Disney is rebooting its cult classic 80′s sci-fi film, Tron , and it wants the world to know. As part of Disney’s promotional blitz for the upcoming film,  Tron: Legacy , the company has released a free official game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, simply called Tron. The game features unlockable surprise content for users who visit the Tron booth at this week’s Comic-Con in San Diego, as well as video trailers and a spruced up remake of the classic Tron Tank arcade game.

Tron uses a cryptic, futuristic interface that plays into the new film’s aesthetic–a melding of the classic Tron’s iconic imagery with the flashy special effects that modern audiences demand. You can tap on different icons to view a trailer for the upcoming Tron: Legacy film, another trailer and game info for the soon-to-be-released Tron Evolution game, and to play a drastically updated version of the classic Tanks arcade game.

For more information and the rest of the article…please go to MacWorld

From Downtown Disney to the Disneyland Hotel, from the Matterhorn to Midway Mania, Disney fans will embark on an all-day search that will take them throughout the Disneyland Resort on September 26 in the very first GREAT DISNEY SCAVENGER HUNT from D23, the official Disney fan club.

It’s the ultimate Disney test, with teams of up to four people racing against the clock to gather as many points as possible. The top 10 teams will win Disney prizes. Any Disney fan can register for the GREAT DISNEY SCAVENGER HUNT by visiting www.disney.com/D23.

Registration opens July 12 and is $50 for a team (up to four people) of D23 Members and $75 for a team of non-members.

The GREAT DISNEY SCAVENGER HUNT will begin at 8:45 a.m. at the Disneyland Hotel, and teams will need to scour the entire Disneyland Resort for clues. (Note that theme park admission is not included in the registration fee, but special convention-rate admission will be available during the weekend’s Destination D: Disneyland ’55 event.) Teams will have five hours to search everywhere from Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Resort Hotels to Disney’s California Adventure and, of course, Disneyland.

For the top 10 teams, D23 has assembled an amazing array of prizes from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the Walt Disney Collectors’ Society, Disney Publishing, Walt Disney Records and more.

The GREAT DISNEY SCAVENGER HUNT caps an exciting weekend for D23 Members, as they’ll also have the opportunity to take part in the first Destination D event, a two-day celebration of the Disney’s legacy of magic and creativity.

Destination D: Disneyland ’55 illuminates the fascinating history behind Disney’s flagship park, taking members on a mesmerizing journey through the design, creation and debut of the world’s first Disney theme park.

Destination D will also feature a special homage to the 55th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse Club, with original Mousketeers in attendance, including Sharon Baird, Doreen Tracey, Bobby Burgess, Karen Pendleton, Sherry Van Meter (nee Alberoni), Tommy Cole, Cubby O’Brien and Mary Geoff (nee Espinosa).

Throughout the two days of Destination D – which will be held September 24 and 25 – guests will also enjoy panels, presentations and guest speakers, including explorations of the development of Audio Animatronics; Disneyland’s unique place in pop culture; amazing never-completed Disney attractions; and an appearance by Disneyland President George Kalogridis.

Tickets to Destination D: Disneyland ’55 and the GREAT DISNEY SCAVENGER HUNT will be available separately beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, July 12.

Attendance at Destination D is reserved for members of D23, Disney’s official fan club, while the GREAT DISNEY SCAVENGER HUNT is open to all Disney fans.

Disney fans can become members of D23 by visiting www.disney.com/D23, select shops at the Disneyland(R) and Walt Disney World(R) Resorts, and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23.

Every day of the year, D23 Membership brings exciting Disney discoveries, special savings, and a host of benefits. Gold-level D23 Memberships are $74.99 and include a one-year subscription to the exquisite Disney twenty-three magazine. Silver-level memberships, which offer all benefits except the magazine subscription, are just $34.99 a year. All discounts and special promotions are available to both Gold- and Silver-level D23 Members.

PRNewswire

Disney Vacation Club began selling real estate interests for the company’s first family-friendly destination resort in Hawaii on July 2.  Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawaii, is scheduled to open its first phase in fall 2011 and will mark the eleventh resort for Disney Vacation Club.

“We are thrilled to give families joining Disney Vacation Club a new resort option in one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world,” said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis.  “Once Aulani opens, families will be able to immerse themselves in the culture of Hawaii while knowing that they will get the quality vacation experience only Disney can deliver.”

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii, is planned to include 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas and 360 traditional hotel rooms upon its completion.  Other family-friendly resort amenities are scheduled to include an 18,000-square-foot spa, two restaurants, a wedding lawn, a kids’ club, a conference center and a pool area complete with a feature pool, wading pool, tube slides, sunset-facing hot tubs and a snorkel lagoon.

Built adjacent to a crystal-blue lagoon and a white-sand beach, Aulani is located on 21 acres of oceanfront property in the Ko Olina Resort & Marina development, near the existing Ko Olina Marina and a Ted Robinson-designed, 18-hole Championship Golf course.  Located on the western side of Oahu, the resort will also offer easy access to other points of interest on the island, such as the North Shore area and Pearl Harbor.

Disney Vacation Club offers families unparalleled flexibility and is designed to accommodate changing vacation needs as families are able to determine where to go, when to visit, how long to stay and what size of accommodations best suits their needs on each trip.

To begin, Disney Vacation Clubmembers are able to choose from among a variety of exciting vacation destinations, including a stay at any Disney Vacation Club resort, a trip on one of the Disney Cruise Line ships, a guided vacation with Adventures by Disney or a jaunt to one of more than 500 other destinations around the world. Plus, members staying at Disney Vacation Club resorts truly get “more room in the room,” as they can choose from four sizes of accommodations that sleep from four people up to 12 and range from 350 square feet to more than 2,000 square feet.  Additionally, vacations at a Disney Vacation Club resort can last any length of time, from one night to several weeks.

“Families can experience diverse destinations around the world with their Disney Vacation Club membership,” Lewis said.  “Plus, Disney Vacation Club can be enjoyed by generations of family members, allowing families to continue to experience the magic of memorable Disney vacations year after year.”

Disney Vacation Club revolutionized the timeshare industry in October 1991 when it introduced a flexible, vacation points-based model.  Today, more than 450,000 individual members from approximately 100 countries and all 50 states have discovered the joys of membership with Disney Vacation Club.

Disneyland Resort News

Disney Family.com announced today the first ever Take a Chance — Make a Change Contest inspiring people to visit GetHatched.com, Disney Online’s latest Web site created with award winning actress Teri Hatcher. The contest encourages people to share a life-long goal that they have yet to achieve, with the grand prize winner receiving $10,000 to put toward fulfilling their goal or improving an area of their life that they have always wanted to change. The contest will run through July 26, 2010.

“We are delighted to launch the first ever Take A Chance — Make a Change Contest with Teri and help make an unfulfilled dream become a reality for one lucky person,” said Emily Smith, vice president of Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio. “Whether a woman’s goal is to return to school, learn a foreign language, or be more adventurous, we invite women to ‘hatch out’ of their shell and submit their story to us.”

“GetHatched was created to celebrate women, to help them rediscover and reinvent themselves. This contest is giving a woman a chance to do something for herself and achieve a personal goal that may have been deferred to responsibilities of life circumstances,” stated Ms. Hatcher.

The grand prize winner and their winning story will be announced on the site in August.

GetHatched.com, ‘A Chick’s Guide to Life,’ is an online destination that balances having fun, finding inspiration, and gaining understanding from other women. The site offers a decidedly unique take on popular topics for women including beauty, relationships, style, health and happiness. The site is produced by Disney Family.com, with creative and editorial content and insight provided by Ms. Hatcher and a team of experts.

For more details and official entry guidelines for the Take a Chance — Make a Change contest, visit GetHatched.com. For ongoing news updates, follow us on Twitter at @GetHatchedNews or visit us on Facebook at Facebook.com/GetHatched.

The Walt Disney Co. helped make the musical thrive again with its “High School Musical” film series. Now it’s trying to bring back an even older format with a radio serial.

Next week Radio Disney is launching a 20-episode series that follows a 14-year-old girl as she tries to pursue a dream of becoming a singer and songwriter.

The serials won’t be too taxing on listeners, coming in 90-second chunks. Anyone who misses an episode can catch up on mobile phones or computer.

The idea for “My Dream” recalls serials that were popular in the early days of radio, a format that was essentially destroyed when television came in. Radio Disney says it will wait to see how the first serial fares before committing to others.

Featuring dark finishes, neon lighting and a cyber aesthetic, DCP’s new TRON: Legacy line will immerse kids and adults alike into the amazing, illuminated cyber world of TRON. Developed in collaboration with leading industry innovators including Spinmaster, Monster, Performance Designed Products (PDP) and Razer, TRON products will be available at retail beginning this October and will be showcased at the San Diego Comic Con International Convention next month giving fans an exclusive first look.

“TRON: Legacy is a cutting-edge film with a unique futuristic feel, and we wanted to create products with new technology and high-end design that live up to what you will see on screen,” said Chris Heatherly, VP of toys and electronics, Disney Consumer Products. “This is not a typical movie line. We’re working exclusively with trailblazers who normally do not do movie merchandise, but they believed so passionately in TRON that they jumped at the chance to help us make great products.”

BusinessWire

D23 Members in the Chicago area are in for a special treat. Actress Joan Cusack, who voices Jessie in the Toy Story films, will be at the Disney Store in Chicago on June 16 to sign the new limited-worldwide-edition 2010 Jessie doll created to celebrate the release ofToy Story 3. Our friends at the Disney Store are offering forty 40 lucky D23 Members the chance to be first in line to purchase the doll ($79.50)* and have Joan sign their box or Certificate of Authenticity (C of A).
The adorable 16-inch scale talking doll says 11 different phrases, and her outfit features a rhinestone studded belt buckle, glittery hat, satin shirt with rhinestone button details along with a jewel trimmed yoke and cuffs, glittering chaps, faux leather boots and a horseshoe doll stand.

On Monday, June 7 at noon PST, we will post an email address on this page where guests may write in. The first 40 emails received from D23 Members will be guaranteed a spot in line to purchase the doll (only 2,010 created) and have their C of A or box signed by Ms. Cusack.

The Chicago Disney Store is located at 717 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 654-9208. For this day only, doors will open at 9:00 a.m. for Limited-Edition Doll sales only. The doll will be unveiled at 10:00 a.m., and the signing will begin at 10:30 a.m. Guests must arrive BEFORE 10:15 a.m. in order to claim their doll and space in line. Only one doll may be purchased per entry. Please bring your confirmation email, a photo ID and your D23 Membership card. Guests who do not bring their confirmation email, photo ID and D23 Membership card will not be admitted.

* No discounts will be allowed on the purchase of this doll. These include Cast Member discounts, Disney Reward Visa discounts, or any other coupon or discount.

D23

It’s been 40 years since Chief Archivist and Disney Legend Dave Smith founded the Walt Disney Archives — a collection that over the years has grown to house thousands of amazing props, costumes, sets and pieces of Disney history dating back to Walt’s earliest days. D23 is proud to join Disney President and CEO Bob Iger and The Walt Disney Company as we honor the Archives for its astounding work preserving the Disney legacy for the past four decades.

Guests will be welcomed into the historic Studio Theatre, where Walt himself screened Fantasia back in 1940. Bob will present Dave with his 40th anniversary service award, honoring his personal and professional contributions to Disney.

Event Information
DATE
Friday, June 25, 2010

LOCATION
Studio Theatre,
The Walt Disney Studios
Burbank, California

TICKETS
Click here for tickets.

COST
$50 per person (plus a $5 processing fee)

SCHEDULE
Check in begins at 3:30 p.m., presentations begin at 5 p.m.

The night’s festivities will also include the premiere of the Archives’ first “home movie” — four decades in the making — Archiving the Archives: Forty Years of Preserving the Magic, which details some of the highlights of the Walt Disney Archives from Roy O. Disney’s hiring of Dave in 1970 to the fantastic exhibit and fan outreach programs of today. Film historian and critic Leonard Maltin will lead a question-and-answer session with Dave, revealing some surprising stories sure to delight Disney fans. And Archives Manager Becky Cline will give an overview of current Archives programs and introduce special guests who will be on hand to present several new spectacular pieces into the Archives’ ever-growing collection. You will have to be there to see what they are!

Following the festivities is a champagne and dessert reception where guests can mingle in the tree-lined splendor of Disney’s studio amidst some of the lot’s historic buildings including the original Animation Building, which housed Walt’s offices and was the stomping ground of the Nine Old Men.

Exclusive D23 merchandise, including a brand-new, limited-edition pin celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Walt Disney Studios as well as colorful polo shirts designed just for the Archives Anniversary event, will be available for sale at our new shopping kiosk.

And of course no D23 event would be complete without a special gift! To commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime experience, every guest will receive a limited-edition pin honoring the Archives’ 40th anniversary.

We hope you will be a part of Walt Disney Archives history, which celebrates the past 40 years of preserving the magic and looks forward to the future of this important home for Disney’s most treasured treasures.

NOTE: Available only to D23 Members in good standing. Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest. There are a limited number of tickets available. Dinner is not provided during the reception; we suggest attendees eat a light dinner or late lunch before the event. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancelations or refunds, tickets are not transferrable.

D23

The application, called Disney Tickets Together, could transform how Hollywood sells movie tickets by combining purchases with the powerful forces of social networking. When you buy a ticket through Disney’s application, for instance, it alerts your Facebook friends and prompts you to invite them to buy tickets of their own.

Disney quietly introduced the service on May 26 with a simple post on the site’s official “Toy Story 3” page, which has over 732,000 followers. While many theaters will not make tickets available for the film, which was made by Disney’s Pixar unit, for another week — its release date is June 18 — early results indicate that people are using the application to buy tickets in groups as large as 80, according to Disney.

Disney Tickets Together, which has been in development for months, works with ticket-buying sites like Fandango.com and covers the majority of the movie theaters in North America, Mr. Luckett said. Facebook receives no percentage of the ticket sales but does, in theory, get more visitors on its site.

For the rest of the article by Brooks Barnes…please go to the New York Times

The third instalment of the toys-come-to-life fantasy, launched in 1995 with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen playing Woody the cowboy and Buzz Lightyear, opens June 18. But Disney has plans for the franchise after its theatrical release.

Borrowing a page from its “Cars” franchise, executives said they planned to make as many as four short “Toy Story” cartoons per year for television and online, keeping the brand alive.

“Cars” has generated $2 billion a year in global merchandise sales since that movie came out in 2006.

Some analysts say that projection may be overly ambitious. The $2.4 billion Disney is expecting in total retail sales, of which the company gets a portion, would be heavily tilted to the next few months to the end of September, when the company’s current fiscal year ends. The figure is roughly equivalent to the turnover Disney’s consumer division generates every year.

“We’re more than halfway through the year so we feel pretty comfortable with that number,” said Andy Mooney, head of Disney’s consumer products division. “It would most likely be our biggest event property ever.”

Disney does not disclose how much revenue it receives from licensing, but analysts said the company could receive more than $200 million from its “Toy Story” merchandise line, based on the company’s projections.

“They’ve been waiting for this one, anticipating huge sales,” said Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of Time To Play Magazine, which examines the toy industry.

Disney’s projections for “Toy Story 3″ merchandising are based on initial sales, predictions from licensing partners and the historical performance of other franchises.

In Disney’s partnership with Toys “R” Us, the retailer is creating special boutiques within its nearly 1,300 stores that will be dedicated to the movie’s products.

The first “Toy Story” movie came out in 1995 and the sequel “Toy Story 2″ in 1999. Both movies and this latest instalment are from Pixar Animation Studios, which Disney bought in 2006.

Combined merchandising — from toys and apparel to stationery and books — has so far generated more than $9 billion in global retail sales, Disney said.

Doug Creutz, analyst with Cowen and Company, does not expect an automatic hit for “Toy Story” merchandising, but that it should perform strongly.

“A lot of it is going to have to do with how the movie does. If the movie is a big hit then they won’t have much of a problem,” he said.

Disney’s consumer products division generated $2.4 billion in revenue last fiscal year, or about 6.7 percent of the company’s overall revenue of $36.1 billion.

An episodic cartoon series tied to “Toy Story”, called “Buzz Lightyear Star Command”, aired in recent years. But that was focused on just one character, and Mooney said that it contributed little to the merchandising line.

“What we’ve learned is, the strength of the property rests on the relationship between the core characters, and that was missing from the original Buzz Lightyear series,” he said.

Mooney said the planned “Toy Story” cartoons of under seven minutes will be more thematically aligned with the films.

Reuters

PRNewswire

Bloomberg Business Week

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is an action-packed 3D arcade video game that casts players in the role of Dave, the powerful sorcerer’s apprentice, as he joins a mystical fight against the ultimate evil in a world filled with fantastical quests and magical combat.
In the game, evil sorcerers have escaped from their centuries old prison, the Grimhold, and taken over New York City. The legendary master sorcerer Balthazar is trapped in the magical realm, so it’s up to Dave to save New York. Guided by Balthazar, he travels throughout New York and the magical realm using special portals in order to defeat the enemy. Dave must master the elements of sorcery using magical attacks and spells to defeat the six evil sorcerers and their army of minions in order to free Manhattan.
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice video game expands on the film experience by allowing fans to wield magic spells with their own hands,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “The fast-paced action, magical spells and unique gameplay brings the adventure to life.”
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice video game will include competitive play with Pass the DS challenge modes for up to four players. The game will also include 30 achievements to unlock, as well as DGamer, Disney Interactive Studios’ innovative technology that provides a fun, connected game community for Disney video game fans.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and will have a suggested retail price of $29.99.

BusinessWire

Disney Interactive Studios has announced Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again for Nintendo DS. In this new game inspired by the hit Disney XD and Disney Channel television series, players will enter the world of Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher where they will adventure through the depths of Atlantis and outer space, not to mention their own backyard, to build the most wicked rides ever.
“With the success of the first video game, we are excited to offer a new Phineas and Ferb video game to fans this summer,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “True to the Disney Channel series, Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again will bring the humor and sense of adventure from the show home to fans of all ages.”
In this new action platformer game, players will be able to construct and race awesome new rides like skateboards and mine carts, complete puzzles and participate in 12 zany mini-games to build and upgrade new gadgets such as jet packs and tractor beams. Fantastic action sequences including cool boss battles with Agent P will add brand new elements not seen in the first game. Players will also have the opportunity to gather various collectibles around the world, as well as play in four new bonus levels.
The game will also feature many notable characters from the hit TV show including Baljeet, Buford, Isabella and many more. Secret Agent P, Phineas and Ferb’s pet platypus, will have plans of his own as he battles Dr. D and his evil creations including the Norm Robots using his cool new gadgets for battle. Candace will also be around with new “You’re So Busted” mini games where the boys use trampolines, turtles and sinking logs to get away from her.
Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again will take full advantage of the various DS capabilities. Players will be able to compete and play with their friends and share four cool rides via DS download play. In addition, the game will feature DGamer, the online community exclusive to Disney gamers on Nintendo DS, allowing players to connect with others and unlock additional items in their DS game.
Phineas and Ferb: Ride Again will be available this summer for Nintendo DS and is rated E with Mild Cartoon Violence by the ESRB.
Also available this summer from Disney Interactive Studios is a new game addition to the top selling iPhone/iPad game Phineas and Ferb Arcade. In “Escape from Mole-troplis”, fans play as Phineas and Ferb as they venture underground and creep through passages, climb ladders and slide down pipes to try and save Candace. “Escape from Mole-troplis” joins the cast of games that include “S’no Problem”, “Agent P’s Hideout” and “Cowabunga Candace.” All four games are included in Phineas and Ferb Arcade and can be downloaded in the iTunes App Store.

