MickeyXtreme News Archive May 2004
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Monday May 31, 2004
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Disney movies rank high on gorillas' list of favorite shows

While he likes cartoons and public television, he's bored with sports. But National Geographic specials fascinate him.

"We tried to put on sports, even though we were concerned it might generate aggressive behavior, but he really wasn't interested," said Cindy McCaleb, one of his keepers.

Patrick is among five western lowland gorillas who have been moved to the Dallas Zoo's indoor holding area since a March 18 escape and attack by another gorilla.

During the attack, a 13-year-old western lowland gorilla escaped from an outdoor exhibit and injured three people before police killed him.

Patrick and the other gorillas have shown some signs of stress since being kept away from the public. Zoo officials have come up with some creative ways, including television, to keep the gorillas entertained.

The gorillas are fond of Disney cartoons, with "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast" ranking high on their list of favorites.

"They don't follow the story, of course," McCaleb said in Sunday's editions of The Dallas Morning News. "They like the music, the color and the movement."

There also seems to be differences in the viewing habits of the gorillas depending on their age.

Patrick watches more television than some of the older gorillas who don't pay much attention to TV shows, McCaleb said.

The gorillas also have other activities and games.

Zoo officials hide food in large Coca-Cola syrup barrels and put sandwiches in mesh cages that they have to figure out how to open.

Employees also put up posters of nature scenes, and most recently a Georgia O'Keeffe painting. They also play the radio.

"I tend to go classical," McCaleb said. "It tends to mellow them out."

Only the keepers are allowed to have contact with the gorillas when they're inside the 8,000-square-foot holding area.

The apes will be held in the area until a study is completed on whether the outdoor exhibit is safe. The study was expected in mid-May, but zoo officials don't know when it will be done, said zoo spokeswoman Ellen Villeneuve.

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Blue, I Feel So Blue


Disneyland Paris--
Discoveryland progresses at an impressive speed. While the Nautilus still sits in the empty lagoon while the submarine and the lagoon undergo refurbishment the exterior of Space Mountain now gets brighter with every day. Since the lauch tunnel has been repainted already, work centers now around the actual dome of the building is at the center of attention. As the photo to the right shows the final color for the huge metal elements has been chosen... In the meantime work continues inside the Videopolis, too as the photo below shows. The new question here is: what is hiding below the plastic sheets in the auditorium??

Looking for more progress? After what seems like years the fountain in front of It's A Small World finally runs with water again. Looks like summer? Seems so, as the water fall on the top of the underground lift hill of Big Thunder Mountain has been turned on again too. If you got wet during thsi ride or while playing with the hands in the fountain there is now more sun on Main Street, U.S.A., as trees here are replaced one by one.

                    
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It's IMAX-time
 
Disneyland Paris--It was announced 2001, a building permit is displayed on site since 2001 and the ground behind the Gaumont has been cleared since 2001, too. But it took another three years among financial troubles of the movie theater chain of Gaumont till finally work progresses again. A week ago new equipment arrived on the cleared site of the future IMAX theater and new work begun. So far nothing major can be seen, but work seems to have started on preparing the ground further. Now everybody keep the fingers crossed that it does not take another three years before actual construction of the building starts.
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Sunday May 30, 2004
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Starring Rolls Café now open

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).

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Dinosaur Re-opened

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.

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New Members of the Management
 
Disneyland Paris--Even so the huge increase in marketing and advertising spending since early last fall has not resulted in any increase in hotel occupancy or theme park attendance the resort plans to continue to emphasize marketing and distribution to lure more guests to Europe's leading tourist attraction ... with the help of Norbert Stikema, who is in a "executive leadership" position in regard of these endevaors. He only recently joined EuroDisney S.C.A. after working for the airline KLM which had to find a partner after being unable to survive on their own on their business strategy. According to official information he will work in a close relationship with the new vice president for Strategic Planning & Pricing Andrew de Csilery. He joined the company only recently too, coming from Six Continents, who only recently split the hotel and soft drink business (Intercontinental Hotels Group) from the retail business (Mitchells & Butlers). It needs to be seen of two managers without any recent experience in the theme park business were the right choice for positions as vital to long term sucess as "strategic planning".
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Saturday May 29, 2004
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Disney's impact on recovery touted

Tourism is recovering, and Disney is a key source of jobs and tax revenue, an economist said.
 
Tourism is on the rebound and Walt Disney World is leading the region out of the slump as the No. 1 employer and taxpayer, with a payroll that tops $1.3 billion and spending in Central Florida of nearly $2.6 billion a year, a regional economist said Thursday.

The downturn in visitation to the state and Orlando in the past few years was the deepest "since the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s," said Hank Fishkind, president of Fishkind & Associates in Orlando, speaking at an annual Disney briefing for the business media.

But the region has "completely recovered" from the slump, Fishkind said, and he predicted that 2005 and 2006 would also be good years for Central Florida tourism, although probably not as strong as 2004. He cited rebounding theme park attendance, record Orange County hotel tax receipts and increasing airport traffic.

Fishkind, who has conducted paid research for Walt Disney World for years, said the tourism giant accounts for about $5.1 billion, or nearly 9 percent, of metro Orlando's gross regional product, the total of all products and services produced in the four-county area.

He said he uses a standard federal computer model to calculate the multiplier effect of Disney's revenue, spending and taxes on the region. Without Disney's economic benefits, Fishkind said, the average household in the region would probably pay about $476 more in local taxes.

Four years ago, Fishkind estimated the tax savings at $499 a year. He noted Thursday that Disney's overall contribution to the local economy has declined on a percentage basis in the recent past because the rest of the economy has continued to grow.

But Fishkind said that Disneycame through the recent slump "in amazingly strong shape." The company is the nation's largest single-site employer, with more than 50,000 workers in Orange County, and accounts for 110,000 direct and indirect jobs locally, he said.

Orange County Comptroller Martha Haynie said she has never analyzed Fishkind's tax-savings estimate and has no idea if it is accurate.

"Disney certainly pays a huge amount of property taxes," particularly benefiting schools, Haynie said. But the question, she said, is how much Disney's impact offsets the benefits. "Visitors come in and use our services," she said.

Both Jay Rasulo, president of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, and Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said the company is healthy and optimistic about the future.

"The past three years have been challenging," Rasulo said. But "millions of people around the world have never stopped dreaming of a Disney vacation."
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How Disney handled 'War Years'


With the dedication of the World War II memorial today in Washington, D.C., Disney fans can return to the 1940s and see how the Mouse factory went to war via a new DVD set out this month.

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."

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Disney 'High' on Youngster for Superhero Pic
 
Michael Angarano, who played the junior version of Tobey Maguire's character in "Seabiscuit," will star in the Disney comedy "Sky High," which centers on a high school for superpowered teens in a world where superheroes are an everyday occurrence.

The story follows Jeremy, the son of superheroes Commander Stronghold and Jetstream, and his attempts to become a regular teenager and a possible future hero.

The project has a start date of Aug. 20 in Los Angeles. Mike Mitchell ("Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo") is directing.

Angarano also played the young William Miller, Patrick Fugit's character, in "Almost Famous." He also was a series regular on NBC's "Will & Grace." He is filming the skateboarding movie "Lords of Dogtown."

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Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
 
Chain of Memories looks to bridge the gap between the Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2 and takes place shortly after the events of the original game have transpired. This isn't you standard action/RPG as it does incorporate card elements into the game play.
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'Toga party at Disney

Disney opened the first phase of its new resort. Even the mayor of Saratoga Springs showed up.
 
With a splash of water from the real Saratoga Springs, the Walt Disney Co. christened its seventh -- and eventually its largest -- time-share resort Thursday and suggested there may be more to come.

Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, built on the former site of the Disney Institute across from Downtown Disney, opened with 184 units.

Units range from simple studios the size of a typical motel room to two-story suites with whirlpool tubs, full kitchens and DVD players with surround-sound speakers.

Inspired by the upstate New York country retreats of the late 1800s, the resort was designed around the themes of natural springs and Saratoga's tradition of horse racing. Several "springs" dot the resort, and silhouettes of thoroughbred racehorses circle lampshades in the rooms.

The first guests arrived earlier this month, but the resort was dedicated Thursday morning by the mayor of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Michael Lenz, who poured a pitcher of spring water into the resort's swimming pool.



Disney executives said Phase One of the resort was three-quarters sold, and they announced plans to expand the resort by another 644 units by 2007.

Saratoga Springs "is part of our long-term strategy to continue to give guests what they want," said Al Weiss, Walt Disney World's president.

Beginning with Disney's Old Key West Resort in 1991, each of Disney's previous time-share resorts has sold out, Weiss said.

"Obviously," he said, "they're demanding our Disney Vacation Club product in a big way."

As with other time-share programs, Disney Vacation Club sells part-ownership in a property. Disney's program gives members the option of staying at any of its time shares or certain Disney hotels, or they may exchange their "vacation points" to stay at other properties.

The average price for a unit at Saratoga Springs is about $19,000 for a two-bedroom suite, Disney said. Buyers also are required to pay an annual maintenance fee of $800.

During weeks when a unit isn't being used by a vacation club member, Disney will treat it the same as a hotel room, renting by the night. Rates will start at $254 a night for a 355-square-foot studio.

Disney is weighing plans to build more time-share resorts in Orlando and elsewhere. "We see a lot of opportunity on both fronts," said Jim Lewis, senior vice president for Disney's time-share division.

Lewis wouldn't give details but said, "We still have a lot of green space to expand."

Lewis said the company wants to build its time-share business because owners tend to visit more often and spend more money -- twice as much as those who stay at a Disney hotel and seven times as much as those who stay off property.

Saratoga Springs' opening gives the company five time shares at Walt Disney World and one each in Vero Beach and on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
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Downtown Disney speeds up the service


New eateries offer faster food and lower prices to appeal to tourists and locals.
 
ANAHEIM – After hitting the amusement parks, Andrea Violett and her family, including four grandkids under 7, wanted a fast, inexpensive meal at Downtown Disney before trekking back to the hotel for afternoon swimming. So they headed to a new taqueria in the popular entertainment center and ordered $3 tacos.

"We needed something quick and the kids don't eat that much," said Violett of Lodi as she organized the family around outdoor tables.

The restaurant strategy for Downtown Disney, which is adjacent to Disneyland and California Adventure and part of the Disneyland Resort, has been evolving to address the needs of families like the Violetts since the center opened in 2001. More casual eateries with counter service, faster turnaround and lower prices are gradually being added to the mix to balance the full-service, high-concept restaurants.

"There was a clear void there," said restaurant consultant Randall Hiatt, president of Fessel International in Costa Mesa. "My guess is that they could go a lot further and continue to add that kind of option."

The taqueria, where guests order from a limited menu at a window, is attached to Tortilla Jo's, a new full-service, 560-seat Mexican restaurant owned by The Patina Group and famed chef Joachim Splichal that opened in April and replaced Y Arriba Y Arriba.

Patina was interested in opening the taqueria after the success of Napolini, which opened last summer, a Patina-owned "grab and go" eatery that sells slices of pizza, gourmet sandwiches and salads. The group also operates the full service Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria and Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar at Downtown Disney.

"(Napolini) was successful beyond our expectations," said Octavio Becerra, vice president, chef, and co-founder of The Patina Group. "It inspired the taqueria."

A Jamba Juice also opened six months ago, replacing a sunglass shop, to offer a healthy fast-food option. Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen and La Brea Bakery Cafe have quick-service areas in addition to full-service restaurants, and the operations of both fast-service businesses have been improved in the last year.

While Jamba Juice is found throughout Southern California, the other quick-service restaurants are "uniquely branded," fitting with Disney's strategy for the center, said Dan Hough, Downtown Disney operations manager.

With the full-service Tortilla Jo's, Disney officials were interested in keeping prices lower than Y Arriba Y Arriba, which featured elegant tapas – small appetizer-size plates that were time-consuming to prepare and might not have been hearty enough for many visitors.

"Most want comfort food they are familiar with, prices that are reasonable and big portions," Hough said.

While Tortilla Jo's prices may be lower than Y Arriba Y Arriba's, they are still higher than those at a typical Mexican restaurant. At a recent lunch, chicken fajitas were $14.50, a carne asada burrito was $12.50, a large Caesar salad with no chicken was $11.50, and a Diet Coke cost $3.50.

Most restaurants and stores at Downtown Disney have higher-than-average prices, officials said.

"Resort pricing is in place," Hough said.

The expensive restaurants were a turnoff for the Arteagas of Modesto last week. The family had one dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, but otherwise ate at IHOP or Denny's offsite or brought their own sandwiches to the parks.

"It's too expensive to eat here," said Yadira Arteaga, 30.

The newer, more casual restaurants didn't appeal to the Arteagas, who still wanted comfortable booths to relax in after a long day at the park rather than eating outdoors or at small tables, they said.

Some tenants and retail experts said Downtown Disney prices are higher than average because rents and construction costs to finish stores are also high. Restaurant consultant Hiatt estimates some larger tenants, such as the high-profile, full-service restaurants, could be paying $1 million or more a year in rent.

Wayne Heck of Newport Beach, owner of the Haagen-Dazs store at Downtown Disney, which is No. 1 in sales nationwide for the Haagen-Dazs chain, said the huge crowds make up for the pricey rent.

"When you are doing a lot of volume, you are happy to pay the landlord," Heck said. "I write those checks with a smile on my face."

Becerra of Patina said on a busy Saturday his company serves 4,500 to 5,000 guests in its Downtown Disney restaurants.

An estimated 18 million people visited Disneyland and California Adventure combined in 2003, according to Amusement Business magazine. Downtown Disney officials would not say how many people came to the center, but about half are tourists and half live in the region, Hough said.

COUNTER SERVICE: Customers line up for a fast bite at Napolini, which opened last summer at Downtown Disney.

 

Only four businesses have closed since Downtown Disney opened, and so far this year, sales are up 14 percent over 2003, which was a record year, he said.

In the future, Disney may expand Downtown Disney and is discussing options internally. One obvious void is an Asian restaurant, which Hough said would be a good fit for the center.

While Downtown Disney is drawing a lot of people, it should be doing even better, said Greg Stoffel, a retail consultant based in Irvine.

"To be a good financial engine for the company they need to broaden their customer base to include both tourists and a healthy dose of locals," said Stoffel, who thinks the balance has tipped more toward tourists recently.

He believes adding restaurants that are still unique but not necessarily tourist attractions and without the sticker- shock menu prices could help draw more nearby residents.

Hough said Disney has been addressing those issues by adding restaurants like Tortilla Jo's, Jamba Juice and Napolini.

"We feel very comfortable where we are going with our quick-serve options," he said.

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Friday May 28, 2004
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Disney confident its theme parks are safe from terrorism


LAKE BUENA VISTA -Despite heightened concerns of terrorism, top Disney company executives today said they are not overly concerned about the safety of the company's various properties.

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.

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Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue celebrates 28,000 shows


They’ve been singing for your supper for 30 years Make ‘em laugh.

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.

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Impact of Disney mixed


$9 million in taxes, but most wages are low

Walt Disney World pays its fair share of taxes to Osceola County but floods the area with low-wage jobs, contributing to a middle-class community with a vulnerable, tourism-based tax base, according to a recent report and county officials.

This week, Disney released a report on its financial impact on the region that stated the average salary of a Disney employee working in Osceola County is $23,013. The salary is nearly 15 percent less than Disney employees in Orange County.

Produced by Disney-hired economist Henry Fishkind, the report said Disney has more than 8,300 direct and indirect employees working in Osceola, including the staffs of Disney’s Wide World of Sports and the Pop Century Resort.

With an average salary of $23,013, a two-income family of Disney employees would earn slightly more than both the national and county median household income.

Those wages are not high enough and have created a population of workers living check to check, according to some county officials.

“Though we celebrate Disney, they are just an average job and we need to do better than average,” said County Commissioner Atlee Mercer.

The report also stated that Disney pays $9 million in property tax and generates 30 percent of all tourist development tax for the county.

Fishkind said Osceola has taken its first steps to increase its tax base by upping both the transportation and school impact fees.

The result is more expensive housing, an increase that could price out Disney employees, he said.

“Workers will be pushed into Polk County.”

But County Commission Chairman Ken Shipley said the increase should not cause a decline in home purchases. Early indicators point to little more than a $30 increase in monthly payments on a 30-year mortgage, he said.

“I don’t think it would preclude anyone from buying a home in Osceola County.”

Shipley said Disney’s wages are acceptable for newcomers to the job market who are renting or buying a starter home, but probably are not high enough for a family to survive.

“I don’t think that is enough for a single person raising a family,” he said. “That’s why you have mom and dad both working.”

The affordable housing available to those types of families and its effect on the tax base has its challenges – particularly in a county where Disney employs 15 percent of the workforce.

Additionally, the report stated that Disney set aside an 8,500-acre preserve, called the Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve. Ironically, all of that tax-exempt acreage is in Osceola County, according to the report.

“On one side, we say, ‘Isn’t that wonderful?’” County Commissioner Atlee Mercer said. “But on the downside, we do suffer a revenue shortfall because of it.”

If the county wants to increase its tax base and services, it must continue taking steps to offer higher-wage positions, according to officials.

The county’s Economic Development department is now trying to attract non-tourism corporate headquarters, manufacturers and distribution centers that could offer those positions, complete with year-round work and benefits.

It most recently lured Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, which will operate a 700-person regional distribution center. The average pay is more than $24,000, according to Maria Grulich, director of economic development.

“A community needs a diverse job base to be viable,” she said.

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Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort in Walt Disney World Celebrates 10 Years 

Today marked the Tenth Anniversary of the Wilderness Lodge Resort at Walt Disney World. The Resort opened on May 28, 1994 and was built to bring the feeling of the old National Parks Era. Did you know that the architect for the Wilderness Lodge is also the designer for the Disney's Grand Californian and Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge?  
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Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Continues


Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Continues this week with:

Flower Power Concert Series

Peforming: Felix Cavaliere's Rascals "Good Lovin"

Themed Weekends also continue during Memorial Day Weekend May 28, 29, 30

Photos of Flower and Garden Festival Click Here
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Star Wars Weekends at Disney's MGM Studios Continues

Star Wars Weekens continue with special guests Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) & Andy Secombe (Watto) May 28, 29 & 30

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Disney attractions tops with families
   
Five Disney attractions, including the Magic Kingdom in Florida and California's Disneyland, top a list of most popular leisure destinations for families.

The prestigious Zagat Survey, best known for ranking restaurants, lodging and nightlife in cities around the world, released its first U.S. Family Travel Guide in association with Parenting magazine.

The guide features more than 1,000 family-friendly sites and destinations from amusement parks to zoos reviewed by more than 11,000 travelers who have actually been there.

The Magic Kingdom in Orlando was the most popular attraction. Epcot was second, followed by New York's American Museum of Natural History, Disneyland in Los Angeles, Central Park in New York, Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, New York's Bronx Zoo and Yosemite National Park in California.

With family vacations and domestic travel the fastest growing sectors in their industry, time-starved parents need a trustworthy and comprehensive guide to the best sites and attractions for their families, said CEO Tim Zagat.
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Disney World to expand Saratoga Springs
Disney World officials today announced plans for Phase III of its new Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, adding another 276 units by 2007.

