority seating at the Crystal Palace restaurant, below, also in the Magic

Kingdom, where Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and friends make the rounds of the tables. (If it's princesses or bust in your household, try the Princess Storybook Breakfast at Restaurant Akershus in Epcot's Norwegian castle.) The extensive buffets run from the staggering breakfast lasagne (a concoction involving pancakes, waffles, pound cake, pastry cream and fruit) to granola and yogurt; Mickey-shaped pancakes are cooked to order (children, $8.99; adults, $16.99). Book for as close to 8 o'clock as possible. You need to be at "rope drop" — the park's official opening — by 9.

9 a.m.
5) Head for the Mountain

On top of many Disney must lists is Space Mountain, a rocket ride in the dark filled with quick turns and unexpected drops. If you're game, cut across Main Street U.S.A. toward Tomorrowland, above, and join the crowd waiting for the rope-drop stampede. Then send one of your group to Space Mountain to get Fastpasses while the rest of you get in line for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. This ride-through arcade game — you're helping Buzz fight the evil emperor Zurg — is far more fun than it ought to be for anyone over 6. By the time you can get on Space Mountain, you'll have been able to ride Buzz twice, not to mention take a spin on the Astro Orbiter and maybe even the Indy Speedway.

10:30 a.m.
6) Twin Peaks

Remember, your children won't know what they're missing if you don't tell them. So avoid Mickey's Toontown Fair and cut back across Main Street to Frontierland, where two more mountains beckon: The Old West-themed roller coaster Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain, above, a water flume ride with a Br'er Rabbit storyline and one big, wet drop. They're right next to each other, so Fastpass one and get in line for the other.

Noon
7) Hunny Pots and Teacups

By this point you've done the Magic Kingdom's major thrill rides, so head over to the tamer attractions of Fantasyland, including old favorites like the spinning teacups of the Mad Tea Party, Cinderella's elegant Golden Carrousel and the singing dolls of "it's a small world," if you must. One of the mysteries of childhood is just how enthralling these can be for the same child who loved Mission: Space. Fastpass what you can — Peter Pan's Flight, "Mickey's PhilharMagic" (the Kingdom's 3-D show featuring the mouse as maestro) and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (you ride a hunny pot past scenes from the Pooh movies) and wait where you have to.

2 p.m.
8) In the Swim

The line for Dumbo is more than an hour, the people behind you are eating Vienna sausages straight from the can and your son won't stop harping on the toy Zurg you refused to buy hours ago. It's time for a break. Depending on where you're staying, take a boat or the monorail, below, back to your hotel for some time by the pool. At the Wilderness Lodge, the Silver Creek Springs

Pool can become noisy and crowded, but its spouting geyser, twisting water slide and pair of spas make up for the crowds.

5:30 p.m.
9) Flying With Elephants

The Florida sun and toddler meltdowns will have thinned the crowd a bit, making another sortie through the Magic Kingdom seem less daunting. If you can, get into Pirates of the Caribbean or the Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Adventureland, or, failing that, grab a Fastpass to ride one of the doom buggies in the Haunted Mansion. While you're waiting for your time slot, give in and get in line for Dumbo: A late afternoon spin in the flying elephants, with sunlight glinting

off the medieval roofs of Fantasyland and a view of the ducks paddling in Ariel's Lagoon, is a lovely way to end your day.

8:30 p.m.
10) Cafe Societyland

No one will blame you — really — if you park your children at the kids club and sneak out for an adult dinner. On the top floor of the Contemporary Resort, the California Grill is the Disney version of a hip Los Angeles restaurant, complete with a sushi bar, a "market-inspired" menu and an extensive list of California wines, many offered by the glass. It's all as ersatz as everything else at Disney, and you don't usually find children sleeping in strollers at Matsuhisa. What's not fake is the view of the Magic Kingdom, making this spot a major draw for the 9 p.m. fireworks display. The sushi appetizer of yellowfin tuna three ways (poki, tartar and tataki) is an intriguing combination of tastes ($18.75), and the halibut steamed in a banana leaf is moist ($28), though the molten chocolate cake wasn't the least bit lava-like. But with a glass of Mer Soleil chardonnay ($19.75; a bottle is $79) in hand, and light filling the sky over Cinderella's Castle, do you really care?

Sunday
9 a.m.
11) Good Morning, Hippo

Many critics complain that there's not enough to do at Disney's newest park, the Animal Kingdom, but that means you can squeeze it into Sunday morning. Arrive a little before the gates open at 9 (the Rainforest Cafe by the front gate starts serving at 8:30), then head straight to the park's biggest attraction: Kilimanjaro Safaris, the Disney version of a trip to the East African savanna, featuring a drive-through photo safari with a tacked-on story line (you're supposedly chasing some poachers). Tune out the plot and concentrate on the up-close views of giraffes, lions, crocodiles and hippos in extraordinarily realistic habitats.

10:30 a.m.
12) Switch Continents

For even more intimate views of animals, head to the park's Asia section and the Maharajah Jungle Trek, which winds through what Disney calls the Anandapur Royal Forest. The main attraction is the group of Bengal tigers that lounge regally among the picture-perfect ruins of a jungle palace (the giant fruit bats and Komodo dragons are pretty neat, too). On your way out, check out the Fastpass situation at the Kali River Rapids — by now, the return times will probably be about 1 o'clock. Take one.

11 a.m.
13) Prehistoric Pleasures

Walk east out of Asia and over the bridge — it's so new, it isn't even on Disney's maps yet — to DinoLand U.S.A. On the way, you'll pass what's likely to be the park's next big attraction, Expedition Everest, under construction. DinoLand is a kitschy recreation of a summer carnival, complete with arcade games. Ride the TriceraTop Spin (think Dumbo with dinosaurs) but be forewarned: the animatronic Dinosaur ride is too intense for some children. ("Mom, are we going to do that again?" asked one 5-year-old nervously on the way out.) Much gentler is the Boneyard, a themed playground where children can climb, slide or dig for dinosaur bones in a giant sand pit, while parents relax and listen to cleverly chosen dino rock, from "I'm a Little Dinosaur" by Jonathan Richman to "Alley-Oop" by the Hollywood Argyles.

Noon
14) Lunch in the Shade

On your way to lunch snag a Fastpass for the "It's Tough to Be a Bug" 3-D show, which has Flik and Hopper from "A Bug's Life" doing battle (a little too fiercely for some children). Depending on the time, you may be able to fit it in just after lunch. Then grab a table on one of the patios behind the Flame Tree Barbecue. While the food — pulled-pork sandwiches ($6.79), grilled chicken salads ($6.99), barbecued ribs ($8.49) — doesn't quite live up to the smells wafting through the park, the cool, leaf-dappled shade is welcome.

1 p.m.
15) Take the Plunge

The people donning plastic garbage bags should be your first hint: On Kali River Rapids you will get wet. This faux whitewater rapids ride (you're floating in a 12-person rubber raft) takes you past artfully decaying temple ruins and spouting fountains and through a clearing where voracious loggers have devastated the scenery (the ubiquitous Disney plot working overtime). Depending on where you are sitting, when you tip over the edge of Kali's big cataract, brace yourself for a deluge. You can change in the car.

Visiting Disneyworld

Orlando International Airport is 20 miles from Walt Disney World. You'll need to rent a car. From the airport take the south exit to Route 417S to the Osceola Parkway West (Exit 3) to the Walt Disney World exits.

Doing Disney World quickly means staying at one of the so-called on-campus resorts that have easy access to the Magic Kingdom. The Victorian-style Grand Floridian is perhaps the most luxurious of Disney's hotels, and it looks across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom (reachable by monorail or boat). Its 867 rooms are $339 to $840 a night.

The Wilderness Lodge, above, was built to resemble the great national park lodges of the American West, with added Disney touches like an artificial geyser and a bubbling hot spring. The rooms, $199 to $475, tend to be small. Boat service to the Magic Kingdom starts a half hour before the park opens, before then, take the boat to the Contemporary Resort and walk to the park.

Farther away, but also a boat ride from the Magic Kingdom is the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, which has 784 campsites (from $36 to $86 a night) as well as 409 air-conditioned cabins that sleep up to six people ($229 to $329). There's a nightly campfire and marshmallow roast with Disney characters, as well as a Disney movie shown outdoors.

Length-of-stay tickets give you unlimited access to the parks from the time of check-in through the day of check-out (you have to stay at a Disney resort). Two-night, three-day passes are $161 each for those 10 and over; $129 each for children aged 3 to 9.

Disney's also announced that resort membership sales were so brisk that plans have been put forward to expand the property by another 276 units

Top Disney executives plan to release a 2004 world economic-impact report, showing the economic benefits of the entertainment company's various operations.

Scheduled to make comments at today's event are Walt Disney Parks & Resorts President Jay Rasulo and Walt Disney World Resort President Al Weiss.

Central Florida is the home of Walt Disney World, one of the world's most popular vacation destinations and major component of Florida's tourism industry.

Tricia Kearns, spokeswoman for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc., said she couldn't estimate how much a new Disney resort might boost tourism in the area.

However, she said a 2002 study put together by the visitors bureau showed 71 percent of domestic tourists to the Orlando area visited at least one of the area's theme parks, including those operated by Disney or its competitors.

Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is the fifth Disney Vacation Club to be built at Walt Disney World. Disney announced plans for Saratoga Springs Resort, which includes 184 vacation homes, more than two years ago.

The resort is themed in Victorian architecture with the historic influence of horse racing.

The lakeside community recaptures the heyday of upstate New York country retreats in the late 1800s.

Downtown Disney changes: In another development, visitors to Downtown Disney now will be able to enter Pleasure Island for free after dark.

In what is expected to be a three-month test, the $21.84 admission fee will be waived. However, if guests go into any of Pleasure Island's eight nightclubs, they will be charged.

"This is a test," said Rena Langley, a Disney spokeswoman. "This kicked off on Sunday, where we're allowing guests to walk into the Pleasure Island area without paying to enter."

Pleasure Island separates Downtown Disney's Marketplace area from the West Side.

"It allows guests to walk from the Marketplace, which is the Downtown Disney shopping district, to the west side of Downtown Disney, where there are movie theatres, Cirque du Soleil and House of Blues," Langley said. "This allows people to walk through Pleasure Island."

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Animatronic Stitch for Walt Disney World

Here is a picture of Disney's Animatronic Stitch that will be used at Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. 
The attraction is currently under construction and Slated to be open late 2004.  Here you see a Disney Imagineer putting the final touches on one of the Stitch animatronics.