BusinessWire

The Devil Wears Prada’s Aline Brosh McKenna has penned the new version, which is intended to be shot as a live action movie. Disney, fresh from its success with Burton’s film, which has taken a staggering $980m worldwide, also made the hitherto most famous screen version of Cinderella, the 1950 animated tale.

According to the Deadline blog, executives are not revealing whether the new project will be shot in 3D, nor whether it will update the original story, or stick closely to it. In recent years, Hollywood has borrowed elements of the folk tale for movies such as Ever After, starring Drew Barrymore, and A Cinderella Story, featuring Hilary Duff.

According to a recent online survey from Disney Family.com, moms shoulder the burden of the health of their families with 77 percent of respondents reporting they are charged with scheduling the family medical appointments and keeping the family medical records. This often leads to women ignoring their own health needs to care for those of their family. Seventy-two percent of women know it is important to get a pap smear every year, but only 59 percent receive one. Additionally, 68 percent of women are aware that they should receive a yearly mammogram or a breast examination if they are under 40-years-old however, only 50 percent actually get the examination. In addition, only 56 percent of women reported having their cholesterol checked and only 46 percent having their blood sugar checked, two major risk factors for developing heart disease.

“Many moms are aware of the tests they should be receiving annually, but this knowledge doesn’t always correlate with what examinations they actually receive every year,” said Emily Smith, Vice President of the Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio. “We are pleased to offer a range of content with simple tips and advice to help moms take care of their health.”

Additionally, in honor of “Month of Mom,” Disney Family.com has partnered with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement to aid moms in the fight against women’s No. 1 and 3 killers — heart disease and stroke, and City of Hope, one of the nation’s leading research and treatment centers in the fight against the No. 2 killer – cancer. City of Hope maintains a specialized multidisciplinary women’s cancer program to improve outcomes for women battling breast and gynecological cancers. The Disney Family.com site features quick and easy tips moms can do to decrease their risks of these top health threats.

“Mothers are usually so focused on their families that they often forget about themselves,” said Emily Smith, Vice President of the Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio. “We are delighted to help women make their health a top priority.”

Disney Family.com will include a list of necessary health screenings women need annually and encourages moms to give back to their families during the month of May by scheduling appointments such as:

– Gynecological Exam — Including a pap smear every year

– Mammogram — It is recommended for women to have a mammogram every one to two years starting at age 40

– Dermatologist Visit — Know your family history and perform self examinations for any mark in the skin for change or growth on a regular basis

– Heart Health Check – Ask your healthcare professional to check your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, glucose and body mass index beginning at age 20

– Colorectal Cancer — Colonoscopy every 10 years, beginning at age 50

For more information visit Disney Family.com or follow us on Twitter at @familydotcom.

Enjoy an iconic movie experience when the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra presents its 21st annual silent film celebration on Sunday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. at UCLA’s Royce Hall. D23 Members will receive a 10-percent discount on the $35 and $75 tickets for this fun-filled evening.

This year, LACO presents Walt Disney’s 1924 short Alice’s Wild West Show and Buster Keaton’s hilarious The Cameraman with live orchestral accompaniment. Composer Timothy Brock conducts the world premiere of his score for The Cameraman; music for theAlice comedy is by Alexander Rannie, a frequent consultant to The Walt Disney Studios who has served as assistant production manager on the Mickey Mouse featurette The Prince and the Pauper (1990) to audio designer and animation art researcher for theEncyclopedia of Classic Disney Characters CD-ROM.

Alice’s Wild West Show combines live action with animation as Alice puts on a show for the neighborhood kids of her wild west adventures. Everything goes well until the local bully, Tubby O’Brien, shows up…

We hope you’ll take this unique opportunity to see these silents as the filmmakers originally envisioned — with live music to underscore the action!

Click here for D23 Member tickets. Gala tickets, which include a post-film supper, are $300 (no discount) are available by calling 213-622-7001, x215.)

Click here for more information about LACO’s 21st annual silent film celebration. Proceeds from this event benefit the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Dustin Hoffman is the honorary chair.

Click here to learn more about D23 Member Special Offers and Discounts.

The eFX collectibles line includes an extraordinarily detailed, four-foot model of Capt. Nemo’s Nautilus, which attracted rave reviews when it was previewed at the D23 Expo and last summer’s Comic-Con. Only 500 hand-crafted, individually numbered pieces will be produced worldwide, and is priced at $1,799 — but D23 members can order it for $1,699.

eFX has also announced that orders can be placed beginning May 4 for its replica of the evil Queen’s Heart Box, based on the designs of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which is priced at $799, or $724 for D23 Members. In addition to receiving special pricing, D23 members can place their eFX orders one day before sales open to the general public.

“No Disney fans are more devoted and enthusiastic than D23 Members, and we wanted to do something special for them,” said Bryan Ono, president of eFX Inc., which also produces highly sought-after collectibles based on such classic entertainment as Star Wars and Star Trek.

D23 Membership information will be validated upon ordering at www.efxcollectibles.com, and the special D23 Member pricing will be applied with the final payment prior to shipping.

The new D23 pricing from eFX joins a long list of special offers and benefits that make membership in D23 truly magical. D23 Members can also receive 10 percent off purchases at selected retail and restaurant locations at Disneyland’s Downtown Disney; access exclusive content from Scrapblog to personalize their Disney memories and experiences; and take advantage of special offers from ESPN Zone, Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group locations in New Orleans; and much more.

D23

Mandara — which has spas in both Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and the Walt Disney World Dolphin & Swan — will give D23 Members 10 percent off their treatment when a member presents his or her D23 Membership Card upon payment.

Mandara, which also has North American locations in Las Vegas and Hawaii, is known for soothing experiences like their signature Stone Therapy Massage. For a complete list of North American locations and a list of treatments, please visit MandaraSpa.com. Offer expires December 31, 2010.

D23

D23 Members will be among the first to see the Woody, Buzz and the gang in the new Disney·Pixar film Toy Story 3 as part of a Toy Story marathon — all in dazzling Disney Digital 3D™ — at the historic El Capitan Theatre on June 17, 2010.

Grab your complimentary (commemorative) popcorn bucket and drink and head to your seats! The curtain rises on the original Toy Story at 3 p.m., and from then on, it’s a day of delights and surprises. Special guests will make appearances throughout the event. During breaks, guests will be offered a meal as well as an ice cream treat to keep thing sweet!

Following the screening of Toy Story 3 guests will head back to the Toy Story 3 Fun Zone behind the El Capitan to enjoy the complete Toy Story experience. Woody, Buzz and Jessie will be there to meet guests, and will be starring in the “Dancing with the Toys” show. Take a seat on the Ferris wheel, maybe challenge some friends in an obstacle course, play the latest video games in Andy’s Game Room or bounce in Buzz’s bounce house! There will be something for everyone to enjoy. And every guest will receive a commemorative, limited-edition surprise gift for joining the fun!

Included with the price of admission:

• Screenings of Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 in Disney Digital 3D
• Assigned seat
• Special popcorn bucket and a beverage
• One boxed meal and a beverage
• An ice cream treat and a beverage
• Admission to the Toy Story 3 Fun Zone following the screenings of Toy Story 3
• Surprise guest appearances
• Commemorative, limited-edition surprise gift

Event Information
DATE
June 17, 2010

LOCATION
El Capitan Theatre
Hollywood, California (6838 Hollywood Blvd.)

TICKETS
Please call (818) 845-3110 for tickets.

COST
$100 per ticket (D23 Members may purchase up to four tickets)

SCHEDULE
First screening begins at 3 p.m.

NOTE: Available only to D23 Members in good standing. D23 Members may purchase a ticket for themselves and up to three (3) guests. There are a limited number of tickets available. D23 Members have the chance to purchase these tickets first; tickets will be released to the general public beginning April 26, 2010. There will be breaks between each screening. The first screening will begin at 3 p.m., but screening times for the second two films will not be announced prior to the event. D23 Members will be required to give their membership number when purchasing tickets. Tickets will be mailed in advance, all guests will need to bring their tickets to check in at Will Call to receive the credential for the event and the food vouchers. Will Call will open ONE HOUR before the performance with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD at the El Capitan Theatre. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to theater. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice.

D23

“I’m definitely a Disney fan,” Cage admitted. “[Walt Disney] has inspired me in so many ways, including how I feel, where I chose to live my life, and what I wanted to be. I spent a lot of time in New Orleans, and that’s all because of the Haunted Mansion. Over the years, I just would try to find [Walt] wherever I would go and try to get inspired the way he was inspired.”

Cage’s Bel Air castle—  turns out it may have just been an homage to his lifelong inspiration: Walt Disney. Could Cage’s obsession with Disneyland compel him to run an electric train choo-chooing around a breakfast room and two bedrooms in his magical castle?

Cage, who will outfan you any day by analyzing the aesthetic nuances of various Disney films (for the record, he thinks Fantasia is “the most beautiful” but Pinocchio is a “masterpiece”), also stars in this July’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Cage admits that his favorite movies are of a G-rated nature.

“I want to make movies to share with the whole family,” Cage says. “Not those that resort to gratuitous violence. That’s a priority for me. Going to the movies becomes a family ritual. They’re waiting for the movie to come out, and they go together, and they go get the popcorn and the tickets and they sit down, and they have that bond.”

After checking in, guests will be escorted to the front of the Feature Animation Building where they will have the chance to join Disney employees, luminaries and special guests for the dedication of the iconic structure as it is renamed the Roy E. Disney Animation Building.

Following the fanfare, you will be escorted back to the Studio Theatre on the main lot where Disney historian Stacia Martin will introduce the first, and only, True-Life Fantasy: Perri. The adorable film, which Roy worked on as both a cameraman and photographer, follows a little pine squirrel named Perri and her life from childhood to maturity.

After the movie, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy dinner inside the Disney Studio Commissary. A limited menu of freshly prepared edibles — including the famous chili Walt used to enjoy — will be available for purchase. After its opening on March 21, 1940, Walt himself used to enjoy lunch at the Commissary nearly every day he was at the Studio.

Following the dinner break, it’s back to the Studio Theatre where Academy Award®-nominated film producer Don Hahn will reminisce about working with Roy before introducing a screening ofFantasia/2000. The film, executive produced by Roy, built upon the success of the original Fantasia — which inspired the look of the Studio Theatre — using vibrant animation, rich scores, and a few celebrity appearances, both live and drawn! Hahn will also present the animated short Lorenzo, about a sassy cat terrorized by his own tail, which Hahn executive produced with Roy.

It promises to be a memorable event, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Event Information
DATE
May 7, 2010

LOCATION
The Walt Disney Studios
Burbank, California

TICKETS
Available April 23, 2010, 10 a.m. PST. Please check this page for the ticket link.

COST
$50 per person (plus a $5 processing fee)

SCHEDULE
Check in begins at 3:15 p.m.; event starts at 4 p.m.

NOTE: Available only to D23 Members in good standing. Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest. There are a limited number of tickets available. Dinner in the commissary is not included with the price of the ticket; guests who wish to enjoy dinner will need to bring cash or credit card for the meal. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancelations or refunds, tickets are not transferrable.

D23

For the third year in a row, the Newport Beach Film Festival presents their Disney Rarities screening with Academy Award®-nominated film producer Don Hahn and director/producer David Bossert of the Walt Disney Studios. Tickets for D23 Members are just $10 for this event on Saturday, April 24 at 1 p.m. (tickets are usually $12). The screening is at the Regency South Coast Village Theatre (1561 W. Sunflower Ave, Santa Ana, Calif.).

Each year Disney Rarities has presented a collection of unforgettable but seldom-seen Disney animated films, and this year will be no exception. We hope to see you there! Click here for D23 Member tickets.

Click here for more information about the Newport Beach Film Festival, which runs April 22 through 29.

changed the face of animation forever

By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. The conditions produced a series of box office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn’t care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending.

Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It’s the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits—“The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and more—over a 10-year period.

Director Don Hahn and producer Peter Schneider bring their insider knowledge to Waking Sleeping Beauty. Hahn was one of the Young Turks at Disney who produced some of its biggest sensations. Schneider led the animation group during this amazing renaissance and later became studio chairman. Their film offers a fascinating and candid perspective of what happened in the creative ranks set against the dynamic tensions among the top leadership, Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Roy Disney (the nephew of Walt).

The process wasn’t always pretty. The filmmakers bring a refreshing candor in describing ego battles, cost overruns and failed experiments. During times of tension, the animators’ favorite form of release was to draw scathing caricatures of themselves and their bosses. Director Hahn puts several memorable ones on display and marshals a vast array of interviews, home movies, internal memos and unseen footage.

Announcing the world premiere of Waking Sleeping Beauty at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, the festival’s documentary programmer Thom Powers said, “Waking Sleeping Beauty celebrates the rich history of Disney animation and honors the many writers, artists and composers who created the Disney magic. The treatment is so thorough that it includes key figures who famously left Disney such as Don Bluth, John Lasseter and Tim Burton. At one time, children imagined that Walt Disney’s signature meant a film was the creation of one man. This is a more grown-up portrayal that reveals the collaborative, often contentious, experience in all its complexity.”

MAKING WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY

For 10 years, producer Peter Schneider contemplated the idea of making a documentary about the incredibly fertile and turbulent decade that produced some of Disney’s most successful films and revitalized the animation industry. There had been plenty of reporting about this moment in Disney history, but none of it told the complex, riveting story that Schneider had witnessed up close.

“The articles and books that have been written never captured the whole story because they were told from an outsider’s point of view,” says Schneider. “They didn’t capture the joy of a group of creative people firing on all pistons or the unique drama among the key players as they clashed over who would take credit for the renaissance of the animation department.

“Once animation became the ‘heart and soul’ of the company again, everybody started vying for a piece of it,” he says. “Feature Animation was central to the drama.”

Schneider and Don Hahn, the film’s director, were both present during the era they have documented in Waking Sleeping Beauty. “The story parallels the animated films themselves,” Hahn points out. “They’re all about love and conflict. Waking Sleeping Beauty is about the love of a group of people for an art form and the conflict that occurred when that art form became incredibly lucrative and prestigious.”

Both Schneider and Hahn had been deeply involved in the creation of films including “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.” Many years later, they got together. “As with most good films, the idea for this one started in a coffee shop,” says Hahn. “As we sat down with our lattes, we inevitably started talking about our time together at Disney.”

They recalled their years at the studio with mixed emotions of euphoria and horror. They had been part of a team that produced a series of films that were phenomenally successful artistically and financially. “On the other hand, it took its toll,” says Hahn. “And it left us with some incredible Hollywood stories to tell.”

Initially, Hahn was concerned that the story covered too many movies, too many characters and too much time to be told succinctly. “It’s a rich period with some of the most dynamic personalities in the history of entertainment,” he says. “How are you going to capture all that in a 90-minute film?”

But Schneider convinced him that they were in a unique position to tell the real story. “We were in the room,” says Schneider. “We probably knew too much about what happened.”

“But,” adds Hahn, “we thought that if we could tell that story in as honest a way as possible, it would be an amazing tale: Shakespearean characters and palace intrigue mixed with cartoons. Who wouldn’t love that?”

The filmmakers first enlisted the support of Dick Cook, who at that time was chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. He had worked side by side with Schneider and Hahn during those years. “We warned him the film might stray into difficult areas,” says Schneider. “Without hesitation, Dick said ‘Yes.’”

They all felt enough time had passed that the central players on both the artistic and business sides would be willing to speak openly. “It would be at the least cathartic, and possibly an instructional parable for the future,” Hahn says. “Dick recognized that it was a unique time in all of Hollywood—a perfect confluence, as he put it, of executive boldness, artistic excellence and sheer luck.”

Although the film shows the studio in a less than positive light at times, Cook’s backing of the film never wavered. “There were many late nights when I was tearing my hair out trying to tell a tough story,” says Hahn. “I was always wondering if there would be some ‘day of reckoning’ on the film, a day when we would be asked to censor it and edit down some of the more unflattering passages. That day never came.”

The next hurdle was securing the cooperation of Michael Eisner, Roy Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Fifteen years had passed, but they had never before gone on record with their personal memories of that time. “For a long time, it was too raw for them to be able to speak about,” says Schneider. “The biggest surprise for me was how frank everyone was. There was a consensus that the story needed to be told.”

The intervening years had a cooling effect on the former rivals. “At that point, there was no reason for them not to talk about it,” continues Schneider. “No one was feuding. They had each made peace with themselves.”

“In fact,” says Hahn, “Roy Disney was eager to talk. And Jeffrey Katzenberg couldn’t have been more cooperative. Michael was apprehensive at first, but when he saw our approach to the material, we gradually won him over.”

It was unavoidable that the filmmakers, who were so intimately involved in the events they were retelling, would bring their own points of view to the story. “I realized very early that my truth on this topic would not always jibe with Peter’s truth or the truth of the other participants,” says Hahn. “We decided to interview all the players and let them describe their own experiences – their own ‘truth,’ — sort of like 10 blind men describing an elephant. We had some of the best storytellers on earth, why not let them tell their stories in their own words about this insane, creative thrill ride we all lived through.”

To maintain some distance from their material and emotional connection to that period, Schneider suggested that Patrick Pacheco, a veteran journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal, conduct the interviews.

“It was important to have someone involved who challenged our assumptions,” Schneider says. “We thought Pacheco could better elicit some provocative material from the interview subjects. So we sent him off with his tape recorder and a list of names. We thought we could capture the story by interviewing 20 people. He interviewed OVER 75.”

“Peter and Don made the contacts and then got out of the way,” says Pacheco.  “They made no demands except to tell me that they were looking for an emotional and dramatic story. It became clear early on that Howard Ashman was its poignant heart, not only because of his untimely death but also because of his crucial role. At one point, Roy Disney even compared him to Walt in terms of his influence.”

Pacheco’s interviews uncovered some other surprises for the filmmakers. “Another revelation was the key diplomatic role played by Frank Wells in the delicate balance among Roy, Jeffrey and Michael, something which had never before been explored in accounts of this period,” says Pacheco. “I assumed that Frank’s value to the company was his business acumen. But his talents as a diplomat were just as important—if not more so—to the success of this period.

“It was striking how Roy’s behavior was molded by his innate sense of responsibility, because he alone carried the name Disney and how subtly he was able to wield that power,” says Pacheco. “To my surprise, Jeffrey and Michael were also open in talking about past grievances. It was almost as if they were using the interviews as an opportunity to speak to each other after a long, deep freeze.”

“It’s really a classic Hollywood story in that it reminds us that this town was built by a bunch of ambitious, eccentric and passionate artists, which included Walt Disney and his successors,” says Pacheco.

Waking Sleeping Beauty painstakingly balances the sometimes conflicting points of view of the animation team members and the studio chiefs who competed against each other for control and credit. However, Schneider observes, “It was not us versus them. Sure, the artists can be a subversive lot. Believe me, I took a lot of hits when I first arrived at Disney and they are in the movie. But we all got into the trenches together and that led to a mutual respect.”

And as Eisner says in the film, “Go to any institution, any university, any hospital, any corporation, any home, any house, you know what, the human condition overshadows bricks and mortar, every time.  And it’s about fear, and envy, and jealously, and comfort, and love, and hate, and accomplishment.  Every institution has it.  Were we a bunch of artistic, emotional people running around screaming and crying and ranting and raving?  No, it was an organized group of people, working together, saying, let’s put on a show.”

This often contentious collaboration resulted in a “perfect storm” of talent which led to an extraordinary renaissance of the art of animation, which led to artistic recognition, a lot of attention, and incredible box office grosses.

Large egos and infighting are legendary in Hollywood, but much of it usually stays behind closed doors. The power struggle at Disney played out in a uniquely public way and the rumors and reality coming out of the studio transfixed the Industry.