The resort opened this month with 184 units. Al Weiss, Walt Disney World president, said 75 percent of Phase I has been sold.

When Phase II is completed -- 368 units by 2005 -- the time-share resort built on the site of the former Disney Institute will have 828 accommodations.

Saratoga is the seventh and largest of the Disney Vacation Club properties.
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Disney Cartoon Sequels Could Damage Pixar -Analyst

In a private meeting this week with a leading Wall Street analyst, Walt Disney Co. CEO Michael Eisner confirmed earlier company statements that the studio has several sequels in the works to the blockbuster films Pixar has created for the company. 

While analyst Jessica Reif Cohen of Merrill Lynch apparently regards that as a positive for Disney, she cautions that such sequels could have an "adverse impact" on Pixar, which called off contract extension talks with Disney in January, ending a partnership that resulted in such hits as "Toy Story," "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc."

"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.

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Disney leading kids to hell?

New book series W.I.T.C.H. pushes witchcraft, astrology
A new Disney book series for adolescent girls aptly named W.I.T.C.H. promotes witchcraft and magic, a development that adds to the arsenal of those who criticize the company for being anti-family.
"Mickey Mouse leading children to Hell" is the headline on one website alerting readers to the new books.

"[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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EuroDisney gets more time for financial deal
French theme park operator Euro Disney has obtained additional time from its lenders and main stockholder the Walt Disney Co. to finalise financial restructuring negotiations, it said on Friday.

It said in a statement that it would be unable to meet all of its debt obligations if no agreement or memorandum of understanding with the lenders was reached by June 30.

Under the extended deal, its lenders had agreed to forgo until May 31, their rights with respect to some financial covenants and other obligations, including some security deposit requirements, it said in the statement.

"The purpose of the new extension, the first stage of which is valid through June 8, 2004, is to allow the primary negotiating parties time to finalise a memorandum of understanding for the resolution of the company's financial situation," it said.

If a memorandum was reached no later than June 8, a second stage of the waiver agreement along with other proposed concessions, including deferral of the maturity of a credit line from TWDC, would run through June 30 to allow for approval of the memorandum by all the lenders, it said.

Euro Disney CEO Andre Lacroix said in the statement that an agreement was close and he hoped to release details in the near-term.

Euro Disney has been keeping afloat thanks to temporary waivers from its banks on a debt pile bigger than its shareholder capital, but has to renegotiate its borrowings in what would amount to its second restructuring in a decade.

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Weinsteins buy "Fahrenheit 9/11" from Disney
 

Miramax film studio founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein have personally acquired rights to Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" from Walt Disney Co. after Disney, which owns Miramax, declined to distribute it, Disney said on Friday.

Miramax had funded the film but Disney said it was too politically charged for the family-friendly company.

After more than a week of talks, the Weinsteins have bought rights to the film, estimated to have cost about $6 million, and will arrange for its theatrical and home video distribution.

The film won the Palme d'Or, the highest award of the Cannes film festival this month, but plans for a U.S. theatrical release had been held up while Disney and the Weinstein's negotiated.

Moore, who criticizes U.S. President George W. Bush and the war on Iraq in the film, said on May 5 that Disney had refused to distribute the picture.

Disney said that it had made its decision a year earlier and accused Moore of conducting a publicity stunt.

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At Walt Disney World


FOR parents whose taste runs more to South Beach than Blizzard Beach, there's probably no more frightening prospect than the seemingly obligatory "but everyone else has been" visit to Walt Disney World. But take heart. Though most of the 14 million people who come through Disney's Orlando, Fla., megaresort each year spend at least three days, you can cram a visit into a (relatively) painless long weekend. Not cheaply, however; Disney World is a place where time really is money, and doing speed Disney requires staying at one of the "on-campus" resorts, buying length-of-stay passes and renting a car. Expect to make liberal use of the Fastpass kiosks (the system, which is available on many of the most-popular rides and shows, gives you an assigned window of time in which to ride without waiting in line). And forget seeing it all. This itinerary, tailored to the tastes of a 5-year-old boy, takes in just three of the parks — the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and the Animal Kingdom — and skips many minor attractions. But, do you really want to see the Country Bear Jamboree?

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.

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ABC network to broadcast names of troops killed in war on terror
The ABC television network was set to broadcast on its "Nightline" news magazine the names of 122 soldiers killed in the war on terror, following a similar roll call for Iraqi war dead a month ago.
Veteran ABC anchorman Ted Koppel will read the names of 122 service men and women who died while serving in Afghanistan and around the world in "Operation Enduring Freedom."

The programme will mirror a broadcast on April 30 when Koppel and the network generated some controversy by reading the names of more than 500 troops killed in Iraq with photos of each of the dead men and women on screen.

"We felt strongly about paying a similar tribute to the service men and women who have died in our names fighting the War on Terror," said "Nightline" executive producer Leroy Sievers.

Last month's tribute was rejected by a number of ABC affiliates across the United States, including seven owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group which said the show was motivated by a "political agenda" designed to undermine US efforts in Iraq.

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New Disney resort offers splash of Saratoga


More than two years of planning, designing and building officially came to life at 8:30 a.m. Thursday with the sound of buglers' horns and a splash of Saratoga spring water.

Saratoga Springs Mayor Michael Lenz, arriving in a horse-drawn carriage with Mickey Mouse and followed by six jockeys and horses, helped introduce Walt Disney World's newest resort -- Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

Under a bright blue, cloudless sky, Lenz poured a pitcher of spring water into the resort's pool, which is fashioned after and inspired by the springs in Saratoga Spa State Park, to bring together the real city and its Disney counterpart.

'They've really captured the Victorian era,' Lenz said of the resort.

'Saratoga Springs is not just another resort -- it's a living postcard of a time gone by,' said Al Weiss, Walt Disney World Resort president.

The day's festivities were like the Spa City's Victorian Streetwalk, with musicians, food and men and women dressed in Victorian garb. The only difference, of course, was that Thursday's temperatures soared into the 90s.

Despite the searing heat, hundreds of Disney Vacation Club members descended upon the new resort to get a taste of what Saratoga Springs is all about.

They enjoyed a private concert by Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid,' and a repeat performance of Lenz's opening ceremony. This time, with the resort as his backdrop, he poured spring water into a bowl, which set off fireworks and geysers in the lake behind him. Lenz then moved on to be the grand marshal of the Founder's Day parade.

There were many familiar faces at the grand opening, including City Council members Tom McTygue and Stephen Towne and Saratoga Sweets President Michael Fitzgerald, who was handing out samples of his Peppermint Pigs.

Fitzgerald said a Disney executive happened upon a Food Network program where the Peppermint Pigs were featured and called Saratoga Sweets to offer Fitzgerald the opportunity to sell his product at the resort.

'I was a little concerned about the summer aspect,' Fitzgerald said about selling the pigs, which are normally only available around the holidays. But after some thought, he decided to do it.

'I'm honored to be a part of it,' he said.

Other tastes of home for sale at the resort include Sundaes Best fudge sauce, Saratoga Salsa and Saratoga Water.

'(Disney) certainly didn't have to reach out to any of us, but they did,' Fitzgerald said.

In addition to the officials on hand, there were some local and area residents checking out the resort. Stacy and Jeff Jennings of Clifton Park were touring the resort with their 9-year-old son, Nicholas, and Nicholas' grandparents, Mary Ann and Fred Conley, also of Clifton Park.

'I love the rooms,' Stacy said. 'You really feel like you've gone back in time.'

'They captured a lot of the architecture of Saratoga,' Fred said. 'They did a good job.'

Lenz and McTygue echoed the sentiments about the architecture.

'They've done a really good job of capturing the rooflines and columns,' Lenz said.

'You can see some of the architecture,' McTygue said. 'But there's nothing like home, nothing like Saratoga.'

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

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You won't Believe why they're changing the fireworks!
Why is the fireworks show being changed?  I've heard everything from the believable  'to keep people off the castle while it's being rehabbed' to the ridiculous 'they're putting on a really, really bad show called 'Imagine' so no one will notice that 'Remember' isn't as good as 'Believe''   I schwear the schwear, I am not kidding.  It's on the MouseInfo.com boards.  Hi Michael! 
While the castle construction is being presented to me as solid, here's another interesting bit of evidence sent along by Amos:  California Bill ab 826 will greatly lessen the amount of perchlorate used in the state. 
Yeah?  So? 
Fireworks are made from perchlorates.  It's the thing that makes them go boom. This explanation's a little dry, but you learn that pre-'Imagine' fireworks consisted of about 67% potassium perchlorate - so you might expect to see fewer fireworks displays in California until everyone's able to get their hands on lower-perchlorate ones. 
Here's a fun site - NOVA, of course - that shows you The Anatomy of a Firework - STARS is where you'll find a small mention of perchlorate - it's used like black powder, for controlled flammability.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/anat_flash.html
What's so bad about perchlorate?  Larry Ladd's Perchlorate Information Page gets a bit scary in parts, but it's a fascinating read:  http://www.perchlorate.org/
Not everyone, however, thinks that there's any harm in perchlorate:
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The Magic of Disney Fine Art Show

The Magic of Disney Fine Art Show Celebrating Nostalgia in Animation, July 24-August 29, 2004, at Hands of Time Art Gallery, Historic Savage Mill, Savage, Maryland -- Classic Heroes, Heroines, Princesses, Villains from Disney Studios Artists, Animators, and Others

“a natural” for an art gallery called “Hands of Time”: A show celebrating a parade of beloved characters from Disney classic films through the years. Original framed art and personally signed limited editions on canvas by legendary artists from Walt Disney Studios and others will “magically” appear at the Hands of Time Art Gallery in Historic Savage Mill for an exclusive exhibition and show July 24 through August 29, 2004.

In scenes from a multitude of Disney classic films and in pop art portraiture, among the stars of this show are: Mary Poppins, Bambi, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Snow White, Lady & the Tramp, and a cast of characters from animation features such as Jungle Book, Beauty & the Beast, and 101 Dalmatians.

According to Robert Capone, Gallery Director, 'Interestingly, 'villains' have been the most popular character among our customers, so there was no question we would select renowned Disney villain artist Mike Kupka’s work and host him in the Gallery for our meet-the-artist reception to open the Disney Show.' Kupka will be in the Gallery on July 24-25 for a meet-the-artist reception.

The art of illustration is multifaceted and requires extensive training as well as artistic ability. This is apparent in Kupka’s work, whose affinity for the darker characters in life has developed into quite a “scary portfolio” of Disney villains, including Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, and the Wicked Queen from Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs.

Kupka’s art reveals a great range of emotions in his dastardly subjects, achieved through his skill with shadow, mood, composition and color, whether it’s Captain Hook’s eyes boring into you sizing you up, or Cruella dreaming about the newest batch of puppies for her next fur coat. Kupka captures the very essence of Hook: A pirate with a grudge, with an arrogant smile and cold, dark lifeless eyes belying the true nature of his character. One thing is certain; you know the characters Kupka renders are so “glad to be bad.” Art Magazine names Kupka, 32, as one of the “25 Artists You Should Know.”    

Other artists’ work featured in the Disney Show include Peter Ellenshaw and James Coleman. Among Ellenshaw’s first projects upon arrival at the Disney Studio in the 1950s was to create a conceptual rendering of something called “Disneyland”. His work depicting an aerial view of the proposed park was used by Walt Disney to help introduce television audiences and attract financial backers to the new project. Ellenshaw won an Academy Award in 1964 for his work in Mary Poppins.

A master of color, light and design in background painting, design and styling, James Coleman, 55, has become one of the most collected contemporary artists around the world. During his 22-year career with Walt Disney Studios, James styled and worked on 12 feature films and over 30 short subjects which included Winnie, the Pooh and Tigger, Too, The Little Mermaid, and Academy Award-winning Beauty and the Beast. Coleman works in oil, watercolor, gouache and pastel. His work is impressionistic and luminous. In November 2004, Hands of Time Gallery will also host a meet the artist reception with Coleman and a one-man show of his work.

Collectibles Art Also Featured
Along with fine art, the recent surge in interest in animation collectibles results from a wave of nostalgia for the memorable characters and stories which are part of our collective childhood memories of the animated cartoon. Animation characters are also expressed in three dimensional mediums, or “collectibles art”. Hands of Time Clocks & Collectibles, also in Savage Mill, has represented lines of Disney collectibles art, and many others, for most of our 18 years in the Mill, including figurines and sculpture in glass, crystal, and porcelain, along with framed original animation cels.

It’s easy to explain the fascination with these collectibles, particularly with Disney magic touching almost everyone’s life. There seems to be a universal urge to acquire and admire. And speaking to the fascination with villains and antagonists, earlier this year, Hands of Time hosted a “Leading Ladies Series” special event from Disney Classics. A show favorite was a limited edition figurine of vampy “Jessica” from the feature film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Jessica’s signature is quite apropos -- “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.”

The magic continues with events and shows through November, beginning with the Annual Collectors Fair at Hands of Time on August 28 featuring a Disney artist in attendance. Then, in September the Gallery reprises an exhibition and reception with Cuban-American artist 'Orlando Raphael Quevedo”.

Known professionally as “Orlando,” he is a proponent of the 'Magical Realism' style, expressed in original oil paintings and limited edition giclees. He creates a delicate yet vibrant combination of colorful architectural interiors gently mixed with illusion.

Orlando's canvasses are widely collected not only for their striking interior subjects but also for their remarkable and unusual depiction of memorable works of master artists. A typical Orlando painting may include three or more representations of works by renowned artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Monet, Miro, Van Gogh, and Rembrandt. His Cuban heritage and past are evident in his choices of colors and their intensities and combinations, and the vibrancy of his painting style. Orlando’s work often contains a theme of windows, doors or other portals which look out upon the sea, reflective of his nostalgia for his former island home.

2004 Events & Shows at Hands of Time

Disney Show -- Opening Weekend July 24-25 (Meet artist Mike Kupka Sat. 1-8 PM, Sun. 12-4 PM)
Show continues until August 29.

Annual Collectors Fair -- August 28

Art Exhibition & Meet-the-Artist Receptions
Orlando    -- September 18-19
Max Hayslette -- October 9-10
James Coleman -- November 6-7

Hands of Time Art Gallery and Hands of Time Clocks & Collectibles are both located in Historic Savage Mill, 8600 Foundry Street, Savage, MD 20763. Robert Capone is the Gallery Director and owner of both, and has been in the business of art and collectibles for more than 25 years.

Collections from the art gallery have been featured on Maryland Public Television’s “ArtWorks This Week” program. For the calendar of events, online previews, and more information, visit www.handsoftimeart.com or call 1-800-773-8463. Robert Capone can be reached at handsoftimeart@aol.com.

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Thursday May 27, 2004
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Disney resort debuts today


Firm to unveil economic report

Walt Disney World officials today plan to unveil Disney's newest Orlando-area resort, the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, while outlining the company's future growth strategy in its parks and resorts segment.

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.

  

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Moving Forward in the Wake of Disney Orlando Closure


Orlando animation professionals look ahead in the wake of Disney’s January shutdown.
The Good ‘Ole Days: Lilo & Stitch and Mulan showed what Florida had to offer. © Disney Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.

The closure of Walt Disney Feature Animation’s Orlando, Florida, operations on January 12, 2004 — and the associated layoff of 250 people — came as a shock to the central Florida animation industry. Many former Disney employees subsequently have moved from Orlando to seek jobs in California, Canada and even India, some permanently and some leaving their families behind in the hopes of returning. Others have left the animation business altogether or are trying to survive as freelancers. Meanwhile, a handful of former Disneyites have launched new studios, hiring a few people initially and hoping to use additional animators on a project basis.

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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Stalemate forces Disney to reconsider retail stores sale


The Walt Disney Company is close to scrapping the £100 million sale of its retail stores in Europe after a year of futile talks with two potential buyers, The Times has learnt.

Disney conceded yesterday that it may keep the stores after rival bidders Peter Morris, former chief executive of Coffee Republic, and P-Y Gerbeau, the former Millennium Dome boss, failed to buy the franchise. Disney said that it was “exploring all options . . . including keeping the stores”.

It is understood that although both bidders remain interested in the 106 European stores, which are profitable, they have been deterred by Disney’s apparent indecision and the strict terms that the owner would have to accept.

Disney is thought to have demanded a percentage of the profits from the stores and total control over the types of products sold. Bidders were also discouraged by the would-be owner’s dependence on Disney being able to generate sales through the creation of film and TV merchandise.The teams led by Mr Morris and M Gerbeau, who is chief executive of X-Leisure, the dry ski slopes arm of Capital & Regional, had completed due diligence on 46 stores on the Continent and 60 in Britain, including the outlets in Covent Garden and Oxford Street.

But neither was able to strike a deal with Disney after tabling more than half a dozen firm bids. A source close to the talks said: “The whole process has been a complete nightmare and in the end they couldn’t decide what they wanted to do.”

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Disney gets a Merrill boost
 
Embattled Walt Disney Co. got a boost Thursday from Merrill Lynch. The giant securities firm recently held a question-and-answer session with Chief Executive Michael Eisner and concluded that Disney's prospects are improving.

The conversation Wednesday with Eisner, who relinquished his title of chairman following Disney's contentious annual shareholder meeting on March 3 in Philadelphia, yielded such findings as a recognition that Disney's (DIS) crucial theme park business "is beginning to significantly benefit from its most recent capital spending cycle," said Merrill media analyst Jessica Reif Cohen in an investment report.

Further, Eisner told Merrill that Disney is working with Pixar (PIXR) on sequels to such highly successful animated movies as "Monsters Inc." and "A Bug's Life." The analyst observed that Disney has been "highly successful" in the direct-to-home video market, generating over $1 billion of cash flow to date."

In another upbeat chord, Eisner said ESPN, the sports cable television network that has expanded successfully around the world, is "on fire" and is in line to achieve household audience growth for the tenth straight quarter.

Disney fell 9 cents to $23.66 on Wednesday.

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"The Three Little Pigs" 71 Today


On this day in 1933, Walt Disney's Academy Award-winning animated short "The Three Little Pigs" was first released.

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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.

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Disney CEO Michael Eisner to Speak to Investors
 

Michael Eisner, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), will speak at the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. 20th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference on Wednesday, June 2, 2004, at 4:00 p.m. EDT. His remarks will be available live via Web cast. Please point your browser to www.disney.com/investors approximately five minutes prior to the start time. A re-play will be provided through Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 4:00 p.m. PDT.
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ABC, ESPN extend TV deal with IRL
 
ABC Sports and ESPN have agreed to televise the Indianapolis 500 and the rest of the Indy Racing League schedule through 2009, a source close to the negotiations told the Associated Press.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an announcement would be made during a press conference Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The current contract extends through the 2007 season.

ABC will broadcast the 500-mile race Sunday, the 40th consecutive year it has shown the event. All 16 IRL events in 2004 will be televised live on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. The two networks, both owned by The Walt Disney Co., have broadcast IRL races since the series began competition in 1996.