  

The Good ‘Ole Days: Lilo & Stitch and Mulan showed what Florida had to offer. © Disney Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.

Disney Orlando employees had heard about the troubles at Disney’s worldwide feature animation operations, including massive layoffs in California and at the company’s Paris- and Canada-based studios. Closer to home, they had taken pay cuts and seen smaller layoffs of Orlando workers. But many believed that Orlando would be exempt from any large upheaval because of its strong track record since it was established in 1989.

Orlando had begun as a satellite operation with between 50 and 100 animators, working on Roger Rabbit shorts including Rollercoaster Rabbit. After successfully completing portions of Beauty and the Beast, among other feature projects, the studio built a reputation for quality and was able to pitch Florida-developed projects, such as Mulan and Lilo & Stitch, to the studio. By 1998, the Orlando animators, which numbered 400 at peak times, had their own four-story building and seemed to be going from success to success.

It was this history that made the closure so surprising. At a minimum, animators thought they had until the completion of A Few Good Ghosts (a.k.a. My Peoples), at least a year away, before any significant cuts would occur. Even then, the generally accepted worst-case scenario was that Disney Orlando would be reduced to a satellite capacity of 40 to 50 people, like it had been in the early days. Virtually no one thought the studio would be shuttered completely.

The biggest shock came a month prior to the closure, when Disney announced it was ending production on A Few Good Ghosts. While the company cited creative problems as the reason, Orlando animators point out that other films, like The Emperor’s New Groove, had faced more significant challenges but the studio had invested what was needed to overcome the difficulties and finish the film. The new regime at feature animation, however, with David Stainton replacing Tom Schumacher as the division’s president, supported an altered strategy, animators say.

The stoppage of A Few Good Ghosts came without warning. “That was upsetting and disheartening,” said Tom Bancroft, a former Disney and Big Idea animator and now a partner in Funnypages Productions, which is relocating from Orlando to Franklin, Tennessee.

After production on A Few Good Ghosts ended, the studio took a month to ponder the future of Orlando. When the decision finally came, “it was a surprise and it wasn’t a surprise,” said Rob Corley, Bancroft’s partner at Funnypages, who was working on My Peoples/A Few Good Ghosts. “Many people were expecting that after My Peoples, that would be it.”

“It’s a culture shock,” says Jeffrey Varab, founder of Genesis Orlando, a nearly four-year-old 3D studio that has hired and trained some former Disney employees. “There’s sort of a pseudo-security when you’re at a studio.” He notes that while there are always ups and downs in animation, people who joined the industry within the last 10 years caught a rising wave and are adjusting to the new realities of the marketplace. 

Florida animators found it frustrating when Disney wouldn’t rise to overcome creative problems with A Few Good Ghosts as it had for Emperor’s New Groove. © Walt Disney Pictures. All rights reserved.

New Directions
Disney kept staffers on salary for three months after the closing, opening up the editorial department and archives so employees could update their reels, and selling equipment ranging from desks to LunchBox systems (for pencil tests) to animators at a significant discount. Recruiters from studios such as Pixar, ILM, DreamWorks and CORE Animation of Canada immediately came to Orlando. “It was like buying a Disney animator cheap,” said Bancroft.

“A Disney-seasoned veteran is a pretty prime opportunity for a studio,” says Corley. “It’s not just about the talent and the classical training, but about a professional production mentality.”

“A lot of people are leaving, which is sad,” Corley continues, adding that many of those who have decided to stay in Florida for personal reasons are finding jobs outside animation. Clean-up artists, in particular, have limited animation experience and, with 2D on a downtrend, “their choices are really limited as far as animation goes.”

According to several animators, Disney offered a select number of supervisors and tech people one-year positions in L.A., without a guarantee of future work and often without paying moving expenses. Many took the company up on the offer since they saw more opportunities in California, no matter what happened at the end of the year. “If one project dies, you can rest assured there will be others,” Corley says.

Even after 15 years, Disney remained one of the few games in town for animation. There are several small commercial 2D and 3D houses in Orlando doing animation and storyboarding, and Electronic Arts’ Tiburon Studios in nearby Maitland is a successful developer of interactive game franchises such as Madden Football and NCAA Football.

Genesis Orlando, founded by Varab, an ex-Disney supervising animator, is committed to CG animation. While working on Eight Crazy Nights, Varab says, “I realized then that the traditional market just seemed to be getting slammed left and right.” Prices were declining and demand wasn’t there. So he decided to focus on 3D production.

 

Jeffrey Varab founded Genesis Orlando, which recently struck a marketing and licensing deal with Chrysler’s Jeep for original property Tugger, the Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly. © Genesis Orlando Inc.

Genesis has been doing subcontract jobs for Burlington International and other clients while developing proprietary properties over the last three-plus years. It is currently launching several in-house-developed projects through deals with corporate marketers. “You have to apply some marketing ingenuity when approaching a market with an idea,” Varab explains. “You need brand recognition, even with a new character.” Genesis, which has grown from a staff of three to almost 30, recently announced a marketing and licensing deal with Chrysler’s Jeep division for Tugger, the Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly, an original Genesis property, and with the Build-a-Bear Workshop for a CG-animated feature film for late 2005, among other alliances.

Studio Start-Ups
Several studios have risen in the months following the end of Disney Orlando. Many were in the planning stages prior to Disney’s announcement, but circumstances accelerated the timing.

One of these new ventures is Project Firefly Animation Studios, which launched in March as a 2D and 3D house based at Universal Studios Florida. It was scheduled to open after the cofounders’ contracts with Disney expired in about a year. “We were forced to act more quickly,” says president Dominic Carola. “We knew we wouldn’t have this chance again to follow our dream.” Firefly’s other cofounders are Paulo Alvarado, Gregg Azzopardi, John Webber, and director of business development and finance Glen Gagnon.

The studio will take on work-for-hire projects as well as developing family content, and is currently in negotiations for three projects including a TV series and a percentage of a 2D feature. Studio size will be project-driven, with the company’s first job requiring as many as 25 people and the feature as many as 65.

Another new animation studio is Raven Animation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly held Raven Moon Entertainment, producer of the syndicated series Gina D’s Kids Club. “We do some animation for Gina D’s Kids Club, and we wanted to expand on that with some terrific new projects that are fully animated,” says Joey DiFrancesco, ceo and exec producer, along with Bernadette DiFrancesco, at Raven. The company started its animation division around the time of the Disney layoffs and hired some of its eight staffers from the Disney group. (Mike Gibilisco is on board as Raven Animation’s director.) The company plans to hire other animators as needed.

Raven’s animated properties, mostly spin-offs from the Kids Club, include Mr. Bicycle Man, with former Disney animator David Murray signed as lead animator and writer, The Cuddle Bug Cousins, The Bobo Blocks and The Transistor Sisters; a PSA on children’s safety featuring Mr. Bicyle Man is going out to U.S. stations this month. Raven also plans to do contract work for outside companies.

 

Project Firefly Animation Studio had to accelerate its schedule when the founders were let go from Disney.

Corley and Bancroft started Funnypages Press as a comic book company a couple of years ago. The idea was to allow the partners to explore some of their own ideas without violating non-compete clauses with Disney; they had intended to open an animation division, Funnypages Productions, after Corley finished A Few Good Ghosts, but sped up their plans after the shutdown. The studio, launched in March, is doing several work-for-hire projects as well as pitching its own properties, including Bancroft’s Opposite Forces and Corley’s BoyRobo. Funnypages works with publishers, music companies and animation distributors, positioning itself as a bridge between various media.

Like others in the Orlando community, Funnypages is moving out of the area. The relocation to Tennessee allows the company to be closer to many of its clients; several are Christian music, publishing or entertainment firms. One is Forefront Records-EMI, for which Funnypages is working on its second animation job. It intends to use Orlando animators as needed and employed 30 former Disney animators and clean-up artists on its first project.

One of the new operations that started up after the Disney closure, Legacy Animation, already shut its doors in May after just five months in business. There is no official word about why, but most in the Orlando community believe it is due to the pullout of a major investor. Founded by Eddie Pittman, Legacy’s stated mission had been to continue the story-driven, 2D animation tradition created by Walt Disney. The studio had three projects in development and a short film, Lucky, in production.

Speculating on the Future
There are differences of opinion about whether the Orlando area can sustain a vibrant animation community post-Disney. Some observers believe the lack of a union (Florida is a right-to-work state) will keep salaries too low to attract good people, point to the dearth of post-production houses and other service bureaus, and mention the low amount of local competition, which leads to higher prices. This, they say, is an important point, especially with more work going to places like India. They also point to the fact that there is no established network, as there are in cities where the animation business is bigger.

Disney alumni Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley, who were dropped after A Few Good Ghosts, struck out on their own with Funnypages Productions and made a move to Franklin, Tennessee.

These members of the community are pessimistic about whether the new studios can succeed, forecasting that many will not last long enough to see the next upswing in demand for animation. They believe that animation professionals with families to support would rather relocate to somewhere with more opportunity than take their chances on a risky new venture.

On the other hand, many Orlando-area animation professionals, including those launching studios, have a more optimistic perspective. “We can produce animation a lot cheaper than New York or L.A.,” argues DiFrancesco, pointing to the lower salaries and cost-of-living expenses. The Florida lifestyle also will attract and keep many people in the area, observers believe.

Varab cites the growth in animation schools in the Southeast, including the DAVE School and Full Sail in Orlando, Ringling School of Design in Sarasota, Florida and Savannah School of Animation and Design in Georgia, as another promising factor. “These are great new film and animation schools putting out great emerging talent,” he says. “Combine that with the great tradition of talent coming out of Disney, and it’s an opportunity for the beginnings of a great little community.”

There also is a certain sense of community and mission on the part of the new studios, not only to keep Orlando animators working, but to support story-driven, family entertainment in the manner of Walt Disney. “We rarely do a job where we don’t call on at least one of our friends from Florida,” says Bancroft.

Adds Corley, “We want to try to help as many people as we possibly can. That’s everyone’s goal. But we have to be realistic.”

“I think it’s really important to work together and support each other,” Varab concurs, noting that Genesis has offered to outsource for Project Firefly if needed. “We have a lot in common and it’s good for the industry.”

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Euro Disney deal

Troubled theme park operator Euro Disney is to issue new shares in an effort to raise €250m (£167m) as part of a draft restructuring plan.