“Disney offered one of the biggest stages on earth for the personalities to surface,” says Hahn. “With success came magazine covers and talk show appearances—and not just for the top brass. Prior to that, the animation industry had been one of the most anonymous professions on earth, not unlike monks copying bibles.. Suddenly the artists got their 15 minutes of fame and more.  With fame came ego, and with all the good press, it was easy to start believing that you deserved to be in the spotlight. It’s fleeting, as the film shows.”

Prior to 1984, animated films were produced through what Hahn calls “a well-tooled production pipeline.”

“The era from 1984 to 1994 was more akin to a gasoline fire,” says Hahn. “It was a time of high productivity, stressful debate on every creative grain of the movie, and intense pressure to out-do the last accomplishment. It was chaotic, exhausting and thrilling.”

When conceiving the documentary, the filmmakers posted two key rules over the AVID editing system: “No talking heads. No old guys reminiscing.”

”It was Don Hahn who came up with the idea to use only footage that was shot during this 10-year period, with current voiceover,” says Schneider.

“Using only the archival footage from that era was the big breakthrough,” Hahn adds, “I wanted to transport the audience into the rooms where Peter and I sat, into the eye of the storm.

And we were really fortunate because unauthorized photography was always strictly prohibited on the Disney lot, but some of the best and rarest footage comes from animator Randy Cartwright,” Hahn continued.  “Cartwright would covertly walk the halls with his cameraman, a young John Lasseter, and film the inner workings of the animation division.  This rare glimpse into the studio became the centerpiece of the documentary’s first act.”

“What makes it even funnier is that studio head Ron Miller walks into what is essentially Randy’s opening shot,” says Hahn. “Randy could have been thrown into jail, but thanks to a good-natured Miller, the footage survived.”

Cartwright’s home movies lend immediacy to the story that transports the viewer back in time. “I wanted that voyeuristic feeling of actually walking the hallways and being there in the room,” says Hahn. “We see these guys – Glen Keane, Tim Burton, John Musker, Ron Clements, John Lasseter — operating at the very beginning of their careers.”

Writer Jim Cox shot another round of film during the making of “Oliver & Company,” this time capturing a young Peter Schneider, “Oliver” director George Scribner, and some precious footage of the late Vance Gerry and Joe Ranft at work in their story room.

The filmmakers were given access to all the archival vaults at Disney for clips, and discovered another, more unorthodox source for some unique images: Hahn’s mother. She had taped television coverage when the films first came out.

Schneider and Hahn also were able to choose from a rich catalogue of caricatures created by artists for an annual show that was held each year to lampoon them and their bosses. “There were thousands of the funniest, nastiest caricatures imaginable to choose from,” says Hahn, “so the biggest problem was selecting which drawings were best to tell the story.”

Greed, envy, hope, desire, passion, jealousy, fear and love are the stuff of great movies. They also worked behind the scenes of one of the greatest Hollywood dramas in history. “You name it, and it was there,” says Hahn. “We were people with hopes and ambitions who lived with each other as a family in order to make the best movies we could.”

“Making the film was emotional, cathartic and difficult,” says Hahn. “But when I look back, at those years, I do so with equal parts pride, joy, sadness and humility. Pride in what we accomplished together with some paint, pencils, paper and persistence, and sadness at the loss of Howard Ashman, our friend and mentor.”

“I’m humbled to this day by the audience’s reaction to these films, and happy to have been in the right place at the right time to see it all happen,” Hahn continues. “It was a winning season, in every way as exciting and hard fought as any winning season in any sport. And we were lucky to be players.”

“So many people grew up with the movies created during that period,” says Schneider. “This is the story behind those films and it’s a story you can’t get from any other source. In the ‘50s, Walter Cronkite had a series called ‘You Are There.’  Well, it’s Disney, 1984 to 1994. And you are there. I hope the audience will find it as amusing, passionate, emotional and provocative as those years were for Don and myself.”

According to L.A. Times, the mouse house wants both “Alice in Wonderland” director Tim Burton and the “Salt” star to join the project, but nothing concrete has been made.

It is unclear if Jolie, who is said to be actively engaging with the planned film, will get involved if Burton also takes on the project.

“Maleficent,” the classic children’s story, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1959, will take a live-action approach. The main focus will be on the titular villainess instead and the story would be told from her perspective.

Jolie is currently filming the action thriller “The Tourist” in Italy with Burton’s frequent collaborator Johnny Depp.

All Headline News

“I am very excited to partner with Disney Family.com (which is already the top site for moms*) to launch, in the spring, a new destination for women that will be innovative and empowering and provide, with humor, insight and vulnerability, solutions to the needs and obligations of today’s modern women,” stated Ms. Hatcher.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Teri to bring her unique twist on life to other women through GetHatched.com,” stated Emily Smith, vice president of Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio. “The site will offer a place for women to be entertained, connect with others who face the same daily challenges and become inspired along the way.”

“Our goal with this site is to offer women a different take on everyday topics and needs, and we feel that Teri’s candid and humorous point of view is a perfect fit,” stated Paul Yanover, executive vice president and managing director, Disney Online. “We look forward to bringing women from all walks of life together on GetHatched.com.”

Ms. Hatcher will contribute original content to the site, which will feature articles, blogs, original videos series, and advice from her team of experts on everything pertaining to the demands on a woman 24/7.

Business Wire

Bill’s vocal talents starred in our lovable Goof’s first animated feature film, A Goofy Movie, the television series Goof Troop and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas. He has performed in more than 40 other films and shows, including Disney’s DTV Doggone Valentinetelevision special in 1987 — the first time he voiced Goofy and barked for Pluto in the same project. He also lent his vocal talents to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beauty and the Beast and Ed Wood and to such Disney·Pixar films asa bug’s life, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story and the upcoming Toy Story 3. But of all the characters he has brought spectacularly to life, it is Goofy that he cherishes most. “The hardest thing to learn was ‘ya-ha-hooooooiieewe!’” Bill says about the Goofy calling card that accompanies every deliciously sinewy tumble or high-jinks pratfall down steps.

“Doing the voice of Goofy has become second nature to me,” Bill says. “In the beginning, I had to stop and think what his motivation was, but now he lives inside me. He’s a real father as well as the classic Goofy that everyone knows.”

You can begin submitting your questions on Wednesday, March 31 at 1 p.m. ET. Starting at that time, you can come back to this page to begin submitting your questions and on Friday, April 2 return to this page to join the live chat!

D23

Before she was ever introduced to Wendy and the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell met Lizzy, a girl with a steadfast belief in fairies. Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue begins in summertime in the beautiful English countryside. An enchanting encounter unfolds when Tinker Bell is discovered by Lizzy, and as their different worlds unite, Tink develops a special bond with the curious girl in need of a friend.

As her fellow fairies launch a daring rescue, Tinker Bell takes a huge risk, putting her own safety and the future of the fairies in jeopardy. This action-packed adventure takes the fairies of Pixie Hollow on a daring flight to London to save Tinker Bell and all of fairy kind.

Produced by DisneyToon Studios, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is a captivating and exciting adventure for all the family.

Disney Fairies has become one of the Walt Disney Company’s most successful franchises– driven on multiple platforms and across numerous business units of The Walt Disney Company, including Disney Consumer Products, Parks and Resorts, Disney Interactive Media Group, and Disney Channel.

Robert A. Iger, President and CEO, The Walt Disney Company , issued the following statement:

“Like many kids growing up in the 50′s, Davy Crockett was my first hero, and I had the coonskin cap to prove it. Fess Parker’s unforgettable, exciting and admirable performance as this American icon has remained with me all these years, as it has for his millions of fans around the world. Fess is truly a Disney Legend, as is the heroic character he portrayed, and while he will certainly be missed, he will never be forgotten.”

SOURCE: The Walt Disney Company

Fess Parker, the enormously popular actor who launched a coonskin cap craze in 1954 when he starred as Davy Crockett in the first of five hour-long episodes for Walt Disney’s Disneyland TV series, passed away at his home in California’s Santa Ynez Valley today, March 18, from age-related causes. He was 85 years old. Parker went on to play another iconic American hero in the popular Daniel Boone NBC TV series that lasted for six seasons and 165 episodes. In addition to his numerous successes in the world of entertainment, Parker became a phenomenally successful businessman, developer, and vintner through his Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort (in Santa Barbara), and Fess Parker Winery (in Los Olivos). Commenting on Parker’s passing, Disney President and CEO Bob Iger said, “Like many kids growing up in the 50s, Davy Crockett was my first hero, and I had the coonskin cap to prove it. Fess Parker’s unforgettable, exciting and admirable performance as this American icon has remained with me all these years, as it has for his millions of fans around the world. Fess is truly a Disney Legend, as is the heroic character he portrayed, and while he will certainly be missed, he will never be forgotten.”

Noted film critic and author Leonard Maltin, added, “Fess had an enormous impact on a whole generation of kids. It’s almost impossible to overstate how popular Davy Crockett was, and it made him an overnight star. The nicest part about meeting him in later years was discovering that he was just as genuine and likeable as he seemed on screen.”

Visual effects artist, Disney veteran and Parker family friend Harrison Ellenshaw said, “Fess Parker was an icon to generations of kids with coonskin caps. He was also a wonderful husband, family man, role model, and a gentleman beyond reproach. I have personally known Fess since 1954, and I will forever remember his kindness and generosity; he will be terribly missed.”

Pete Docter, Oscar®-winning director of Disney·Pixar’s Up, observed, “Meeting him was a real high point, and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that better fit the word ‘gentleman.’ He was patient and kind, both with me and all my questions about his career and collaborators, as well as with our young kids who had been obsessively watching the Davy Crockett DVDs for months prior. Though I’m sure he was a busy man, he spent the entire afternoon showing me and my family around his winery, treating us to lunch, and talking about his life. It was a day we’ll never forget.”

In all, Parker starred as Davy Crockett in five one-hour episodes for the Disneyland TV series on ABC. The titles were: “Davy Crockett: Indian Fighter,” “Davy Crockett Goes to Congress,” “Davy Crockett at the Alamo,” “Davy Crockett’s Keelboat Race,” and “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates.” The first three episodes of the miniseries (the first in television history) were edited together as the 1955 theatrical film Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.

According to Disney A-Z: The Official Encyclopedia by Disney archivist Dave Smith, “The Davy Crockett craze started a run on coonskins, both real and artificial, as kids across America yearned to dress like their frontier hero with the telltale cap. ‘The Ballad of Davy Crockett’ rushed to the top of the Hit Parade, and remained there for 16 weeks. In all, the nationwide Crockett frenzy helped Disney licensees sell $300 million worth of merchandise.”

In addition to his starring role as Davy Crockett, Parker also appeared in four other Disney feature films: Westward Ho the Wagons! (1956), The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Old Yeller (1957) and The Light in the Forest (1958).

Born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised in San Angelo, Parker served in the United States Navy during WWII and then returned home to Texas to graduate from the University of Texas-Austin in 1950. He was honored as a distinguished alum of the university in 1969.

A desire to act took him to California in the early 50s where hard work and great good fortune led him to be cast in Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, co-starring the late Buddy Ebsen. While under personal contract to Walt Disney, Parker made numerous pictures for the studio including the prequel Davy Crockett and the River Boat Pirates as well as The Great Locomotive Chase. A successful television career in the 1960′s followed with NBC’s long runningDaniel Boone show co-starring his friend and neighbor Ed Ames.

The early 70′s found Parker eager to explore the business world as a real estate developer in Santa Barbara, California. After successfully opening three high-end mobile home parks, the 360 room Fess Parker Doubletree Resort opened in 1985. It is one of the most successful hotels on the Santa Barbara waterfront. A 150 room luxury hotel is also in the final stages of planning on an adjacent piece of beach front property.

In 1989, Parker and his family turned an interest in fine wine into an adventure now 20 years in the making. The Fess Parker Winery is a highly regarded and popular destination on the Foxen Canyon wine trail in Los Olivos, California. The family also farms over 300 acres of vineyard in the Santa Ynez valley. Creating a successful business with his family was one of Parker’s proudest achievements.

Parker and his wife Marcella celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January of 2010. Their son Eli and daughter Ashley, as well as 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild spent a great deal of time with Parker in his final months and weeks.

It should be said that Parker was always extremely grateful to his long time fans for their continued support and friendship over the years.

D23

Moviegoers will have the option of watching “Alice” at home in about three months, worrying some theater owners who fear that narrowing the gap between theatrical runs and DVD debuts will undermine ticket sales as some fans skip the cinema and wait for the DVD.

“A robust, exclusive theatrical window remains vital for the health of cinemas and the movie industry as a whole,” John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, told members in a speech Tuesday at their annual ShoWest convention.

Studios like short windows between theatrical and DVD releases because it speeds up their cash flow and allows them to pull in DVD business while films are fresh in audiences’ minds. Longer lags for DVDs also leave more time for movie pirates to sell counterfeit copies.

The issue is a key topic this week at ShoWest, where studios trot out stars, films and footage to promote upcoming releases.

The time window between theatrical and home-video releases gradually shrank as studios cashed in on booming DVD sales starting in the late 1990s. The average gap between big-screen and DVD releases has held steady at about four months in recent years.

Now, cinema operators worry other studios might follow Disney’s lead, though the head of Sony Pictures assured theater owners that Hollywood is not aiming to squeeze them out in favor of DVD revenues.

“Showing films in theaters is what makes a movie a movie. It’s what makes stars stars. It’s what makes films famous. It’s what makes the public perk up and pay attention,” said Michael Lynton, Sony chairman and chief executive officer, in the ShoWest keynote address Monday.

Theater owners and studio executives say they are open to flexibility on DVD release patterns for some movies if it benefits both sides. Cinemas always beg Hollywood to release big movies in typically slow months at theaters rather than bunching up top hits during the busy seasons.

“You always have the issue of lots of movies coming in the summer, lots of movies coming in the holiday period, and so our members have been talking to distributors about getting movies into late winter, like `Alice,’ trying to get movies into September. Places where we typically don’t have great movies,” Fithian told reporters Tuesday.

But putting a potential blockbuster in theaters in September might mean shortening the time until the DVD release to three months or less so the film can be in stores for Christmas, which Fithian said theater owners are open to discussing.

The huge business Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s “Alice in Wonderland” did over normally slow March weekends might ease theater owners’ worries. “Alice in Wonderland” shot past $200 million domestically and $400 million worldwide after just two weekends.

With audiences now watching movies and other entertainment on portable devices such as laptop computers and cell phones, studios need to experiment with release patterns for new technology without undermining big-screen business, Sony chief Lynton said.

“We do not want to open a new window in a way that closes yours,” Lynton told theater owners.

Associated Press

Inspired by the soothing environment of nature, the lobby features beloved and nurturing Disney characters such as Timon and Pumbaa from “The Lion King,” Flounder and Sebastian from “The Little Mermaid” and Rutt and Tuke from “Brother Bear.” Walt Disney Imagineers designed the space with these thoughtfully chosen characters to complement the hospital’s healing environment where young patients are supported by caring, medical professionals, along with family and friends.

“Our goal is to create a therapeutic environment that reflects the type of attention and care children and their families receive during their visit,” said Marla Silliman, administrator of Florida Hospital for Children. “With this captivating entrance, we hope young patients overcome the apprehension of a hospital stay by engaging them in a world of fantasy, imagination and adventure.”

“I didn’t feel like I was in a hospital,” said Kyle Bennett, a 6-year-old boy from Orlando. “‘The Little Mermaid’ section of the lobby was my favorite part and I loved scaring the salmon away.”

The lobby of the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children features several interactive activities and experiences that children of all ages can enjoy to ultimately enhance patient experience. For example, kids can fish for virtual salmon, step into a safari to touch and illuminate markings on a cave wall, generate jungle sounds on musical step pads, swat chirping bugs that glow during an engaging game that tests memory skills or play in a magical world of bubbles and dancing creatures from under the sea.

“This lobby was created with all the care and attention to detail that we devote to an attraction in our theme parks,” said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “It’s a place to leave worries behind and replace them with immersive, interactive fun. We’re delighted to have helped create a calm and relaxing environment for the children and families who will come here for care.”

As part of a part of a $10 million commitment by Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Worldwide Outreach, the lobby represents the first in a series of significant milestones for the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children. Construction and renovations are currently underway and will continue throughout the year to complete units and patient rooms. By early 2011, the addition including seven stories and more than 200 dedicated pediatric beds, will open featuring concepts, colors, sounds and themes inspired by the lobby design. While patients, families and visitors will enter through the lobby, the same calming and reassuring atmosphere will be reflected throughout the entire Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children facility.

Florida Hospital is in the midst of a fundraising campaign to help complete the development of the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children.

PRNewswire

Bob Gurr. Named a Disney Legend in 2004 for his decades of innovative work at Walt Disney Imagineering, Bob specialized in vehicle design and worked on the designs of the Autopiaautomobiles and the antique cars and double-decker buses used on Main Street, U.S.A. He also played a lead role in the design of the Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds and Flying Saucers attractions and more.

Tony Baxter. A legendary Imagineer, Tony has played a key role in the design and creation of many Disney attractions and theme parks of the last 40 years, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, the Indiana Jones Adventure and the overall creative role for Disneyland Paris.

Kevin Corcoran. Named a Disney Legend in 2006, Kevin has enjoyed a long and distinguished acting career with Disney, starring in such classic films as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson and more.

Bill Farmer. Named a Disney Legend at the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, Bill’s voice is familiar to cartoon fans around the world as the voice of Goofy and Pluto. He has also lent his talents to a long list of Disney favorites, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Beauty and the Beast and such Disney·Pixar films as a bug’s life, Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

Margaret Kerry. Margaret was the original live-action model for Tinker Bell.

Dave Smith. Named a Disney Legend in 2007, Dave Smith, chief archivist, the Walt Disney Archives, founded the Disney Archives in 1970.

Dan Roebuck. For more than two decades Dan has enjoyed a successful acting career. He currently shines in the role of Dr. Leslie Arzt on the hit ABC series LOST.

David Stollery. Named a Disney Legend in 2006, David Stollery enjoyed a solid acting career before he came to the Walt Disney Studios but it was there that he made his biggest mark. He played Marty Markham, the spoiled rich boy, in The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Dan Thompson in Westward Ho The Wagons!

Denny Newell. A senior show director at Disneyland, Denny is a 24-year Disneyland Cast Member who has played a directorial role for Celebrate! A Street Party, Disney’s Electrical Parade,A Christmas Fantasy Parade, Drawn to the Magic and Pixie Hollow.

Disney is wringing the pink out of its princess movies.

After the less-than-fairy-tale results for its most recent animated release, “The Princess and the Frog,” executives at the Burbank studio believe they know why the acclaimed movie came up short at the box office.

Brace yourself: Boys didn’t want to see a movie with “princess” in the title.

This time, Disney is taking measures to ensure that doesn’t happen again. The studio renamed its next animated film with the girl-centric name “Rapunzel” to the less gender-specific “Tangled.”

The makeover of “Rapunzel” is more than cosmetic. Disney can ill afford a moniker that alienates half the potential audience, young boys, who are needed to make an expensive family film a success.

For the rest of the article by Dawn C. Chmielewski and Claudia Eller…go to the Los Angeles Times

The ad, believed to be the first of its kind among America’s leading big-city dailies, dismayed some readers and was lamented by media scholars as the latest troubling sign of difficult times at the newspaper and for journalism generally.

The ad features a full-color photo of actor Johnny Depp in gaudy makeup, wig and costume as the film’s Mad Hatter character, superimposed across an authentic-looking front page mock-up, topped by the Times’ traditional masthead.