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Jack Bradbury, 89; Disney Animator, Comic Book Artist

Jack Bradbury, an animator and comic book artist best known for his work with Walt Disney's characters in both media, has died. He was 89.

A native of Seattle, Bradbury died of kidney failure May 15 at a nursing home in Sylmar.

In a career spanning five decades, he started at Disney in the mid-1930s and worked his way up to a full animator position. He worked on such famous shorts as "Ferdinand the Bull" and on memorable features such as "Fantasia," "Bambi" and "Pinocchio."

Bradbury moved to Warner Bros. in 1942 and contributed animation for Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat and other characters. During that time, he also became interested in drawing comic books.

Members of his family said he gave up animation just after World War II and turned full time to comics, working under the "Ha Ha," "Giggle" and "Coo Coo" titles.

Among his stable of characters were Tuffy the Cat, Bagshaw Bear and Humphrey Hummingbird.

About 1947, Western Publishing hired him to do artwork for Disney comic books — a relationship that continued until failing eyesight forced him to retire in 1978.

Though his primary concern was Disney characters, he also did some stories with Warner Bros. characters and those created by Walter Lanz. Much of Bradbury's work at Western Publishing appeared in Little Golden Books.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jim, of Santa Clarita; sons Jack, Michael and Joel; stepsons Robert and Tim Karp; and nine grandchildren and step-grandchildren.
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Radio Disney and Walt Disney Records Present DISNEYMANIA In Concert

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.

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PCTV expands Disney net's reach


PCTV, Mexico's biggest cable TV provider, will launch the Disney Channel on its systems throughout the nation, giving the channel an added reach of 1.5 million subscribers in 500 small cities. In a company statement released Tuesday, the Walt Disney Co. Latin America said all PCTV's systems will air the channel as part of their basic package by the end of June. Disney Channel general manager Diego Lerner said that with the latest incorporation of PCTV's systems, the Disney Channel will reach 3 million Mexican households. HBO Latin America Group, which manages the Disney Channel's regional affiliate sales, handled the distribution deal.
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Wednesday May 26, 2004
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Euro Disney declines comment on reported capital increase plan

 
Euro Disney SCA declined to comment on press reports Wednesday that it is planning a euro250 million (US$300 million) capital increase ahead of a May 31 deadline set by creditors to restructure its euro2.3 billion (US$2.8 billion) debt.
 
According to French financial daily Les Echos and Britain's Financial Times, Euro Disney's main shareholder, Walt Disney Co., will guarantee euro100 million (US$120 million) of the capital increase.

"We don't comment on unofficial information," said a spokesman for Euro Disney, operator of the Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios parks outside Paris.

Caisse des Depots et Consignations, Euro Disney's biggest lender with euro900 million (US$1.08 billion) of debt, will underwrite euro75 million (US$90 million), with the remaining euro75 million (US$90 million) guaranteed by a panel of banks.

Separately, according to a May 13 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Euro Disney has borrowed an additional euro15 million (US$18 million) from a euro168 million (US$203 million) credit facility made available by Walt Disney.

Euro Disney said last month that losses widened by almost a third in October to March to euro109 million (US$129 million) despite a 5.6 percent increase in revenue from its two Paris parks.

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Fantasy in the Kingdom of Dreams
 
Who are the real winners in life?

If a person pursues something that is not promising and nobody is interested in, and becomes a pioneer by making that something promising and interesting thanks to his or her life’s work, that person will be respected as a real contributor to society. Then we would have to talk about Walt Disney (1901-1966).

Disney developed his talent as a cartoonist, entering art school at the age of 14, making his first animation at the age of 19, and winning 48 Academy Awards over the course of his life and animation career. Something greater than this, however, is the appreciation that followed. Despite the change in century, animation is continuing to develop and acquire popularity as a major art industry. The perspicacity of Disney’s genius was indeed great.

His “Amusement Park“ is surely an example of a work left by his genuine talent. His “Dream and Hope,” the theme of his entire life, came true not only by animation, but also in the form of an amusement park that features his characters as a theme. Disneyland, which opened in 1965 in Anaheim, California and Walt Disney World, which opened in 1971 in Orlando, Florida, are the fruit of his passion for his “Dream and Hope.”

Disney’s “California Adventure Park” has been added to Disneyland, and the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Disney MGM Studios, and the Animal Kingdom (1998) have been added to Walt Disney World. Moreover, Orlando’s Walt Disney World is almost ready for a “Future Experimental Union,” according to its original plan, to expand its offerings to include a recreation center and a cruise line.

Thanks to these facilities, people can now have a truly dream-like vacation. Visitors can enjoy various entertainments such as four kinds of amusement parks, two water parks (Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon), six golf courses, a spa sports complex, the Disney Board Walk, and Downtown Disney, while staying at as many as ten diverse accommodations. The Disney Cruise Line provides a special relaxation because of its self-developed attraction, “Castaway Cay,” which features a call at a private island with a ferry service.

Disney also offers its own brand of “edu-tainment”: recreation-style learning programs that take advantage of all of its facilities. Y.E.S. (Youth Education Series) is a program for American and Canadian children aimed at acquiring knowledge through adventure and expeditionary experiences at six amusement parks. Recently, local private schools (numbering two or three schools, including the Pine Christian Academy) have developed complementary educational programs, including a “Buddy-Buddy” program: an English learning system that provides paired work between local children and foreign children. “Dream Camp,” a program for Korean children, will be in operation during this summer.

-Tour Products from Disney

-The California Disneyland Free Tour ‘”Dream Package”

Schedule your stay to enjoy a free tour in the U.S. after going sightseeing at Disneyland while staying at the Resort Hotel in front of Disneyland. The package consists of a round-trip flight ticket, two nights lodging, and an admission ticket for Disneyland and Adventure Park. The price is 1.59 million KRW for June and 1.99 million KRW from July to September. Unipack Airline (02-732-5966•www.unipack.co.kr)

-Dream Camp (Total program: 22 days)

Stay at the All Star Resort in Walt Disney World located in Orlando, Florida. Participate in the Y.E.S. Program in the Theme Park (morning) and the Buddy Buddy Program in a local school (afternoon). Then take a cruise tour to Castaway Cay in the Caribbean (3 nights and 4 days). Also visit the Kennedy Space Center. Target participants are students from 3rd grade in elementary school to 2nd grade in high school. Just one session is scheduled, starting July 29. The price is 6.45 million KRW. One teacher will lead 15 students. Applications are due June 10. There is also a seven-night/eight-day program targeting parents of participant students. After the Disney Cruise (3 nights 4 days), participate in class, golf or tour. Departs on August 11. 3.25 million KRW. Inquires and reservations to Study Forum (02-3445-3488•www.studyforum.co.kr).

________________________________________________________________
Mickey Mouse gets desi touch


Cute cartoon characters and slick special effects may not seem obvious candidates for outsourcing, but Indian studios are popping up alongside software firms and call centers that do work for firms in the West.

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."

________________________________________________________________
Disney close to deal on "Fahrenheit 9/11"
 
Miramax chiefs Harvey and Bob Weinstein are close to buying "Fahrenheit 9/11," the anti-Bush documentary that won the top prize at Cannes, from Walt Disney.

Filmmaker Michael Moore took the Palme d'Or, the top prize at France's Cannes film festival, over the weekend for the picture, which criticises U.S. President George W. Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and the "War on Terror" he declared after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner said he declined to distribute the movie because it was too political. But he agreed to selling the roughly $6 million (3.3 million pounds) film to the Weinsteins, the heads of Disney's Miramax unit, which originally backed it, spokeswoman Zenia Mucha said by e-mail.

Miramax declined to comment on the deal.

The Weinsteins will be free to find a new distributor once they own the film. The deal with Disney is expected in the next day or two, the person familiar with the talks said.

Moore made the Oscar-winning documentary "Bowling for Columbine" and blasted Bush when he accepted the award two years ago.

________________________________________________________________
ESPN Play Your Way Features Fun Ideas, Materials and Tips


Leagues and Non-Profit Organizations Collaborate to Support Team ESPN Youth
                              Fitness Initiative

Team ESPN, the corporate outreach program
of ESPN, Inc., launched today its new program and website,
http://www.espnplayyourway.com, to highlight the company's signature youth
fitness initiative, ESPN Play Your Way.  The site encourages creative
recreational play by providing kids "games to play, places to play and stuff
to play with."  The program was developed through research and pilot programs
in conjunction with DisneyHand, worldwide outreach for The Walt Disney Company
and Fleishman-Hillard Inc., a leading global communications consultancy.
    Team ESPN has developed several activities under ESPN Play Your Way that
provide kids with fun, exciting materials that encourage their participation
in physical activity.  Among the programs highlighted on the website are:

     * Physically Active Games (PAGs). The PAG program encourages kids to use
       their imagination to create new physically active games that can be
       played individually and/or within a group.

     * PAG Start-Up Guides, which can be easily downloaded, are written to
       help parents, teachers and supervisors get started in ESPN Play Your
       Way by suggesting activities for how kids can create PAG Clubs and how
       to incorporate PAG Clubs into community and after-school programs.

     * PAG Playbooks for kids that are fun and easily outline the program.
       Kids will also be able to post their PAGs on the site and vote with
       fellow users.

     * ESPN Play Your Way Posters, PAG Club Sign-up Sheets, PAG Club Trackers
       and PAG Lab Signs are available to download.

    George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports, said, "ESPN is
committed and well positioned in sports to lead the corporate charge to
encourage kids to get fit and remain physically active.  We are particularly
pleased that our league partners and many non-profit organizations are joining
us to encourage youth fitness activity."
    Already ESPN Play Your Way enjoys the support of many non-profit
organizations and league partners. These various organizations plan to
collaborate with ESPN through their sports programs, resources and/or
participation in events.

    Some of the non-profit organizations that support ESPN Play Your Way
include:
    * American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
    * Boarding for Breast Cancer
    * Girls Inc.
    * Institute for International Sport
    * Northeastern University Center for the Study of Sport in Society
    * PE4Life
    * Project Fit America
    * ShiNE
    * Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
    * Take The Field, Inc.
    * The V Foundation for Cancer Research
    * Women's Sports Foundation

    Leagues that support ESPN Play Your Way include:
    * MLB
    * MLS
    * NBA
    * NHL
    * NFL
    * PGA Tour
    * WNBA

    Shanna Vaughan, Director of Operations, Boys & Girls Club of Burbank, who
conducted a pilot program said: "When we decided to trial the ESPN Play Your
Way program, we thought it might be fun and something different.  But we
quickly discovered that making a PAG is so much more.  Our kids are being
challenged and developing better writing, communication and leadership skills.
They have fully embraced the program as fun and something they can call their
own, which directly affects their sense of self-esteem. They love being able
to make up their own rules, which is very empowering.  Now we have 'Play Your
Way Fridays' and the kids are creating and playing new PAGs each week.  ESPN
Play Your Way has become a part of our on-going program in six schools and our
main campus."
    Announced in August 2003, ESPN Play Your Way was developed over the past
year to find ways to promote physical activity among youth, ages 9-14.   The
three-tier initiative is designed to encourage physical fitness among youth by
removing some of the barriers that prevent kids from participating in physical
activities, such as lack of motivation, accessible places to play and
equipment.
    ESPN Play Your Way captures the real sense of empowerment and fun that
kids feel when they are free to be their imaginative selves and when they can
find their own ways to be physically active.

About Team ESPN

Team ESPN, the power of sports active in your community, serves as the
overarching brand for ESPN's community relations initiatives.  Team ESPN
encompasses employee volunteerism and utilizes ESPN's multimedia assets to
support the company's sports-themed, charitable and cause-marketing programs
that inspire fans to: Embrace Winning Lifestyles through health and fitness;
Rise to the Challenge by increasing awareness of the role of sports in
personal and physical challenges; and Build Community Champions through local
community outreach initiatives. Team ESPN's community programs offer value and
benefits to the company's league rights holders, affiliates, advertisers, community organizations and fans.

________________________________________________________________
Disney: Updates for Disney A to Z

Each month Disney.com offers downloadable updates to Dave Smith's unparalleled reference work, Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia. This update includes information up to May 14, 2004.

http://disney.go.com/vault/read/dave_smith.html
________________________________________________________________
Euro Disney may do 250 mln euro capital increase
 
French theme park Euro Disney (EDLP.PA) is likely to issue shares to raise 250 million euros ($302.2 million) under a draft restructuring plan agreed by its shareholders and major lenders, French newspaper Les Echos said on Wednesday.

Euro Disney declined to comment on what it called "unofficial information regarding the status and content of our financial restructuring negotiations", but the report drove its volatile stock up more than eight percent.

"We will comment in a timely manner when appropriate," a spokesman added.

Euro Disney's main stockholder, the Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) , French bank and investor Caisse des Depots et Consignations, and lending banks Calyon (CAGR.PA) and BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) have agreed on a draft restructuring plan to which all lenders must now agree, the newspaper said, citing sources close to the case.

Les Echos said Walt Disney, which owns 39.1 percent, would guarantee 100 million euros of the capital increase, with half of the rest secured by investment bank CDC Ixis and the remainder by the company's banks.

It also said that Walt Disney Co had agreed it would accept royalty payments linked to the achievement of precise financial goals.

Euro Disney has a May 31 deadline for finding a solution to its debt situation after it said last November that it was unable to meet its obligations on its debt.

It is keeping afloat thanks to temporary waivers from its banks on a debt pile bigger than its shareholder capital, but has to renegotiate its borrowings in what would amount to its second restructuring in a decade.

At the end of 2003 its debt, of more than 2.2 billion euros, totalled 178 percent of shareholder equity.

By 0822 GMT Euro Disney shares were up 8.33 percent to 0.39 euros.

________________________________________________________________
Blue Bunny Makes Yogurt Fun and Nutritious for Kids

Blue Bunny's Disney Swirl'nMagic Yogurt and Yo-Pals Yogurt Adds Needed Calcium to Kids' Diets and Puts Smiles on Their Faces

A 12-year-long study conducted at the Boston University School of Medicine found that children who consume just two servings of dairy food each day lower their risk of becoming overweight. To help moms everywhere incorporate dairy into their kids' diets in a fun, tasty and exciting way, Wells' Dairy, Inc., makers of Blue Bunny ice cream, novelties and fresh dairy yogurt, offers Disney Swirl'nMagic Yogurt and Disney Yo-Pals Yogurt.

Disney Yo-Pals Yogurt

Disney Yo-Pals, featuring the beloved Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Lilo and Stitch, nourishes the bodies of preschoolers with whole milk with added calcium. Each four-pack pairs four-ounce containers of banana and strawberry yogurt, or strawberry and vanilla yogurt, and contains three grams of fat and 120 calories per serving.

Disney Swirl'nMagic Yogurt

Just like Mickey in Fantasia, Swirl'nMagic yogurt inspires school-aged kids to create their own Disney magic with poppin' flavor crystals(TM) that produce a colorful rainbow swirl when stirred with yogurt. Swirl'nMagic yogurt is available in four-packs combining either cherry and strawberry yogurt, or cotton candy and bubble gum flavors. Each serving of Swirl'nMagic contains only 80 calories and one gram of fat per four-ounce serving.

Consumers can check local availability of Blue Bunny's Disney Swirl'nMagic Yogurt and Yo-Pals Yogurt by visiting the Blue Bunny Store Locator at http://www.bluebunny.com .

The Scoop on Blue Bunny

Blue Bunny, founded in 1913, is a brand of Wells' Dairy, Inc. -- the largest family-owned and managed dairy processor in the United States. Today, more than 500 Blue Bunny-branded products, including fresh dairy yogurt, ice cream, frozen dairy desserts and novelties, can be found across the United States, and in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Wells' Dairy, Inc. is headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa.

In May 2003, Disney Consumer Products (NYSE: DIS) and Wells' Dairy, Inc. joined to launch a variety of delicious new ice creams, frozen novelties and yogurt under the Disney brand.

________________________________________________________________
Disney works a little magic on apple dish


Blue Bayou Restaurant

- Where: Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

- Phone: 714-781-DINE

- Online: www.disney.com

- Tourist tip: There is a station just outside the restaurant where you can arrange priority seating for a time later the same day. Priority seating is recommended and can be made by calling in advance at Disney Dining at 714-781-DINE. Priority seating is like using a Fastpass on a ride. When you arrive at your scheduled time, you are put in line for the next available table.


Snow White's stepmother had her own uses for apples, but don't let that scare you. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" might be an old axiom, but current evidence continues to support its nutritional value.

Low in calories but high in flavor, apples can be sliced, diced, baked, mashed, pureed, sauced or juiced. Throw one into a lunch bag, slice with cheese for a snack or chop into any salad for zip and crunch. Better yet, pack a few of the Blue Bayou's root beer-spiced apples into the lunchbox of a loved one.

We all can use a little magic, and what more likely place to find it than Disneyland? It took but one day to come face to face with memorable treasures. I still get goose bumps flying through the night sky in Peter Pan's aerial ship over Old London. Disney's "imagineers" keep me smiling and admiring during our visit.

While loading into my boat for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, I noticed cozy tables with twinkling candles across the bayou. I wondered who the lucky people were who got to eat there. Then I realized it's the Blue Bayou Restaurant, which shares the "riverfront" with the Pirates' ride. Accessible from a separate entrance, the Blue Bayou offers sit-down service and live music in the moonlit darkness of a Louisiana evening (no matter what time is it outside).

We turned our late lunch into an early dinner. One menu item jumped to my attention -- root beer-spiced apples. I was intrigued. The Blue Bayou serves them as an accompaniment to its generous portion of pork loin. Pairing meat with fruit is a way to bring out the best of both. I made it at home for a side dish, but I realized it easily could be served for dessert either alone or dressed up by pouring it over french vanilla ice cream.

Disney chefs conjured their own magic with an unusual combination of apples, root beer and selected spices. Root beer provides a subtle background to the more easily recognizable cinnamon and nutmeg. Root beer-spiced apples are easy to make. Anyone within nose range will want to know what smells so good. A little cooking magic goes a long way. The apples were a big hit at my house, and I also would say we had the happiest plates on earth.

Bon appetit!

ROOT BEER-SPICED APPLES

4 large Granny Smith apples

6 ounces brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

11/2 teaspoons cornstarch

21/2 cups root beer

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

11/2 teaspoons cold water

Core, peel and cut apples into four wedges. Cut four slices per wedge. Combine root beer, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and ground cloves in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and stir frequently. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with a little water to make a thin paste.

When the root beer mixture starts boiling, add cornstarch mixture and mix well. Add apples and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Hint: My apple peeler/corer makes one long, thin strip of peel that makes a chewy snack. Some of the best nutrition is in the peel.

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Disney Auctions Offers Disneyland Space Mountain Attraction Vehicle


Disney Auctions is currently offering a Disneyland Space Mountain Attraction vehicle.
________________________________________________________________
Weaver Fits 'Greatest Game' to a Tee
 
 

Michael Weaver will take a break from his Broken Lizard shenanigans to play a few rounds of serious golf.

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.

________________________________________________________________
Disney Aims Launch ABC 1 in Britain Late This Year
 
Walt Disney Co. will call its British digital television channel ABC 1 and launch late this year, a spokesman for Disney's international television distribution arm said on Friday.