The deal is thought to have been agreed by the company's shareholders and main lenders. They include Caisse des Depots et Consignations, Calyon and BNP Paribas. However, the company, struggling under a €2.2billion debt, must now win the support of other banks to push the deal through.

America's Walt Disney Corporation, which owns 39.1pc of the company, is expected to guarantee €100m of the capital-raising. Euro Disney has until the end of the month to agree a solution to its financial problems after saying last November that it was unable to meet its obligations to its lenders. The company has been kept afloat by temporary waivers from its banks but still needs to secure its second restructuring in a decade to enable it to emerge from its difficulties.

Disney shares surged in Paris on the news but the company has yet to make a public statement.

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Home on the Range VHS cover

Here's a first look at the Home on the Range VHS cover, which probably will be similar to the DVD cover we'll soon see.

Music Choice, the premier music television network, Radio Disney, the only 24/7, listener-driven radio network where kids and families can rock out to favorite music together, and Walt Disney Records, the leader in family audio entertainment, announced today the airing of DISNEYMANIA In Concert, a mega-concert event featuring today's hottest teen acts. DISNEYMANIA In Concert will air throughout the month of June on DIRECTV. The concert will also be available on over 100 cable systems through June 13th.

The DISNEYMANIA concept was created by Walt Disney Records and is a celebration of two albums, blending classic Disney favorites with a modern pop twist. Disneymania 1, certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.), still remains in the Top 20 (Billboard's Children's Chart), over one year after its release. Disneymania 2 currently resides in the Top 5 in Billboard's Children's Chart, entering in at #1 during the week it was released (February 4, 2004).

DISNEYMANIA In Concert showcases the music of Raven ("True to Your Heart"/Mulan), Jesse McCartney ("Second Star to the Right"/Peter Pan), Stevie Brock ("Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"), Jump 5 ("Beauty & the Beast"), and many more of today's hottest young recording artists. The concert, filmed in April at Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, features live footage and intimate recording studio performances, plus interviews from Hilary Duff and her sister Haylie ("The Siamese Cat Song"/Lady & the Tramp), Ashanti ("Colors of the Wind"/Pocahontas), Usher ("You'll Be in My Heart"/Tarzan) and many more. The artists, many of whom are featured on Radio Disney and Disney Channel, have all achieved great success at an early age. The concert features all of your favorite Disney hits. Raven, star of the hit Disney Channel Series, "That's So Raven," serves as host for the special and performs three songs: "True To Your Heart" (from Disneymania 2), plus two tracks from her recently-released TV soundtrack "That's So Raven" ("Supernatural" and "Shine").

In addition, Radio Disney and Music Choice have joined forces to promote this mega-concert event with a multi-media promotional campaign that coincides with a Radio Disney contest. The Radio Disney contest will award one lucky winner with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Stevie Brock and watch him perform live, in concert, at Disneyland® Resort.

"Radio Disney, Music Choice and Walt Disney Records are the perfect partners to bring the excitement of music to kids and families," said Jean-Paul Colaco, President and General Manager of Radio Disney. "The 'MUSIC CHOICE® Presents' concert series extends the fun of music even further by providing an interactive, cross platform experience for our listeners."

"We are excited to team up with Radio Disney and Walt Disney Records to present DISNEYMANIA In Concert, a family-friendly concert event. Through our partnership we can promote this extraordinary show that will reach over 40 million satellite and cable homes through the Music Choice distribution network," said Christina Tancredi, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Advertising and Sponsorship Sales.

Robert Marick, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Walt Disney Records adds: "We're extremely excited to have released these unique collections of Disney's greatest songs. It has been a rewarding experience to witness the Disneymania project evolve from CD to concert special to viable franchise. This is more than just a celebration of truly phenomenal performances -- it's a special that both celebrates Disney's musical legacy and redefines it for a new generation."

"Walt Disney Records is thrilled to bring together the best young artists from Radio Disney to celebrate their performances from the successful Disneymania CD series in a truly larger-than-life way that is relevant to today's more mature and trend-based kids," said Damon Whiteside, Vice President, Marketing, Walt Disney Records. "This is a great synergy between our classic Disney repertoire and Radio Disney's contemporary artist base that redefines Disney music to this young new music-buying demographic."

Visit musicchoice.com for specific show times. For artist bios and pictures, log on to RadioDisney.com.

In films, television shows and electronic games, latecomer India has started to gain favor over more established animation centers such as Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines.

India is winning animation contracts for the same reasons it has become such a hot outsourcing destination for other industries: lower costs, a large English-speaking workforce and a track record in meeting Western companies' technology needs.

A recent $14-million deal between Italy's Mondo TV, Europe's No. 2 cartoon producer and distributor, and India's Padmalaya Telefilms, is the latest boost to India's creative reputation.

So far, analysts estimate Indian companies have won some $50-$100 million in business, a small slice of the $10 billion global animation industry. But that could change, as major U.S. studios, such as Disney, Warner Bros. Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who previously have done much of their animation in-house, try to cut costs.

Indian companies, such as soon-to-be-listed UTV Software Communications (UTV), Toonz Animation, Pentamedia Graphics, Crest Communications and Jadooworks are leading the way.

Local units of Los Angeles-based Rhythm and Hues and France's Millimages, which makes content for American and European TV shows, also have increased their output.

But analysts warn the sector could become nothing more than low-cost sweatshops unless Indian companies seek to offer advanced formats and compete to become co-producers and owners of their creations.

"Animation outsourcing is the media equivalent of business process outsourcing," said Jyotirmoy Saha, director of UTV's animation division. "The dynamics are the same: it's too expensive to do it in the West."

ANIMATION SWEATSHOP

In the initial rush to meet demand from North America and Europe -- the biggest animation markets besides Japan -- Indian firms took on low-end production work.

But that's not the lucrative end of the market, and most have not yet moved on to invest, co-produce or retain intellectual rights the areas where bigger profits can be made.

"For many players, this is still a cost game rather than a creative exercise, but (even) this advantage will be short-lived," said Farrokh Balsara, a director at consulting firm Ernst & Young.

Analysts say Chinese companies are quickly becoming competitive in the animation sector as they have in other industries. China's lower costs, coupled with a shortage of skilled Indian animators due to a lack of training institutes, may soon negate India's temporary low-cost advantage.

Another limiting factor is that local demand for animation projects remains low.

"Unless India also becomes a big consumer of animation, we cannot grow as fast," said Saha of UTV, which is slated to launch a children's channel and source local animation.

Others also recognize there's a growing audience to be tapped in India, the third-largest cable TV network. Turner Network's Cartoon Network has bought seven locally manufactured shows from Pentamedia, Toonz and CB Media Ventures for broadcast in India.

Foreign firms have offered cartoons such as Mondo's "The Legend of Zorro" and "Sandokan". India's Sony Network, meanwhile, is about to launch an all-Japanese animation channel.

The Mondo deal, signed in March, demonstrates that at least a few Indian firms are moving up the food chain. Padmalaya will make 104 cartoon episodes for $14 million and distribute Mondo's library for $15 million in cash and stock.

Padmalaya, a unit of India's largest listed media firm, Zee Telefilms, will also set up a 3D animation studio in Bombay to make cartoons for $7,000 a minute -- a third of costs in Europe.

"We are going beyond mere production to stand shoulder to shoulder as a co-producer," said Rajiv Sangari, director of Padmalaya's animation division, which also has a $5-million deal with Scotland's Mallard Media and London-based Ealing Animation.

Diversification by big Indian entertainment firms into animation, and players backed by large companies such as Tata's Elxsi, Reliance's Paradox and the Escorts Group's Escotoonz, will also help boost growth.

But analysts remain skeptical.

"Not many firms have gone beyond being a sweatshop," said Apurva Shah, an analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher.

"I think it's tough for an Indian firm to be another Pixar."

The 33-year-old actor will play real-life golfer John J. McDermott in Disney's "The Greatest Game Ever Played," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In the film, McDermott is the reining U.S. Open champ who is defending the 1913 title from leading British golfer Harry Vardon. In a stunning upset, amateur golfer Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) takes the title.

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New Incredibles Poster

Here is the latest poster for the Incredibles Movie.

Pixar Animation Studios is not moving rapidly to find a new distribution partner for its films and may be reaching a distribution deal with Walt Disney Co., with which it ended talks in January, according to a published report.

The New York Times reported Monday that Steve Jobs, the CEO of Pixar, has not had meetings with executives with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, despite interest from those studios in pursuing a distribution deal for Pixar films.

"We are talking," he said, "but maybe not as much as they'd like."

The paper said that some Hollywood executives are speculating that Jobs may hope of another deal with Disney, depending upon what happens to its embattled CEO Michael Eisner. The Times said that some Hollywood executives speculate that Jobs would like to stay with Disney, with its family-friendly fare and its merchandising and marketing might. But the newspaper said that Jobs blames Eisner for the breakdown in talks between the two companies.

The failure of those talks were one of the issues used by critics of Eisner to argue for his removal from the company. When more than 40 percent of shareholders voted against his reelection to the Disney board of directors, the Disney board stripped Eisner of his chairman title, although it kept him on as CEO.

Jobs has continued to say it wants a distribution only deal, in which it would pay a fee to get the movie into theaters. Under the deal with Disney, it split the production costs, and the profits, from the film. But the success of the first five movies left it with so much cash it no longer needs investment from another studio and it wants to hang onto all the box office and ancillary revenue, such as video, video games and merchandise sales.

Jobs did have kind words for Disney when Pixar recently reported strong first quarter results.

"Although 'The Incredibles' and 'Cars' will likely be the last two Pixar films marketed and distributed by Disney," he said, "I want to stress that the working relationship between the two companies remains really positive and professional."

The Times said it's not clear if Jobs' comments, in start contrast to some of his public criticism of Disney in the past, is a sign of interest in reaching a new agreement with the company, or an effort to mend fences before Disney starts making plans to promote Pixar's next two films.

The paper said Jobs is concerned over a deal with Sony Pictures, a unit of conglomerate Sony Corp., due to that company's new music service competes directly with Apple's iTunes. Jobs is also CEO of Apple Computer.

Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc., which is also the parent of CNN/Money. Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons confirmed in comments to reporters after Friday's annual meeting that the company is interested in a deal with Pixar, the Times reported.

Ted Harbert, who once ran ABC Entertainment and NBC Studios, was selected to produce the series. A writing staff was pulled together from shows like "Frasier," "Spin City" and "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter."