Depp’s image — emblazoned with the phrase, “Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter” — overlaps an old weather photo and two columns of reprinted stories about healthcare and Afghanistan, minus bylines and other names. The word “Advertisement” appears in smaller type just below the masthead.

To get to Friday’s real news, readers had to open the so-called cover wrap, which was folded around the Times’ entire A section as a two-page, front-to-back promotional spread.

A Times spokesman, John Conroy, declined to discuss the cost of the ad, but said, “The Times’ front section is our most valuable real estate, so the ad unit was priced accordingly.”

Hollywood blogger Sharon Waxman cited one “media buyer insider” as saying the Walt Disney Co, the studio behind the film, paid $700,000 for the space.

“That’s a low price to sell your soul,” said Roy Peter Clark, senior scholar at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, who expressed sympathy for the paper and discomfort at the blurring of commercial and editorial interests.

SAD DAY FOR GREAT PAPER?

“I want the Los Angeles Times to make a lot of money, and I want them to do use that money to do some of the best journalism they’ve ever done,” he said. “But I think that this strategy is deceptive, and that my old school ulcer is starting to burn a little a bit.”

Others were more blunt.

“It’s a sad day in the history of a great newspaper, and my impression is they have received a lot of calls from people who are incensed by it, loyal readers,” said Bryce Nelson, a former Times correspondent who teaches journalism at the University of Southern California.

The Times promotion apparently held little or no sway for the newspaper’s main film critic, Kenneth Turan, whose review on Thursday called Tim Burton’s take on the Lewis Carroll classic “middling” and “surprisingly inert.” The film has drawn mixed reviews overall.

Conroy disputed the notion that the ad undermines the paper’s editorial integrity.

“We made it clear that this was a depiction of the front page, rather than a real front page of the newspaper,” he said. “We had an unusual opportunity here to stretch the traditional boundaries and deliver an innovative ad unit that was designed to create buzz.”

But Nelson said the ad would prove a turnoff to many subscribers, some of whom he knows had called him to protest.

“What this demonstrates is the newspaper’s seeming willingness to put revenues over news coverage,” he said.

Conroy said the editorial staff was informed in advance of the Depp ad, but he did not know if it elicited the kind of grumbling that occurred when the paper ran a cover-wrap in June promoting the new HBO television series “True Blood.” That wrap was not presented as a faux front page.

The Times, which began selling display ads on its front page in 2007, also raised eyebrows last year when it ran a front-page TV advertisement that resembled a news story.

The nationally circulated USA Today drew criticism for a pseudo edition of its newspaper distributed at an AIDS conference in Geneva as a promotion for a pharmaceutical company. The Wall Street Journal and other dailies have run partial wrap sleeves around the outsides of their papers.

Like many newspapers, the Times has been hit hard by declining circulation and shrinking ad revenues, forcing the paper to scale back coverage and lay off hundreds of employees in recent years. The paper’s corporate parent, the Tribune Co, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2008.

Reuters

Free of the Walt Disney Corporation, that is. However, the beloved mascot is still under the wings of the University.

Last week, Disney and the University struck a deal that separated the licensing of the school’s mascot and the licensing of the school’s merchandise. Negotiators reasoned that the likeness of the mascot differs from the likeness of the character frequently seen on T-shirts and other products. They said the image on T-shirts and other merchandise resembles Donald Duck more than the actual mascot. The mascot does not resemble the trademark Donald Duck enough to qualify for licensing.

Julie Brown, University director of media relations, said this decision resulted from ongoing discussions between the University and Disney.

“There are benefits to all if there was a change of oversight of the mascot specifically,” Brown said. “The overall agreement pertains to the character and the merchandise.”

Athletic department spokesperson Dave Williford said the decision didn’t affect the athletic department because the agreement exists between Disney and the University. But it does give the school more leeway.

“This obviously gives more latitude for the University to use the mascot,” he said.

The reason for a handover in licensing agreements is complicated.

The University received permission from Walt Disney himself in 1947 in a handshake deal with Leo Harris, the University’s first athletic director, to use Donald Duck as its mascot. However, upon Disney’s death in 1966, both the Disney Corporation and the University realized that a formal agreement didn’t exist. A contract was finally struck up that honors Disney’s original request that the mascot could stay with the University “as long as it was in good taste,” according to the athletic department’s Web site.

The deal has had some people asking questions as to whether it will affect the mascot’s use.

“Essentially he will appear at the same type of events,” Brown said. “The usage isn’t going to change much. There will probably be a little bit more flexibility. The use and the management will stay the same.”

Puddles the mascot can be seen the most at sports events, orientations and fundraisers.

University student Jamie Slade, member of the group Supwitchugirl and participant in the fall’s viral YouTube video “I Love My Ducks,” finds the situation humorous after what his band went through with the athletic department over the right to use the mascot in the video.

Supwitchugirl ruffled feathers with the University in the fall when Puddles appeared in the “I Love My Ducks” video, forcing the band to take the video off of YouTube.

“I think now we’re going to put the video back up on YouTube because the University told us to take it down (because of the licensing),” Slade said. “I’m not sure if ‘I Love My Ducks’ has anything to do with this agreement, but I think it’s funny now. I just wish that they had come to this agreement in the fall.”

Brown said that because of this new agreement, the relationship between the Univesity and Disney would become smoother.

“This essentially removes a step in the process of determining appropriate use of the mascot,” Brown said. “Prior to this agreement, we had to make written requests to use the mascot. Now these decisions are made on campus.”

The Walt Disney Corporation benefits in the agreement by streamlining its relationship with the University through focusing solely on merchandising.

Oregon Daily Emerald

Tony has played a key role in the design and creation of many Disney attractions and theme parks of the last 40 years, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, the Indiana Jones Adventure and the overall creative role for Disneyland Paris. Now a senior vice president of Creative Development and creative director of Disneyland Park, Tony is responsible for providing imaginative ideas and input for Walt Disney’s original theme park. Some of his recent projects as creative executive include the refurbishments and re-openings of the 3D space adventure Captain EO (for which he worked as a producer on the original),Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough attraction. Tony welcomes your questions about his career and Imagineering accomplishments, but may not be able to answer questions concerning projects currently in development at Disneyland Resort.

You can begin submitting your questions on Tuesday, March 2 at 2 p.m. PT. Starting at that time, you can come back to this page to begin submitting your questions and on Thursday, March 4 return to this page to join the live chat!

D23

Since its release last spring, “Up” has sold more than $725 million worth of tickets worldwide. It follows a string of successes that include “The Incredibles” and “Cars.”

Disney/Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter, a major star in the world of animation, spoke to Reuters about “Up” and the company’s moviemaking philosophy, including another Disney Oscar hopeful, “The Princess and the Frog.”

Q: Any film with the Pixar stamp seems to spell success. Do you ever worry that a film may stumble?

A: “Probably more than any other movie we’ve made here at Pixar, “Up” was the one we were the most nervous about … Our audience is so important to us. Every single day, the question that is foremost in my mind is: ‘Are we holding our audience?’ We think our audience is very smart, especially kids. But when someone describes “Up” to you, it doesn’t seem like a movie kids would like. It’s about a 78-year-old guy!”

Q: What kept you going with it?

A: “When (writer/co-director) Bob Peterson read me the treatment, with that opening sequence (in which a boy and girl grow up, get married and live life), I had tears in my eyes. It was so moving. That was the core of the story, so we held on to that and said, ‘We have potential here; stay focused on that.’

Q: A lot of people are saying this year’s animated Oscar nominees — including Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” are the best ever. Describe the state of animation in Hollywood.

A: “There were 20 animated films released in 2009, which is a record. But more than that, it was the quality of the films and the wide variety. There were computer animated, hand drawn animated and stop motion animated films like “Coraline” and “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.” It was a spectacular year.”

Q: Four years ago, Disney bought Pixar and made you chief creative officer of the animation unit. What’s changed?

A: “The very first thing I wanted to do was hand-drawn animation again. So we hired (animation team) John Musker and Ron Clements back to the studio. They had been let go because Disney stopped doing hand-drawn animation.”

Q: The result was “The Princess and the Frog,” which gave birth to Disney’s first black princess and earned three Oscar nominations including best animated feature. With all the computer technology in films today, why go back to hand drawn?

A: “I love the medium. It was where I got my training. Never in the history of cinema has a medium entertained an audience. It’s what you do with the medium. But for some reason, hand-drawn animation became the scapegoat for bad storytelling.”

Q: Why do you think that was?

A: “Toy Story” was the first computer animated feature ever, so I think others kept looking at the success we had and thought it must be because of the computer animation.”

Q: But you say it’s not.

A: “If you’re sitting in your minivan, playing your computer animated films for your children in the back seat, is it the animation that’s entertaining you as you drive and listen? No, it’s the storytelling. That’s why we put so much importance on story. No amount of great animation will save a bad story.”

Q: Clearly it works. “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille” “Wall-E” and now “Up” have all earned best screenplay Oscar nominations. What’s the secret?

A: “I believe in research. Each movie at Pixar involves research with college professors or taking trips to learn as much as we can about a particular subject matter…I have met a lot of top chefs around the world during my travels. Each one of them has said “Ratatouille” is their favorite movie and the only movie that truly captures what they do. Auto Week called “Cars” the best car movie because the details were spot on.”

Q: Pixar’s 11th film is “Toy Story 3,” due out June 18th. What can you say about this third installment?

A: “In “Toy Story 2,” Barbie appeared. In “Toy Story 3″ she meets Ken, who makes his film debut. He is voiced by Michael Keaton and it’s one of the funniest things you have ever seen.”

Disney has released a video game based on the new movie Alice in Wonderland: An Adventure Beyond the Mirror, for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  The game is now available to download from the Apple iTunes App Store reports stitchkingdom.

In Alice in Wonderland: An Adventure Beyond the Mirror, the user will be playing the role of Alice and solve a series of puzzles with a helping hand from the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and numerous other characters from the film.

The user will explore Wonderland that is overflowing with many challenging puzzles, optical illusions and of course formidable adversaries. The user will also learn to master certain abilities that will help Alice along her journey, such as being able to make objects disappear and reappear with the Cheshire Cat, or freeze time with the White Rabbit, and much more.

Hidden objects can be unlocked within Alice’s Journal with the iPhone GPS, photo library and camera. The Alice in Wonderland: An Adventure Beyond the Mirror game for the iPhone and iPod Touch is available via the App Store carrying a price tag of $4.99.

The magic begins in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle — after the park has closed to the general public — as D23 Members and their guests are led into the most magical realm of all, Fantasyland! Enjoy your favorite Fantasyland attractions alongside your fellow D23 Members — from Peter Pan’s Flight to it’s a small world — open to enjoy over and over again! And at our members’ request, guests will mix and mingle with beloved, classic Disney characters, as well as a few friends you may not have seen strolling through the park in a while! We know our members love Disneyland nostalgia, so guests will have the chance to get an up-close look at the “Electric Runaround” (designed by Disney Legend Bob Gurr after a turn-of-the-century Oldsmobile) Walt used to escort VIPs throughout Disneyland — and grab a bibbidy bobbidy beauty shot with Cinderella’s Crystal Coach!

D23 Members and their guests will savor specialty coffee and an array of tantalizing Disney-inspired desserts including pastries, cookies, cupcakes, and of course, Mickey-shaped krispies! A “no host” beverage bar will also be available to toast this memorable affair.

And, naturally, there will be a few D23 surprises, including a special, limited-edition commemorative pin in honor of D23′s first anniversary, the perfect gift to remember this enchanting event.

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Location: Disneyland, Anaheim, California
Check In: Begins at 4 p.m. at a registration table to the west side of the park entrance. Check In will end promptly at 9:30 p.m. Disneyland closes to the public that night at 8 p.m.
Party Begins: 9 p.m.; Check in information for the party will be provided at registration
Event Ends: Midnight
Cost: $65 per person
Tickets: Click here for tickets.

Included with the cost of your ticket:

• Private dessert party in Fantasyland after park closing
• The chance to ride many Fantasyland attractions including Peter Pan’s Flight, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Storybook Land Canal Boats, it’s a small world, Mad Tea Party, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White’s Scary Adventures andCasey Jr. Circus Train
• Photo opportunities with beloved Disney characters
• Commemorative, limited-edition pin (one per guest)

NOTE: Available only to D23 Members in good standing. Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and three (3) guests. There are a limited number of tickets available. Event check-in will be available at 4 p.m.; however, entrance to the event will not begin until 8:45 p.m. Because the event is after Park closing, park tickets will not be distributed. While all available Fantasyland attractions will be open, some attractions will be under refurbishment including the Matterhorn Bobsleds and King Arthur Carrousel. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancelations or refunds, and tickets are not transferrable.

Toy Story is the largest toy licensing event of 2010 and the only film franchise that galvanizes the toy industry with an unprecedented line-up from Disney Consumer Products and more than 20 world-renowned toy companies, including Thinkway Toys, Mattel, The LEGO Group, HASBRO, JAKKS Pacific, and Fisher-Price. Boasting $8B in global merchandise sales to date since it was introduced in 1995, Toy Story will continue to bring excitement to retailers around the world and turn up the fun for kids at playtime. The new Toy Story 3 toy line features action figures, dolls, role play, games, play sets, construction sets, vehicles, talking plush and robots that might just come alive when kids are not around.

The filmmakers also revealed a look at the much-anticipated Toy Story 3 with an all new film trailer introducing a plush bear character named Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear, one of the 14 new toys featured in Toy Story 3′s Sunnyside Day Care, and the first plush toy to appear in the film franchise. The trailer, which will air tonight on Disney Channel, also previews an explosive train sequence and a host of other new characters. The new Toy Story 3 toy line will also include toys inspired by these new characters adding hours of fun as kids play out scenes from the new film.

“I’ve always had a great love and fascination with toys and that’s really where the idea for Toy Story began,” said Lasseter. “When we set out to create Toy Story, I imagined this really amazing group of characters that would entertain kids and families for hours. And that’s also what we set out to do with the toys inspired by the films. Working with some of the best toy companies, we took every single detail into consideration to develop a great toy line that is true to this franchise. Taking a look around the room today, I think we again achieved our vision with Toy Story 3.”

Lasseter was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame at the Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year Awards banquet last night. Through such hits as Toy Story and Cars, he has brought toys to life on the big screen in a magical way that has engaged kids and collectors off-screen with film-inspired product for nearly 15 years. Lasseter follows in the footsteps of Walt Disney, who was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1987.

“Toy Story is the only franchise that brings together the best in classic evergreen toys such as Barbie, Chatter Phone and Mr. Potato Head, and combines them with the creativity and storytelling behind new Toy Story characters that have gone on to become classic toys in their own right including Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie,” said Vince Klaseus, senior vice president of global toys for Disney Consumer Products. “Kids are in for a treat as the new Toy Story 3 toy line is loaded with features such as sound effects, lights and movement sensors, and collectors will not be disappointed as the assortment of definitive action figures continues to grow.”

Some of the hot new Toy Story 3 toys include:

– Thinkway Toys was there from the very beginning releasing the first Toy Story toy line. Today, their ultra popular ‘definitive’ collection continues to expand with a whole new range including new Toy Story 3 character Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear, who has over 45 adorable sayings, is strawberry-scented and has dual toy bear and interactive bear modes; he responds to voice, hugs and even tickles (SRP $39.99). There is also a new Toy Story 3 edition of the Ultimate Buzz Lightyear Programmable Robot; it features over 100 sayings including some in Spanish just like in the film when Buzz is accidentally programmed into Spanish mode; it also features music and dance moves, responds to six voice commands as a “toy” or a “Space Ranger” and includes infrared remote control (SRP $149.99)

– Mattel’s new Toy Story play sets and role play items take action adventure to the next level. The Toy Story Ultra Blast(TM) Gauntlet is a cool forearm cuff offering hours of fun with lights, sounds and other galactic features (SRP $29.99.). The Buzz Lightyear Deluxe Action Wing Pack, with its backpack-styled design, makes it easy for kids to role play as Buzz Lightyear, loaded with signature Buzz phrases, sensors that know when a child is “flying” or “landing” and a host of sound effects to match each mode. (SRP $49.99). Toy Story Action Links(TM) sets are the ultimate “linkable” play sets that simply snap together to create an interactive and adventurous Toy Story world. (SRP from $14.99-39.99)

– The LEGO Group’s first Toy Story-inspired toy line features an incredible assortment of construction play sets and figures featuring classic and new characters. The Toy Story 3 Western Train (SRP $79.99) serves up many adventures as builders help Woody, Buzz and Jessie fight their way into the train and get everyone off safely. With the Toy Story 3 Lotso’s Dump Truck (SRP $19.99) builders help Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear drive around the day care center in his toy dump truck.

– HASBRO introduces a fun new collection of Toy Story 3 Mr. and Mrs. POTATO HEAD figures, including Mr. and Mrs. from the movie dressed as Buzz, Woody and Jessie. Also offered are new stuffed plush iterations of Mr. and Mrs. including an exciting new electronic Mr. POTATO HEAD plush who says lines from all three Toy Story films. (SRP from $9.99 – $19.99)

– The new Toy Story 3 toy line from JAKKS Pacific offers a wide selection for all ages featuring classic and new characters — from Halloween costumes by Disguise(TM) (SRP $19.99 to $64.99), toddler dress-up outfits for the youngest Toy Story fans from CDI(TM) (SRP $19.99), to play furniture from KidsOnly! (R) (SRP $69.99), and new Toy Story Mania(R) Plug it in and Play TV Games (SRP $39.99).

Toy Story will also bring together the best in co-brands with a new range that will delight kids and families with games they know and love, such as with Toy Story 3 versions of HASBRO’S Yahtzee, Memory, Operation, Trouble, Connect 4, Chutes and Ladders, Space Shooters, Buckaroo, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head; Mattel’s Barbie(R) and Ken(R), Magic 8 Ball(R), Hot Wheels(R), Tyco(R), Matchbox(R); Fisher Price’s Chatter Phone; and Poof- Slinky’s Slinky Dog.

Additionally, Toy Story 3 will be featured on hundreds of new products releasing globally this summer and into the holiday season, including apparel, accessories, home decor, art, stationery, food, personal care, books, plus specialty and collectible items for adults, and an exclusive assortment at Disney Store retail locations and www.DisneyStore.com.

Business Wire

The animated film, which reimagines the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale, will be released on November 12 as a limited release, and open wide on November 24 in 3D.

The film’s producer, Roy Conli announced the new title on Disney’s Facebook page on Friday.

“It was important to me that YOU guys — the Disney fans — hear it first,” he wrote, calling it “a really fresh, smart take on the Rapunzel story.”

In the film, bandit Flynn Rider meets his match in the girl with the 70 feet of magical golden hair.

Mandy Moore voices Rapunzel with Zachary Levi voicing the bandit. Pic will feature original music by Alan Menken (“The Little Mermarid” and “Beauty and the Beast”) and lyrics by Glenn Slater. Byron Howard (“Bolt”) helms.

Disney today announced a stunning collection of apparel and accessories inspired by its upcoming feature Alice In Wonderland, Tim Burton’s highly anticipated film, featuring favorite characters from the classic Lewis Carroll tales, releasing on the big screen on March 5, 2010 (U.S. theaters). Disney Consumer Products (DCP) collaborated with renowned jewelry designer, Tom Binns, leading fashion designer Sue Wong and Swarovski, the world’s largest producer of cut crystals, to create an interpretive line that brings the allure and mystery of the film and characters to life.