Disney last October said it planned a channel on Freeview, a free digital broadcast service.

Spokesman Lucien Harrington of Walt Disney Television International said by telephone that the service would likely debut in the fall or winter with a 12-hour schedule.

ABC is the No. 4 U.S. network and has been losing money, although Disney expects it to post a profit in 2005.

________________________________________________________________
£167m Euro Disney bailout plan


A FINANCIAL restructuring of Euro Disney, the over borrowed Paris theme park operator, has finally been thrashed out after nine months of talks.

The company and creditors are reported to have agreed a e250m (£167m) fund-raising that will be supported by The Walt Disney Company of California.

The planned cash call will help to restore the balance sheet of the business, which breached banking covenants after visitor numbers slumped in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks on the US.

The company, chaired by Frenchman Andre Lacroix, is laboring under debts of e2.4bn.

The Walt Disney Company, which owns 39.1% of the stock, has already agreed to waive royalties on the use of its brands, and provided a standby loan facility to help ease Euro Disney's cash problems.

The bailout will be the second since Walt Disney launched its European theme park operations in the early 1990s.

Despite becoming Europe's top tourist attraction, with more than 12 million visitors a year, Euro Disney has failed to break into healthy profits. In the year to the end of September it lost e45m on revenues of e1.05bn.

Under the deal now proposed, The Walt Disney Company will guaranteed 100m of a new cash raising. CDC Ixis, an arm of French state investment bank Caisse des Depots et Consignations, which is owed e900m since the earlier bailout, will guarantee half of the rest.

The other e75m will be underwritten by a panel of creditors led by Citigroup, ABN Amro and Rothschild.

________________________________________________________________
                                               
Tuesday
May 25, 2004
________________________________________________________________
EISNER IN MOORE TROUBLE OVER FILM
 
Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" could wind up costing Disney more than $100 million and go down as another Michael Eisner blunder.

The movie is poised to set a new record for highest-grossing documentary after its release in six weeks' time.

The stakes are higher - and hotter - between Miramax and Disney, its corporate parent, now that Moore has nabbed the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, for the Bush-bashing documentary.

The post-Cannes publicity for the film only intensifies the battle over who will distribute it in he United States, and if Miramax can get back in the mix.

Distribution rights for the film could go for $5 million to $10 million.

Sources say Disney informed Miramax more than a year ago that it couldn't distribute the film - and told Miramax not to finance the pic. Miramax, in turn, secured a bridge loan to produce the film for about $6 million.

Miramax previously acknowledged that Disney expressed unease about distributing the film, but both Moore and Miramax co-chief Harvey Weinstein have said publicly they hoped to change Disney's mind.

Yesterday, Disney and Miramax co-chiefs Bob and Harvey Weinstein were finalizing a deal to sell the film to the Weinsteins personally, who will then seek a distribution deal.

Moore's latest flick has set off a flurry of negotiations among other film companies seeking to distribute the movie in the U.S. Suitors include NBC Universal's Focus Features, New Market, Lions Gate and Paramount, say sources familiar with the matter.

Analysts say the movie could match or surpass the take from Moore's "Bowling For Columbine," the highest-grossing documentary of all time.

"Bowling For Columbine" took in $22 million domestically at the box office, and $40 million worldwide. Overall, including DVD and pay TV sales, it brought in some $120 million.

"I definitely think it could match 'Bowling For Columbine' because of its raised profile," said Anthony Kusich, an analyst at ReelSource. "A lot of people are saying that Disney investors should be mad at Eisner for turning down another lucrative opportunity."

A Miramax spokesman declined comment.

A Disney spokeswoman said, "There will be no monetary benefit from this movie to Miramax or Disney."

Eisner has come under sharp criticism for how he's managed affairs with both Miramax and Pixar Animation Studios.

________________________________________________________________
New Incredibles Poster

Here is the latest poster for the Incredibles Movie.

________________________________________________________________
                                                 
Monday May 24, 2004
________________________________________________________________
Will Pixar revive Disney deal?


Report says that Pixar's slow moves to find new partner may signal desire to revive Disney talks.

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.

The Pixar agreement with Disney covers two more films from the successful animation studio, which has had a hit with each of its five movies, all of which were distributed and co-financed by Disney. "The Incredibles" is due out in November, while "Cars" is expected in fall of 2005. In January the two sides announced an end of talks to reach an agreement beyond those two films.

The paper quoted Jobs as saying that talks with possible new partners are going slowly.

"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.

________________________________________________________________
Promo underway for Hong Kong Disneyland

Disney has launched an 18-month publicity campaign for its theme park in Hong Kong, due to open next year and hoping to become Asia's family tourist spot.

Disney officials are predicting 5.6 million visitors in the first year, about 30 percent from mainland China, 30 percent from Hong Kong and the rest from overseas.

The Hong Kong government is investing about $2.9 billion in the project, the South China Morning Post reported Monday. City officials hope to make Hong Kong a family vacation destination in addition to a place for conventions and business.

Developers are concerned that family tourism has not yet caught on in China, however. In 2002, less than 5 percent of mainland visitors to Hong Kong were 16 or below.

The publicity campaign will initially target trade and consumer shows in Guangdong province, Beijing and Shanghai, said Disney's vice-president for sales and marketing, Roy Tan Hardy.

"All overseas cities that are within a three-hour plane ride are within our catchment area," he said, citing Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand as strong customer sources. Japan currently has Asia's only Disneyland.

________________________________________________________________
ABC Rejects a Pop Idol's Sitcom Pilot


Six months ago ABC announced with some hoopla that it had signed a deal with the pop star Jessica Simpson for a new series that would showcase her talents and be, the network hoped, a comedy anchor for its fall schedule.

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."

The series was developed around Ms. Simpson's flaky persona and cast her as Jessica Sampson, a pop star who becomes a prime-time television newsmagazine interviewer aspiring to the level of Barbara Walters or Diane Sawyer. Ms. Simpson's fictional counterpart tangles with her tough producer but wins the hearts of audiences as she questions athletes, musicians, movie stars and politicians, some of whom play themselves.

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."

________________________________________________________________________________________________
Home' cooking fuels ABC

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.

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Now Playing: Eisner and Me


EARLIER this month, Michael Moore ambled back into public view when the news came out that Disney was forbidding Miramax Films, which it owns, to distribute Mr. Moore's new documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," a movie reputed to be highly critical of the Bush administration (imagine that.) The story broke (on the front page of The New York Times) just as the attention of the movie world was about to turn toward the Cannes Film Festival, where Mr. Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" won a specially created award in 2002 and where "Fahrenheit" happens to be in competition this year. Was this timing — and the subsequent controversy — primarily a result of Mr. Moore's appetite for publicity or of the timidity of Disney management? Both answers are entirely plausible, and one hardly rules out the other.

However it was cooked up, the confrontation between Disney and Mr. Moore looks like a ready-made scenario for one of his films, since it casts him, once again, as a populist Paladin going into battle against a corporate enemy. It hardly hurts his cause that the company in question, in spite of its widely beloved, universally recognized brand name, is currently headed by Michael Eisner, one of the least beloved of modern chief executives. Mr. Eisner, in a letter published in The Times last week defending Disney's decision as a matter of the company's own sacred right to free expression, appeared to be doing his best to live up to the role of corporate heavy in which Mr. Moore had cast him. One imagines a climactic scene in which the director shows up outside Disney headquarters in Burbank, the canisters of "Fahrenheit 9/11" in tow, requesting an audience with the boss and arguing good-humoredly with the mid-level imagineers sent down to the lobby to get rid of him. As of this writing, in any case, the battle of the Mikes is still being fought, and "Fahrenheit" itself, which will be screened in Cannes tomorrow, remains unseen as well as undistributed.

Meanwhile, back home, the influence of Mr. Moore is very much visible in Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me," a bouncy anti-corporate polemic that explores the links between the rise of the fast food industry and the catastrophic expansion of the American waistline. Like Mr. Moore, Mr. Spurlock combines humor, didacticism and a personal style at once amiable and confrontational. He clearly enjoys the impromptu, on-camera conversations with McDonald's customers he meets in the course of his 30-day excursion into bad nutrition, and he also likes needling the flacks and bureaucrats whose job is to spin, euphemize and lie. Propelled by raucous pop music and unafraid of visual gimmickry, "Super Size Me" is both documentary and social satire, delivering its stinging message with brio and showmanship.

Fifteen years after "Roger and Me," which took on General Motors, this style of filmmaking seems so familiar, so naturally suited to populist finger-pointing, that it is easy to minimize the originality of Mr. Moore's first film and the discomfort it caused. For a long time, the ethics of documentary filmmaking, especially about weighty social and political issues, had been essentially journalistic. The films, even when their intentions were polemical, strove to be objective and rigorously impersonal. In the cinéma vérité rule book, the on-camera presence of the director was forbidden, and when documentarians did appear in their own movies it was in the role of self-effacing narrator or interviewer.

No one would accuse Mr. Moore of being self-effacing, of course, and even some of his admirers (this critic, for example) find that his penchant for self-aggrandizement sometimes gets in the way of his most interesting arguments. But the point is that his movies are arguments, and are meant to provoke them. The ways that they do so are usually indecorous, frequently maddening and often based on a biased or selective presentation of supporting facts, but we live in a polemical age.

Mr. Spurlock is far less confrontational than his role model — rather than barge into McDonald's headquarters with tissue samples from his Quarter Pounder-bedeviled liver, for instance, he is content to document the frustration of trying to reach a corporate official on the telephone — and also less famous. This allows him to inhabit the ordinary-guy-with-a-camera persona a bit more persuasively than Mr. Moore can, but Mr. Moore's celebrity is equally a reminder that it was a persona all along. "Roger and Me," "The Big One," "Bowling for Columbine" and the best segments of Mr. Moore's too-short-lived Fox series, "TV Nation," are not documentaries so much as allegories, and "Super Size Me" follows their example. While they address particular hot-button topics — downsizing, gun violence, the toxic commercialization of the American diet — these movies are framed by a larger drama, the conflict between an intrepid, truth-seeking individual and the large, remote, unresponsive institutions that govern our lives.

The movies seem to work best when those institutions are big companies. The real climax of "Bowling for Columbine" is not when Mr. Moore beards Charlton Heston in his Hollywood den but when he shames Kmart into taking bullets off the shelves of its stores. Corporations not only lack human faces (unless you count Ronald McDonald), but disperse responsibility through various departments and bureaucratic functions. Mr. Spurlock and Mr. Moore present themselves not only as opponents of corporate power but also, by their fumbling, idiosyncratic individuality, as the opposite of corporations. We sometimes find them simplistic, inconsistent or annoying, but that is surely part of the point, which is to make sure that, when we contemplate the complexities of modern capitalism, we don't forget to take it personally.  

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Is Jobs really looking for a new Pixar deal?
 
Coy is rarely a word used to describe Steven Jobs. So it is more than a little surprising that he seems almost uninterested in finding a new partner for his Pixar Animation Studios once its joint venture with Walt Disney ends next year.
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Two months ago, Jobs, who is the chief executive of Pixar, was invited to visit the Culver City, California, headquarters of Sony Pictures Entertainment, but he has yet to make the trip, said a Sony executive apprised of the invitation.
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Jobs regularly swaps telephone calls but little more with Alan Horn, the president of Warner Brothers Entertainment, which has expressed interest in distributing Pixar films.
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Other studio executives, including those at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, have asked to meet with Jobs recently and been turned down. According to one of those executives who asked not to be named, Jobs told him that "he was not ready to talk."
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Jobs conceded in an interview two weeks ago that he was moving ahead slowly with potential distributors. "We are talking," he said, "but maybe not as much as they'd like."
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There are two schools of thought among analysts and Hollywood executives as to why Jobs is biding his time.
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Some say he is holding out hope of another deal with Disney depending on what happens with Michael Eisner, the Disney chief executive. Dissident shareholders tried this year to remove Eisner, whom Jobs has blamed for his breakup with Disney. Others say Jobs has plenty of time to find a distributor and gear up for the 2006 release of the first film that Pixar will finance on its own.
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Jobs declined to further discuss any continuing talks with potential partners. But he said he was seeking a distribution-only agreement with a studio, meaning that Pixar will fully finance its films, negotiate its own merchandising agreements and keep most of its movies' profits for itself.
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With Disney, Pixar splits its profits equally. But after five wildly successful Pixar movies representing nearly $2.6 billion at the worldwide box office - and even more when DVD, merchandise and video game sales and rentals are added - Jobs "can do just about anything he wants," said Lowell Singer, a media analyst who follows Pixar for SG Cowen in San Francisco.
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Profit more than tripled in the most recent quarter with the success of "Finding Nemo," which has brought in $865 million at the worldwide box office and has already outsold earlier hits like "Monsters, Inc." on DVD and home video. Pixar's next movie, "The Incredibles" is already generating good buzz in Hollywood before its Nov. 5 release, as is "Cars," the final movie to be made by Pixar under its deal with Disney.
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Many analysts, and even some of Disney's competitors, say Jobs wants most to remain with Disney. Pixar's family-oriented films are a natural fit with Disney's wholesome image, and are easy to market alongside other stalwart Disney characters like Cinderella. And the partnership has been profitable for both Jobs and Eisner. According to a report released this year by Richard Bilotti of Morgan Stanley, Disney's annual profit starting in 2007 could drop by $30 million to $40 million without an agreement with Pixar, even a distribution-only one.
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"A lot of people want to see Pixar and Disney stay together," said Tom Wolzien, a media analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. Added an executive at a major studio: "Disney can offer him things that no one else can."
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The problem, according to people who know both Jobs and Eisner, is whether the two can reconcile their fractured relationship. At Disney's annual meeting in March, 45 percent of the company's shareholder votes were withheld from Eisner in his election to the board. Should Eisner lose his job - he already surrendered the chairman's post - it could clear the way for Jobs to negotiate a new deal with Disney. According to one person close to Disney's board of directors, some directors have not ruled out the possibility of Disney renewing talks with Pixar, whether Eisner is chief executive or not.
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George Mitchell, the newly appointed nonexecutive chairman, said last week in a news conference that the board had discussed succession although it still backed Eisner, whose contract ends in 2006.
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The frost between Disney and Pixar seems to be thawing. Jobs went out of his way to praise Disney executives two weeks ago in Pixar's earnings call.
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And the praise was in stark contrast to his blistering attack on Disney in February, when he called movies like "Treasure Planet" bombs and said sequels to "The Lion King" and "Peter Pan" were "embarrassing." Jobs said: "It's clear we are wanted by others."
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According to Disney executives, Eisner would be willing to renew talks with Jobs if he could strike an equitable deal. (In their last talks, Jobs wanted the rights to Pixar movies that are currently owned by Disney.) Several people who were involved in the earlier talks said a deal could have been reached if both Eisner and Jobs had been willing to compromise a little more. But, as Wolzien contends, "the closer they get to the end of the Pixar deal, the more Disney looks like any distributor."
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The big question is what company, other than Disney, Jobs would pay to distribute Pixar's movies. "I think Alan Horn said it before but we would like to have a close relationship," said Richard Parsons, chief executive of Time Warner, after that company's annual meeting last week. "But that is up to Steve Jobs, his relationship with Disney and the industry."
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One person who has talked to Jobs said he was less inclined to pick a company like Sony because its new music service competes directly with Apple's iTunes, which could make the relationship awkward.
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Jobs does not have to make a decision soon, Singer, the SG Cowen analyst, said, because he needs only 12 to 18 months before the release of Pixar's first fully financed movie to have a deal in place. That is not expected happen until late 2006, which gives Jobs at least until early 2005, though he will probably line up merchandising partners before the end of the year.
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"A lot could happen between now and then," Singer said.
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"
Alias" Falls Off ABC Schedule

Two editions of the series Extreme Makeover seem especially appropriate for ABC's fall 2004-05 schedule, since the beleaguered network's lineup is undergoing quite an overhaul itself.

The most surprising move in new ABC Primetime Entertainment President Stephen McPherson's fall schedule, which was unveiled Monday at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York during the network's annual upfront presentation: no Alias. The butt-kickin' spy drama starring Jennifer Garner will instead stay off the air until January, when its fourth season will unspool, sans reruns.

In Alias' Sunday night time slot this fall: Desperate Housewives, a soapy drama about a suburban wife (Twin Peaks' Sheryl Lee who kills herself, but continues to watch over the Knots Landing-ish shenanigans of her cul-de-sac neighbors. Melrose Place and General Hospital writer Charles Pratt Jr. produces the show, which also stars former Melrose baddie Marcia Cross, Lois & Clark's Teri Hatcher, Sports Night's Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria (Dragnet and The Young and the Restless).

Housewives is part of the network's bigger strategy to depend on drama series to revive its place in the network wars. Overall, ABC will add seven new dramas to its schedule--three at midseason--plus two new comedies and two new reality series.

"Every night we ask tens of millions of Americans to invite us into their homes, and it's our responsibility to give them a reason to let us stay. I believe these programs, and this schedule, does just that," said the sound bite-ready McPherson.

Tens of millions of viewers may actually be a ratings dream for ABC, the fourth-place network that, in last week's ratings battle, for example, didn't have one show in the top 10 and finished the week averaging just 8.3 million viewers.

The network, which has yet to recover from the nose dive its ratings took in 2001 when viewers decided they'd seen one--or 12--too many installments of the overplayed Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in prime time, is not only leaning on dramas to boost its profile, but is also looking to TV veterans like Patrick Dempsey, Steven Bocho, Tim Daly and Kelly Osbourne--in a dramatic role--to lure viewers back to its lineups.

A rundown of ABC's other new series:

  • The Benefactor (fall): Eccentric billionaire and owner of the Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban looks to--forgive us--trump NBC's successful reality series The Apprentice with his own competition, in which 16 butt-kissers endure a series of challenges to try to prove to Cuban why each of them is worthy of the million-dollar prize he's offering.
  • Rodney (fall): Comedian Rodney Carrington is the latest stand-up comic to get his own sitcom, this one--surprise--featuring him as an everyday guy trying to be a decent husband and father. Very Home Improvement-y.
  • Lost (fall): Created by Alias' J.J. Abrams, the drama revolves around a group of plane-crash survivors who are trapped on a deserted island. Stars Lord of the Rings' Dominic Monaghan, Naveen Andrews (The English Patient) and Harold Perrineau (Oz).
  • Wife Swap (fall): A reality series, based on a hit British show, about two moms who swap families for 10 days and must first follow the rules of the new house, and then implement their own lifestyle for the rest of the time.
  • Life as We Know It (fall): Based on British author Melvin Burgess' young-adult novel Doing It, the coming-of-age drama stars Kelly Osbourne (yes, that Kelly Osbourne) and newcomer Sean Faris (Undressed) and follows a group of sex-crazed teen boys (is there any other kind?) and their girlfriends. The series is produced by Freaks and Geeks producers-writers Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah.
  • Savages (fall): Keith Carradine (Deadwood) stars as a single dad who tries to wrangle a brood of five rowdy boys in a My Three Sons-ish sitcom produced by Mel Gibson and based on Gibson's own experiences as the father of five boys.
  • The Practice: Fleet Street (fall): James Spader will continue to steal every scene he's in on this David E. Kelley-produced dramedy spinoff of The Practice that finds his Alan Shore character working with law cohorts William Shatner, Rhona Mitra and Lake Bell.
  • Blind Justice (midseason): ER's Ron Eldard stars as a blind detective in this promising drama from Steven Bochco. The show will fill the timeslot left when Bochco's NYPD Blue wraps its 11-season run in January. Rena Sofer, from last year's failed NBC sitcom Coupling, also stars.
  • Grey's Anatomy (midseason): A medical drama starring Patrick Dempsey (The Practice and Once and Again), Isaiah Washington (Out of Sight), Katherine Heigl (Roswell) and Ellen Pompeo (Old School).
  • Eyes (midseason): Tim Daly, last seen as a drug-addicted gambler on The Sopranos earlier this season and best known for his role on NBC's Wings, stars as a rogue private eye. Melrose Place star Laura Leightonand The L Word's Eric Mabius also star.