And to keep open the possibility of romance, Ms. Sampson is single, unlike the real Ms. Simpson, 23, who is married, as every teenager knows, to the singer Nick Lachey, with whom she stars on MTV's hit reality series "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica."

ABC executives and others connected to the show, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the pilot may have had a good concept, but it was poorly executed. But last week ABC's new entertainment chief, Stephen McPherson, on the job for less than a month at a network roiled by turbulence in recent years, unveiled a fall lineup to advertisers in New York that included only two new sitcoms. And Ms. Simpson's show, tentatively called "Jessica," was not one of them.

By all accounts ABC executives were disappointed with the pilot. But Ms. Simpson's father, Joe Simpson, who is also her manager and the dominant figure in her career, agreed with the decision to drop the show, a person close to the show said. Her performance was not the problem, said ABC executives and others connected to the show.

"She was actually the best thing on it," one executive said, while the secondary casting, among other elements, was flawed.

Most noticeably missing from the pilot, which was ordered up by ABC's ousted top entertainment executives Susan Lyne and Lloyd Braun, was what Mr. McPherson and others considered Ms. Simpson's strong suit: singing.

"It was a valiant effort, but at the end of the day everyone seemed to think it wasn't the best use of her talent," said an ABC executive speaking anonymously. (Other comedies starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and John Stamos also failed to make the grade at ABC.)

Rather than schedule the sitcom, Mr. McPherson at the last minute negotiated a deal with Mr. Simpson to broadcast about eight musical specials during the next two years starring his daughter, several people close to the show said.

Mr. Simpson did not respond to a request for an interview. But one person connected to the show said that Mr. Simpson may have grown ambivalent about the sitcom, despite serving with Mr. Harbert as an executive producer.

Executives involved in the show said that Mr. Simpson grew concerned that the television-series business was fragile and unpredictable. He also worried that locking his daughter into the weekly responsibilities of a series would make it more difficult for her to exploit movie and commercial offers.

Ms. Simpson's career has skyrocketed during the last year. Not only has she received movie offers, including a possible role in a film version of "The Dukes of Hazzard," but she is also weighing requests for lucrative commercial-endorsement deals.

She has a 41-show North American tour this summer, and the size of the audiences at her live shows and her record sales have been impressive. She is even meeting with book publishers.

Still, one person connected to the show insisted that it was only when Mr. McPherson told the Simpsons that the show was not working that Mr. Simpson said, in effect, "Let's find a way out that works for both of us."

One executive close to the show said, "Maybe it hit him: there's a high rate of failure for most of these shows. Most series actually fail."

ABC rode hot reality series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to edge out NBC and Fox on the final Sunday of the may sweep in the key adults 18-49 demo, according to preliminary nationals from Nielsen.

From 8 to 9, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (5.2/14 in adults 18-49, 13.0 million viewers overall) easily led the hour in 18-49 and ranked as primetime's No. 1 program in the demo. It hit series highs in some male demos as well as teens. ABC also led the 7 o'clock hour in demos with "America's Funniest Home Videos" (2.7/9 in adults 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall) and ran second at 9 with the season finale of "Alias" (3.8/9 in adults 18-49, 8.1 million viewers overall), which hit a season high in adults 18-34 (3.7/10).

Fox was led by the season finales of "The Simpsons" (4.4/13 in adults 18-49, 9.2 million viewers overall) and "Malcolm in the Middle" (3.7/10 in adults 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall), and also got a slight boost at 9 from spec "American Idol: The Phenomenon" (third-place 3.7/9 in adults 18-49, 9.3 million viewers overall).

NBC led in key demos from 9 to 11 with the season-enders of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (4.4/10 in adults 18-49, 13.1 million viewers overall) and "Crossing Jordan" (4.7/12 in adults 18-49, 13.0 million viewers overall).

CBS was paced by 8 o'clock drama "Cold Case" (3.1/9 in adults 18-49, 14.1 million viewers overall), which led its slot in total viewers. Its two-part original movie "Scott Turow's Reversible Errors" got off to a modest start (2.5/6 in adults 18-49, 12.9 million viewers overall).

Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: ABC, 3.7/10; Fox, 3.5/10; NBC, 3.4/9; CBS, 2.5/7; WB, 1.3/4.

In total viewers: CBS, 12.8 million; NBC, 10.4 million; ABC, 9.6 million; Fox, 7.8 million; WB, 2.8 million.

At a press conference after the meeting, Mitchell said the board would also consider their suggestion for an independent watchdog group to monitor reform efforts and Eisner's performance. But he reiterated the board's support for 62-year-old Eisner, whose contract expires in 2006.

Mitchell

"The tone of the meeting was cordial, civil, frank, thorough," said the former U.S. senator, after meeting with heads of six pension plans from New York, California, Ohio, Connecticut and North Carolina. Together they control about 2% of Disney's stock.

New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi called for the Disney board to add not one but two independent directors. And Sean Harrigan, president of California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers), continued to slam the Disney boss for costly feuds with Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Ovitz, the breakup with Steve Jobs' Pixar and current tensions with Miramax. But he stopped short of calling for Eisner's ouster.

"The focus is no longer on Michael Eisner. ... It's now on the Disney board," Harrigan said.

Along with dissident former directors Roy Disney and Stanley Gold, state pension funds have emerged as Disney's fiercest critics. Several called for Eisner to quit after 45% of shares were withheld for his re-election at Disney's annual meeting on March 3. Eisner did not attend the Friday meeting, which included Mitchell, President Robert Iger and directors Monica Lozano, Robert Matschullat and Aylwin Lewis.

Disney has hired Russell Reynolds Associates to search for a new independent director. "We would hope that we would have a new independent director in place before year-end," Lozano said.

Things have been looking up for Disney. Cable giant Comcast ended its hostile takeover bid recently and second-quarter net profit rose 71% to $537 million.

The company's stronger position likely will enable it to dismiss some of the more radical suggestions of the pension managers. One that looks to go nowhere: posting proposed employment contracts with details of executive pay and compensation for comment on company Web sites.

"What do they want — a chat room?" asks media analyst Paul Kim of Tradition Asiel Securities. "It's an example of the unrealistic demands of these pension funds."

Beginning May 23 and running until August 14th, Pleasure Island will be testing out operations as an un-gated area. In other words, anyone will be able to walk around Pleasure Island, including the outside of the clubs.

To enter any of the clubs, you will need Pleasure Island admission. The PI Ticket will grant you admission to all clubs.

Persons under 18 must be accompanied by a person 21 years of age or older and who has an acceptable form of identification in order to enter the clubs. Additional age restrictions may apply.

June 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, & 30

July 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, & 30

August: 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13

In 1987, an innovative concept was launched by the Walt Disney Company, one that would blossom into a profitable chain of retail stores throughout the United States and around the world. It was a concept that would strengthen the ties between the entertainment and merchandising industries, and it would ultimately become the blueprint for similar retailers throughout the world. The idea was to bring a taste of Disney's theme parks to your home town through an immersive shopping experience called The Disney Store.

The prototype opened its doors at the Glendale Galleria in California, and proved wildly successful. Offering a mix of Disney memorabilia for the whole family - - from high-end art and collectibles to low-end novelties, The Disney Stores became ground zero for an enormous expansion of the Disney consumer products engine. By 2001, there would be more than 700 stores worldwide, with over 25,000 employees. During the Disney animation renaissance heyday of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, and the initial video releases of the Disney Classics, mountains of merchandise were moving out the door.

But in recent years, sales have plummeted as The Disney Store merchandise mix and target demographics changed, quality and service evaporated, sales techniques became more aggressive, certain characters were overmarketed while others seldom appeared and poorly conceived films failed to catch on with audiences. Even successful new properties from Pixar, such as Finding Nemo have failed to fully re-ignite the flame. Has the Disney mass-marketing concept reached a saturation point, or was the operation simply mismanaged? Let take trip to the mall and check out the goods...

The inspiration for The Disney Stores goes way back to 1930, when George Borgfeldt & Co signed the first contract to license Disney character merchandise. The deal was inspired by California resident Charlotte Clark, who is credited as the first designer of an actual Mickey Mouse doll earlier in 1930. She had obtained permission from Disney Studios and her dolls began making local appearances in Los Angeles Stores, most prominently at Bullock's Wilshire. But sudden demand far outstripped Clark's ability to manufacture the hot new fad. So, the Borgfeldt deal was born to get the Clark dolls out to the nation... and the world.

The Disney Brothers were among the first to grasp the potential of "synergy" through merchandising that not only provided additional production funds for Walt's ever-more elaborate cartoons, but also helped to promote the films and characters and even the Walt Disney name. But it was another savvy entrepreneur who helped the Disneys take their merchandise to a whole new level.

Herman "Kay" Kamen, a Kansas City advertising executive, made a telephone call to Walt Disney in 1932, expressing interest in Disney character merchandise. Impressed by Kamen's expansive ideas, Walt and Roy hired him as their representative.

Quality was the name of the game to the Disneys and they had been disappointed by the concept and delivery of some merchandise under the current contracts. They wanted "Mickey Mouse" and "Walt Disney" to be associated with only the best product. When the Borgfeldt and Levy contracts ran out, Kamen became sole representative for Disney character merchandise. He set about canceling contracts where the products were poorly made or prices inflated to gouge customers for the Mickey image.

Kamen was responsible for licensing an avalanche of Disney consumer products, including the famous Mickey Mouse watch that burst onto the retail scene in 1933. Within eight weeks of its production, the demand for the wrist-watch was so great that the Ingersoll-Waterbury Clock Company that produced it had to add over 2,000 employees to its payroll. In 1934, The Lionel Train Corporation was saved by the sales of a Mickey Mouse handcar. By 1936, it was, as author Cecil Munsey calls it, "a Mickey Mouse World."