As part of the Alice fashion experience, DCP and Bloomingdale’s have joined forces to create one-of-a-kind window displays at Bloomingdale’s flagship 59th Street store in New York City. The windows will feature props from the film and highlight a selection of items from the designer line including Sue Wong for Walt Disney Signature dresses and Tom Binns for Walt Disney Signature jewelry. The windows at 59th street will be complemented by a special exhibit in the contemporary sportswear department on the second floor, which will feature select costumes and props detailed with information from the film.

In addition, seven Bloomingdale’s stores across the U.S. including the NY flagship store will enhance their Alice In Wonderland merchandise displays with special signage and video screens that will play behind-the-scenes footage and select bonus material. The stores include Beverly Center, CA, Century City, CA, San Francisco, CA, South Coast Plaza, CA, Aventura, FL and Short Hills, NJ. The Bloomingdale’s Alice In Wonderland-inspired windows and in-store displays are planned to set in early March.

“The arresting settings and characters in Tim Burton’s interpretation of Alice In Wonderland provided great inspiration and have made it possible for us to work with this renowned group of designers to create a truly unique collection of lifestyle products that will continue to position Disney at the forefront of fashion trends,” said Pam Lifford, executive vice president, global fashion and home, DCP. “Our collaboration with Bloomingdale’s brings it all together in a way that is fun and interesting for consumers and Disney fans alike.”

BusinessWire

Disney states that its “voluntEARS” will be fielding calls and processing donations out of their Orlando reservations center during the “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon, which will air on broadcast and cable networks tonight beginning at 8 p.m. EST

Earlier this month, the Walt Disney Co. pledged $100,000 toward rescue and recovery efforts in the impoverished island nation.

Also at the park is a revamped Gator Jumparoo show and the exhibit of white alligators.

“The creative “Forces” at Disney and Lucasfilm are proud to announce an all-new character coming to the Disney Parks in April 2010. Every Jedi needs his own astromech droid, and Jedi Mickey is no exception. This spring we will be introducing Jedi Mickey’s own droid, R2-MK.

“This new character is exclusive to the Disney Parks, and he will be available at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. It will come packed as a Hasbro action figure 2-pack along with Jedi Mickey and will retail for $18.95.”

Disney Press Release

The addition of streaming sports content could give the Xbox a leg up again on competitors Sony and Nintendo, whose respective PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles now have the Netflix streaming for which Xbox once boasted exclusivity. The NYT reports ESPN content on Xbox could be offered for a per-subscriber fee.

From the NYT report, which cited anonymous sources close to the talks:

ESPN could provide live streams of sporting events, similar to the ones available through ESPN 360, a service that is available from some high-speed Internet providers. Microsoft could also create some interactive games in association with ESPN, the people said, although a deal has not yet been struck.

Beginning today, Disney Parks is officially launching “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” — perform a day of volunteer service at a participating organization in 2010 and you’ll receive a free, one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park.

If you recall, we announced the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program on The Disney Parks Blog in September. Now, you can participate. It’s simple — just sign up, volunteer and redeem.

– First, visit www.DisneyParks.com or www.DisneyParks.ca, search for a volunteer activity and sign up. TThe opportunities are being coordinated by HandsOn Network, the nation’s largest volunteer network. And as you’ll notice, many of the available activities offer opportunities for families to volunteer together.

– Next, you complete the volunteer activity selected.

– Finally, when the completed day of volunteer service has been verified by HandsOn Network, you’ll print out a voucher online (instructions will be included in a follow-up e-mail from Disney Parks) before redeeming it at a Disney Park — in California at Disneyland Resort or in Florida at Walt Disney World Resort – for a one-day, one-park ticket. If a guest determines that they won’t be able to visit a Disney park (vouchers must be redeemed and tickets used by Dec. 15, 2010), they can donate the ticket to a charity designated by Disney: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern California; Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida; Dreams Take Flight Canada.

Keep checking The Disney Parks Blog for updates on “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.”

There are also some official details you should know about: You must pre-register and sign up for eligible volunteer opportunity at disneyparks.com. Ticket quantities for this program are limited. Must be at least age 6 to participate. Other terms and conditions apply. For details, see disneyparks.com in the United States and Puerto Rico. In Canada, see disneyparks.ca.

Disney Parks Blog

]]> http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/12/18/disneyland-resort-paris-launches-private-dinner-experiences/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/12/16/disney-interactive-releases-new-iphone-app-the-muppets-animal-drummer/ http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/12/16/disney-interactive-releases-new-iphone-app-the-muppets-animal-drummer/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:00:30 +0000 Ray http://www.thetravelears.com/?p=6636

Disney Interactive Studios announced today the latest (and loudest) addition to its slate of Apps, The Muppets Animal Drummer. Available now on the App Store for $1.99, The Muppets Animal Drummer puts iPhone and iPod touch users in the drummer’s seat for a game that will test the skills of every wannabe rock drummer out there. Watch and listen to Animal play, then match Animal’s beat and timing to score points and unlock new songs. (Note: Rock & Roll Groupies not included with this app.)

The Muppets Animal Drummer app also features a Free Play Mode where users can rock out with Animal to original music or songs imported from your iTunes music library (3.0 OS or higher required). Users can also score points and create combos to charge their Rock Meter and power their stage presence. You can even use the App to create original music, then hit the record feature and watch Animal replay your jam session.

“We’re excited to bring Animal and The Muppets to a broad mobile audience, and what better way to do that than an innovative, music-based App that taps into Animal’s wild personality and the unique functionality of the iPhone and iPod touch,” stated Stephen Saiz, director of marketing, Disney Interactive Studios.

Animal, who usually lets his drums do his talking, was typically pithy about this new app: “Louder! Faster! Drum! Drum! Drum!” “Precisely,” agreed Disney’s Stephen Saiz.

BusinessWire

Alicia Keys‘ soulful voice is going to be working double duty, thanks to a new production deal the R&B singer has signed with Disney.

Keys, who has starred in movies Smokin’ Aces and The Nanny Diaries, has teamed up with her manager Jeff Robinson to develop new live action and animation projects for the kids’ entertainment giant.

Their first film, a remake of the 1958 comedy Bell, Book and Candle, will see Keys take on double duty as producer and actress, voicing a witch who casts a spell over an enemy’s fiance.

But that’s not all – Keys is also working on a TV series with U.S. network NBC, and the singer reveals she’s even branching out on the stage.

She tells Uptown magazine, “I’m loving the diversity of the angles. I’m also working on a theatre piece. I want to create not only the music, but the stories.”

This video is Muppets GOLD!

Disney Channel will premiere the music video for Tiffany Thornton (”Sonny With A Chance”) and world renowned star Kermit the Frog’s Christmas duet, “I Believe,” on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4. Prior to the premiere on Disney Channel, Radio Disney will debut the song on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27. Thornton and Kermit the Frog will perform the song during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, November 26.

The music video for the yuletide ballad was produced by The Muppets Studio, with music written by Wesley Whatley, with lyrics by William Schermerhorn. It follows Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton in the studio as they record their new Christmas song. During the recording process, Tiffany and Kermit add a few festive touches to the studio to get into the holiday spirit. The single from Walt Disney Records will be available digitally at various online retailers on Tuesday, December 8.

Disney Press Release

SuperShuttle International Inc. has opened its first international service center in Paris, the hometown of the Phoenix company’s parent, Veolia Transport.

Shuttle vans serve all three Paris airports, Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais, seven train stations, and Disneyland Paris. Passengers will be taken anywhere in Paris including hotels and local residences.

U.S. customers traveling to Paris will be able to book reservations through the company’s Web site and call center beginning in early 2010.

Veolia has more than 16,000 employees and annual revenue of nearly $1 billion. It has 120 transportation centers in the U.S. and Canada providing bus, rail, taxi, shuttle and para-transit services.

Business Journal

BusinessWire

An exhibit with original artwork from the Walt Disney Studio opened this week at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Besides artwork from popular tales such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty,” the exhibit also includes pieces from the upcoming movie, “The Princess and the Frog.”

Set in New Orleans, “The Princess and the Frog” is a musical comedy about a free-spirited, jazz-loving prince whose encounter with a witch doctor goes bad, and the prince is turned into a frog.

The prince’s attempt to become human again – through a favor in exchange for a fateful kiss on the lips from the beautiful girl – takes an unexpected turn and leads the prince and girl on an adventure through New Orleans and the bayous of Louisiana.

The film, from the creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” debuts in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 25 and opens nationwide Dec. 11.

The Disney exhibit, called “Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio,” will remain at NOMA through March 14. In all, the exhibit includes more than 600 original artworks that brought legendary fairy tales to the screen.

Associated Press

Night owls and early morning bargain hunters can get a head start on holiday gift buying this year as Disney Store prepares to open more than 125 stores nationwide at midnight on Nov. 27 (Black Friday). From opening hours until 10 a.m., shoppers will benefit from 20% off all items, including already discounted merchandise. A host of Black Friday deals at affordable $5, $10 and $15 price points, as well as amazing discounts on big ticket items marked $20 – $40 off*, and special gifts with purchase, will make Disney Store the must-go-to location for shoppers looking for an amazing array of Disney toys, apparel and seasonal décor.

(For a complete list of Disney Store locations opening at midnight on Black Friday, please go to www.disneyconsumerproducts.com/press/us. Press interviews and in-store media coverage opportunities available to schedule.)

Guests can prepare for their Black Friday Disney Store shopping by previewing hot Disney holiday toys and gift ideas in the YouTube video “Disney Store Holiday Shopping Guide: Share the Magic” now playing online athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3-idoWGEiA.

Disney Store is also reaching out to surrounding communities this year to “share the magic” by donating toys to local Boys & Girls Club chapters across America. On behalf of each of its locations in the United States, Disney Store will donate one hundred (100) toys to each of the local BGCA chapters nearest such locations. Guests who shop at the Disney Store are also encouraged to bring in unwrapped toys, which Disney Store will also donate to the local Boys & Girls Club chapter during the holiday season.

“We recognize that consumers are looking for the best value without compromising quality, and Disney Store offers a unique experience, high-quality product, and this year we have bigger and better holiday deals that will begin on Black Friday and last all weekend long,” said Jim Fielding, president of Disney Store Worldwide. “Last year, we had an overwhelming response from shoppers during our midnight openings, and we are expanding the number of stores opening at midnight to accommodate even more guests.”

Special one-day pricing on great gifts include:

• $5 deals: graphic character tee shirts (regular price $9.50), holiday ornaments (regular price $9.50 each) and character mugs (regular price $8.50)
• $10 deals: Classic Disney Princess dolls (regular pricing $16.50 each), favorite Disney plush characters (regular price $14.50-$16.50) and colorful fleece throws (regular price $19.50)
• $15 deals: a Disney-Pixar Cars Lightning McQueen Runaway Racer (regular price $29.50), Toy Story Talking Buzz and Woody Deluxe Action Figures (regular price $24.50 each) and a Disney Princess Glamour Case (regular price $19.50), perfect for stashing princess jewels and other necessities.

Select Disney Princess and Disney-Pixar’s Cars products $20-40 off during Black Friday weekend only include:

• Disney Princess Darlings Castle, $49.50 (regular price $79.50)
• Classic Disney Princess Dolls 8 Piece Gift Set, $69.50 (regular price $99.50)
• Cars Dinoco Helicopter, $39.50 (regular price $59.50)
• Cars Deluxe 20-Piece Die Cast Gift Set, $79.50 (regular price $99.50)
• Minnie Mouse Kitchen Play Set, $59.50 (regular price $99.50)

With a purchase of $40 or more, guests may also receive a Holiday Sweater Mickey Mouse Plush for only $5 (while supplies last).

Disney Store’s Holiday lineup also includes a wonderful assortment of new products inspired by the new movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios, ThePrincess and the Frog, opening in Los Angeles and New York on November 25 and nationwide on December 11. Kids will love the Deluxe Tiana Doll and Wardrobe Play Set (SRP $29.50); the Mardi Gras-style Tiana Musical Instruments Play Set (SRP $24.50), an 8-piece set, including a trumpet, ukulele, and Lightning Bug Shaker, to create the fun jazzy sounds of the bayou; and the gorgeous Tiana Deluxe Costume (SRP $89.50) with its flower petal-shaped layers of tulle and satin skirt, making this a girl’s dream costume for dress-up play all year long. The Princess and the Frog Snowglobe (SRP $89.50) and thePrincess Tiana Doll Ornament with Holiday Gown (SRP $14.50) make great holiday gifts for the home. From November 30 through December 10, guests purchasing $40 or more per visit at Disney Store will receive a card redeemable toward one child’s movie admission to see The Princess and the Frog.

Membership to Disney’s D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans also makes a unique holiday gift. Fans can join D23 at www.Disney.com/D23, select Disney Store locations within the United States, select shops at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, and www.DisneyStore.com/D23.

To find a local Disney Store, guests can visit www.DisneyStore.com/storelocatoror call (866) 902-2798. For more information, please visitwww.disneyconsumerproducts.com. Guests can also sign up for email alerts at www.DisneyStore.com/Updates, become a fan on Facebookwww.facebook.com/DisneyStore or follow us on Twitterwww.twitter.com/DisneyStore to stay connected to your favorite destination.

*All special offers are available while supplies last

WELT Online

Although much of ABC’s Wednesday night has been a pleasant surprise with “The Middle,” “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town” getting full-season pickups, “The Witches of Eastwick” has been pulling in Jay Leno-like numbers at 10 p.m., often averaging fewer than 5 million viewers. The show, which stars Rebecca Romijn and Lindsay Price, is based on the John Updike book.

Reuters/Los Angeles Times

Jim Carrey’s Scrooge is collecting holiday donations from movie fans with a $31 million opening weekend for his new take on “A Christmas Carol.”

The Disney animated version of the Charles Dickens classic features Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and as all three Christmas ghosts that show Scrooge the error of his miserly ways.

The movie was shot with the same performance-capture technology director Robert Zemeckis (zuh-MEH-kihs) used on his 2004 holiday offering “The Polar Express.”

“Christmas Carol” came in ahead of “Polar Express,” which had an opening weekend of $23.5 million.

But it fell well short of the $55.1 million opening for Carrey’s previous holiday tale, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 2000.

Associated Press

For the first time a new generation of fans will use a stylus and mic to guide Scrooge on a thrilling adventure and help him discover the true meaning of Christmas. Disney Interactive Studios today announced Disney’s A Christmas Carol video game is available now at all major retailers. Exclusive to the Nintendo DS(TM), Disney’s A Christmas Carol is an exciting storybook adventure inspired by “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” the Charles Dickens tale re-imagined by Robert Zemeckis as a major feature film starring Jim Carrey.

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol video game brings a holiday classic everyone knows to a fun new interactive platform,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “The game is sure to provide hours of festive entertainment this holiday season for the entire family.”

In the game, players experience narrated animated scenes inspired by the film that unfold like an interactive storybook with amazing beauty and detail. The game utilizes many of the unique Nintendo DS features. Players will experience Scrooge’s adventure by blowing and speaking into the microphone and using the Nintendo DS stylus to pull, shake, drag and tap the different environments. The English version of the Charles Dickens book is also included in the game, so that fans can read the original text while they play. The rest of the game can be enjoyed in English, Spanish, or French.

In addition, there are several fun holiday activities like singing carols, decorating with holiday ornaments, and cooking recipes from the Victorian era. The game features 14 interactive mini-games that include coin tossing, playing the piano and fiddle, throwing snow balls, and a whole host of card games. As a bonus, the game allows up to four players to challenge each other with a variety of mini-games on one Nintendo DS system. For fans of Disney’s A Christmas Carol, who may be new to video games, a poster included with the game offers easy to follow tips for the first level. Another plus is a real-time advent calendar with surprises that unlock every day from December 1 through Christmas 2009.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol video game also includes DGamer, the online community exclusively for Disney gamers on Nintendo DS. DGamer enables players to chat with others and unlock additional items in their game. Disney’s A Christmas Carol DGamer features include special holiday and Christmas greetings and in-game messages. From November 11 through December 23, players owning the game will receive weekly exclusive codes for special DGamer avatar accessories, so those who start playing the game earlier have the opportunity to collect the entire set sooner.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol video game is available for $29.99 and is rated E for Everyone with Comic Mischief by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

BusinessWire

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) today released its “Most Wanted Holiday Toys List,” featuring its Disney Dozen Deals – toys that bring Disney’s rich storytelling heritage home for the holidays for less than $25, plus six standouts for the most discerning gift-givers. Already garnering top honors and awards from media and organizations including FunFare, FamilyFun, iParenting and the National Association of Parenting Publications, Disney toys will delight boys and girls of all ages and bring to life the magic of its beloved characters and storylines for a cheerful holiday season.

The Most Wanted Holiday Toys list is inspired by the latest entertainment content including the upcoming theatrical release of The Princess and the Frog, Disney’s enchanting 2D animated film which introduces the newest Disney Princess character, Tiana; Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, the second installment in the popular Disney Fairies series now available on Disney Blu-ray and DVD; the Disney-Pixar Toy Story Definitive collection which replicates Andy’s favorites friends featured in the film, all the way down to the scale size and packaging; the Cars and Cars Toons die-cast line, which has sold more than 140 million cars to date gets a new twist with lenticular eyes and a neon light up feature; plus the popular Playhouse Disney preschool series on Disney Channel Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny.

Disney’s Most Wanted Holiday Toys are now available at national retailers, Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.com.

THE DISNEY DOZEN DEALS UNDER $25 (in alphabetical order):

– Disney Fairies Tink’s Balloon Playset

– Disney Fairies Secret Jewelry Box

– Handy Manny Flicker The Flashlight

– Mickey’s Mouse-Ke-Tag Game

– Minnie Mouse Cupcake Set (Disney Store exclusive)

– Disney Princess: The Princess and the Frog Princess Tiana Cooking Set (Disney Store exclusive)

– Disney Princess Tiana Classic Doll (Disney Store exclusive)

– Disney Princess Tiana Just One Kiss Doll

– Disney-Pixar’s Cars Die-Cast: Neon Light up and Lenticular collections

– Disney-Pixar’s Cars Toons assortment

– Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story Buddy Packs

– Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story Basic Action Figures

Here are more details, divided by category:

PRESCHOOL:

Handy Manny Flicker The Flashlight, SRP $14.99 at national retailers. Introducing Manny’s 8th tool, the newest member of his toolbox, Flicker the flashlight! This is a real working flashlight. Pull the blue cap to extend him or snake the light into hard to get to places. Press the side button to turn on and off the light and press his mouth button to hear phrases! You can also project an image on the wall of a wrench to use it as a call to action for Manny to come save the day.

Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG, SRP: $24.99 at national retailers. Mickey’s Mouse-ke-TAG is an active learning toy for preschoolers that promotes mental and physical exercise. Players listen as Goofy calls out descriptions of different Disney character targets; kids can run to tag them.

Minnie Mouse Cupcake Set, SRP: $19.50 at Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.comexclusive. Now every child can be a chef as they bake delicious pretend cupcakes that are always perfect. The Minnie Cupcake set comes with more than a dozen items. Included are pretend eggs, a bowl, a spatula, a cupcake tin, pretend cupcakes, measuring spoons, frosting and a measuring cup. Ages 3+.

BOYS:

Disney-Pixar Cars Vehicles (Lenticular eyes, Die Cast), SRP: $3.99 at national retailers. Highly collectible and fun to play with too, this line of die cast character cars feature new “lenticular” moving eyes!

Disney-Pixar Cars Neon Light-Up Die Cast Disney Cars 2-Pack, SRP: $16.50, a Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.com exclusive. Blaze a trail in neon with the Neon Light-Up Die Cast Cars 2-packs in assorted characters. Activate neon lights with on-off switch at bottom of car.