Among the high-profile pilots that didn't make the cut for ABC's schedule: Hot Momma, a sitcom starring Nick Lachey; an untitled sitcom featuring Lachey's wife and reality costar, pop singer Jessica Simpson; a comedy starring Jennifer Love Hewitt as a single mom; and a highly-touted John Stamos comedy that was thought by many to be a shoo-in for ABC's Friday night lineup.

Among the other changes at ABC next season, substitute news anchor Elizabeth Vargas will take over Barbara Walters' 20/20 cohosting duties; Chris Cuomo, son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, joins the round-up of anchors on Primetime Live; and British journalist Martin Bashir, best known for his infamous 2003 Michael Jackson interview, joins 20/20 as a correspondent.

And existing series missing from ABC's 2004-05 plans: 10-8, I'm with Her, It's All Relative, Karen Sisco, Kingdom Hospital, Life with Bonnie, Line of Fire and Threat Matrix.

The following is a night-by-night look at the Alphabet network's fall schedule:

MONDAY: (fall) The Benefactor, Monday Night Football; (January) ABC Monday Night Movie, Grey's Anatomy

TUESDAY: My Wife and Kids; George Lopez; According to Jim; Rodney; NYPD Blue/Blind Justice

WEDNESDAY: Lost; The Bachelor; Wife Swap

THURSDAY: Extreme Makeover; Life As We Know It; Primetimee Live

FRIDAY: 8 Simple Rules; Savages; Hope & Faith; Less Than Perfect; 20/20

SATURDAY: Wonderful World of Disney

SUNDAY: America's Funniest Home Videos; Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; Desperate Housewives/Alias (January); The Practice: Fleet Street

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Toontown now Live in UK

Live since June 2003 in the USA, Disney's kids-orientated MMORPG Toontown Online has officially launched in the UK as of today, offering the first 'persistent world' featuring the animation and good-natured innocent fun of Disney.

A free three day trial period is available to those interested in the service, and the normal pricing will be £6.99 per month, £34.99 for six months, or £59.99 per year. Those interested can learn more here.

Toontown Online is a colourful virtual world in which unique cartoon-inspired creations can interact, and where there's a whole variety of mini-games to perform in the premise-forming battle against the 'Cogs' who threaten to turn Toontown into a place of grey-industrial misery.

In the game, players can earn Jellybeans with which to buy and trade; Toontown basically offering more unadulterated takes upon traditional MMORPG fodder for youngsters.

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More Malice In Wonderland

Can Disney keep the Weinstein brothers from bailing out? The Miramax chiefs are unhappy

At Walt Disney Co. the glow of good news doesn't seem to linger long. Back in February, as Disney was preparing to announce strong first-quarter earnings, Comcast Corp. launched a hostile bid. CEO Michael D. Eisner beat back the attack, of course, and on May 12, Disney posted a 71% second-quarter hike in earnings. So, clear sailing for Eisner? Nope. Harvey Weinstein, the irascible co-chairman of Disney's wholly owned unit Miramax Films, is maneuvering to take a hike when his contract expires in 2005.
 
If Weinstein and his Miramax co-chairman, brother Bob, leave, Eisner would be losing crucial rainmakers just as he struggles with the likely departure of Pixar Animation Studios from Disney's stable as well. Miramax raked in movie revenues of $695 million last year, thanks to hits like Chicago and Spy Kids 3-D, according to Nielsen EDI. That's 31% of Disney's box-office take. Miramax posted about $200 million in operating profits, say knowledgeable sources, or about a third of Disney's $620 million in studio operating earnings.

A showdown could get nasty. Disney has the option to renew the Weinsteins' contract through 2009. But the brothers claim Disney wants to change the terms without their approval, including the formula for figuring bonuses. The sides appeared to be narrowing their differences until Eisner blocked the Weinsteins from releasing Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary, Fahrenheit 911. Now the Weinsteins are buying back that film and looking for a distributor. Disney isn't talking, and Miramax says it wants "an amicable resolution." But Weinstein lawyer Bertram Fields hints the troubles aren't over. "We don't want a battle," he says. "But neither side is afraid of a fight."

It will be hard to argue that the Weinsteins, who sold their company to Disney for $80 million in 1993, are underpaid. Each gets an estimated $5 million to run Miramax and its B-film Dimension label. And together they share in an estimated 10% of operating earnings -- as much as $20 million in 2003. The Miramax boys could simply be using the Pixar situation to pick a fight. One big issue: They want to loosen Disney's requirement that it sign off on film budgets above $35 million.

OH SO BANKABLE. The dispute led the Weinsteins to offer $450 million to buy Miramax back from Disney four months ago. But with one banker valuing Miramax at $2 billion, it's little wonder Disney never responded.

Considering their reputation for making hit movies, the Weinsteins could easily raise money to start a new company if they leave. But without the library of 500-odd Miramax films to provide cash flow through DVD sales, they would be starting from scratch. "It won't be easy to set up a company with the resources they have now with Disney," says producer Tom Pollock, a former Universal Studios Inc. chief. No doubt Eisner hopes that's true. With Pixar heading out the door, Eisner hardly needs another big name defection.
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Disney tries to appease big investors

Meanwhile, Pixar is continuing to enjoy its perch in the catbird seat of the entertainment industry. The animation sensation sits back and waits to see what company makes the best pitch to be its partner.

Disney's shares rose 32 cents, or 1.4 percent, to stand at $23 in Monday's action. Pixar added 59 cents to $65.56.

For the media and entertainment conglomerate, an improving stock price is a sign that Wall Street's willing to give Disney the benefit of the doubt.

By contrast, Time Warner fell 14 cents to $16.50 even though the world's largest entertainment and media company held a quiet, calm annual meeting last Friday -- a major contrast from the one its executives presided over a year ago.

Time Warner Chairman Dick Parsons told about 500 attendees that his company's thorniest problem, America Online, is on the right track.

But apparently, Wall Street investors aren't quite convinced.

On the other hand, Wall Street is responding favorably to Disney's attempts to improve its communications with state pension fund chiefs.

Fairly pleased

On Friday, pension fund executives from across the U.S. convened in New York with Disney Chairman George Mitchell and five other board members and said they were fairly pleased with the Disney team's responses to their questions about the company's management structure and the key succession issue.

The funds collectively held approximately 2 percent of all Disney shares.

"It was a very frank meeting," said Alan Hevesi, New York State Comptroller. "It was a very serious conversation. There was no pulling of punches."

Institutional shareholders have at times been angry at the way Disney's executives have treated them, by keeping them at a distance and failing to address their succession concerns.

Disney's story has also involved Pixar When Pixar abruptly broke off contract negotiations with Disney late last year, Wall Street reached severely, as Disney CEO Michael Eisner was blasted for negligence - even though Eisner argued that Pixar was squeezing his company and being unreasonable.

On Friday, Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons said at his company's annual meeting that he hoped Time Warner could forge a strong relationship with Pixar.

Connecting

Sensing that he needed to connect with the crucial individuals, Eisner made a genuine effort last year to reach out to many prominent shareholder activists and investors and won their grudging appreciation.

Hevesi and others said they didn't call for board members to fire Eisner even though they called for his ouster prior to the meeting.

In the midst of a now-ended takeover attempt by Comcast, 45 percent of shares were cast to remove Eisner from the board at the company's annual meeting in March. He gave up his title of chairman after the company's annual meeting in Philadelphia on March 3.

Pension officials did say they wanted Disney directors to reconsider whether Eisner is the right person to lead the company.

"We think there are serious problems with his leadership," said Sean Harrigan, chairman of the California Public Employees Retirement System.

Disney officials said they planned to continue operating the company with Eisner at the helm, though the embattled CEO was not at the meeting.

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Disney chief's meeting with pension funds: 'Civil, frank'

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.

"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."

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Disneyland Merchandise Shakeup


Mike Griggs, Vice President, Store Operations, Disneyland Resort has put in his two-week notice.  Griggs, who came on board when the old guard was planning the first 50th, opened the second Le Bat en Rouge shop and several other projects.  An official statement from Disney was not available.
What is known is The Plaza Pavilion is down for a huge rehab - it is not known if it will be reopening as a restaurant. 
The Country Fair is coming to Disneyland! The Plaza Pavilion will be the Country Fair, with outdoor vending carts, pin-trading, and a new, Nestle-sponsored 'Jr. Chef' program for the little. 
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                                                                         Sunday
May 23, 2004
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Kimmel Mocks ABC at Upfront

The network upfront presentations on Tuesday (May 18) offered a study in contrasts on how networks can present a disappointing year to advertisers. Early in the morning at Madison Square Garden, Jordan Levin, CEO of The WB, practically threw himself at the mercy of the buyers, apologizing for programming failures, particularly in the reality genre. Later, at the New Amsterdam Theatre, ABC sent in Jimmy Kimmel to offer a different kind of apology.

"So you know last year when we talked about how we were gonna turn this place around?" Kimmel reminded the crowd. "That was all bulls***. We were punking you, actually."

Facing an audience clad in suits and serious expressions, Kimmel went on for more than five minutes, railing on the network's failures over the past year. The camera-person who relayed the upfront to Los Angeles via close circuit took great pleasure in panning the sea of uncomfortable, glowering Disney executives.

"I could really use an Advil right now," Kimmel deadpanned after one harsh joke, referencing the on-camera allergic reaction that left him briefly hospitalized last week. Nobody in the audience laughed.

Kimmel, who likened his dealings with ABC's rotating series of executives to being a foster child ("Just when you start to get used to your parents, they move you into a mobile home with a whole new family"), successfully deflected tension surrounding a dismal fourth place season. That left new Entertainment President Stephen McPherson with the chore of looking forward to next season.

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Sears Stores now selling 4th of July Americana Shirts

Sears Dept stores are now selling Disney Tees along with other Disney merchandise.


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Stay safe, dry, warm, fed at amusement parks
 

As a season's pass-holder to a chain of amusement parks, I can't pretend to be objective about the subject.

Although I personally get nauseous on the teacup rides – nevermind the serious stuff – I have learned to enjoy our frequent visits, if only because there is no outing my children love more. They beg to go; they hate to leave; they don't even mind waiting in line.

But visiting an amusement park can be stressful, especially for grown-ups who pay for everything and carry everything (including tired children). Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to reduce problems and save money.

Comfort is key. Check the forecast; dress appropriately; use sunscreen. Wear shoes that won't fall off on rides where your feet hang down. My kids don't mind getting wet on the soaking rides, but for myself I bring a 99-cent plastic rain cape that folds up small and flat.

Park food is expensive. To avoid buying $3 sodas every hour, make the kids tank up at water fountains. Freeze a disposable bottle of water beforehand and take cool sips as it melts throughout the day. At lunch, it may be cheaper to buy the extra-large size of some food items and share, rather than individual servings for each member of the family.

Some parks offer fresh fruit and sandwiches made with lean meats as an alternative to fried foods, and some parks list food concessions on Web sites or maps; research before you go so you'll know which kiosk to head for.

Set limits beforehand. My kids love the expensive "shoot a target" games; I usually let each of them play one, and only one, game that costs extra each time we go.

Waiting on line for popular rides can literally take hours. Posted signs usually state how long the wait is. Some theme parks have systems like Disney's FastPass and Universal Express, which issue timed tickets for popular rides, allowing you to arrive at a certain time and wait just 15 or 20 minutes instead of hours. Some parks charge extra for timed tickets; others don't.

Another technique for avoiding long lines: Get to the gate before the park opens, have your route plotted, be among the first in the door and make a beeline for that famous coaster before the crowds arrive. Ride lines may also be shorter during daily parades.

And in the strange-but-true category: "When you have a choice between more than one line for a ride or concession stand, take the one on the left; most people instinctively move to the right," according to Nancy Dunnan, editor of the TravelSmart newsletter.

Many parks experience a lull after the daytime crowds leave and before the teenagers arrive. Coasters with hourlong waits at 11 a.m. may have no lines at suppertime. Admission fees after 4 p.m. are often half-price, too, and many parks stay open late into the night in summer.

Fodor's "1,001 Smart Travel Tips" recommends visiting theme parks after it rains. "You'll find you'll have the place to yourself," the book says. Some rides will close intermittently, especially if there is thunder and lightning, but indoor attractions will be unaffected. Pack a hand towel to wipe off wet seats; wear a plastic rain cape. (Some parks distribute free plastic parkas in bad weather; others sell them.) On the other hand, amusement parks as a rule do not make refunds, so if the rides are closed for hours, you lose out. A season's pass makes the risk affordable.

Visiting water parks is an art unto itself. Leather and cloth wallets are easily lost and ruined in water parks, so a watertight plastic pouch, suspended from a string around your neck, is a must. Here you will store your car key, cash and credit card.

It's amazing how often guests drag bags full of items into waterparks, only to store them the entire day in an expensive locker. To avoid that: Wear your bathing suit and light flip-flops. As soon as you're off the hot concrete and onto the cooler surfaces most waterparks have underfoot, store your footwear, sunscreen and towel in an old bag you can leave unattended – along with everyone else's – outside each ride or pool.

Don't let weak swimmers in the wave pools; standing your ground in the force of the waves is fun but exhausting. Be vigilant about swim diapers for toddlers, and in the interest of public health, postpone your visit if anyone in the family has a stomach ailment.

Theme park admission for a family can easily run into the hundreds of dollars, so look for discounts. Sometimes coupons appear on milk cartons and soda cans; check Web sites for discount days – deals for senior citizens or two-for-ones. And contact the nearest Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Local tourism boards almost always have coupons for the big theme parks," according to Fodor's "1,001 Smart Travel Tips."

Also, "check with your auto club, AARP and other groups," says Dunnan. "Many offer discounted tickets to members."

Many amusement park visitors will be making a day trip from home, but others go as part of a longer trip. If your visit involves an overnight stay, check out package deals through travel Web sites. You might save on hotels, car rentals and admission if you roll them all into one.

And consider buying that season's pass if you live near a park or within driving distance of several outposts in a chain. "Most season's passes pay for themselves within two or three visits," said Beth Robertson of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

With a season's pass you can drop in for a few hours instead of feeling you have to stay 10 hours to get your money's worth. Shorter visits are less exhausting; you learn the layout and can head straight to favorite rides; and you avoid entrance lines for one-time guests. If you're buying a pass for a chain, check prices at each location; it may be cheaper to buy the pass at one of the chain's lesser known facilities.

For peace of mind, put an ID card in every kid's pocket; write down exactly where you parked; and arrange a time and place to rendezvous so your group can split up to try different attractions.

Finally, observe all safety regulations. Rules about age, height and weight determine who can ride safely, and health warnings screen out people who might be hurt on certain rides. Obviously obeying these rules is in your self-interest.

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Saturday May 22, 2004
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Disney in soup for barring scarf
 
Wearing a Muslim hijab (head scarf) cost a woman both her jobs at Walt Disney World, she says in a lawsuit.

"To stop you from working for practicing your religion doesn't seem right to me," Aicha Baha said on Friday, several days after her civil-rights suit was served on the company.

Dress code

Disney policy generally prohibits any headwear but Disney-issued hats and visors. Disney spokesperson Veronica Clemons said exceptions to the dress code for religious reasons are made on a case-by-case basis.

"We do have cast members who have attire significant to their religions," she said. Disney policy prohibits discussion of lawsuits, she told the Orlando Sentinel.

Uniform vs tradition

Baha worked at Walt Disney World from 1997 until mid-August 2002 and wore uniforms in her jobs as a part-time bellhop and a full-time sales clerk at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, according to interviews and the lawsuit she filed last week in federal court in Orlando.

She started wearing a hijab after taking maternity leave in 2002. She said her faith grew during that time. "It wasn't something just for fun," she said. "It's like God is asking you to do it." Disney fired her from the part-time post because she refused to remove the scarf, the suit says.
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Pleasure Island Opens Gates  5/23 - 8/14

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.

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It's Getting HOT
 
You think the repainting of the Space Mountain's exterior is exciting news? You were blown away when you saw how bright the colors shine currently tested on the mountain? Think again and get ready for even more exciting news! The latest rumors swirling around the Space Mountain project and finally inside sources who independently gave us the same or at least similar story. According to these sources Space Mountain is supposed to drop the current "From the Earth to the Moon" theme in time for its 10th anniversary next year replacing it with the non-Jules-Verne-connected SUPER NOVA theme.

Super Nova theme? Yep, that is how it has been dubbed currently by Imagineering. Certainly all plans are still in development as work for the themeing change does not have to start till later this year, but the current version envisions the guests to board the trains to get shot into space for a enjoyable space sightseeing tour, unfortunately something goes horrible wrong (doesn't it always in a good thrill ride?) when the train enters the canon, an alarm is sounded and the train starts to glide back as the system in the canon can't load it appropriately. Unfortunately it is too late to abort the launch sequence and so the train is shot from further down the canon than originally planned, thus it gets too fast and overshoots its planned flight orbit ... bringing it too close to a sun that is to turn into a super nova. In other words: getting it too near to a sun that is going to explode. When it turns into that super nova guests are supposed to feel the heat of the explosion, as their train / rocket races through space trying to stay ahead of the sun's remnants shooting out from the super nova - certainly making it safely back to the earth in the end. The ride will still use the same track as the current version but will feature new special effects supposed to make the experience even more exiting. Rumors have it that the Imagineers might use flat screens to show some of the super nova explosion elements and make them chase the trains / rockets. But again these are all preliminary plans which will certainly see some changes at least in the details before 2005.
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Disney aims launch ABC 1 in Britain late this year
 

Walt Disney Co. will call its British digital television channel ABC 1 and launch late this year, a spokesman for Disney's international television distribution arm said on Friday.

Disney last October said it planned a channel on Freeview, a free digital broadcast service.

Spokesman Lucien Harrington of Walt Disney Television International said by telephone that the service would likely debut in the fall or winter with a 12-hour schedule.

ABC is the No. 4 U.S. network and has been losing money, although Disney expects it to post a profit in 2005.