The phenomenon as described by one 1935 writer: "Shoppers carry Mickey Mouse satchels and brief cases bursting with Mickey Mouse soap, candy, playing cards, bridge favours, hair-brushes, china-ware, alarm clocks and hot-water bottles, wrapped in Mickey Mouse paper, tied with Mickey Mouse ribbon and paid for out of Mickey Mouse purses with savings hoarded in Mickey Mouse banks. At the lunch counter- Mickey Mouse table covers and napkins - they consume Mickey Mouse biscuits and dairy products while listening to Mickey Mouse music from Mickey Mouse phonographs and radios. Then, glancing at their Mickey Mouse watches, they dash away to buy Mickey Mouse toothbrushes, - they wear Mickey Mouse caps, waists (shirts and blouses), socks, shoes, slippers, garters, mittens, aprons, bibs and underthings, and beneath Mickey Mouse rain-capes and umbrellas, they go to school where Mickey Mouse desk outfits turn lessons into pleasure. They play with Mickey Mouse velocipedes (tricycles), footballs, baseballs, bounce-balls, bats, catching gloves, doll houses, doll dishes, tops, blocks, drums, puzzles, games, paint sets, sewing sets, drawing sets, stamping sets, jack sets, bubble sets, pull toys, push toys, animated toys, tents, camp stools, sand pails, masks, blackboards and balloons - until day is done, when they sup from Mickey Mouse cups, porringers (bowls), and baby plates and lie down to sleep in Mickey Mouse pajamas between Mickey Mouse crib sheets, to waken in the morning smiling at Mickey Mouse pictures on the nursery walls covered with Mickey Mouse wallpaper."^[1]

Sounds a bit like our modern Disney Store, doesn't it? But in the 1930's, licensing programs of this scope were unknown. Mickey's sales were a revelation.

The public hunger for Mickey Mouse novelties expanded to include The Three Little Pigs as the film swept a depression-plagued nation. Donald, Goofy and Pluto soon followed. When Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937, characters from full-length theatrical films entered readily into the merchandising arena and the rest, as they say, is history.

Walt Disney's boutique movie studio was not initially in the business of making and selling merchandise, everything was done through licenses to manufacturers, marketers and retailers worldwide. It wasn't until the opening of Disneyland in 1955 that the Disney Company would start to operate their own retail stores.

The stores that were created for the theme park hosted a combination of Disney concessions and "outside" retailers. As such, the Disneyland outlets sold product that featured the Disney characters from motion pictures and television shows, but also provided unique non-character merchandise tied to the various themed areas of Disneyland. In Frontierland, for example, there was the Pendleton Woolen Mills Dry Goods Store which sold Western clothing and an Indian Trading Post that sold Native American arts and crafts. The Adventureland Outpost sold replicas of African, Asian, Middle Eastern and South American art, and the One of a Kind Shop in New Orleans Square sold authentic antiques. There was the Candle Shop on Main Street, along with a Wurlitzer Organ Store, an apothecary and even The Wizard of Bras. At Disneyland there were always outlets that featured unique items one could purchase no where else.^[2]

These original concessions co-existed happily with the Disney-licensed merchandise. The arrangement offered Disneyland guests the freedom of choice in purchasing their souvenirs. There was something for everybody of every age. No guest was pressured into buying specific items. The Disney idea was that - if you loved the experience, the characters, the locations, or just the exotic theme, you might want to take a memory home with you. It was a successful formula. The synergy of the theme parks and retail outlets were forever established.

Also in the 50s, Disney consumer products hit the jackpot with Davy Crockett, The Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro, when baby boomer fads drove the sales of coonskin caps, mouse ears and masks to near atomic levels.

As Disney further expanded their Empire in the 50s, they would come to make and distribute their own records on the Disneyland/Buena Vista label. Like television, the recordings helped to promote new properties and perpetuate older characters to new generations. As Annette crossed over from child star to teen queen, she took her vast audience along with her via rock & roll hits on the Disney label.

By the 60s the Disneys had a successful formula down pat. New characters and reissued favorites would be rolled out with great fanfare to accompany theatrical releases via long-term licensees such as Golden Books, Whitman, Aladdin and Parker Bros. Through an exclusive deal with Sears, Winnie-the-Pooh began his Disney merchandising career in the mid-60s, while a nostalgic revival of 30's era Mickey Mouse merchandise in the 70s brought the "Disneyana" tale full-circle.

The characters themselves have always been at the core of Disney's merchandising success. That meant keeping a consistent portrayal of specific personality traits, art styles, attitudes and themes, avoiding the trendy in favor of the true-to-character. It is these qualities that built the lovable and lasting friends the public wanted to take home. Sears Pooh merchandise, for example, was carefully controlled in tone and type of product to reflect the cuddly, winsome qualities of the A.A. Milne originals. This would not always be the case, as the drawing level and execution of Disney product got a bit lazier through the years.

By the 80s, Disney merchandising and licensing had slowed into a familiar routine largely aimed at the youngest of kids. It was the surprise demand for Tyco's Little Mermaid doll that hinted of a major turnaround. So too, the explosion of animation art collectibles, cels and limited edition collectibles pointed to new high-end opportunities. But the biggest boost to Disney's consumer products bottom-line was first-ever offering of Walt Disney's classic films on home-video. The film library had always been tightly capped to assure successful theatrical reissues every generation. Consumers were built into a frenzy thinking they might miss out on the release of an animated classic before it went back into the vault.

The Disney Stores opened at the right place at the right time to exploit this growing demand, with a baby boomlet and nostalgic boomer base that would provide a huge wave of consumers to remake the company's fortunes.

With Disney Stores across the United States and in other parts of the world, Disneyana became available on a much wider scale in locations other than the theme parks. Until then, most Disney merchandise (except for certain evergreens) was timed to a film's release or re-release and was rather limited in availability. This always kept the Disney merchandise "special" and the shopping trips to the theme parks exciting. The Disney Stores, in time, changed the ways collectors and the general public related to Disney merchandise that was always available in mass quantity.

With their innovative and balanced offerings to children and adults, fans and families, The Disney Stores enjoyed several years of outstanding success. The Disney Store became a leader in marketing and merchandising activity. Greeted by helpful and smiling Cast Members, steeped in the Disney culture of guest service, people in every city where a Disney Store was located were able to sample a bit of Disney magic on their own turf, without a visit to Anaheim or Orlando.

This approach became so successful, in fact, that The Disney Stores soon observed a new neighbor in many of the malls in which they were located. Warner Bros. Stores were popping up in the shadow of every prominent Disney outlet, as serious competition with their own lineup of Warner/Turner/Hanna-Barbera/DCComics character merchandise.

And then it happened. Things began to change for the Walt Disney Company in 1994 after the passing of Frank Wells, whom many Cast Members fondly remember as the individual who maintained balance in the Disney echelon. Driven by strategic planners who wanted to change the company's direction, and by a demand for 20% growth at all costs, the company fell under the spell of MBA retailing wonders who instigated a downward spiral that continues to this day.

The Stores began to "maximize" sales per square foot. Since the popularity of Winnie-the-Pooh had exploded (by design of marketers), it was assumed that the more Pooh they offered, the more they would sell. This worked in the short term. Pooh began to push all of the other characters, including Mickey, off the rack. Increasingly, all the merchandise started to look alike, with the same character poses and little of the product freshness and originality of the early years.

To drive profits, lower cost manufacturers and materials were sought, creating cheaper look-alike lines of color coded "brands." The items were now often the same low-cost templated products in a few different character flavors geared to specific demographics. Only the logos and pictures would change. Quality suffered. The marketing message was thought more important than the item for sale.

To achieve their pre-determined goals, top management began to ignore the needs and recommendations of The Disney Stores Cast Members and most importantly, the needs and desires of the Public.

With the arrival of retailer Paul Pressler to Disneyland, it was decided that theme parks were really one big mall. It was the stores that were important, not the rides or experiences. And to maximize sales, buyers would apply the same theories used to push Pooh and plush at The Disney Stores. They would mass market across all of the parks only the most popular products, or those most likely to turn over quickly. One by one, unique retail concessions at the parks were eliminated. The public no longer had a choice: guests were to purchase Disney items or none at all. The retail concessions in every theme park land were to sell the same merchandise: and nothing else. For a time, even the unique logos of the various parks were nearly phased out in favor of a generic corporate "Disney" logo. After all, there were cost-savings in bulk manufacturing. Many items that appealed to adults were eliminated to concentrate on children's items. Only the most heavily marketed characters would be used now, as many Disney fan favorites from the past became has-beens in their own kingdom.

At the Disney park and stores, balance was out and saturation was in.

The reign of the Princess began... Once unique and individual characters, the heroines of Disney's animated features were grouped together in a marketing sorority "brand" to rival Barbie and her desirable demographics. While sales were impressive, the characters began to suffer a sameness and lack of personality with the flavorless mass marketing blitz, as had Mickey and Pooh before them. Snow White was put on a diet, no longer the company's corn-fed leading lady with the unique soprano, but simply "the dark-haired one" amongst the other Stepford Princesses. Same smile, same poses, in a group, all the time.

Other characters followed down this path as their fates were cast by marketers unfamiliar with cartoons and subtleties of personality. Milne's "gloomy ol' Eeyore" was suddenly a smiling softie! ...Prozac in the 100 Acre Wood?

Product artwork also suffered the trends, with an entire Animation Research Library of expressive character drawings from the Nine Old Men going ignored for sometimes tacky new poses, often drawn "off-model" by underpaid and overworked freelancers.

Kay Kamen where are you?

Outside of the Pooh and Princess parade, it became known to Disney collectors that the last place to look for items related to the Walt Disney era was at the Disney Store! But why look for Disney videos and CDs at a Disney Store when they were cheaper at Best Buy, Target or Amazon.com anyway? And the high-end Disney Gallery collectibles had long since vanished from the chain.

The Disney Stores experienced the same dire situations in outlets around the world: Cast Member hours were cut back but duties expanded, wages remained low, and job security declined. Throughout the chain, on orders from management, the hard-sell of lower quality items and pre-order schemes escalated, and customer service was drastically cut back, leaving the front line Cast Members to deal with an increasingly dissatisfied public.

Worse yet, a seemingly endless series of divisional management changes and schemes to "fix" declining sales have left the stores with a lack of focus and purpose. Plans to divide the operations into lifestyle dependent Disney Stores (DisneyHome and DisneyPlay) were abandoned before they began, even as a half-baked redecorating plan changed many Disney Stores from delightful three-dimensional character themes to Gap-like cardboard postmodern displays of the lowest cost.

Increasingly, the Stores have resembled clearance centers with even new character merchandise marked-down to half-price while a movie is still in theatres! What this does to the perceived value of Disney's properties is incalculable.