Disney-Pixar Cars Toons Vehicles (Die Cast), SRP: $4.99 – $7.99 at national retailers. This new line of die cast character cars features characters from the Cars Toons animated shorts, all-new stories created and illustrated by the Disney-Pixar team. The shorts debuted on Disney Channel last fall and were such a hit that Disney will release additional shorts ongoing.

Disney-Pixar Toy Story Buddy Packs, SRP: $6.99 at national retailers. Kids can re-create their favorite Toy Story movie scenes or make up their own adventures with these fun, stylized figures that are ready for action. Kids can choose from 26 different 2-packs or collect them all.

Disney-Pixar Toy Story Basic Action Figures, SRP: $9.99 at national retailers, Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.com. Packed with all the personality and fun of the Toy Story characters, these fully articulated 6-inch action figures feature up to 11 different character/poses that kids can collect.

GIRLS:

Disney Fairies Tink’s Balloon Playset, SRP: $19.99 at national retailers. Re-enact scenes from the new film in the super popular Disney Fairies DVD series, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure with Tink’s Transforming Balloon playset. Turn the top of the balloon and watch as it opens to reveal a playset inside.

Disney Fairies Secret Jewelry Box, SRP: $14.99 – $16.99 at national retailers. Flower shaped jewelry box opens to reveal lots of jewelry and fun play. Includes two 2″ dolls that attach to the jewelry pieces. The dolls spin at the top of the playset, like a real jewelry box. Several drawers and compartments store the play pieces and the entire set folds up for portability. Includes necklace, bracelet, earrings, ring and dolls.

Disney Princess: The Princess and the Frog Princess Tiana Cooking Set, SRP: $19.50 a Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.com exclusive. Now we’re cooking! Heart-shaped, light green and lavender, our Tiana Cooking Set is a precious 10-piece set that’s perfect for a little New Orleans style fun in the kitchen.

Disney Princess Tiana Classic Doll, SRP: $16.50 a Disney Store andwww.DisneyStore.com exclusive. This amazingly affordable Tiana doll shines in a gorgeous green dress adorned with rhinestones, layers of tulle and glitter. The special doll comes with a frog figurine (not shown) to add to the fun and allows girls to act out favorite scenes from the movie.

Disney Princess Tiana Just One Kiss Doll, SRP: $24.99 at national retailers, winner of FunFare Magazine’s “Holiday Hot Dozen.” Just like in the story, beautiful Tiana wears her sparkly blue ball gown and comes with her frog Prince Naveen on her hand. When girls bring the frog up to Tiana for a kiss, they can play out the magical scene. When Tiana finally agrees to kiss the prince, her dress lights up with firefly lights and makes magical sounds.

THE SIX DISNEY STANDOUTS:

For shoppers looking for that extra-special and magical standout item (in alphabetical order):

– Disney Netpal by ASUS PC

– Disney Pix Twist Digital Still Camera

– Disney Princess Tiana Deluxe Costume (Disney Store exclusive)

– Disney-Pixar Toy Story Definitive Collection

– Disney-Pixar Toy Story Ultimate Buzz Lightyear robot

– Handy Manny’s Repair Shop

Disney Netpal by ASUS (ages 6+), SRP $349.99 at www.DisneyStore.com and Toys”R”Us, winner of FunFare Magazine’s “Holiday Hot Dozen.” The Disney Netpal by ASUS PC is a perfect first notebook computer, designed specifically for kids with parents in mind. It’s fun, web-safe and easy. They’ll enjoy fun games and applications like Disney Mix and Radio Disney in a web-safe environment that lets you choose where they visit and who they contact. Kid-friendly desktop has visual instructions that make it easy to operate and navigate. Best of all, their favorite Disney friends are only a click away!

Disney Pix Twist Digital Still Camera, SRP: $59.99, at national retailers. An evolution in the popular line of Disney Pix digital cameras, the new Disney Pix Twist lets kids take endless pictures of friends and twist the body of the camera to take close up shots of themselves. Features 5 MP and 16 MB internal memory. Styles: Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, Princess Petals (non-character) and Wizards of Waverly Place.

Disney Princess Tiana Deluxe Costume, SRP: $89.50, a Disney Store andwww.DisneyStore.com exclusive. A glittering yellow and green dream, the Deluxe Tiana Costume is perfect for an everyday waltz around her blue bayou. Flower petal-shaped layers of tulle and satin skirt make this Princess and the Frog costume darling for dress-up. The special attention to detail and fine fabric make this a stunning must-have that will endure many play sessions.

Disney-Pixar Toy Story Definitive Collection, SRP: $16.99 – $79.99, at national retailers, Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.com, winner of FunFare Magazine’s “Holiday All Stars” and NAPPA Honors Award. This deluxe replica line features the most “film accurate” Toy Story characters ever, delivered in packaging exactly as Andy received them in the films, plus each includes a certificate of authenticity. For example, the 12″ highly detailed deluxe replica of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger is the most film accurate Buzz Lightyear ever produced. Sheriff Woody, RC Remote Control Car, Rex, Bucket O’Soldiers, and 3-Pack Space Aliens are also available.

Disney-Pixar Toy Story – Ultimate Buzz Lightyear robot, SRP: $149.99, at national retailers and www.DisneyStore.com, winner NAPPA Honors Award. This 16″ robot responds to six voice commands; say “You’re A Toy!” to switch his space ranger personality to a toy character for a whole new set of different responses. Powered by seven motors, this Ultimate Buzz Lightyear walks, talks, turns, blinks, salutes, fires his laser and answers his communicator. More than 100 phrases in Buzz Lightyear’s original voice and cool SFX.

Handy Manny’s Repair Shop, SRP: $99.99, at national retailers andwww.DisneyStore.com, winner of FamilyFun magazine’s Toy Of The Year “Top 30″ Award. Welcome to Handy Manny’s repair shop where kids have over 20 projects to choose from to build and fix things just like Manny does on the show. Kids grab your blueprints, choose a project and slide it into the diagnostic center. Next, Manny will walk you through the steps and show you how to do the project. Includes over 40 parts to do the projects; there is also a power saw and a power drill that you can use to do the projects and you can fix them when they break down. It also comes with 2 of Manny’s tools. This is the ultimate Manny item!

BusinessWire

The magical procession returns to the Big Apple this November as the 83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the holiday season. On Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 9:00am at the sound of Let’s Have a Parade, America’s favorite holiday spectacular will step off with its signature giant helium balloons, floats of fantasy, marching bands, clowns, celebrity and large performance groups, and the one-and-only Santa Claus.

Ahoy matey! Get on board the ultimate family cruise with Sailor Mickey at the helm. Sporting his nautically inspired red, white and blue sailor gear, Mickey will salute the crowds as he rides down the Parade route. Sailing aboard an anchor that is approximately four times the size of an actual cruise ship anchor, Mickey measures 48.1-feet long, 33.6-feet wide and 60.9-feet tall. Sailor Mickey will be filled with 14,750 cubic feet of helium on his maiden voyage on Thanksgiving Day.

Millions of New Yorkers will feel their Spider-senses tingling on Thanksgiving morning when New York’s own neighborhood Super Hero(TM), Marvel’s Spider Man, makes a triumphant return to the skies over Manhattan to ensnare a new generation of fans. After a decade, the legendary crime-fighting web-slinger returns to the Parade line-up in celebration of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary. Spider Man made his Macy’s Parade debut in 1987, becoming an instant classic. The new, more modern and muscular Spidey is in full crawling mode with one hand set to release his web. On Parade day, the Spider-Man balloon will measure 78-feet long, 37.8-feet wide and 29.1-feet tall and will be filled with 11,800 cubic feet of helium.

PRNewswire

With President Barack Obama due to visit China next month, speculation is swirling Walt Disney Co may finally be about to announce a long-awaited deal to build a theme park in Shanghai.

Disney and the Shanghai government have been waiting since January for Beijing’s approval to move forward with what would be the country’s second Disneyland, after a Hong Kong park opened in 2005 to a string of operational problems and lackluster attendance.

“Beijing has approved the project. Now it’s up to Shanghai and Disney to work out the plan and make this thing happen,” a Shanghai government source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Wednesday.

The source asked not to be identified before a deal was made public, while spokespeople from Disney and the Shanghai government said they had nothing to announce at this time.

By building in Shanghai, the company that brought Mickey Mouse and Toy Story to the big screen would be tapping a huge consumer market and growing personal wealth in one the country’s modern, Western-influenced cities.

Media reports have placed the cost of the park around $3.6 billion.

Disney would also aim to grab mainland money-making chances that have tended to elude it in Hong Kong, where its fifth resort was built in 2005.

Anticipation is riding high that good news on Disney will be timed to coincide with Obama’s visit to China from November 15 to 18 — granting Disney its decade-old wish to locate a theme park on the mainland of the world’s most populous country.

Analysts said a Disney agreement could be a feel-good bilateral story, highlighting U.S. cultural influence and an investment that does not entail U.S. job losses in the manufacturing sector.

China would get a boost to its leisure sector and to domestic demand as it tries to trim its dependence on exports, which left it vulnerable during the financial crisis, wrote Gong Weisong, an editor at the state-run Shanghai Securities News.

“For a big country, besides GDP, soft power is also very important, and developing a culture industry has great commercial value,” he wrote in a front-page commentary on Wednesday that said the time was right to go ahead with the Disney project.

China could also underscore its commitment to protecting the Disney brand to counter widespread U.S. complaints that its protection of intellectual property rights is still lax.

Reuters

Doubletree Hotels has announced the opening of the brand`s largest hotel in
Orlando, Fla. Spanning 28 lushly landscaped acres in the heart of Orlando`s
tourism corridor, the 1,094 room Doubletree Resort Orlando - International Drive
has commemorated its official debut with a dramatic $35 million transformation.
Formerly the International Plaza Resort and Spa, the Doubletree Resort is two
minutes from the Orange County Convention Center and within walking distance of
SeaWorld and its new Aquatica water park. The property is also minutes away
fromOrlando International Airport and Central Florida`s world-class attractions,
shopping and dining. 

The new Doubletree Resort Orlando - International Drive is operated by New
York-based UrbanAmerica, one of the nation`s foremost minority-controlled, real
estate private equity firms, under a franchise agreement with a subsidiary of
Hilton Worldwide. Pyramid Hotel Group, LLC, a Boston-based full-service hotel
management and advisory company, manages the property. 

"The opening of the Doubletree Resort Orlando - International Drive is an
excellent addition to our portfolio of more than 20 hotels and resorts
throughout the state of Florida," said Rob Palleschi, global head for Doubletree
Hotels. "With a location convenient to both Sea World and the Orange County
Convention Center, the Doubletree Resort Orlando - International Drive provides
travelers with our fourth great Orlando hotel in this major tourist and
convention destination -- with each Doubletree strategically serving a unique
leisure destination and travel experience in this city." 

The completely renovated hotel provides a tranquil oasis, featuring a
Balinese-inspired theme with contemporary, dark-wood furnishings and Indonesian
design accents set against a lush, tropical landscape. With a warm and inviting
ambiance, the Doubletree Resort Orlando - International Drive offers something
for every guest, from richly appointed guestrooms and sparkling, palm-tree-lined
pools to majestic ballrooms and catering and event planning services. Amenities
include three pools; three dining options, including a full-service restaurant
and outdoor eateries; a casual, upscale bar; 60,000 square feet of flexible
event space; a state-of-the-art fitness center; a business center; a children`s
game lounge and more. 

"It`s an honor for our hotel to join the Hilton Worldwide family of leading,
full-service hotels as the world`s largest Doubletree property," says Richmond
McCoy, president and CEO of UrbanAmerica. "The resort`s prime location and new
upscale amenities will provide an ideal retreat for both business travelers and
families in one of the country`s top tourism destinations." 

Contemporary Accommodations

The resort`s 1,094 guestrooms are available in three distinct floor plans,
ranging from Resort Guestrooms, Tower Accommodations and Premium Accommodations
to more than twenty suites ranging from junior-, one- and two-bedroom
configurations to the property`s Premium Suites that include a spacious, 700 sq.
ft., two-bedroom suite with plush living and dining areas that feature
galley-like kitchen areas with granite countertops. Guestrooms welcome with
comfy Doubletree Sweet Dreams bedding and luxury linens, and spacious dark wood
desks with large work areas. Among the high-tech amenities: 32-inch, LCD
flat-screen televisions, MP3-compatible, stereo clock radios and high-speed
wireless Internet access. 

Designed for couples and families, each of the Resort`s Premium Accommodations
features a kitchenette with microwave, coffeemaker and in-room
mini-refrigerator. Sleek, contemporary bathrooms have mosaic glass tiling,
brushed stainless steel accents and sliding bamboo panels. Select premium
guestrooms also feature hardwood floors. 

As an official Florida Green Lodging Facility, the Doubletree Resort Orlando -
International Drive also follows a series of sustainable practices in their
everyday business. Guestrooms are equipped with water-efficient showerheads and
recycling trashcans. Comfort sensors automatically adjust temperature settings
to conserve energy when guests are not in the rooms. 

Full-Service Dining

The Doubletree Resort Orlando - International Drive presents three dining
options, including the casual full-service Bamboo Grille, serving breakfast
buffets, lunch and dinner daily. Featuring contemporary American cuisine with an
Asian-fusion twist, the 270-seat restaurant features artistic lighting elements,
high-backed chairs and multiple seating tiers. Guests can also dine al fresco on
the sunlit, outdoor terrace. 

For on-the-go fare and sweet treats, Max`s Deli offers breakfast pastries and
Starbucks Coffee, as well as sandwiches, salads, a children`s candy bar and
more. Visitors can enjoy tropical drinks poolside at Red Parrot Bar or relax and
mingle in the contemporary Bangli lounge, featuring stylish décor, wall-mounted
plasma TVs and a custom-designed bar set beneath a massive Capiz shell
chandelier. 

Meetings and Events

For Orlando`s bustling meetings industry, Doubletree Resort Orlando -
International Drive offers 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space,
ranging from grand ballrooms to covered garden verandas. Each state-of-the-art
meeting facility is equipped with the latest business services and amenities. 

The Oceans Conference Center in the main building of the resort totals more than
20,000 square feet of function space, with the largest ballroom on property at
12,000 square feet. Close to the restaurants and lounge, the Oceans Conference
Center caters to groups of up to 1,000 guests. 

Nearby, the freestanding Lakes Conference Center provides nearly 13,000 square
feet of event space, including executive conference rooms, an outdoor patio and
pre-function space. The 10,000-square-foot Great Lakes Ballroom seats up to
1,000 guests beneath soaring ceilings. For intimate gatherings and weddings, the
Tower Terrace provides an elegant outdoor setting overlooking the resort`s lush,
tropical landscape. 

Filled With Recreation Facilities

Major landscaping enhancements offer a variety of environments throughout the
Doubletree Resort Orlando - International Drive. Within this lush, natural
setting, guests can create their own personalized vacation experience without
feeling confined to a single area of the resort. Quiet solace can be found in a
palm-shaded hammock or in a secluded Polynesian hut. Families may enjoy quality
time on the mini-golf course, putting green or in one of several of the resort`s
gathering spaces. Three sparkling pools have also been enhanced with interactive
water features, a children`s pool, private relaxation areas and
brick-paver-lined sundecks and walkways. 

Other amenities include a nine-hole miniature golf course, a full-service day
spa and a high-tech children`s lounge with computers and Wii Nintendo game
stations. Additionally, the fitness center is open round-the-clock, offering the
latest cardio and weight-training equipment as well as four wall-mounted LCD
televisions. 

Available seven days weekly is the dedicated concierge desk assists with passes
and complimentary shuttle service to Walt Disney World, as well as to the
resort`s attraction partners -- SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios Orlando.
Staff also can assist with making reservations at area restaurants, golf
courses, and sporting and cultural venues. Among the hotel`s other services:
24-hour, personalized lobby check-in and checkout; valet service and gated
self-parking; full-service catering; on-site car rental office and modern
business center with wireless Internet access. 

Members of the Hilton HHonors ® guest rewards program can Double Dip® and earn
both airline miles and hotel points for every qualifying stay at the Doubletree
Resort Orlando - International Drive. Hilton HHonors is the only guest rewards
program that allows members to earn Points & Miles® for the same stay and redeem
hotel points for free nights with No Blackout Dates. With No Blackout Dates,
members can redeem their Hilton HHonors points, as long as a standard room is
available*. 

"We look forward to showcasing our outstanding transformation to business and
leisure travelers visiting the Orlando area. Our guests will appreciate our
refreshingly unexpected upgrades at the Doubletree Resort Orlando -
International Drive and our friendly and attentive hotel team who look forward
to welcoming every guest with one of the best reward programs in the industry
and the brand`s legendary warm chocolate chip cookie," said Greg Gooding, hotel
general manager. 

For more information or to make reservations at the Doubletree Resort
Orlando-International Drive, please call 1-800-327-0363 or visit
www.doubletreeorlandoidrive.com.

Business Wire

Last year, Disney Interactive Studios invited girls and fans everywhere to grab their Nintendo DS™ and fly away to Tinker Bell’s enchanting Pixie Hollow to play as a Disney Fairy. The follow-up to that rich and immersive experience is available today in retail stores nationwide. Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure for Nintendo DS comes to North America this holiday season on the same day as the all-new Blu-ray and DVD release from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the second in a series of direct-to-DVD computer-animated adventures.

“Working closely with the filmmakers, we’ve been able to once again extend the beautiful environments, whimsical character animations and engaging tale of discovery seen in ‘Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure’ onto Nintendo DS,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “The video game sequel allows players to mix creativity with gameplay, recreates memorable film moments and gives players more ways to connect with the online world of Pixie Hollow, the center of the Web-based universe for Disney Fairies. This cross platform synergy is indicative of how we are able to introduce compelling new ways to play every year.”

Unique to this year’s game is the ability for players to create and personalize up to five of their own fairies, from facial features to hair accessories, each with different talents focusing on tinkering, light, water, animal and gardening. One of those fairies can be uploaded onto the Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow (PixieHollow.com) virtual world from Disney Online, where visitors worldwide have created more than 22 million fairy avatars. Players are then able to use their DS fairy to go on quests, play talent games and gather items within the PixieHollow.com world.

The film-based Story mode opens as the Disney Fairies prepare for the Autumn Revelry, and Tinker Bell is chosen to create the prestigious Fall Scepter that can rejuvenate the Pixie Dust tree. But when her good friend Terence offers to help, Tinker Bell’s stubbornness and temper get the best of her, causing her to shatter the scepter’s fragile moonstone, as well as her friendship with Terence. To make things right, Tinker Bell must now embark on a perilous quest north of Never Land to find the Mirror of Incanta, which will grant her one wish.

Players will notice that similar to the film, Tinker Bell’s wardrobe has been updated to reflect the Autumn season and her evolution. In addition to the iconic green dress, she will be seen in-game sporting a jacket, leggings, boots and belt to carry all her tinkering tools. Other delightful activities in Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure are mini-games that involve fun tasks such as sewing, collecting water drops, balloon making and unscrambling puzzles.

Players can also embark on an online quest that ultimately unlocks a special item on both platforms and they can add ingredients gathered in the DS game to their collection on PixieHollow.com. The two platforms are now linked through up-to-date news and polls, dispatched from the online world directly to DS.

In addition, Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure includes DGamer, the online community exclusive to Disney gamers on Nintendo DS, allowing players to connect with others and unlock Fairy-themed items in their DS game.

Developed by Hyde and published by Disney Interactive Studios, Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), with a suggested retail price of $29.99. For more information, please visit www.disneyfairiesvideogame.com.