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   Friday May 21, 2004
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Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Continues this Weekend
 

Festival Highlights

Flower Power Concert Series
Paul Revere & The Raiders May 22-25
"Good Thing"
 
"FamilyFun" Weekend May 21, 22 & 23
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Star Wars Weekends Continue this Weekend May 21st -23rd

Star Wars Weekends

Scheduled to appear:
May 21 - 23
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
Jerome Blake (Rune Haako)
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States, Disney Board Talk CEO Succession

Chairman George Mitchell said on Friday he had outlined broad plans for naming a successor to Chief Executive Michael Eisner at a "frank" meeting with six state pension funds that have criticized the governance of the entertainment company.
 
Mitchell also vowed to consider suggestions from the public pension funds when Disney chooses a new board member this year.

Disney directors met with representatives of six funds from California, New York, Connecticut, Ohio and North Carolina that had led a protest vote at the March 3 annual meeting.

Chief Executive Michael Eisner, who was stripped of the chairman role after that March 3 meeting, did not attend Friday's meeting in New York between Mitchell and the pension funds.

Mitchell told reporters that most Disney directors met with the funds on Friday.

"The tone of the meeting was cordial, civil, frank, thorough. They expressed their views without any restraint that I could see," Mitchell said. "We expressed our views without any restraint."

Mitchell, who took on the chairman role on March 3, said he told the states that the board still supported Eisner and his team and also was thoroughly planning for succession of Eisner and other top management. But he did not give details of when he expected a new CEO or who might fill the role.

"When the board determines the time is right for a decision on succession, we will make that decision," he said. "When the board decides the time is right to announce that decision, we will announce" it.

Mitchell said he would forward to the board a proposal by the states for an ad hoc committee of shareholders to review corporate governance and other shareholder concerns, and that the compensation committee would consider other state suggestions on executive pay.

The board, which intends to appoint a new independent director by year's end, also will consider suggestions by the states on the matter, he said.

BOARD'S INDEPENDENCE QUESTIONED

Eisner -- who was criticized over Disney's stock performance, low ratings at its ABC television network, and perceived mishandling of a now-scuttled distribution deal with Pixar Animation Studios -- earlier this month said Disney's 71 percent rise in profit for its fiscal second quarter showed that his growth plan was working.

Chief Operating Officer Bob Iger attended the Friday meeting and told reporters afterward that the company still expected earnings per share to rise 50 percent or more this year, excluding the potential disposal of Disney stores.

In March, the pension funds told Mitchell they wanted a meeting because they feared for their investments.

"We are not looking to micromanage the board, or micromanage the company, for that matter," Connecticut State Treasurer Denise Nappier said before the meeting began on Friday. "But there does need to be a better alignment of interests between the board of directors and shareholders. After all, we own the company."

North Carolina Treasurer Richard Moore asked, "Is the board itself independent?"

New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, and the heads of the California Public Employees' Retirement System, or Calpers, the California State Teachers' Retirement System, known as Calsters, and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System also were expected at the meeting in New York.

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State funds who met Disney liked talk, want action
 

State pension fund leaders who met Walt Disney Co. directors on Friday said they had a good dialogue and were waiting for the board to demonstrate its independence and decide whether Chief Executive Michael Eisner was the best person to lead the company.

"They did an outstanding job today of saying all the right things. What needs to happen in the future though is that some of the talk needs to be backed up by appropriate action," North Carolina Treasurer Richard Moore told reporters after the meeting. Other leaders of the six state funds who attended the meeting in New York expressed similar views.

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Disney board repeats backing for Eisner

Walt Disney Co.'s board of directors remains "firm in its view" that the company's senior management, led by Chief Executive Michael Eisner, is executing the company's long-term strategic plan, the company said in a statement on Friday.

The statement was issued after a meeting in New York between Disney board members, including Chairman George Mitchell, and representatives of leading state public pension funds that have been critical of Disney's share performance and governance.

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The Walt Disney Company Statement Following Meeting with Public Pension Funds

Six Directors of The Walt Disney Company Board met today with representatives of seven public pension funds that collectively hold 39.9 million shares of Disney stock, about two percent of shares outstanding, to review specific steps the company's management is taking to build long-term shareholder value as well as steps the Board is taking in the area of governance. The Board members, led by Disney Chairman George Mitchell, also solicited detailed input regarding specific performance and governance initiatives.
 
The Disney presentation included a discussion of the company's financial performance; executive succession planning; the separation of roles between the Chair and CEO and the selection process for a new independent director. Tom Staggs, Disney senior executive vice president and CFO, also attended to present financial information.

"The Disney Board takes seriously the responsibility to listen to all shareholders. This meeting was part of that process," Mitchell said following the meeting. "Today's meeting included a thorough exchange of views and ideas. The Board members continue to respect and understand the specific issues raised by this group. We hope these leaders now have a better understanding as to why the Board remains firm in its view that the Disney management team, led by Michael Eisner and Bob Iger, is executing against its strategic plan in order to continue to drive long-term shareholder value, as evidenced by the most recent earnings report, and to strengthen the company's position as the global leader in quality family entertainment."

Independent Directors Judith Estrin, chair of the Compensation Committee; Monica Lozano, chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee; Robert Matschullat, chair of the Audit Committee; and Aylwin Lewis, as well as Director Bob Iger, Disney's president and chief operating officer, also attended the meeting.

Among the items also discussed during the meeting were Disney's short- and long-term financial performance and trends, a review of the company's corporate governance guidelines including duties for the Chair, director independence, the Board's ongoing search for a new independent director, and succession planning for the CEO and other senior executives.

"The Disney Board plans to continue to hold management accountable for performance, by measuring management's success based on its ability to execute on its strategic priorities, and to prepare for the company's future," Mitchell said. "We expect this success to manifest itself in, among other things, continued growth in earnings, increased free cash flow, and increased returns on invested capital."

In terms of performance, Disney stock in the past year has risen 29 percent. For calendar year 2003, Disney stock rose 43 percent, compared to 26 percent for the S&P 500 and 25 percent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Over the long term, Disney has provided an impressive return for shareholders. An investment of $10,000 made when Eisner became Disney's CEO in Sept. 1984 would be worth more than $200,000 today, representing nearly 85 percent more than the S&P 500 would have returned on that investment. And the Company's future prospects look bright. As the Company stated in its most recent earnings release, "Barring negative changes in the environment and given the strength of our recent results and the positive trends we are seeing in our businesses, we now believe we will deliver growth in earnings for the full year of 50 percent or more, excluding the potential impact from items like the sale of the Disney Stores. We are also keeping an eye on the exposure we have from airline lease investments made in the early 90's which could impact our outlook ... We are also expecting to deliver double-digit average annual earnings growth from 2004 through at least 2007."

Disney Board members also discussed the Board's corporate governance guidelines, specifically those on succession and Board member independence. The Disney Board's guidelines call for the chief executive officer to meet with non-management Directors at least once yearly to discuss potential successors. The non-management directors also are to meet in executive session, without management present, to discuss succession. In addition, the CEO also is to review periodically with the non-management directors the performance of other key members of the senior management team, as well as succession arrangements for those key senior management members.

The Disney Board has adopted a policy that a "substantial majority" of its Directors will be independent of the company and its management, under independence standards that are set out in the guidelines that meet or exceed those that are required by the NYSE. In addition, all members of the Audit, Compensation and Governance and Nominating committees must be deemed independent under Board guidelines and NYSE rules.

On March 19, 2004, Disney sent a letter to more than 100 institutional investors asking for continued feedback, and especially for input on key attributes, skills and characteristics the Board's Governance and Nominating Committee should consider in recruiting a new independent director. The Board has stated the intention to identify and elect a ninth independent director before year's end.

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance as of the time the statements are made and management does not undertake any obligation to update these statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by the Company, including restructuring or strategic initiatives and information technology improvements, as well as from developments beyond the Company's control, including international, political, health concern and military developments that may affect travel and leisure businesses generally and changes in domestic and global economic conditions that may, among other things, affect the performance of the Company's theatrical and home entertainment releases, the advertising market for broadcast and cable television programming, expenses of providing medical and pension benefits and demand for consumer products. Changes in domestic competitive conditions and technological developments may also affect performance of all significant company businesses. Additional factors are set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2003 under the heading "Factors that may affect forward-looking statements."

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Updated E-Ride Nights at Magic Kingdom WDW


May 31, 2004

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

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Disney Board to Meet State Fund Critics

State pension funds were set to meet with Walt Disney Co. board members on Friday, to focus on directors' ability to oversee management and future plans for Disney.
 
Six funds, which led a protest vote against Disney at its annual meeting earlier this year, told Chairman George Mitchell in March that they wanted a meeting because they feared for their investments. The request followed the March 3 annual shareholders meeting at which Chief Executive Michael Eisner's reelection as chairman of the board was opposed by 45 percent of votes.

The Disney board has made substantial changes since then, including stripping Eisner of his role as chairman after the vote, but members of the activist group of state treasurers and pension fund managers have said they want an indication that the board is willing to work with shareholders and has the independence to oversee management effectively.

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, the California State Teachers Retirement System, and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System were expected at the meeting in New York.

Mitchell heads the Disney team.

The state representatives plan to give presentations on concerns including board responsiveness to shareholders, executive pay and strategic goals, and to press Mitchell and his colleagues for details of succession planning.

The funds plan to hold a news conference at noon EDT. following the meeting with the board.

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Millionaire' creator sues Disney over royalties
 
The British creator of "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?" Thursday sued the Walt Disney Co. , accusing it of "sweetheart deals" with its broadcast and production subsidiaries to cut him out of profits from its U.S. version of the game show.

In a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, series creator Paul Smith and his company, Celador International Ltd., said Disney and subsidiaries ABC and Buena Vista Television manipulated costs to keep the series "at prices well below the fair market value."

A Disney spokesman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

In 1999, Celador went into partnership with the Disney-owned companies to produce and distribute one-hour first-run and half-hour syndicated versions of "Millionaire" for North America, the lawsuit said.

The hit show, which first aired in the United Kingdom in 1998, has been licensed in about 65 territories around the world and broadcast in 106 countries, the lawsuit said.

Under a joint venture with Celador, Buena Vista produced "Millionaire" with host Regis Philbin, and the ABC network aired it starting on Aug. 16, 1999, for 13 consecutive nights.

The show was an instant success, putting ABC on top of the ratings for each night it ran and continuing to draw an average of 29 million viewers per night in the 1999-2000 season, according to ABC's Web site.

However, ratings for the show collapsed in 2001, and ABC has not recovered its pull with viewers since.

In its lawsuit, Celador accused Disney of unlawfully interfering in its joint venture with ABC and BVT by pressuring its subsidiaries to hike production costs and refusing to renegotiate licensing fees for better terms.

"In essence, Disney sits on both sides of the bargaining table in any negotiation for the production and distribution rights to the series, thereby enabling it to manipulate negotiations in any way that serves its corporate interests," the lawsuit said.

The suit also seeks to protect the rights of Lusam Music Ltd., which created the brooding theme music for "Millionaire," and claims Disney used the series music without permission in its theme park attractions.

The suit seeks unspecified damages and asks a judge to order Disney and its subsidiaries to disgorge its profits from "Millionaire."
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Disney Stores: The Hard-Sell Out!

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."

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Mitchell: Disney Chairman Meets With Pension Funds


Doers and doings in business, entertainment and technology:
http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=225692 George Mitchell
 
 
State pension funds met with The Walt Disney Co. board members on Friday, to determine if the board is sufficiently independent to provide effective management oversight. En masse, the funds in March pressed Disney Chairman George Mitchell for the meeting, citing fears for their investments. The confab demand came after March's historic no-confidence vote versus Chief Executive Michael Eisner. The CEO was chided for stock performance, low ratings at ABC TV, and the perceived fumble of a now-lost distribution deal with Pixar. Although Eisner lost the chairmanship, he now claims vindication in Disney's 71% rise in profit for its second quarter. Nonetheless, Connecticut State Treasurer Denise Nappier said before Friday's meeting, "We are not looking to micromanage the board, or micromanage the company...But there does need to be a better alignment of interests between the board of directors and shareholders. After all, we own the company." At press time, Disney representatives were not available for comment.
 
Since the March 3 annual shareholders meeting, when Eisner's reelection as chairman was opposed by 45 percent of votes, the Disney board has made substantial changes.

But members of the activist group of state treasurers and pension fund managers have said they want an indication that the board is willing to work with shareholders and has the independence to oversee management effectively.

"Is the board itself independent?" asked North Carolina treasurer Richard Moore.

New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, and the heads of the California Public Employees Retirement System, or Calpers, the California State Teachers Retirement System, and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System were also expected at the meeting in New York.

The state representatives were due to give presentations on concerns including board responsiveness to shareholders, executive pay and strategic goals, and to press Mitchell and his colleagues for details of succession planning.

The funds plan to hold a news conference at noon EDT. following the meeting with the board.

Disney shares were up 15 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $23.20 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
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ABC's Bachelor Jesse Palmer Scores Jessica
 
 

NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer picked law student Jessica B. on the two-hour season finale of ABC’s The Bachelor.

According to E! Online, Palmer didn’t propose but gave Jessica a one-way ticket to join him in New York.

“This whole thing to me is like a dream,” said Palmer. “I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning if I can't wake up with you."

"That's all I want," Jessica replied.

The nervous runner-up, Tara, gave in to nausea and hiding in the limo before learning her fate. Her gut instinct was correct that the man she fell in love with wanted the other girl.

After the rejection, Tara accused Jesse of “leading her on” along with “inappropriate” actions.

In typical Bachelor fashion, Palmer was undecided about his pick until the final day.

None of the previous four Bachelors stayed with their chosen women. However, both Trista Rehn and Meredith Phillips are still together with their picks.

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Pro-Family Advocate Questions ABC's 'Honest' Look at American Family
Concern Expressed Over Planned Version of UK's Wife Swap
 
A spokesman for a pro-family group says parents should beware of yet another "reality show" making its way to American television.

ABC Television has announced it is developing a version of a popular British TV show called Wife Swap. The British version of the program features two women who trade husbands, kids, and homes for ten days. The women are expected to follow the house rules for the first week -- sticking to the cleaning, cooking, and child-rearing schedule set by the original woman of the house. The wives can then lay down their own set of rules the following week.

According to press reports, the American version, which will be called The Swap, will differ only in the length of the stay. For the first five days, the two wives must do things the family's way; for the next five days, they call the shots. At the end of the ten-day period, the two families get together to discuss what they experienced.

Ed Vitagliano, director of research for the American Family Association, says the new show conjures up images of a 1970s "swingers party." He warns that the show is a veiled attempt at producing a reality show based on wife swapping.

"My belief is that ... they're hoping for some kind of steamy things to happen, maybe some sexual overtones, as a woman moves into another house with another man and his children," Vitagliano says. "That just seems to be what's happened with other reality programs -- and I don't expect that ABC is going to try to dampen those expectations."

The pro-family advocate is concerned about ABC's plans for obvious reasons. "The problem with this entire concept, at least from a Christian perspective, is that it's inappropriate for a married woman to live in a house with another woman's husband," he says.

And no matter what the title is, Vitagliano says the premise is the same. "I think the fact that this program was called Wife Swap in England, and the name was changed for American viewers, doesn't eliminate what I think is going to be, at least in part, the sexual overtones."

ABC's Michael Davies, one of the show's executive producers, says the show has "a good title" and that it has "nothing to do with swinging '70s wife-swapping parties." Regarding its plan to air 20 hour-long episodes on Wednesday nights, ABC says: "Never before has a reality series taken such an honest inside look at the American family."

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Disney a latecomer on detectors

Attraction tests screening devices before possible rollout at its 4 Orlando parks

Walt Disney World may be the first of Orlando's theme-park giants to experiment with using metal detectors on a daily basis, but it wouldn't be the first big amusement-park company to install the machines as a security precaution.

About 40 percent of the 50 biggest amusement and theme parks in North America already require customers to pass through metal detectors as they enter, according to company representatives.

Few tourism and security experts were surprised when Disney World began after-hours testing of metal detectors last month at its local theme parks, with an eye toward using them to screen the thousands of visitors who flock to the four parks each day.

Instead, some of them wondered why it had taken so long.

"To me, those kinds of things should have happened a long time ago," said David Cid, a former FBI terrorism specialist and now president of a security-consulting firm in Edmond, Okla. "I think they are getting bad advice, or they have ignored the good advice."

Resistance to installing metal detectors is common at major entertainment venues, such as theme parks and stadiums, where customer comfort and satisfaction are key to the business' survival, tourism and security experts say.

Such venues often fear that the inconvenience of metal detectors -- which can include long waits in line and the need for some customers to empty their pockets or submit to pat-downs or body scans -- will deter people from returning or coming in the first place, they say.

Disney World's president, Al Weiss, acknowledged earlier this month that his Orlando parks were testing metal detectors. But he downplayed the significance of the experiment, saying the giant resort routinely tries new security measures.

"We don't have any current plans to put them in permanently," Weiss said.

Instead, all four Disney parks recently installed expensive anti-terrorist barriers at their service entrances. The yellow-and-black barricades are designed to stop a 20,000-pound truck bomb moving at 70 mph.

Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando have never had metal detectors installed at their front gates for year-round use. Disneyland in California and Universal Studios Hollywood also don't have permanent metal detectors.

Six Flags parks use devices

By contrast, metal detectors are used at all 16 Six Flags amusement parks operated in this country by Six Flags Inc., the nation's biggest park company after Disney. They're also in place at all five parks owned by Paramount Parks Inc., the No. 6 park company, based on total attendance.

Two other big operators -- No. 5 Cedar Fair LP, which owns Knott's Berry Farm near Disneyland, and No. 7 Palace Entertainment Inc., which operates Silver Springs in Ocala -- do not use metal detectors.

But most of their parks are smaller, with attendance figures that pale in comparison with Orlando's giant theme parks.

Fears that a Disney theme park could be a terrorist target are legitimate, said Peter Tarlow, founder of Tourism and More, a security-consulting firm in College Station, Texas. He defines a potential target as any venue with at least one of four characteristics: symbolic value, the potential for mass casualties, the potential for widespread publicity or the potential for serious economic damage.

"Disney fits into all of those," he said.

Security experts acknowledge that determined terrorists can defeat or circumvent metal detectors. But the machines are good at weeding out guns, knives and other harmful objects, they say, making them an effective part of any operation's overall security plan.

No specific incident cited

Disney's current interest in metal detectors does not appear to have been triggered by a specific incident at one of its Orlando parks.

Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies stationed at Disney World could not recall any major security breaches recently that might have led Disney to consider installing detectors, said Jim Solomons, a sheriff's spokesman.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., many of the country's large amusement parks and high-profile stadium events have begun using metal detectors or, at the very least, have begun employing guards with handheld metal-detecting wands.

Orlando's theme parks have responded to the terrorist attacks by inspecting visitors' backpacks and purses as they enter the parks. Experts say that's probably because they fear they have more to lose than their smaller, regional rivals do by inconveniencing customers.

The Walt Disney Co. is by far the world's largest theme-park operator; its four Orlando parks alone drew an estimated 37.8 million visitors last year.