No, this gloom and doom is not mere conjecture on our part. We've heard it all from those who know best: the dedicated and hard-working Cast Members of the Disney Stores, whose job security is now threatened by rumors of closure or sell-out. Here are only a few of the many letters that have come in to us that underscore the point:

"We are a dedicated bunch who love Disney and have stuck it out at the stores even though the powers that be have deemed it in the best interest to take away many of the products that guests would come to us for. Not only has great product been taken away from us, but all of the little things that were once given to the cast as tokens of appreciation, have been taken away as well. Morale as a whole is low and the focus has shifted from guest service and entertainment to selling anything and everything to every guest that walks through the door. How things have changed in 8 years!"

Another soon-to-be Former Cast Member writes: "Last year, the cast of the Disney Store division was told that we would be put up for sale. This was devastating news to us. Since then, there have been numerous rumors and no information from anyone in our division in a place to give honest answers. At the meeting in Philadelphia, presidents and division heads of all areas of the Walt Disney Company and subsidiaries were paraded out to give their state of affairs reports about their respective divisions. It was painfully obvious that not one representative from the store division was present to speak about our challenges for the future."

A Former Cast Member from Colorado says it all: "When I was a Cast Member in the early 1990s, the Disney Stores had such a wonderful selection of Disney merchandise. The stores were clean, fun and the Cast Members were taught Guest Service in the Disney Tradition. There was something to interest everyone that came into the store, from infants to 95 year olds!

"Shortly after the death of Frank Wells, I noticed changes. The Cast Members were strongly encouraged to participate in 'suggestive selling.' i.e. push the merchandise! Before this policy, the guests were buying more merchandise without being pressured. The great selection of merchandise and "Disney magic" did the selling. Once the guests were being "suggested" into buying more merchandise, it ceased to be enjoyable for them.

"The stores formerly had adult apparel that sold quite well. In about 1993 the adult apparel started to disappear. Guests requested adult apparel all the time, but the pleas fell on deaf ears. Now almost all collectibles are gone from the very few remaining stores. No Walt Disney Classics Collection. Hardly any watches. Very little adult apparel is available. No cells or framed artwork. There are very little video and audio products.

"For the past 5 years or so, all the stores had (for sale) was: Pooh, Pooh, Pooh, Princess, toddler and infant apparel. In the early years the stores had something for nearly everyone of every age. Now unless you have a young girl, toddler or infant, there is very little to interest anyone. The stores have very little Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck and Goofy merchandise. A die-hard Disneyphile can now walk into the stores and find nothing that interests them.

"The stores are now in poor repair and are no longer 'Disney clean.' The morale in the few remaining stores couldn't be worse! The Cast Members used to love their jobs and the enthusiasm was obvious to guests. Now there are a lot of sad faces in the stores.

"Eisner blames the store closings on a "changing market." He says the Wal-Marts have taken over the Disney Store sector of the business. This couldn't be any farther from the truth. The Eisner team purposely killed the Disney Stores!"

Cast Members are especially vulnerable to the tactics of today's top management in many personal ways: "As a Cast Member of the Disney Store, one of the reasons why I joined was a sense of belonging to the Disney Company and the benefits of being a Cast Member. Over the past year, more and more advantages of being a Cast Member have been removed, and being a part-time Cast Member you don't look at the pay scale, you looked at being part of Disney, and being part of the Disney Family.

"Now, with the possibility of The Disney Stores being sold (which I hope does not happen), the benefits that we had as Disney Cast Members are being reduced. We use to get into the Parks for free, (that's now) gone, we used to get discounts at Disney Quest; we used to get a solid discount (50%) off our hotel rooms, now it's at 25%, we used to get in the water parks at a reduced rate, (all of those benefits are) gone. I feel if the Disney Stores are sold, there will be a mass exit of some very good people, which is a shame because the Disney Store I come from is doing very well and there are many good and hard working people there, that love to work for Disney. But we are being pushed aside, forgotten about, we are treated like Cinderella by her step-sisters and step mother. Is that what the Disney Stores and the employees (have) become, the ugly step child? I hope Corporate will review its plans on the selling of the Disney Stores, and review the benefit package of being a Disney employee, it's not about pay scale it's about being recognized as a contributing element of the Disney Company and being treated as that Cast Member."

Throughout the chain of Disney Stores, rumors of closure abound: "I am a long time Disney fanatic and have just started to work in the Disney Stores just about 6 months ago. I knew whole heartedly that I was gonna be the best Cast Member anyone has ever met but have had more on my mind than the guest, who should come first. Recently everyone has been speculating that the stores will be closed or sold to the next high bidder to get in on a piece of the magic. Not only do I worry about my job but the only thing I hear from upper management is that everything is fine and to not worry about anything. Disney shelters its Cast Members so much from knowing what might happen that I haven't even started to look for a new job if something might happen to the stores. My first love in life has been Disney and by the way that they conduct business now, I see how the new Corporate Disney smacks around its cast and doesn't entrust any information to them. Soon people start rumors which have now been placed into the mass media. I know that many people are worried about there jobs within this company but if the stores are to close it will displace almost 4,000 people if not more."

Even Cast Members in Europe are experiencing Eisnerian directives. Here's a letter from a Cast Member there: "I work as a manager with the Disney Store. At the moment I'm being bullied out of my position because I focus too much on bringing Magic to guests and Cast and too little on hard sales techniques! I know Walt would be upset to know that his Cast is forced to behave in a manner which doesn't match the true, important values of the company which made it so successful in the first place!

"I have seen the Magic be stripped away at the Disney stores in an effort to make stores more commercial but instead they are losing the magic that has made them less successful! Maybe if Senior Management listened to the Cast who deal with guests on a daily basis they would have known that stripping out the Magic was not going to work!

"Anyway I felt it was important for you to know that as I face incredible pressures at work, I am being bullied to the point (that) it's making me sick! I cannot believe that people above me work for Disney! They use foul language and dirty techniques and if you don't agree with them then that's it! You're doomed to be 'managed out'! However, I feel the True Magic of Disney will help me get through this! I am reminded of Walt's saying 'all the adversity I've faced in my life only makes me stronger!' So I hope that if I can survive this assault on me by my senior managers it can only make me a better manager for the future! A future that I hope will still be with the Walt Disney Company! I believe in the balance of MAGIC and good long term business sense! Making a cheap buck is not an option!" - This last letter is signed by "an unhappy, bullied Cast Member who is working hard and trying to stay positive to the keep the MAGIC strong" in his European Country. We can only hope that all of the Disney Stores Cast Members may be able to have such a positive outlook for the future.

The public is also very astute. They know when things are awry. Here's only a couple of thoughts from Guests who have written in with their concerns for the Disney Stores or posted on the web:

"I have wanted to have my say for years re: the Eisner Empire Disaster. I am a huge Disney fan but it has run amok and it has now had its day. I think the Disney stores are a bust-again, mass production, marketing (that) makes going to the magical land of Disney anti-climactic."

"The problem here is originality. TDS specifically has gone from an innovative retail leader and an extension of the parks to a store that is struggling to keep up with industry trends VS. creating them."

"I used to enjoy walking into the Disney Store and looking around at all the collectibles and what not. Now I don't want to even step in there. It's nothing more than a bunch of three year olds running around wanting to get the latest Disney toy from the latest Disney sequel."

Closure of many local Disney Stores in worldwide locations began to occur in 1999 and has been escalating ever since. Sales have been dropping at the Disney Stores over the years and maintenance has been sacrificed, along with quality of merchandise. The Executive Team of the Walt Disney Company blames progressive failure of the Disney Stores on the economy, the changing tastes of the public, and even 9/11! There's an interesting expression that reads like this: "Always remember that when you point your finger at someone else, there are three other fingers pointing right back at you!" It's certainly not the changing tastes of the public that has been responsible for failure of the Disney Stores as Executive Management tries to point out. Disney characters are as beloved around the world as they have ever been. Perhaps it's the "three fingers" pointing back to the Executive Management Team that is truly responsible. In other words, perhaps it's their own actions regarding the elimination of product for all ages, the saturation of poor quality merchandise and conducting business on the cheap that is responsible for the plight of the Disney Stores as it stands now.

When the Warner Stores placed more emphasis on cartoon characters and eliminated merchandise that would be of interest to all age brackets, the formula didn't work and soon, the Warner Stores were closed by fall of 2001. They still maintain an on-line shopping capability, but the local stores are gone. At least the executives of the Warner Company took responsibility for implementing a failing formula and didn't sell-out to anyone else, as certain executives at the Walt Disney Company have suggested would be the solution to the current plight of the Disney Stores.

Consumers aren't stupid. They know quality merchandise when they see it. It isn't difficult to become angry and put off when the seams of garments pull apart in only a couple of weeks, or when toys easily break, or when the appearance of merchandise is just plain tacky.

Cutting back maintenance so that Disney Stores look like poorly maintained warehouses, or cutting back Cast Member hours so that they barely earn a livable wage, or resorting to doubling and tripling Cast Member duties in limited time frames and issuing orders to conduct the "hard sell" are not ways in which to create a "magical" environment, for Cast or consumer. If it were not for the dedication of the Disney Stores Cast Members to carry out the friendly, helpful and welcoming attributes of the Disney Legacy, the Disney Stores would have foundered long ago. Rather than treat their Cast Members like feudal serfs, it would be best for the Executive Management Team of the Disney Stores to learn from their Cast Members. It is Cast Member experience that's the real key to the success of the Disney Stores over the years.

In Spring of 2004, rumors began to fly that the Disney Stores may be sold to Wal-Mart in the United States and that the European Disney Stores may also be sold (Japan's Disney Stores have already been sold to Oriental Land Company, owners of Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. Australia's Disney Stores have been closed altogether!).

The Eisner board of Directors has thrown up a smoke screen as to their methods of conducting Disney Store Business. When asked about the fate of the Disney Stores by a caller in the 2nd Quarter Conference Call that was broadcast on the Disney Investors website on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, Michael Eisner vaguely stated that "We (The Walt Disney Company) are still on track to consider selling the stores. We haven't changed our position. We are still pursuing discussion on the subject."

We can only hope that a sell-out of the Disney Stores doesn't happen. When pressed for an answer from the Board, Disney Stores Managers, Cast Members, Shareholders and Consumers alike receive only silence and speculation. What is The Board of Director's position? What are they discussing? As far as the Board is concerned, it's just "business as usual." The trouble is that no-one except the Board of Directors knows what the usual business is.

It's hard to be The Disney Store when the business is no longer "Disney."