Also available for iPhone® and iPod touch® is Disney Fairies Fly. Fairies Fly lets players pick their favorite character and glide with the wind as Tinker Bell, Iridessa, Silvermist, Rosetta or Fawn, tackling the many challenges that await them in five magical worlds. Players can tilt and move their iPhone to dodge obstacles and grab customized pick-ups and pixie dust to unlock the next levels. Latest version available now for $4.99, includes new video and over 20 new Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure images and more.

Business Wire

The chief executive of Walt Disney has called for a thorough reexamination of the business model for marketing and producing movies as DVD sales tumble and distribution costs rise.

“The business model that underpins the movie business is changing,” Bob Iger told the Financial Times in an interview published on Monday. “If we don’t adapt to the change there won’t be a business — that’s my exhortation to my team.”

The newspaper said Iger advocated a fundamental rethink of the costs associated with movie production and marketing.

Disney’s movies studios, which account for about 15 percent of the media conglomerate’s revenue, suffered a 12 percent fall in sales in the quarter to June 27 and swung to an operating loss of $12 million.

Reuters

Adventures by Disney announced an
exciting new offer designed to help parents and children spend more quality
time with each other through family vacations.  Consumers purchasing select
Adventures by Disney vacations between October 26, 2009 and January 15, 2010
will receive a free three-night Disney Cruise to the Bahamas
(www.AdventuresbyDisney.com/freecruise). 

Realizing vacations are the perfect time to bond as a family, Adventures by
Disney developed a unique offer allowing parents and children to embark on two
great Disney vacations, providing another opportunity to spend quality time
together. Guests traveling to some of Adventures by Disney's most popular
destinations, ranging from Europe, China, Australia, Costa Rica and the
American Southwest will receive a second vacation - a three-night Disney
Cruise to the Bahamas - free*. Families have the opportunity to book the
cruise through 2011.

Just as Disney Cruise Line revolutionized - and in some ways defined - the
family cruise vacation, Adventures by Disney is recreating the way families
think about vacationing together.  Adventures by Disney invites travelers to
experience the world with guided group vacations created especially for
families. Guests meet local experts, receive VIP treatment, enjoy exclusive
experiences and discover incredible adventures - including special thrills
just for kids. 

Each of the 19 Adventures by Disney itineraries are led by two Disney-trained
Adventure Guides who handle all the details so families can focus on having
the time of their lives.  Local experts are also an integral part of every
vacation and join guests to share their stories and provide an "insider's"
perspective to each destination. Adventures by Disney's "Disney Difference"
includes VIP touches, providing special entry to otherwise crowded sites and
unique accommodations, such as castles in Ireland and Germany, an authentic
Yellowstone dude ranch and lodging at the base of an active volcano in Costa
Rica, as well as backstage access in to spectacles such as Disney Theatrical's
"The Lion King" in London.  Each trip is designed so that families get the
most out of their limited vacation time together. 

"Each Adventures by Disney vacation offers families experiences that connect
them with the world and each other," said Don Gross, Vice President,
Adventures By Disney. "And now, families can make the most of their time
together with this special offer from Adventures by Disney - literally getting
two amazing family vacations for the price of one."

Guests wanting more information about this offer or Adventures by Disney can
visit www.AdventuresbyDisney.com/freecruise, call 877/728-7282, or contact
their Travel Agent. 

*Government Taxes and fees not included. Guests who purchase a qualifying
Adventures by Disney land package will receive a free Disney Cruise Line®
3-Night Bahamian cruise. Offer applies to new purchases between 10/26/09 and
1/15/10 of select Adventures by Disney land packages at the non-discounted
regular rate departing before 10/2/10. Offer valid on the majority of 2010
Adventures by Disney season departures; please visit
www.adventuresbydisney.com/freecruise for a complete list of eligible
departures or call 877-728-7282 for more details; Canadian guests please
contact your local travel agent. A certificate good for a 3-night Bahamian
cruise will be mailed out 25 days prior to the land package departure date. A
completed cruise certificate must be submitted to Disney Cruise Line® before
12/31/10 and sailing must occur between 2/1/10 and 12/15/11. The guests in the
free cruise party may not exceed the number of guests in the eligible
Adventures by Disney land package. Offer valid on ocean view staterooms in the
following categories only: 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D and the number of staterooms
available for this offer is limited. Block-out dates apply; see certificate
for details. Transportation to and from Port Canaveral not included. Cruise is
non-transferable and may not be sold, traded, refunded or redeemed for cash
value. Subject to terms, conditions and restrictions of Disney Cruise Line®.
One (1) certificate issued per reservation. Certificate not redeemable for
cash in whole or in part and will not be replaced if lost or stolen. Advance
reservations required. Subject to conditions, restrictions and change without
notice. Land package and Cruise fulfillment is subject to availability and
restrictions. Void where prohibited. Cannot be combined with any other offers
or promotions.

PRNewswire

Demi tweeted, “City of Hope concert tonight was INcredible. I had a blast and Jesse and Miley rocked it… So amazing.”

The second annual Concert for Hope raised funds for and awareness of cancer research and treatments. Cyrus is very involved in this organization, donating $1 per ticket sold for her World Wonder Tour. The teen pop star raised more than $2 million through her last tour for the cause.

ETOnline

The United Nations today named the Disney animated character Tinker Bell an “Honorary Ambassador of Green” to help promote environmental awareness among children.

The announcement came just prior to a screening at UN Headquarters in New York of the world premiere of the Walt Disney animated film, “Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.”

“We’re delighted Tinker Bell has agreed to be our Honorary Ambassador of Green,” said Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. “This beloved animated character can help us inspire kids and their parents to nurture nature and do what they can to take care of the environment.”

Today’s event is intended to promote environmental awareness in the lead-up to the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in December, where countries will aim to ‘seal the deal’ on a new global agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Protecting the environment is an underlying theme of the Tinker Bell movies, according to the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), which adds that the Walt Disney Company uses its storytelling to inspire a love of nature and spirit of conservation in its audience.

In the latest film, Tinker Bell’s greatest adventure takes place in autumn, as the fairies in Pixie Hollow are busy changing the colours of the leaves, tending to pumpkin patches and helping geese fly south for the winter. When Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out on a secret quest to set things right.

Tinker Bell Director Klay Hall, Producer Sean Lurie and cast members Mae Whitman (Tinker Bell) and Raven Symoné (Iridessa) are among those attending the premiere, which is being hosted by DPI as part of the Secretary-General’s Creative Community Outreach Initiative.

The Initiative acts as a liaison between the UN and producers, directors, writers and new media professionals seeking a working relationship with the world body with the goal of raising awareness of critical global issues.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be discussing climate change with a group of children in Seattle today as he begins a two-day visit to the United States city. He is expected to stress the fact that one is never too young to make a difference and contribute to a cleaner and greener world

UN News Center

DreamWorks and Disney have had just about had their fill of Twitter. Many actors have gone hog wild over the social networking site, and it’s become a bit of a problem when it comes to their contracts.

So in an attempt to curb the usage of Twitter, DreamWorks and Disney have laid down new rules. Disney’s new rule forbids confidentiality breaches via “interactive media such as Facebook, Twitter or any other interactive social network or personal blog”. DreamWorks tells client not to beat press releases to the punch on writers have been told not to jump the gun on studio press releases via “a social networking site, blog or other internet-type site”.

An entertaiment lawyer tells the Hollywood Reporter, “This is just the beginning. Hollywood has a long history of  controlling what talent says in the media. This is just a new area of media that hasn’t been controlled yet.”

Princess Tiana’s determination, natural beauty, and universal appeal shine through in this sensual gown. From the Kirstie Kelly for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings collection. The sheath-style gown has an ivory hue with a hand beaded rouched bodice of silk chiffon; a cascading pleated silk skirt and a waterfall train. And the introduction of the Snow White Diamond Edition gown takes place in tandem with the Blu-ray(TM) Disc debut of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — one of the most requested Disney home entertainment releases of all time. The Snow White gown incorporates handmade flowers, fine beaded details and silk organza with a sleek yet romantic take on the sultry fit and flare shape.

“The Princess Tiana gown is a very special part of the Disney Princess collection,” said Kelly. “When I look at this gown I see a modern woman that is very comfortable with her own identity. The gown is designed for a bride with a modern sensibility and effortlessly exudes both romance and sultry flair.”

Presented by Walt Disney Animation Studios, the musical The Princess and the Frog is an animated comedy set in the great city of New Orleans. A modern twist on a classic tale, the film features a girl named Tiana who dreams of owning her own restaurant, a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. The Princess and the Frog marks the return to hand-drawn animation from the revered team of John Musker and Ron Clements, with music by Oscar(R)-winning composer Randy Newman. Featuring the voice talents of Anika Noni Rose, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Keith David, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Lewis and Oprah Winfrey, the film opens Nov. 25, 2009, in Los Angeles and New York and hits theaters nationwide on Dec. 11.

The Kirstie Kelly for Disney by Mouwad collection is a delicately crafted showcase of Disney Princess-inspired diamond and platinum engagement rings and wedding bands. The collection evokes the spirit of each Disney Princess with exquisite details and intricate design. Subtle references to the personalities of each princess can be seen throughout the collection such as pave and millgrain borders, suggestive of Cinderella’s ethereal grace and charm, or baguettes and clean lines for Ariel, symbolic of an art deco influence and her bold individuality. Jasmine’s ring exudes the rich exotic patterns found in ancient mosaics and dazzles with a bohemian chic aesthetic. Sleeping Beauty/Aurora’s princess cut ring conveys an elegant yet romantic sensibility, and for Belle the use of rose cut stones and delicate pave mounting convey her modern yet sophisticated femininity. Hinting at a vintage feel, the Kirstie Kelly for Disney by Mouawad collection embodies the modern woman.

Los Lobos is readying to release their first new album in three years - Los Lobos Goes Disney. The set features 13 songs from Disney films and theme parks as interpreted by Los Lobos. It hits stores on October 27th.

Tracks include “Heigh-Ho” (from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”), “I Wan’na Be Like You” and “Bare Necessities” (from “The Jungle Book”), “Not in Nottingham” and “Oo-De-Lally” (from “Robin Hood”) “Cruella De Vil” (from “101 Dalmatians”), “Bella Notte” (from “Lady and the Tramp”), “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (from “Song of the South”) and “Grim Grinning Ghosts” and “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room,” songs from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion and the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Saxist Steve Berlin adds: “We’re all really happy with it. The kids record doesn’t sound like a kids record. It just sounds like Los Lobos playing funky old songs, so I imagine over time we’ll probably be integrating some of those songs into our set.”

Walt Disney Records releases a two-disc retrospective
collection of music by award-winning songwriting team, Robert Sherman and
Richard Sherman. Hired by Walt Disney himself as his first and only staff
songwriters, the Sherman Brothers music has been an important part of motion
pictures, theme park attractions, television productions, records, compact
discs, and Broadway shows - entertaining millions of people all over the world. 

The two-disc set includes 59 songs highlighting the Sherman Brothers' incredibly
prolific Disney years - from Annette's 1959 hit "Tall Paul" to their work from
The Tigger Movie in 2000. Newly restored with the latest digital technology,
this collection features not only their landmark hits from Mary Poppins, Winnie
the Pooh, The Jungle Book, and "it's a small world," but a number of their other
classics - many available for the first time on CD. 

Their voluminous repertoire is only matched by their musical versatility -
composing in styles from Rock 'n Roll and English Music Hall to Samba and March.
These genres and more are represented throughout the Sherman Brothers' Disney
career. The extensive liner notes reveal the stories behind the songs and are
illustrated with candid photos of the Shermans at work, and also with the
star-studded gallery of artists who performed their classic songs. 

Artist highlights include Annette Funicello ("Tall Paul" and "Pineapple
Princess"), Hayley Mills ("Let`s Get Together"), Annette and The Beach Boys
("The Monkey`s Uncle"), Louis Prima ("I Wan`na Be Like You"), Louis Armstrong
("Ten Feet off the Ground"), and Maurice Chevalier ("The Aristocats"), plus
beloved songs from Mary Poppins featuring Julie Andrews and DickVan Dyke ("Chim
Chim Cher-ee," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious") and many others. The
collection also includes three bonus tracks from the 1969 Disneyland Records
release of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang performed by The Mike Sammes Singers. 

Among the 150-plus Disney songs that Robert and Richard Sherman co-wrote are
more than 35 songs for Annette; the songs and oftentimes score to such classic
films as Mary Poppins, TheJungle Book, The Aristocratsand Winnie the Pooh;
andit`s a small world, one of the many unforgettable tunes for Disney`s Theme
Park attractions. Between 1961 and 1974, the Shermans penned the songs for 28
Disney films, wrote music for Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions, and
composed songs for 25 Disney television shows includingThe Horsemasters, and the
theme fromThe Wonderful World of Color. During the course of their career, the
Shermans received two Academy Awards and two Grammy Awards for Mary Poppins as
well as numerous other Academy nominations over the years. 

Throughout their long association with The Walt Disney Company, The Sherman
Brothers proved to be one of the most creative, influential and prolific
songwriting teams. The Sherman Brothers Songbook documents the extraordinary
career of Robert and Richard Sherman and celebrates an unquestionable standard
in popular music. With their genius for songwriting and storytelling, the
Shermans will always be part of the magic of Disney. 

THE SHERMAN BROTHERS SONGBOOK Track List:

 DISC ONE
 1. Tall Paulfrom the album Annette
 2. Pineapple Princessfrom the album Hawaiiannette
 3. The Flubber SongThe Absent-Minded Professor
 4. The Parent TrapThe Parent Trap
 5. For Now For AlwaysThe Parent Trap
 6. Let`s Get TogetherThe Parent Trap
 7. The Wonderful World of Color (Main Title)The Wonderful World of Color
 8. The Spectrum SongAn Adventure In Color
 9. The Green with Envy BluesAn Adventure In Color
 10. Strummin` Song (Rehearsal Version)The Horsemasters
 11. Although I Dropped $100,000 in the MarketSymposium on Popular Songs
 12. I`m Blue For You (Boo Boo Boo Boo Boo)Symposium on Popular Songs
 13. CastawayIn Search of the Castaways
 14. Enjoy It!In Search of the Castaways
 15. On the Front PorchSummer Magic
 16. FemininitySummer Magic
 17. The Ugly Bug BallSummer Magic
 18. The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room The Enchanted Tiki Room, Disneyland® Park
 19. It`s a Small WorldThe New York World`s Fair
 20. There`s a Great Big Beautiful TomorrowThe New York World`s Fair
 21. A Spoonful of SugarMary Poppins
 22. Chim Chim Cher-ee Mary Poppins
 23. Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)Mary Poppins
 24. SupercalifragilisticexpialidiociousMary Poppins
 25. The Monkey`s UncleThe Monkey`s Uncle
 26. That Darn CatThat Darn Cat
 27. Winnie the PoohWinnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
 28. Up, Down and Touch the GroundWinnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
 29. Little Black Rain Cloud Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
 30. I Wan`na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)The Jungle Book
 31. Trust In MeThe Jungle Book
 32. My Own HomeThe Jungle Book                                                 

 DISC TWO
 1. FortuosityThe Happiest Millionaire
 2. Valentine CandyThe Happiest Millionaire
 3. Are We DancingThe Happiest Millionaire
 4. It Won`t Be Long `til ChristmasThe Happiest Millionaire
 5. The Wonderful Thing About TiggersWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
 6. Heffalumps and WoozlesWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
 7. The Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down DownWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
 8. Ten Feet Off the GroundThe One and Only Genuine Original Family Band
 9. The Happiest Girl AliveThe One and Only Genuine Original Family Band
 10. `Bout TimeThe One and Only Genuine Original Family Band
 11. Chitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang Bang(BONUS TRACK)
 12. Hushabye MountainChitty Chitty Bang Bang(BONUS TRACK)
 13. Me Ol` Bam-BooChitty Chitty Bang Bang(BONUS TRACK)
 14. The AristocatsThe Aristocats
 15. Scales and ArpeggiosThe Aristocats
 16. She Never Felt AloneThe Aristocats
 17. The Age of Not BelievingBedknobs and Broomsticks
 18. Portebello RoadBedknobs and Broomsticks
 19. The Beautiful BrinyBedknobs and Broomsticks
 20. One Little SparkJourney Into Imagination, EPCOT ®
 21. Makin` MemoriesJourney Into Imagination, EPCOT ®
 22. Magic JourneysMagic Journeys, EPCOT ®
 23. Meet the WorldMeet the World, Tokyo Disneyland®
 24. Pooh`s LullabeeThe Tigger Movie
 25. Whoop-De-Dooper-Bounce The Tigger Movie
 26. Your Heart Will Lead You HomeThe Tigger Movie
 27. Walt Disney and The Sherman Brothers SingProgressland Promotional Film

Reuters/Business Wire

Reuters

In Cars Race-O-Rama, players will join Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks in Radiator Springs as they prepare their academy of student racers to compete in the Race-O-Rama Racing Series. Players will encounter 15 newly playable characters making their video game debut. As they progress through the game, players will be able to unlock special racing kits for Lightning McQueen, allowing him to better maneuver brand new, action-packed tracks that will take players to metro city streets, the Baja desert and sandy beaches. In addition, players are able to modify Lightning McQueen’s wheels, rims, hood, side skirt, rear bumper, spoiler and paint with special customization features, giving Lightning a personalized style and look like never before. As players compete in this high-speed, racing adventure game, they will be able to utilize Lightning McQueen’s newly designed drifting abilities and perform “Ka-chow” poses for enthusiastic reporters and fans encountered throughout the game. Cars Race-O-Rama will also feature multiplayer mini-games based on Disney●Pixar’s Cars Toons, a series of animated shorts that are currently being aired on the Disney Channel.

For more information on the Cars Race-O-Rama video game, please visit www.carsvideogame.com. Information on the rest of THQ’s line-up of family-friendly titles can be found on www.playthq.com.

PRNewswire

Best of all, thanks to the speed and ease of Eurostar a festive trip to Disneyland Paris needn’t break the bank or use up too much work and Christmas shopping time. Snaking gracefully under the Channel, Eurostar trains can transfer your family between Disneyland gates and London St Pancras in little more than 2 hours 35 minutes. And the hassle-free direct journey takes even less time – just over two hours – from Ashford in Kent. There are some great deals on Disney hotels available now too, so it’s worth exploring your options on www.eurostar.com.

Themed entertainment is what Disney does best. Throughout most of this year ‘Mickey’s Magical Party’ has wowed families with parades and shows featuring all the favourite Disney characters mingling with the crowds and making childhood dreams come true. But starting on 8th November the resort will be transformed into a Christmas world of festive fun, with Sleeping Beauty’s Castle becoming a shimmering ice palace, a Santa Claus village and workshop to explore, and Belle’s Village, Main Street and the Town Square decked in snow and Christmas lights, filled with characters in seasonal costumes bringing children’s favourite stories to life.

Please go to the TimesOnline for the rest of the article

Woody

Buzz Lightyear

Jesse

Rex

Hamm

Two giants of popular entertainment have come together as Brian Wilson, the pioneering musical genius who co-founded the Beach Boys and wrote many of the band’s greatest hits, has signed with Walt Disney Records.

In the months ahead, Wilson will record two new solo albums for the label’s Disney Pearl imprint, including one featuring covers of classic songs by great American songwriters, George and Ira Gershwin.

From CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009(R) in San Diego, Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Disney Interactive Studios today announced that “Disneyland Kart Racer” is available on Verizon Wireless phones.

“Disneyland Kart Racer” puts Verizon Wireless subscribers in the driver’s seat as they race through some of the most popular Disneyland Park attractions. Disney fans will recognize popular race environments inspired by Disney attractions such as the water boats of Pirates of the Caribbean, the rocket ships of Space Mountain, the crazy cars of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the mining carts of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. “Disneyland Kart Racer” features eight different tracks modeled in dazzling 3D and wacky power-ups and weapons along the way.