Universal Studios Recreation Group, the third-largest park chain, and No. 4 Anheuser-Busch Cos., which owns SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, have also built their reputations on elaborately crafted fantasy and escapism.

Tourism executives worry that such an atmosphere would be difficult to maintain if customers are inconvenienced or reminded of real-world problems such as terrorism.

Abe Pizam, a tourism professor at the University of Central Florida, said metal detectors have already been the subject of much hand-wringing by local tourism officials.

"To be brutally honest, the issue of security and safety is on people's minds today," he said. "To some extent, people will be thankful that you are doing things to make them safe."

Bruce Stanley, an Alabama resident who travels to Disney World at least once a year with his wife and two children, doesn't like the idea of metal detectors and doubts they would deter a terrorist.

Still, he said he understands why Disney is contemplating their use.

"In all honesty, I don't think that having some visible mechanical process is going to slow people down from going to Disney," he said.

Jim Beech, a computer specialist from Virginia, has visited Disney nearly every year for two decades with his wife, Pat. He's worried that, if Disney installed metal detectors at its entrances, there would be long lines to get into the parks.

"They would detract a little bit from the whole experience," Beech said of the machines. But he added: "If they make you feel safer when you get inside the park, then that's a good thing."

Space center has detectors

Disney, Universal and SeaWorld don't have far to look to find a tourist attraction that uses metal detectors every day.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, because of its proximity to NASA's space-shuttle launch site, was closed for four days after the September 2001 terrorist attacks. When it reopened, guests were greeted by metal detectors at the front gate.

Steve Geis, the visitor center's director of operations, said the detectors rarely result in long lines, even on shuttle-launch days, when thousands of visitors flood the center.

"If people are waiting 10 to 15 minutes, that's too long," Geis said.

Security experts say the wait at a security checkpoint using metal detectors depends on much more than just the size of the crowd and the number of machines in use.

Rather, a theme park's ability to move large crowds quickly and efficiently through metal detectors would depend more on where the detectors are placed in relation to ticket booths and turnstiles, how sensitively the machines are tuned, and how well the system's security personnel are trained, said Charles Read, an operations-program manager for Amsec International Inc., a Winchester, Va.-based security company.

"When I go to Disney, I can stand in line and not know I'm in line," said Read, who has developed security plans for events at major entertainment venues such as New York's Madison Square Garden. "They have perfected making you feel like you are not being hassled. I suspect that they are not going to do anything differently with metal detectors."

Paramount Parks requires guests to pass through metal detectors at all five of its properties, each of which draws 2 million to 3 million people a year.

All 16 Six Flags amusement parks in the United States have metal detectors at their front entrances -- some dating to the early 1990s.

The detectors have been installed through the years for a variety of reasons. Six Flags Over Texas, for example, installed its machines in 1996 in response to a new state law allowing concealed handguns. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville installed its detectors a month after the September 2001 attacks.


'Security is there'

Some experts actually wonder whether the Orlando parks' reluctance to install visible security measures such as metal detectors may discourage some people from visiting.

"I think that Disney is underestimating the intelligence of the American people, if they think that people are more concerned with the quality of the fantasy experience then they are with their personal safety," said Cid, the former FBI agent.

Many Americans, still shaken by Sept. 11, want to be reassured that the airports, attractions, stadiums and other high-profile facilities they use are serious about safety, said Tarlow, the tourism-security expert.

"The thing that people from around the country are constantly asking me is, 'Is it safe to go to Disney?' And that's because they don't see any metal detectors," Tarlow said. "I tell them the security is there -- you just don't see it."

Orlando's theme parks probably have a bevy of security measures that customers never see, Tarlow and other experts said.

Likely measures include "fast-response" teams that can react quickly to a perceived threat or security breach at a front entrance, plainclothes security personnel with concealed weapons, and intelligence liaisons who work closely with state and federal law-enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Some of Disney's existing security measures are quite visible to tourists, however. For instance, Animal Kingdom has installed scores of waist-high poles throughout its parking lots to prevent unauthorized vehicles from reaching the park entrance or even entering the travel lanes used by the parking-shuttle trains.

Universal is 'evaluating'

Universal Orlando has used walk-through and handheld metal detectors for major events such as Halloween Horror Nights and its Grad Bash for high-school seniors. But neither of its two theme parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, has metal detectors for year-round use.

Such a system, however, "is always something we are evaluating," said Susan Lomax, a Universal spokeswoman.

SeaWorld, which also has installed vehicle-control poles and large concrete planters in front of its entrance, declined to comment on the possibility of installing metal detectors.

But if Disney decides to install metal detectors, Universal and SeaWorld are likely to follow, according to Pizam, the UCF tourism expert.

"If they don't," he said, "customers will say, 'Why aren't you doing that, too? I feel safer over there.' "
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Disney classics worth billing
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~78~2160048,00.html#
“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."

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Disney knows best


This is in response to Jane Holland's letter (May 10). She is concerned about the Walt Disney Co.'s decision not to fund the distribution of a Michael Moore film.

Holland states that "no corporation should have the right to tell (her) what films (she) can see." That is just another example of how people twist the facts for their own purpose.

The Walt Disney Co. has every right to decide how they want to spend their money, as long as it is legal. Taking her argument to its logical conclusion, Disney would be expected to distribute any controversial film.

So when some other fringe political group or individual filmmaker wants their beliefs distributed, Holland presumably would agree that Disney or another film company should comply.

However, let's suppose that th
e group is radical neo-Nazi and they wish for a film that celebrates Hitler's Third Reich, extols the joys of Nazism, and shows through film that they believe Hitler was right.

The distribution of such a film obviously would be harmful to the Disney corporate image. Disney would have every right to decline funding of the film just as they have the right to decline the funding of Moore's film.

More than likely, Moore will obtain the necessary funding or distribution support for his film.

He is probably rejoicing in the Disney decision because it is bringing him a lot of free media exposure and is helping him distribute his political message further.

I applaud Disney for making a decision they believe is in the best interest of their company and its stock holders.
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'America's favorite mouse' makes a stand on State Street


Mice have invaded the east and west sides of State Street from Wacker Drive all the way to Jackson Boulevard. Please don't call pest control, though.

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!"

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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

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The Walt Disney Family Museum
Updated
The April / May update of the Walt Disney Family Museum features an interview with legendary Mickey Mouse Club star Annette Funicello in Family & Friends; an amalgam of quotes dedicated to Disneyland in Spotlight On; and a special video presentation on the opening of Disneyland in Feature of the Month.

http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/waltdisney/home.html
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Dining at Granville's


Review: Granville's, tucked into the Disneyland Hotel, offers sizzling fare and a decidedly non-theme-park atmosphere.

Approaching the Disneyland Hotel one night, I think to myself that we should have brought the kid. After all, there's a bigger-than-life statue of Mickey Mouse greeting us with open arms as we make our way to the valet parking station.

Our human greeter is even friendlier, handing us a claim stub for the car and cheerfully letting us know the valet parking will be free.

We're here to eat at Granville's, one of the older restaurants in what has now become known as the Disneyland Resort. It's a place that has been overshadowed of late by such highbrow dining spots as Napa Rose at the Grand Californian and other chef-driven restaurants that have opened in the sprawling entertainment complex that connects the decades-old Disneyland Hotel with the theme parks.

Despite Granville's history, the entrance to the restaurant can be hard to find. From the valet station, we make our way to the far right-hand side of the hotel entrance through a door with a low-key "Granville's" sign. Then we make our way past a massive Disney memorabilia collage and crowds of casually dressed families waiting to have dinner with Goofy.

Granville's is tucked into a windowless corner of this second lobby on the other side of an old red Autopia car and a video screening room peopled with tired-looking children overloaded on too much fun.

But inside Granville's, which has undergone a recent remodel, there are far fewer reminders of the hotel's theme park raison d'etre. Look closely and you might notice that most of the parties filling the white linen-covered tables and high-backed booths are families, and not just a few people are wearing shorts and tank tops. But this place feels as far removed from the resort as an ashram.

Interestingly, as one of the longest-standing establishments on the property it might also hold the most nostalgia for people who go way back. It is named for Bonita Granville, an actress who married into the Wrather family, which ran the Disneyland Hotel until a little over a decade ago.

We slip into a booth, upholstered in elegant stripes, and admire the restrained opulence of the décor. Our server arrives and offers us bottled water or a cocktail - the martinis are terrific and champagne by the glass is Laurent-Perrier ($15) - and someone else brings a tanned loaf of from-the-oven sourdough bread with soft, whipped butter.

We study the menu, which is a brief steakhouse list with a surprisingly broad choice of other meats. I like the $28 prix fixe that features a Caesar salad garnished with tapenade, a small New York steak and Parmesan stack, and a warm apple tart.

In the past, when eating here with my own extended family, I've enjoyed the generously portioned halibut steak ($23). We've also sampled the popcorn rock shrimp ($11), an appetizer suitable for sharing. The small, sweet crustaceans are batter-coated and fried into little balls, making them look like popcorn and making my nieces want to eat them like popcorn, with their fingers.

But this night we opt to share the portobello mushroom ($8). It arrives, after a startlingly long wait, a saucer-size mushroom cap sizzling hot and topped with slivers of Humboldt Fog cheese. The soft goat-milk cheese is layered with ash and lends a rich, mild flavor to the meaty fungus, which is further accented by a sticky balsamic reduction.

Soups and salads are also offered. There's a rich onion soup topped with a thick thatch of cheese, and a wedge salad served with heady blue cheese dressing.

In the past the steaks here were paraded out like, well, like they still had hooves on them. Now you only imagine what they might look like served sizzling with a tangle of watercress. Shrimp and sirloin comprise a brochette ($28) that is beautifully teamed with pieces of red pepper, onion and mushroom. The shrimp is plump and juicy, while the sirloin is all that that cut of beef should be, slightly chewy and full of beef flavor.

The rib-eye steak ($34), one of my favorite cuts of meat, is coated in a mildly spiced rub. The meat is cooked this night as ordered, rare. It comes red in the middle and warm throughout. I like the thick marbling that gives this bone-in cut of meat so much flavor, but fat phobes be warned.

The entrees are a la carte, but based on portion size, side dishes aren't necessary. Yet it would be a shame to miss the Parmesan stack ($5), an au gratin potato filled with a handful of fragrant cheeses, or my choice, roasted heirloom potatoes ($5) served with plenty of roasted garlic. The potatoes are a mix of blue, creamy Yukon gold and red-skinned potatoes cooked crisp on the outside and soft and buttery inside.

I'd skip the broccoli ($5), which comes to the table undercooked and hard to serve. Spinach ($5) is a better selection, pan sautéed with a liberal amount of garlic cloves.

The wine list is typically pricey, with a reasonably good selection of wines from across the board. Choices range from J. Lohr on the low end to Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, sold here for $35.50 a glass and $125 a bottle. I stay more toward the middle with the very fine Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.50 a glass).

Because I've eaten here several times with my chocolate-loving family, we have tasted the opulent Bonita's chocolate bar, the fine creamy crème brûlée and the rustic apple tart, leaving fruit and soufflé as untried options on the dessert list.

The soufflés take 20 minutes, our server tells us. We look at our watches; it's already late so we decline, and wonder to ourselves why she didn't ask us about the soufflé earlier in the meal.

Oh, well, I think as we make our way past the various costumed characters and sleepy children, this is obviously not the kind of place where people usually have to rush home to baby sitters. I knew we should have brought the kid.

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Barkley says n-o to 'MNF' proposal


Charles Barkley says thanks, but no thanks, to "Monday Night Football."

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.

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                                                       Thursday
May 20, 2004

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Eisner Cuts 50th Funding


Slashes budget for Disneyland "Museum" project


Back when Cynthia Harriss still reigned over Disneyland, when ideas for the fiftieth anniversary were being tossed about, someone  -  Marty Sklar says it's himself - came up with the idea of putting a kind of  'museum' of Disneyland's history in the Innoventions building.  It sounded like a good, practical idea, and priced out at about 10 million dollars.  With Matt Ouimet's arrival, plans for the birthday were cemented - most things we in the Disney Community have been hearing for a while (Buzz, Space), a parade, fireworks, and, of course, the Museum - now moved to The Walt Disney Story, a fitting but smaller venue.  The Museum would feature historic Disneyland models, as well as new models of Disneyland attractions, multimedia presentations, and historical artifacts.
 
The budget was nailed in for the attraction at 5 million dollars - still enough to do it right. 

Then Eisner, fresh from being on the receiving end of quite a strong message from shareholders - especially those who worked for him - that he needed to change his ways, he turned right around and did the exact thing that is getting all of these people ticked off at him in the first place: cutting budgets down to the bone and going cheap.  He ordered the budget slashed from 5 million dollars to less than 1 million dollars - quite a bit less. 
 
The attraction and park models will be seen - at Walt Disney World and at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, MI.  In keeping with the 'anywhere but Disneyland' spirit that seems to be pervading the celebration.  Insiders have noted as well that, unlike other anniversaries, the future is not being mentioned at all - is this fallout from the Disney Decade debacle, or are the guys in Burbank desperately hoping no one will notice that there's not much planned at all...not any that's been announced or successfully leaked, that is.
 
Underfunding attractions and cutbacks hurt Disneyland.  And people - the general public, not just Disney Freaks like myself - are noticing.  At the office, we keep the news on - the other morning, it was on a morning news show.  Anchor/Host Greg Kelly was interviewing a travel expert on the best places to take your kids.  Kelly remarked that last year he'd gone there with his family and all the rides were closed or broken - in fact, one had broken with he and his family on it. He suggested that people go to Walt Disney World instead, since 'it's so much bigger and there's so much more to do there'. The expert stammered out that it was small, it was the original, it was turning fifty next year...but the damage was done. 
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Raging Spirits: Coming to Tokyo DisneySea


A group of explorers were wandering around the jungle when one day they stumbled upon a 5,000 year old site, one with idols, a large temple and two altars, one of fire, one of water. However these explorers were not archeologists, and during their excavation they made a few mistakes. Their biggest mistake came when they were reconstructing the altar of water. They installed the last piece of the water god's head backwards so it faced the fire go, a big no-no. The result? Cauldrons erupting with fire; water spewing out of idols and a thrilling new ride for Tokyo-DisneySea. Opening in fall 2005.
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State funds prepare to question Disney board


Six state pension funds critical of Walt Disney Co. expect to grill company directors on long-term strategy and succession plans for Chief Executive Michael Eisner at a meeting on Friday, people familiar with the meeting 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.

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Disney characters encourage children to mock mentally ill, study says


Some of Disney's cartoon characters encourage children to shun, fear and ridicule the mentally ill, says a new study published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. The peer-reviewed work by researchers at the University of Calgary analyzed 34 full-length Disney animated films for verbal references to mental illness. It found 85% refered to principal or minor characters as "crazy," "nuts" and "mad." "In the majority of the films, those terms are used to denigrate the characters ... and to me that's a major concern," said Andrea Lawson, the study's principal investigator. Bambi was the only Disney film free of such negative connotations, said Ms. Lawson, who singles out Beauty and the Beast for descriptions of Belle and her father, Maurice, as mentally ill. Maurice is eventually hauled off in a "lunacy wagon." Disney officials could not be reached.
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Ovitz's Disney payout revealed

The fired executive reaped $109.3 million but failed to exercise stock options worth potentially even more.
For the last eight years, one of the more tantalizing questions in Hollywood has been exactly how much money Michael Ovitz pocketed when he was fired as Walt Disney Co.'s president.

Now there's an answer: $109.3 million.

But there's also a new question: Why would one of the entertainment industry's savviest deal makers leave at least that much on the table in additional stock profit he potentially could have reaped?

Information on his severance was compiled in connection with a Delaware shareholder lawsuit accusing Disney of squandering funds in its buyout of Ovitz. The Burbank-based company, its board and Ovitz all have argued that they acted appropriately and that the lawsuit is without merit.

One of the biggest payouts ever to a fired executive, the amount had been a secret because Ovitz never revealed how many of his 9 million stock options he had exercised.

Figures provided to The Times on Wednesday show that Ovitz reaped $70.4 million in profit by exercising options on 4.1 million shares in seven transactions during 1999 and 2000. That came atop the $38.9-million cash payout Ovitz received when he left Disney in December 1996.

Ovitz also took a costly gamble by holding on to an additional 4.9 million shares that, at their peak value, were worth more than $120 million.

Those options declined sharply in value as Disney's stock began to tumble in late 2000. The drop was so steep that by the time the options expired two years later, they were worthless.

"He probably thought the stock was going to turn around, but he got hosed," said executive pay consultant Graef Crystal, a former advisor on compensation to Disney directors.

Stock options allow an investor to buy shares at a specified price, giving the investor a profit when the stock rises above that mark.

In Ovitz's case, his severance package called for 3 million options that gave him the right to buy Disney stock at $57 a share. Those numbers later became 9 million shares exercisable at $19 each after a 3-for-1 Disney stock split.

Neither Ovitz nor his lawyer could be reached for comment. But in a deposition last November, Ovitz blamed his personal financial team.

"I had hired the bank and had them work with my financial advisors on exercising these options," Ovitz said in the deposition. "And they didn't do a very good job."

Once regarded as Hollywood's most powerful figure when he ran the Creative Artists Agency, Ovitz was tapped by Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner in 1995 to be his second in command, a partnership that had its bitter, rocky ending just 14 months later.

Shareholder lawyers argue that the actual money Ovitz received is irrelevant, adding that the long-term value of the options on the day he left Disney was $110 million, based on widely used formulas that value the securities over time. That would put Ovitz's entire package at $148.9 million, they argue.

"You can't make the benefit subject to the decisions he made after he received it," said plaintiff's lawyer Steven G. Schulman of the New York-based Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman.
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Beyond the Theme Parks, Downtown Disney - Pleasure Island

In our first look at Downtown Disney, we visited the Marketplace. Now we will travel over the footbridges to Pleasure Island. Disney's premier nighttime entertainment complex comprised of several clubs, shops and a couple restaurants.

The clubs* come to life after dark when the admission price kicks in at 7 pm. During the day the shops and restaurants are open and accessible without an addition charge.

No matter your taste, if you like the nightlife you will find a club on Pleasure Island:

8Trax - is the place for disco, playing hits from the '70s every night except Thursdays when the '80s are revisited.

Mannequins Dance Palace - is for the modern pop/rock dance-minded. According to the Disney brochures it was voted the #1 dance club in the United States.

Rock N Roll Beach Club - lets you get down to the greatest rock hits with live bands and DJs.

Pleasure Island Jazz Company - offers sit-down dining and the comfort of all that jazz.

Comedy Warehouse - is just that... a comedy club, featuring a variety of improv comedians.

Adventurer's Club - is a place where you can listen to the outlandish tales of the local "explorers."

Dining can be found at the island's Italian restaurant, Portobello Yacht Club, as well as The Missing Link Sausage Company and several outdoor fast food vendors.

*Must be 18 or older to enter unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. For admission to the Mannequins Dance Palace guests must be 21. Valid ID is required.

Next we'll explore the West Side of Downtown Disney.

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ESPN The Weekend

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.