“The Chronological Donald Volume One, 1934-1941” is a highlight of the “Walt Disney Treasures” series of DVDs

The tin cases that contain the four latest limited-edition "Walt Disney Treasures" ($32.99) arrive

endorsed by Roy E. Disney, who obviously affixed his signature before he was invited to leave the board of the mouse house.

That act provoked Walt's favorite nephew to lead the continuing jihad against the company's president, Michael Eisner, who, ironically, can be credited with the opening of the studio's Tut-like vaults, heretofore guarded by a Roy Disney faction that believed making the legendary archives public would devalue them.

Thank goodness Eisner prevailed, or we wouldn't have those incredible deluxe editions of masterpieces like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," much less "The Lion King." Nor would we have these four new and fairly remarkable two-disc sets in the "Treasures" series, the feathery jewel being "The Chronological Donald Volume One, 1934-1941."

Like the "Cows on Parade" that perhaps inspired them, 15 Mickey Mouse statues will flank State Street for the next two months. Each is over 6 feet tall, is constructed of polyurethane and weighs 700 pounds. All have been designed by celebrities such as Tom Hanks and Susan Lucci, sports figures such as Andre Agassi and artists such as Gary Baseman.

The one-of-a-kind works of art on display here actually are part of a collection of 75 that were first unveiled at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on Mickey's 75th birthday in November. Chicago is one of the first of a dozen cities that will feature a selection of the statues.

It's all part of the Walt Disney Co.'s yearlong tribute to America's favorite mouse, who made his film debut in the 1928 cartoon short "Steamboat Willie."

Mickey Map Mice have invaded the east and west sides of State Street from Wacker Drive all the way to Jackson Boulevard. Find out where the 15 Mickey Mouse statues will be located.     Photo Gallery Take a look at the entire collection of 75 statues.

Tammy DeMarco, a senior marketing manager who oversees Disney's Mickey and Friends franchise, said Chicago was an obvious choice for two reasons.

"Walt Disney was born in Chicago and it's also the 75th anniversary of the Greater State Street Council, so it was a perfect way to pay honor to both Mickey and the street," DeMarco said.

Hanks has shot a few films in Chicago, so DeMarco says the Mickey Mouse he designed was a perfect fit. Regis Philbin went to Notre Dame, something he has in common with many Chicagoans, so his Mickey is on display here, too.

"We really wanted to make sure that each artist on display had some connection to the city," DeMarco explained.

Selecting which of the 75 statues to display in Chicago was only half the problem. Ty Tabing, the executive director of the Greater State Street Council, said it was quite a challenge to add something as large as these sculptures to the landscape of State Street.

"I can't thank the City's Transportation Department, Disney and the State Street merchants enough. It was only by working together that we were able to place them among all the bus stops, bike racks and storefronts that line the street," Tabing said.

Though the statues are in place today, the official kickoff is Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at Block 37 at the northwest corner of State and Washington. The free event will feature entertainment, music and giveaways. A chance to meet Mickey and friends will follow from 2 to 4 p.m. at Marshall Field's State Street store in the Narcissus Room on the seventh floor.

Disney expects more than a million people to see the statues on display here though July 20.

To add a dose of interactive fun, DeMarco said each of the statues challenges you to find a hidden image of Mickey Mouse in either painted or papier-mache form somewhere on each figure. It wouldn't be Mickey, after all, if it wasn't also fun.

"For four generations, Mickey has touched our hearts through fun and laughter. The statues bring all those great memories back," DeMarco said.

All 75 statues -- including the 15 on display here -- will be auctioned off next year, and the proceeds will go to a charity of the artist/celebrity's choice.

For more information, visit www.disney.com/mickey75.

Did you know?

In honor of Mickey's 75th birthday celebration, here are some interesting tidbits about the world's most lovable mouse.

In the beginning:

• Walt Disney's original cartoon creation was not a mouse but a rabbit named Oswald.
• Walt Disney created Mickey based on a mouse that lived in the tiny studio in Kansas City where he produced his first animation shorts.
• Mickey Mouse was originally going to be named "Mortimer Mouse," but Walt Disney's wife, Lillian, thought the name was too pompous. They later named him Mickey Mouse.
• A character named Mortimer Mouse later made an appearance in the 1936 short "Mickey's Rival," where Mortimer Mouse challenged Mickey for Minnie Mouse's affection.
• Only three men have been the "official" voice of Mickey: Walt Disney, Jim Macdonald and the current voice, Wayne Allwine.
• Today, Mickey Mouse is the official greeter of all the Disney parks. He has greeted kings and presidents, prime ministers and princes, actors, and millions of fans. Mickey's travels have taken him everywhere, including the New York Stock Exchange, where he rang the opening bell.

Mickey goes to Hollywood:

• After "Steamboat Willie," released in 1928, Mickey starred in more than 120 short cartoons. Eighty-seven of them were produced during the 1930s.
• The first two Mickey Mouse films cost the studio $2,500 each. More recent Disney animated features have cost between $100 million and $150 million to produce.
• Mickey appeared in three feature films: "Fantasia" (1940), "Fun and Fancy Free" (1947) and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988); two featurettes: "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (1983) and "The Prince and the Pauper" (1990), and two animated television series: "Disney's Mickey MouseWorks" (1999) and "House of Mouse" (2001).
• In Mickey's most famous role as the Sorcerer's Apprentice in "Fantasia," his image was modified to include eye pupils and a more three-dimensional appearance.
• In 1932, a special Academy Award was given to Walt Disney for the creation of Mickey Mouse.
• In 1988, Mickey presented an envelope to actor Tom Selleck at the Academy Awards. In 2003, Mickey also presented the award for Best Animated Short with actress Jennifer Garner.
• The upcoming holiday season will bring "Twice Upon a Christmas," a direct-to-video premiere with Mickey Mouse and the gang in three-dimensional CGI animation for the first time.

Bet Ya Didn't Know ...

• At the Disney theme parks, Mickey can now wiggle his nose.
• In all Mickey Mouse cartoons, Mickey's ears always face forward, no matter which way Mickey is facing.
• Mickey has worn more than 175 different outfits.
• Mickey's favorite sayings are "Gosh!," "Oh, boy!," "That sure is swell!," "Aw, gee ..." and "See ya soon!"

________________________________________________________________
Disneyana Fun Fairs
All Disneyana Show, Sale and Auction
Sunday May 23rd  10:00 am to 5:00 pm

In addition to the Show, Sale and Auction, there will be a special event presentation to benefit the Herb Ryman Foundation. The special event will feature will feature Walt's WED Imagineers go to the 1964-1965 New York's World's Fair, A 40th Anniversary Retrospective with Veteran WED Imagineers Harriet Burns, Alice Davis, Blaine Gibson, Bob Gurr and Sam McKim.

This event is dedicated to the memory of Imagineers John Hench and David Mumford.

Also on hand for the sale and event will be:

• Charles Boyer: Noted Disney Illustrator
• Britt Lomond: El Comandante from Disney's Zorro
• Tony Anselmo: Disney Animator and the voice of Donald Duck. Tony will be signing his new Disney Poster Book and celebrating Donald's 50th birthday
• Howard Lowery: Noted Auctioneer
• Tony Baxter: Senior Vice President Walt Disney Imagineering
• Bryan Jowers: Noted Imagineering Artist
• Terri Hardin: Noted Disney Sculptor
• Michael Broggie: Disney Railroad Historian
• Margaret Kerry: Model for Disney's Tinker Bell

Admission is $5 at the door
For more information, call 714-835-3617

There had been informal talks about the former NBA star joining Al Michaels, John Madden and new sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya on the telecast next season.

"I told them I didn't think that this was a direction I wanted to go in right now," Barkley told Sporting News Radio. "I'm just a layman when it comes to football. The only thing I know about football is the point spreads."

Barkley has two years left on his TNT contract as an NBA commentator. He said he listened to the "MNF" overtures because of Mike Pearl, the executive producer for ABC Sports who used to work at TNT.

"I have a great amount of respect for him," Barkley said.

Neither Disney nor funds were prepared on Wednesday to preview publicly the issues on the agenda for the meeting in New York, saying they wanted a constructive meeting.

But people familiar with the agenda said state treasurers and fund managers planned to list their concerns in a series of presentations followed by a question-and-answer session in a meeting that could last a couple of hours or more.

The meeting comes about a week after Disney reported strong quarterly earnings, which Eisner claimed as a vindication for his growth strategy.

Some critics, however, have questioned whether Disney's earnings growth is sustainable and want the board to demonstrate that it can hold management accountable.

Two proposals, that Disney approve an ad hoc shareholder committee on governance and that the company publish executive compensation plans before they are made permanent, are also likely to be put on the agenda on Friday, people familiar with the discussions said.

In addition, Disney directors are expected to be asked to detail the process of picking a successor for Chief Executive Michael Eisner and Eisner's own plans ahead of the expiration of his contract in 2006.

Disney's representatives are also likely to detail the company's strategy, including steps to turn around money-losing network ABC, one person said.

State Treasurers Denise Nappier of Connecticut and Richard Moore of North Carolina, New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, and the heads of the California Public Employees Retirement System, or Calpers, which is the nation's largest fund, the California State Teachers Retirement System, and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System asked for the meeting on March 22.

They told Disney Chairman George Mitchell they wanted to meet directors in person and said they believed their investments were in jeopardy.

Mitchell, named Disney chairman on March 3 after a protest vote in which 45 percent of shares were voted against Eisner's reelection to the board, agreed to meet on May 21, although not all board members are expected to be present.

Collectively, the state funds own less than 2 percent of Disney shares and typically buy shares according to their representation in stock indexes.

But the funds have formed a loose coalition on corporate governance issues and their opposition galvanized the protest movement ahead of Disney's March 3 annual meeting.

Immediately after that shareholder vote, California Controller Steve Westly called for creating the ad hoc committee to monitor Disney's move to address shareholder concerns.

North Carolina Treasurer Moore separately in April urged large companies to publish executive compensation proposals on their Web sites.

Calpers, for its part, has repeatedly called for Eisner to resign, citing the company's poor financial performance in the last few years. The group, however, did not ask for his ouster in its March letter to Mitchell.

Disney's board has steadfastly backed Eisner and said the company was on track to report earnings from continuing operations up 50 percent or more this year and double-digit percentage rises after that.

To celebrate ESPN's 25th anniversary, ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort will offer fans the opportunity to see and hear ESPN personalities and the greatest athletes of the past 25 years through "ESPN The Weekend," a special celebration at Disney-MGM Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., July 31 and Aug. 1, 2004.

"ESPN and Disney will combine their collective resources to create a one-of-a-kind experience for sports fans and park guests," said George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. "The Disney-MGM Studios provides a fantastic setting for a 25th anniversary celebration with fans."

"ESPN The Weekend" will include on-site ESPN telecasts including SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, College GameDay and ESPNEWS; star motorcades and conversations with network personalities and athletes; sports shows in the ESPN Theater featuring ESPN commentators and athletes; a visit from ESPN The Truck; a special sports edition of the game show attraction "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!"; an interactive sports area allowing guests to relive the past 25 years of sports; X Games activities; a SportsCenter and play-by-play "role play" area; and an exclusive video of blunders and thrills.

The event will culminate with a final tribute to the past 25 years orchestrated to a Disney pyrotechnics show exploding over the park's 12-story Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat icon.

Alan L. Farkas of Washington-based management consulting firm Farkas Berkowitz & Company will serve as master of ceremonies for the evening. The event is cosponsored by McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Engineering News-Record. Group Publisher Jay McGraw will make introductory remarks. The evening's winners will be announced at www.be.org immediately following the ceremony.

Bentley renamed its annual awards "BE Awards" to reflect the Bentley Empowered nature of users and the projects they create to improve the world's infrastructure and increase quality of life.

About the BE Conference

The BE Conference is Bentley's premier professional training event. This year, it includes more than 400 training courses and technology updates, keynote presentations by Bentley executives, project presentations by innovative Bentley users, and a wide range of networking opportunities. The BE Conference achieves a 98 percent satisfaction rating year after year.

About Bentley

Bentley Systems, Incorporated, provides software for the lifecycle of the world's infrastructure. The company's comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2003 revenues reaching $260 million, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner-operators.

To receive Bentley press releases as they are issued, visit www.bentley.com/bentleywire. For more information, visit www.bentley.com.

Bentley, the "B" logo, BE, and BE Awards are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or Bentley Software, Inc. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.-Four-time Ironman New Zealand champion Cameron Brown (New Zealand) and Australian standout Luke Bell (Australia) lead a strong men’s field scheduled to compete in the inaugural Florida Half Ironman at WALT DISNEY WORLDÒ Resort being held on Sunday, May 23.

Brown has developed into one of the top Ironman triathletes in the world, having won Ironman New Zealand the past four consecutive years over strong fields.

Brown posted an overall time of eight hours, 30 minutes and thirty seconds in winning the 2004 Ironman New Zealand event, topping Sweden’s Clas Bjorling by just over six minutes.

The 31-year-old posted his best finish at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in 2001, placing second to two-time champion Tim DeBoom (Lyons, Colo.) Brown was third at the World Championship in 2002 and 2003.

Brown has also finished third at the Ironman USA Lake Placid triathlon twice.

Bell burst onto the Ironman scene in impressive fashion in 2003, placing third at Ironman Australia and then ending his year in fine fashion with a fifth-place overall finish at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October. He started this season right with an impressive second place finish at California Half Ironman in April. The 24-year-old Bell also finished sixth at Ironman Australia in 2002.

Two long-time short course standouts from Great Britain, Spencer Smith and Simon Lessing, should also challenge for the title at the inaugural event.

Smith has seen major success at both long and short course triathlons in his career. The 29-year-old has posted a pair of top ten finishes at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, including a fifth-place finish in 1998 and has posted a pair of Ironman wins in his career (Ironman Florida in 2001 and Ironman Brazil in 2002).

Smith is a two-time ITU Olympic Distance World Champion (1993 and 1994) and has recorded victories in a number of short course races (St. Croix International Triathlon, St. Anthony’s and the Carlsbad Triathlon to name a few).

Lessing is a four-time ITU World Champion and is a long-time standout at the short-course distance.

Having exhausted almost all the possibilities and challenges short distance triathlon could pose for him, Lessing has decided to make the move to longer distance events in 2004.

Events in 2004 that Lessing is scheduled to compete in include the Florida Half Ironman at WALT DISNEY WORLDÒ Resort, as well as Ironman USA Lake Placid in July.

Three other athletes who have won Ironman titles; Chris Lieto (Danville, Calif.), Michael Lovato (Boulder, Colo.) and Viktor Zymestev (Ukraine) could also challenge at the Florida event. L

Lieto posted the first Ironman win of his career at the inaugural Ironman Wisconsin triathlon held in Madison, Wisc. in September of 2002.

Lieto held off a late charge by Australia’s Chris Legh to take the title with an overall time of eight hours, 46 minutes and 30 seconds.

The 32-year-old Lieto finished second at fifth annual Ironman USA Lake Placid triathlon in July of 2003 and was 13th overall at the Ironman World Championship in October.

Lovato posted the first Ironman win of his career by claiming the men’s title at the inaugural Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene triathlon in June of 2003. Lovato overcame brutal conditions to post an overall time of eight hours, 40 minutes and 59 seconds to claim the title.

2003 also saw the 30-year-old place 9th overall at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii with an overall time of 8:36:56.

Zymestev is a two-time Ironman Austria champion posting impressive times in winning the event in 2002 and 2003.

Other athletes who could challenge for the inaugural men’s title include Bjorn Andersson (Sweden), Andriy Yasterbov (Ukraine) and James Bonney (Austin, Texas).

Andersson was third at Ironman New Zealand in March, while Yasterbov was second at Ironman Florida last November. Bonney was fifth at Ironman New Zealand in 2002.

More than 2,000 triathletes from around the world are expected to compete in the inaugural Florida Half Ironman at WALT DISNEY WORLDâ Resort. Athletes will be competing for 30 qualifying spots to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, as well as a $25,000 pro prize purse.

For more information on the event, log onto www.floridahalfironman.com.

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ABC hires Bashir; Vargas to replace Walters

Network also adding weekend 'GMA'

ABC News on Tuesday appointed Elizabeth Vargas to replace Barbara Walters as co-host of the newsmagazine "20/20," and hired British celebrity interviewer Martin Bashir for the show.

Vargas has been a frequent fill-in on various ABC News broadcasts and a reporter for its newsmagazine. She'll be teamed with John Stossel on "20/20," which retained its Friday time slot in the fall schedule announced by the network on Tuesday.

Walters was the show's original co-host since 1979, and will continue doing interview specials for the network.

Bashir, no stranger to ABC audiences, will fill Walters' role in competition for the big celebrity interviews.

His interview with Michael Jackson was seen by 27 million people in February 2003, and won the enmity of the star, who sold his version of his story to Fox. ABC has also shown other Bashir programs about the late Princess Diana and an investigation into a scandal on the British version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

ABC's other newsmagazine will go back to the name "Primetime Live" and go back to its roots as a live program.

"By broadcasting live, we guarantee a greater energy, immediacy and rapid response to breaking news," said Shelley Ross, the show's executive producer.

That means tougher hours for hosts Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer, who also anchor "Good Morning America." So they'll be joined by a rotating team of Chris Cuomo, Cynthia McFadden and John Quinones as anchors, Ross said.

ABC is also starting a weekend edition of "Good Morning America" in the fall. After it was abandoned several years ago in a cost-cutting move, ABC ceded weekend news territory to NBC and CBS, and was criticized for moving slowly on news stories that broke on the weekends.

Bill Weir, a former sports reporter at the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles, was appointed host of the weekend "Good Morning America."

ABC will pair him with another host, but that person hasn't been named yet.

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Disney Treasures To Feature Mickey Mouse Club

Mouseketeer Bobby Burgess has offered information about an eagerly anticipated Disney Treasures DVD. The December release, previously announced by Leonard Maltin, will detail The Mickey Mouse Club. At a gathering devoted to Walt Disney Art Classics, Burgess stated that he and fellow Mouseketeers had participated in the production of the DVD. He said that the producers had arranged for the Mouseketeers to tour various locations on the Disney Studios lot as they taped introductions and reminiscences. Burgess made the statements on Sunday, May 16, at the Disneyland Hotel.

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Disneyland 50th Anniversary CD Set Announced at Disney Art Classics Event

Randy Thornton, Grammy Award winning producer for Walt Disney Records, has announced that he is in the process of producing a Disneyland 50th Anniversary recording set. He stated that the plans call for six CDs. The recordings would be drawn from a variety of vintage sources, newly cleaned and remastered. Among the attractions planned for inclusion are such favorites as "The Country Bear Jamboree," "Carousel of Progress," "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," "The Enchanted Tiki Room," and "Adventure Thru Inner Space." Thornton made the announcement on Sunday, May 16, at the Walt Disney Art Classics event at the Disneyland Hotel.

World’s biggest film animation studio sees its classic films aired on radio

Here’s the conundrum. How does the world’s most successful film animation studio sell its back catalogue of classic movies to parents and kids who are raised on a super-modern, technologydriven diet of Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo? The Disney Classic collection of movies, such as Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty, entranced a generation, but in video and DVD form seem to have limited appeal to today’s audience. Despite having characters and story lines that are as enthralling and engaging as their modern day equivalents, consumers felt the films to be oldfashioned.

To overcome this and to communicate the timeless nature of these Disney Classics, we looked to radio – the classic story-telling medium. Radio is renowned for its ability to tell a story that captures the imagination of its audience.

Orson Wells’ dramatisation of The War of the Worlds on 30 October, 1938, is remembered, even now, for the impact it had on its listeners and the way it panicked America into thinking an alien invasion was imminent.

We commissioned two famous contemporary artistes with great radio voices – Harry Enfield and Joanna Lumley – to tell the Disney Classic stories as good oldfashioned bedtime “strands”.

This involved adapting the original stories slightly to increase their humour and relevance and then broadcasting them at a time when we knew we could get mums and their children listening together.

Four of the Disney Classic stories – Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Peter Pan – were produced and aired on LBC at 6.55pm every weekday. Each story lasted 25 minutes and was aired in fiveminute episodes from Monday to Friday, with the full omnibus being broadcast on Saturday.

The programmes were credited by LBC with live reads, presenter endorsement and recorded trailers.

To ensure only the best quality production, we spent two thirds of the budget on production.

The results were outstanding.

More than 670,000 listeners tuned in for the first episode and continued to tune in for the following ones. As part of the overall communication strategy, this idea contributed to a nine-fold uplift in sales. Mothers bombarded the radio station with requests for more stories! As a result, the series has been recommissioned with a much larger budget for 2004.

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The last three days of news May 16th, 17th and 18th have been lost, we apologize for any inconvenience