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BE Awards of Excellence Set for May 24


Bentley Systems, Incorporated announced today that the 2004 BE Awards of Excellence ceremony will be held Monday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m., at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida. This annual event honors Bentley users and their extraordinary work that influences the world's infrastructure.

More than 130 organizations worldwide are nominated for awards in 21 categories. A list of nominees appeared in the April 19 and April 26 issues of Engineering News-Record, and at www.be.org. The BE Awards jury includes accomplished Bentley users and industry experts. Entry is by invitation only, offered to users who have done distinguished work.

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.

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NHL-NBC, ESPN to broadcast hockey as ABC bows out

NBC next year will broadcast regular-season National Hockey League games for the first time in 30 years, splitting the schedule of key games with ESPN as ABC drops out of the running, the league said on Wednesday.

ESPN, which like ABC is owned by Walt Disney Co.also will cut the number of regular-season games it carries on its channels to 40 from more than 100.

U.S. television networks have become cautious about paying skyrocketing sports costs in recent years.

General Electric Co. unit NBC will broadcast seven regular season games and six playoff games on Saturday afternoons beginning in January 2005, putting regular-season hockey on its schedule for the first time since the mid-1970s.

It also has rights to the last five Stanley Cup finals games, while ESPN has rights to the first two.

But a cloud hangs over the NHL's 2005-2006 season. Scheduled talks between the NHL owners and the players over a new contract are due next year and experts say the season could be disrupted if they break down or drag out.

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Wednesday May 19, 2004
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Triathlon: Brown, Bell lead strong men’s field at inaugural Florida Half Ironman at WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort

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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ABC asks whether Barkley has interest in 'MNF' job

ABC seemingly wants to add some basketball to its "Monday Night Football."

Executives at the network have "informally" inquired whether ex-NBA superstar Charles Barkley would be interested in joining the network's flagship sports program, ABC and Barkley's agent said.

"We've been approached about doing something," agent Marc Perman said in a telephone interview, declining to discuss specifics. Barkley is an analyst on TNT's "Inside the NBA."

The addition of Barkley would be another attempt by ABC to bolster ratings with a high-profile announcer without a football background. Comedian Dennis Miller was dismissed from "MNF" after the 2001 season.

" 'Monday Night Football' has always been that mix of sports and entertainment, so this makes sense," said Jay Rosenstein, a former vice president at CBS Sports. "He's got the wit and a sense of fun — everything you look for in a broadcaster."

Mike Pearl, senior vice president of ABC Sports, said he and the 41-year-old Barkley have had "casual chatter" about a "Monday Night Football" post, most recently at the NBA All-Star Game in February.

ABC debuted "Monday Night Football" in 1970 with Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson and Don Meredith in the booth. Frank Gifford replaced Jackson the next season, and the group's informal banter helped the show become one of television's most-watched programs.

Barkley, named one of the 50 greatest players in history by the NBA, was hired by Pearl when the producer worked for TNT.

Barkley has two years remaining on his TNT contract, which includes a clause that precludes him from appearing on another network's sports-related program. Barkley, though, has said he might buy a minority share of the NBA Phoenix Suns and leave his show on TNT to avoid a conflict of interest.

"We can't do anything until his contract is over," Pearl said.

After ABC fired Miller, the network signed former Fox analyst John Madden to a four-year, $20 million contract in 2002 to help rekindle interest in the show. Ratings fell to a record low in Madden's first season in the booth. Madden and Al Michaels form the "MNF" broadcasting team
.

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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.

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ABC's new, big idea: Wife swapping!

Actually, it's another Brit hit being imitated

It has come to this folks: Wife swapping.

Wife Swap, already a smash hit in England, is the title of one of two new reality shows coming to ABC this fall.

Okay, it's not what you think (yet). Two wives swap places in two households. For the first five days, they must do things the family's way -- parenting, shopping, housework, etc. For the next five days, they call the shots. You think this might work in your home? It's from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? creator Michael Davies.

Day Two of the U.S. network "Upfronts" in New York saw ABC add a whopping 11 series: Two new comedies, seven new dramas and two new reality shows.

The Disney-owned network, which recently did a little executive swapping (Stephen McPherson is the brand new entertainment president), had to be aggressive after being stuck in fourth place since Millionaire went bust. Like NBC, it announced several mid-season shows as the networks look past the fall and into year-round programming.

In the battle of the billionaires, it also hopes Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban can do for ABC what Donald Trump did for NBC. The Benefactor, which will air Monday nights this fall right before Monday Night Football (ABC's only hit), will give away a million dollars of Cuban's money to some lucky stranger based on character, intelligence, heart and luck (ABC executives need not apply). There will be the usual 16 contestants.

ABC also hopes we're ready for the return of the prime- time soap. Desperate Housewives stars Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks) as a suburban wife who takes her own life -- only to spy on her friends and family from beyond. Creepy!

Mark Moses, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman (Sports Night) are in on the sick fun. It's from the folks behind Melrose Place and General Hospital.

Life As We Know It is about three horny teen boys and their wild friends, including rehab hottie Kelly Osbourne. Bloody hell!

Lost is a cross between Peter Benchley's Amazon and Survivor. Here a plane goes down in the middle of a Pacific island, forcing 48 survivors to fend for themselves. It's from Alias creator J.J. Abrams and features Dominic Monaghan (The Lord Of The Rings) and Matthew Fox (Party Of Five).

The Practice: Fleet Street moves James Spader over to a ruthless new law firm with Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) in command. Set jurors for stun!

New ABC comedies include Rodney, starring Rodney Carrington as a stand-up comedian with a family to support. Savages, about brothers who are lovable slobs, stars Keith Carradine and Erik von Detten.

ABC's mid-season plans include Blind Justice, about a cop blinded in the line of duty. No desk job for this guy (ER's Ron Eldard), but who wants him covering their back? Steven Bochco is the brains behind it (it will replace his NYPD Blue in January). Eyes (shouldn't these be on the "eye" network, CBS?) stars Tim Daly (Wings) as the head of an elite risk management team assigned to sticky security cases. Premiering in January after Monday Night Football, Grey's Anatomy is about a training hospital for hot shot medical recruits. Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh star.

ABC also announced that they've renewed 8 Simple Rules and Less Than Perfect, moving them to Friday.

Alias will be back but is pushed to mid-season. Elizabeth Vargas will replace Barbara Walters on 20/20 (now Friday only).

Gone are bubble shows Life With Bonnie, I'm With Her, It's All Relative and (sob) Karen Sisco.

ABC's fall prime-time schedule:
Monday
8 p.m. -- The Benefactor
9 p.m. -- Monday Night Football and Grey's Anatomy
Tuesday
8 p.m. -- My Wife and Kids
8:30 p.m. -- George Lopez
9 p.m. -- According to Jim
9:30 p.m. -- Rodney
10 p.m. -- NYPD Blue and Blind Justice
Wednesday
8 p.m. -- Lost
9 p.m. -- The Bachelor
10 p.m. -- Wife Swap
Thursday
8 p.m. -- Extreme Makeover
9 p.m. -- Life As We Know It
10 p.m. -- Primetime Live
Friday
8 p.m. -- 8 Simple Rules
8:30 p.m. -- Savages
9 p.m. -- Hope & Faith
9:30 p.m. -- Less Than Perfect
10 p.m. -- 20/20
Saturday
8 p.m. -- The Wonderful World of Disney
Sunday
7 p.m. -- America's Funniest Home Videos
8 p.m. -- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9 p.m. -- Desperate Housewives and Alias
10 p.m. -- The Practice: Fleet Street (More 2004 network skeds)

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The old Disney classics take off on the airwaves

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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Judge in Pooh Royalties Case Won't Step Down


In response to a motion by the Slesinger family, Charles McCoy also says there was no bias in his ruling for Disney.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who threw out a 13-year-old suit over Winnie the Pooh royalties against Walt Disney Co. refused Monday to step down from the case or admit bias.

Another judge must review the motion by Stephen Slesinger Inc., which two weeks ago argued that Judge Charles W. McCoy favored Disney and should step down from the case. Such a move would have vacated the pro-Disney ruling he made March 29.

Slesinger claims Disney shortchanged it on U.S. merchandising royalties to the honey-loving bear by hundreds of millions of dollars.

But McCoy, backed by an opinion from Superior Court lawyer Frederick Bennett, said Monday that he had acted fairly and had no prejudice. Bennett asked the judge who will review the case to reject the Slesinger motion without a hearing, which would affirm Disney's victory in the case.

Slesinger claims that McCoy wrote a book that in one section praised Disney, and that a lawyer who worked for Disney is associated with a firm that McCoy once worked for. McCoy said he had not met the man and was not aware of the connection.

"Contrary to [Slesinger's] contention here, that [court] decision, however stern, does not provide a legally cognizable ground for disqualification," wrote Bennett.

Disney lead lawyer Daniel Petrocelli said Bennett's decision should be respected.

"The court's counsel, who has handled over 1,000 of these disqualification matters and who himself is a renowned expert in the field, has concluded that the Slesingers' position is groundless, and we certainly agree," he said.

Slesinger has also asked for a new trial in a separate motion arguing that McCoy's dismissal of the case was too harsh a remedy. Disney has opposed that.

Stephen Slesinger acquired the U.S. merchandising rights to Winnie the Pooh in 1930 from British author A.A. Milne. His widow, Shirley Slesinger Lasswell, and her daughter, Patricia Slesinger, granted Disney the merchandising rights in 1961 in exchange for royalties.
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LodgeNet, ABC Cable Networks to Offer Disney Channel on Demand in Hotels


LodgeNet, the world's largest provider of broadband interactive television services to the hospitality industry, announced today that Disney Channel On Demand will premiere June 1 on its digital systems across the United States. LodgeNet President and CEO Scott C. Petersen made that announcement while also reaffirming the Company's second quarter 2004 financial guidance today during a presentation at the Bear Stearns 13th Annual Global Credit Conference in New York City.

 

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

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Saturday May 15, 2004
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Disney World installs security barricades to protect theme parks


High-security, anti-terrorist barricades that can stop speeding trucks have been installed at Walt Disney World, an added level of protection of the theme parks' service entrances.



Disney is not responding to any specific threats, choosing instead to make the upgrades as part of continually evolving security policies, park spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said Friday.

"We're living in a time of heightened security and we're continuing to undertake strict security measures," Polak said.

For years, Disney has performed security checks at its service entrances, Polak said. The new barricades, she said, lend a greater degree of efficiency and order to the screening process.

Security authorities regard Disney's properties in Florida and California as inviting to terrorists for their iconic status and large number of people present.

In response, Congress last year granted the company's request to close the airspace over Disney World to low-flying aircraft. Disney also has begun after-hours testing of metal detectors at the main entrances to its parks.



Construction work on the hydraulically powered, steel barricades began several months ago, Polak said. They have recently become operational each of the Orlando resort's four parks - Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney-MGM Studios, she said.

The barricades at Disney are of the same model that the manufacturer - Delta Scientific Corp. - recently shipped to Baghdad, Iraq, for use at the new U.S. Embassy.

Delta, based in Valencia, Calif., has installed barricades at the U.S. embassies in Jordan and Yemen, and soon, Iraq. One of its barricades protects the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., the residence of Vice President Dick Cheney. Another protects a nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant in Idaho.

The barricades cost about $30,000 apiece.

"For private companies, it's primarily asset protection. If you have a landmark asset to protect, any attack could hurt your business," said Delta senior vice president David Dickinson.

Similar barricades, though not designed by Delta, protect the White House.
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Get your Disney fix

Thrills, chills and spills await visitors
While riding The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at the Disneyland Resort in California, visitors find themselves in a lost episode of "The Twilight Zone." The ride takes people on a spine-tingling tour of an abandoned Hollywood hotel, ending with a 13-story plunge.

dodging lines

No one has to stand in line for 90 minutes to get on The Haunted Mansion, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Pirates of the Caribbean or other popular rides. Here are ways to dodge the lines:

- Use the FastPass system: Insert your park pass into an attraction's FastPass slot, and a ticket will pop out with a time window -- say from 3 to 4 p.m. Return to the ride during that time, present your ticket and you'll walk right on with little or no wait. The FastPass system usually allows park visitors to have active reservations on two attractions at a time.

- Come early and stay late: Early birds can get on rides with short waits when parks open in the morning while the masses are still on the freeways. Many people get worn out and leave the parks about an hour before closing time. This is the prime time to get onto popular rides. It's also a good reason to take an afternoon break and return to the park during the cool evening hours.

more information

For more details about visiting the Disneyland Resort, call 714-781-4565 or see http://disneyland.disney.go.com.

Every summer, a lot of South Sound families pack up the kids and head to Southern California's Disneyland Resort.

The opening of the long-awaited "Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" -- which is the most popular ride at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. -- is drawing a lot of visitors to Disneyland Resort this year.

So, how can South Sound visitors deal with crowds and make the most of their time?

A South Sound veteran of many Disney visits, one of the creators of the Tower of Terror and a veteran Disneyland employee shared some insider knowledge about the park with The Olympian.

Disneyland and California Adventure -- two theme parks -- and the Downtown Disney shopping and dining area make up the Disneyland Resort.

Local expertise

Jerry Bentley, 52, of Lacey, visited Disneyland and Walt Disney World more than 20 times with his late wife, Roxyne.

Bentley said people from South Sound should plan to spend several days at Disneyland Resort so they don't feel rushed to see and do everything in one day.

"We also liked to stay in Disneyland hotels," Bentley said. "You'll spend a little more money, but the service and atmosphere is amazing, and you have easy access to everything."

Bentley said people should also consider going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World in late November or February, when the weather is cool and the parks are uncrowded.

Bentley said he has wonderful memories of sharing the parks with Roxyne.

Some of those memories are of the Tower of Terror in the Disney/MGM Park at Walt Disney World.

It's one scary -- and fun -- ride that draws you into another world, Bentley said.

"The setup to the ride is fantastic," Bentley said.

A new terror

The Walt Disney World Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which opened in 1994, takes visitors on a spooky journey to a Hollywood luxury hotel of the 1930s.

The Disneyland Resort Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened May 5 at California Adventure, and it's now the most popular attraction in the park.

The idea is that the Hollywood Tower Hotel has been frozen in time since a bolt of lightning from another dimension -- we're talking "Twilight Zone" here -- carried away hotel guests and part of the building in 1939.

The attraction gives riders the sensation of stepping back into that time -- and maybe someplace else as well.

Disney Imagineer Michael Sprout was the senior show writer for the Tower of Terrors in Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

"We have new scenery and different special effects from the Disney World attraction," Sprout said. "The hotel is different, and the ride changes all the time."

The ride, which takes visitors on a 13-story drop down an elevator shaft, is a stunner, but the storytelling before and during the ride add to the impact, Sprout said.

The experience really begins when California Adventure visitors first see the hotel.

"It's a beautiful building -- people have called the park to get reservations," Sprout said.

The hotel is built in the classic Pueblo Deco style that was popular in Southern California during the 1930s.

Yet, part of the exterior is missing, and purple scorch marks show that something strange happened, Sprout said.

The hotel's sign -- which resembles signs on vintage hotels in Hollywood -- is a little out of whack as well, Sprout said.

As you get closer, it's clear that something weird is going on.

"The landscaping is beautiful -- but untended," Sprout said. "Then you hear music of the 1930s, and each song has a haunting quality to it. It sounds like it's coming from a ballroom that isn't in our time."

By now, guests are getting drawn into that different world, Sprout said.

Inside, stoic -- almost emotionless bellhops -- guide visitors past an ornate lobby that is frozen in time.

Dusty suitcases are on the floor, newspapers and magazines from 1939 remain where they were left 65 years before and a child's doll sits on a sofa.

"Perhaps the parents grabbed their daughter and left too quickly to take the doll," Sprout said.

Guests then file into a detailed library, where a television flashes into life and actual footage of Rod Serling -- creator of "The Twilight Zone" -- introduces the situation.

The Serling footage comes from an actual "Twilight Zone" episode, Sprout said.

Serling's widow approved all the plans for the attraction, and she said her husband would have loved the experience, Sprout said.

"We have a lot of admiration for Rod Serling, and his stories still hold up now," Sprout said. "The one thing we can do better than Rod Serling did is make you part of the show -- instead of just a viewer."

Next, guests file into a basement and into an elevator, where the special effects -- and up-and-down journey to the new dimension -- begin, Sprout said.

While the California Adventure Tower of Terror is similar to the Florida original, it offers many changes.

And the ride will continue to change, Sprout said.

The ride is designed to be different every time, and computers make it happen, Sprout said.

Twilight Zone continues a Disney tradition of story-telling rides, such as "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "The Haunted Mansion," Sprout said. "We just try to raise the bar every time."

Insider information

So, what does a seasoned Disneyland cast member have to say about getting around and having fun?

Seth Yang, a Disneyland tour guide for three years and frequent park visitor during his Southern California childhood, said there are a lot of little ways to make a visit special.

Yang said new visitors should consider taking a $25 tour that shows guests the ropes -- and puts them on a few rides.

If you don't want to do that, tour guides are stationed throughout the park, such as at City Hall on Disneyland's Main Street.

"We're basically in-park concierge for guests," Yang said.

Guests also should learn how to use the FastPass system, which issues special tickets for popular rides. Those tickets give guests a time to return to the ride and get on with little or no wait, Yang said.

The FastPass system is free of charge.

"You can get a FastPass and spend that time doing other things -- seeing a show or riding another attraction," Yang said. "You definitely get a lot more out of your day."

Guests can avoid lines at popular rides during the last hour or so before the park closes, as many young families leave after the evening parades and shows, Yang said.

"Any time there is a large entertainment, like Fantasmic, the ride lines go down," Yang said.

He said it takes about three days to see and do everything at Disneyland and California Adventure.

Visitors also can catch new historical tours of Disneyland.

Called "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps," the tours offer a three-hour glimpse of park history and trivia, and a meal is included, Yang said.

Many cast members know a lot of park secrets that they're allowed to share with visitors, Yang said.

Such as?

"That lighted window above the fire station on Main Street -- that was Walt Disney's private apartment," Yang said.

Finally, don't be afraid to ask park tour guides if there's anything special that day.

"Always ask to see what else there is to do," Yang said.

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Disney World: The Kids' Choice

Of all the family vacation plans that get negotiated around a kitchen table, the most inevitable one is the pilgrimage to Disney
 
"We've got a bear in a floppy hat at 1 o'clock!" I cry, scrambling the calm of our Frontierland stroll.
 
A seven-foot-tall grizzly in hillbilly duds has just appeared outside the Country Bear Jamboree, and the milling multitudes are suddenly electrified. No article of clothing in the world, with the possible exception of an orange Home Depot vest, is more of an instant crowd magnet than a Disney character costume. Sending an OshKosh-wearing bear named Liver Lips into the streets is like tossing a pig carcass into a pool of piranhas.

But we know what to do. My wife, Ann, sprints toward the bear to hold a place in the quickly lengthening line for pictures. Isabel, 7, scrabbles through our backpack full of crushed snacks and leaky juice boxes until she pulls out her autograph book. I patrol the perimeter with Tyrie, 5, in