“‘Disneyland Kart Racer’ is a fast-paced thrill ride that is sure to appeal to Disney fans and gamers alike,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “We captured the essence of some of the park’s most famous rides to create fun-filled race environments that will challenge the entire family.”

Verizon Wireless customers can purchase and download “Disneyland Kart Racer” from the Verizon Exclusives folder on their Verizon Wireless feature phones. “Disneyland Kart Racer” is available for a $7.99 one-time fee for unlimited access or for a $3.49 monthly subscription on a number of popular phones from Verizon Wireless. Download charges vary and airtime or data charges may apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications.

PRNewswire

Uncover the mysteries surrounding the story of Roxas, the “other hero,” with the latest entry in a series that has shipped over 12 million copies worldwide. The first KINGDOM HEARTS title developed for Nintendo DS(TM), KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days is also the first in the series to feature multiplayer capabilities. Fans can now explore the enchanted Disney worlds alongside friends, choosing to play as any member of Organization XIII, each with their own unique personality and abilities.

Portable and interactive, KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days offers a brand-new KINGDOM HEARTS experience that retains the same enduring charm, storytelling depth and action-packed battle system embraced by gamers across the globe. Experience KINGDOM HEARTS like never before as the action-RPG series is re-imagined for an exciting new adventure!

STORY

In KINGDOM HEARTS, Sora turned the Keyblade on himself in order to release Kairi’s heart, but his own heart was also released in the process. This brought about the creation of Roxas, Sora’s Nobody. Unlike most Nobodies, however, Roxas has no memories of his past. He joins Organization XIII and slowly begins to discover the truth behind his existence and the Organization itself. He meets and befriends the fourteenth member of the Organization, who also has no recollection of her past. What will Roxas see during his time in the Organization? What is the connection between him, Sora and the fourteenth member? And what becomes of them? Dive into the heart of the KINGDOM HEARTS storyline’s biggest secrets.

FEATURES

    --  Rediscover the familiar action-packed KINGDOM HEARTS gameplay that has
        captivated fans worldwide
    --  Master the brand-new "Panel System" to customize Roxas's arsenal by
        placing abilities, items and weapon parts into allotted slots
    --  Team up in the series-first multiplayer mode, allowing up to four
        players to control any Organization XIII member
    --  Learn about the origins of the "Organization XIII" name
    --  Get to know the members of Organization XIII, including the mysterious
        fourteenth member

    --  Finally experience the KINGDOM HEARTS storyline's missing chapter

PRNewswire

Mystic Manor Concept Model

D23 was pretty good and the most amazing part for me was the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Exhibit.

Not only did they pull out all the stops for the presentations, they had front line Imagineers manning the exhibits. Many of them the actual artists or project mangers for the exhibits they were assigned too. In the photograph to your right Imagineer Dustin explains the story and show effects for Hong Kong Disneyland’s upcoming “E” Ticket – Mystic Manor. If there was an “F” Ticket, this one attraction might lead the way to a whole new level in Disney story telling and presentation.

Disney Hawaii DVC Concept Model

I’ve wanted to become a DVC member for some time. So far it has not been in the cards for me and Disney Vacation Club has not offered much that I found exciting beyond the Walt Disney World Resort. Well this resort has changed my mind and it’s fantastic.

I was lucky enough to see the concept art at the Architects office that design the resort for Disney almost a year ago and I was impressed then. To see the model and talk to the Imagineers about this new resort was great. We talked “shop” as we were both long time architectural project managers, and the funny thing was, we both know some of the same people in the industry. It’s a small world after all. Sorry I could not resist!

Wall*E @ D23

Wall*E and Lucky the Dinosaur both made appearances at D23 in the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Exhibit. Lucky was popular in his own right, but Wall*E stole the show at this part of the exhibit. Long lines of guest waited to get their photos taken with Wall*E and Disney’s Photo Pass Castmembers were on hand to help you out (and make a buck or too! LOL).

Wall*E was what you would expect from a robot left on a planet to fend for himself, noisy when he rolls around, beat up, and as cute as can be. He will be a great addition to the parks and I hope to see him there soon.

For more photos of concept art, seminars and Disney Celebs from D23, please visit my flickr D23 set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/imagineeringmyway/sets/72157622336183372/

Radiator Springs Large Scale Model @ D23

With four titles generating nearly $34 million, Disney dominated the foreign circuit on the weekend with “Up” leading a largely slow-moving pack by bringing in $12.3 million from 3,700 screens in 25 territories, pushing its total offshore boxoffice gross to $215 million and its worldwide tally to $507.3 million.

Playing overseas since May 29, “Up” has run a marathon race that suddenly turned into a sprint. The weekend was the second consecutive stanza that the Pixar animated title has finished No. 1 on the foreign circuit. It opened in first place in Norway, and remained No. 1 in holdovers in Germany and Australia.

Opening No. 2 — as it did in its domestic debut — was Disney’s sci-fi thriller “Surrogates,” starring Bruce Willis, which drew $12.2 million from 1,590 screens in 10 markets sparked by a strong first-place ranking in Russia ($5 million from 550 locations). No. 2 openings were registered in the U.K. ($1.6 million from 356 sites) and in Spain ($2.2 million from 275 locations)

For the rest of Frank Segers’ article….please go to the Hollywood Reporter

In a special ceremony today, Disney Theatrical Productions donated objects from the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical “The Lion King” to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Costume elements from the show’s protagonist Simba and the tribal shaman Rafiki will join objects from the musicals “Cats,” “Rent” and the “King and I” in the museum’s permanent entertainment collections.

Designed by Julie Taymor, the costume components include Simba’s stylized lion mask and headdress — co-designed by Michael Curry — and the costume, custom shoes and hat designed for Rafiki. The donated items were conceived for the original Broadway production of “The Lion King,” which opened Nov. 13, 1997.

“Taymor’s designs bring the story of Simba the lion cub, fulfilling his destiny to become king in the African Pride Lands, to life,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. “This donation is a significant addition to the museum’s entertainment collection and joins materials representative of Broadway hits.”

The Simba mask-headdress is made of carbon graphite, a lightweight but durable material cast from a silicone mold, paint and polyester fibers. The Rafiki costume is made of cotton fabric, decorated with metal amulets and a horsehair collar. The hat is made of textured kente cloth, and the custom shoes are made of rubber.

“It is a tremendous honor to see Taymor’s groundbreaking creative vision recognized by a world-renowned organization like the Smithsonian,” said Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions. “‘The Lion King’ is more than a musical — it has become a global phenomenon, and this donation forever seals its place as an icon of American culture in one of our country’s leading history museums.”

Taymor, a designer and director, has garnered acclaim for her innovative productions combining actors, masks, puppetry, ritual and large theatrical landscapes. Entrusted by Schumacher, Taymor was chiefly responsible for the transformation of the 1994 Disney animated film into a Broadway musical. The costume elements are representative of Taymor’s achievement, which blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict the anthropomorphic animal characters. In 1998, Taymor won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design and Best Direction of a Musical for “The Lion King.” Taymor is the first woman to win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.

Now in its 12th year, “The Lion King” recently surpassed the 50-million mark in worldwide attendance, becoming the first American musical to reach that milestone. It has won more than 70 major awards worldwide, including the 1998 Tony Award and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.

These Lion King objects join a rich collection of artifacts with Broadway origins, including costumes from the Broadway productions of “Hello, Dolly!,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “This Is the Army,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Mame” and “Lorelei”; theater awards, including three Tony Awards; props from the musical “The Fantasticks”; Rose Marie’s copy of the musical score of “Top Banana”; and numerous Broadway playbills and posters. The museum’s Archives Center also has a number of other theatrical scripts, video and audiotapes in its Luther Davis Collection.

Disney Theatrical Productions, a division of Disney Theatrical Group, operates under the direction of Schumacher and is a successful commercial theater enterprise, reaching a global annual audience of more than 10 million. Disney Theatrical Productions produces and licenses Broadway musicals around the world, including “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,“ Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida,” “Tarzan,” “Mary Poppins,” a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, and “The Little Mermaid.”

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

PRNewswire

Amid the global economic downturn, the Walt Disney Co. is rethinking Adventures By Disney, the guided-tour business that executives hope can develop into a valuable niche in the company’s theme-parks division.

For the first time since Adventures’ inception, Disney is scaling it back. The company has cut scores of trips from Adventures’ 2010 schedule and has dropped a handful of destinations — including Spain, Austria and the Czech Republic — entirely.

Analysts say the pullback reflects the difficulties even brand icons such as Disney face selling premium vacations — such as $6,500-a-person safaris through South Africa — in the midst of the worst economy since the Great Depression.

Adventures By Disney, said Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. stock analyst Michael Nathanson, “is being affected by intense pressure on the more-expensive family trip options.”

Disney acknowledges that Adventures has been squeezed. “When you think about the economy, it’s hard not to think of any business, in any industry sector, that hasn’t been impacted,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations, which includes Adventures.

But the company says the reduced schedule is primarily the result of a strategic shift in which Adventures will offer fewer trips up front and add more later on if demand warrants. Boosters say the new approach will make the operation more flexible, more efficient and, ultimately, a better experience for guests.

For the rest of Jason Garcia’s article…please go to the Orlando Sentinel

Jim Carrey provides the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge (as well as four other characters) in the Digital 3-D movie. The cast also include Gary Oldman, Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth,Cary Elwes, and Bob Hoskins.

We bagan the day with a quick trip to the D23 Expo Dream Store for a few last minute items to bring home.

Anticipating that John Lassiter’s presentation “The Future of Walt Disney  & Pixar Animation” would be very popular, we wasted no time after stopping at the Dream Store in getting into the queue for his presentation.  This was another presentation where we had to turn in all electronics.

We were not disappointed.  But because of Lassiter’s quick pace of presenting topics, my recall of what was announced may not be inclusive.  During his presentation he  announced that Toy Story 3 will have the main characters returning  but will also include new characters.  Lassiter declinced to name only one new character…Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton) to go along with the returning Barbie.  While he didn’t mention the new characters, Lassiter did mention the new voice talent that will voice these new characters: Whoopie Goldberg,  Ned Beatty, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin and Bonnie Hunt.

Lasseter also announced that Cars 2 will be coming out in 2011 and we were shown two new Cars Toons that will be showing up on Disney Channel some time soon.

He announce that two new Tinker Bell direct to video movies will be coming out in the next year.

We were also shown some more unreleased footage from The Princess and the Frog.

John Lassiter showed us some early animation for Rapunzel and told us that Rapunzel would be voiced by Mandy Moore and that the Prince would be voiced by Zachary Levi.

After we picked up our electronics, it was time head to The Muppets Presentation which was extremely popular.  In fact we were the last two people let into the room.

This presentation was very enjoyable and fun.  This presentation may have had the most “give aways” of any D23 Expo presentation….I was not lucky enough to win anything though.

Among the many announcements: there will be a new Muppet Halloween Special for the Fall of 2010, there will be new Muppet Halloween costumes this Fall, the next “Living Character Initiative” is in development and will be the Electric Mayhem,  and The Muppet Show 4 and DC Almost Live will be coming out in DVD in 2010.

Also…Muppet Vision going digital 3D…pre-show getting redone/upgraded with what appear to be promising new gags, Tiffany Thorton will sing with Kermit during this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, there will be a “Muppet Cooking Show” with Cat Cora this fall, and Muppet What-not Workshops are coming to the parks.

After eating lunch with Ryan, Greg, and Greg’s daughter, we got together to share our thoughts about the Expo…which should be coming out soon.

I was very pleased with my experiences and would really want to do this again next year.

We arrive near 8 AM and spent most of our exclusive time checking out the exhibitors again. During this time I purchased a couple of Carlene Thie’s books about Disneyland and had her sign them.

Each time we got to the front side of the Exhibitors Area…we checked on how quickly the line was growing in the waiting queue for the Arena and Jay Rasulo.  Just after 9 AM we felt it was time to head over there and wait.

It was nice to find out while we were waiting that we would not have to give up our electronics in order to listen to the presentation.

Rasulo’s presentation publicly announced the plans for the expansion at Hong Kong Disneyland and the new cruises for Disney Cruise Line.  Neither of these was news for any of the Expo attendees since DCL info had been announced on Friday and the models for the expansion at HKDL have been on display since the Expo opened on Thursday.

The first major announcement was that Star Wars II was indeed coming to the US parks in 2011…that the attraction would be a 3-D version of podracers. Jay Rasulo made the announcement flanked by Storm Troopers and being watched by Darth Vadar on the overhead video screen.  Even though during the presentation Rasulo only mentioned that the attraction was going to Disneyland, it was confirmed during a press conference that it was also coming to Walt Disney World.

The other major announcement was the confirmation of the rumored expansion of WDW’s Fantasyland.

Maybe another thing that needs to be noted about Jay Rasulo’s presentation by what wasn’t announced…the rumored return of Captain EO was not announced.  This follows Bob Iger’s reply to a question at a press conference earlier in the Expo that it’s return was not in the company’s plans…that they did not have any detailed plans for it.

After Jay Rasulo’s presentation, Brad and I went to see “Science of Imagineering”.  This presentation gave a brief overview of how various forms of science are used by Imagineering in developing attractions and rides. This presentation was very popular…so popular they ended up putting some people in a secondary room with a video screen.  Luckily Brad and I made the “cut” and saw the “live” show.  While it was interesting…I’ll admit, I was expecting a bit more “meat”.

I spent the time between this presentation and the next one, eating, picking up my Ape Pen Publishing books, visiting people in the Exhibitors area and visiting the MiceCast guys while they were live streaming and interviewing people.

Also during this time as I was strolling by Lou Mongello’s booth, I tried to help Deanna Mongello sell some of Lou’s Audioguides by giving my personal endorsement and describing what the CD’s were like.

Brad, my son and I then went to see the “Walt Disney Family Museum” preview session.  I found the session very interesting.  We were essentially given a fairly detailed walk through of the museum.  Exhibit items weren’t described in detail but we did get a fairly good overview of what we could expect to see in the areas of the museum.

After this session, my son and I left the expo for some park time in Disneyland.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Expo and the highlight will be John Lassiter’s presentation.

We met Greg in front of our hotel and walked over to the Anaheim Convention Center together after which we all split up.

I decided as long as I had time, I wanted to fully check out the Exhibitors that were at the event.  While doing this, I made a point of  saying hello to our travel partner The Magic for Less Travel”.  In the early hours of the Expo today I was lucky enough to meet up with Carol Garcia, the Senior Editor of Magically Speaking, the newsletter of The Magic for Less Travel.  If you don’t already subscribe to the newsletter, please check it out.

While touring the Exhibitors, I chatted with Lou Mongello and met Deb Wills from AllEarsNet.  I even managed to score some AllEarsNet swag from Deb…she just handed me all of this free stuff…you can’t say no to free stuff…right?

My first event was one of the Early Bird Book presentations…this one was with Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry.  Ridley Pearson is the author of the Kingdom Keeper series and with Dave Barry, they are the c0-authors of the Peter and the Starcatcher series.  During the presentation the authors told us how they met and how they came to writing the books along with anecdotal stories including Ridley Pearson’s  story of during a research trip he was given the opportunity to touch the Yeti of Expedition Everest.  Not many people can claim that.

After the presentation, I returned to the main floor and check out  ”Disney Technology Magic” where they were demonstrating a voice activated Buzz Lightyear.  The Cast Member mentioned that Buzz ought to be coming out in the next month or so. The CM did mention that he thought that the toy ought to be out hopefully in October.  The price is up there…around $200 but when you see how neat and cool it is…makes you wonder.

I then got a photo with Minnie and returnd briefly to the Exhibitors where I met with, spoke to and had a picture taken with Margaret Kerry…the model for Tinker Bell.  She is such a sweet lady and a pleasure to met and chat with.

After a break for lunch, I went to a book presentation with Jason Surrell, the author of “The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies”, “The Art of the Haunted Mansion”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies”, and “Disney Mountain: Imagineering at its Peak”.  Jason is every entertaining and the presentation was very interesting.

After that I went to a book signing with Jason Surrell.

While I was doing that, my son went to the “Disney Movie Magic” presentation with Dick Cook…nothing much happened there other than announcing the next Muppet movie, “The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever”, John Travolta and his family promoting their new movie “Old Dogs”, the announcement of a sequel to Wild Hogs, Miley Cyrus singing “The Climb” and some guy named Johnny Depp dressed up as a pirate to announce that there would be a 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie, “On Strange Tides”.  So as you can see, it probably wasn’t very interesting….NOT!

When we got back together, where we went to the Disney Parks and Resorts exhibit and saw displays/presentations for Carsland, the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland including what appears to be very awesome, Mystic Mansion.  They also had a meet and greet with WALL-E…not a paper cut out…but a fairly functioning AA.

At that point we decided to head back to Disneyland where we went on some attractions and finished the night off with the “Magical” fireworks and Fantasmic.  ”Murphy” the dragon is amazing but failed to “breathe fire” tonight.

I arrived at the Anaheim Convention Center at 7:30 AM even though the floor didn’t open to D23 Members until 8:00 AM because I had read that some people would be arriving fairly early to get let into the building.

At this point I got into a line to get into the floor area.  Since I wanted to hear Bob Iger’s presentation…the next task was to get in a line to get into the Arena. After about an hour or so of waiting in the line, Greg was able to meet me in line.

Prior to getting into the Arena…all of our electronics…cameras, iPods, phones…everything was taken and stored.  Greg and I commented to each other that we felt a bit naked without our “gear”.  Why this was done will be apparent in a bit.

Because of the large number of people wanting to see this presentation and Disney wanting to allow everyone into the arena…Bob Iger’s presentation started about 30 minutes late.

While Bob Iger’s presentation consisted of no major announcements…no announcement about Captain EO (more about that later), I found it still to be very good and we were lucky enough to be shown a couple of surprises….

The first surprise was a special exclusive preview of “The Princess and the Frog”.  We were shown the first 30 minutes of the movie (some of which was still in rough animation).  We were also lucky enough to have the voice of Princess Tiana, Anika Noni Rose sing a song from the movie. While the song she song was very good, it became even more amazing when Bob Iger announced that she was just recovering from a recent bout of bronchitis.  After seeing the 30 minutes of the movie we saw…I’ll have to say that I think this movie will be pretty good.  The story seems solid, the animation is great and it has a decent amount of good humor along with some good music.

The last surprise was that one of the attendees of the presentation was randomly selected to stay in the Dream Suite in Disneyland tonight.  Prior to us entering the arena, an envelope was place under one of the seats.  The winner was brought on stage and got to meet Bob Iger and get a photo op with him and Mickey.

The Disney Legends presentation followed after a brief break.  The presentation was emceed by Tom Bergeron (host of America’s Funniest Videos and Dancing with the Stars).  Prior to the awards being given out Bob Iger acknowledged the past winners in attendance and even personally acknowledged Art Linkletter who was there and received a standing ovation.  Disney Legend Awards were given to Harry Archinal, Tony Anselmo (voice of Donald Duck-who did some of his acceptance speech as Donald), Leota Toombs Thomas (award was accepted by her daughters), Bill Farmer (voice of Goofy-who also did some of his speech as Goofy), Don Iwerks, Bea Arthur (award accepted by her sons), Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, Betty White (who upstaged Tom Bergeron by coming on stage before he gave her bio and dispelled the rumor that she babysat Walt Disney when he was a child), and Robin Williams who appeared to be very appreciative to Disney and us fans for resurrecting his career as he said after he did the movie Popeye.

After the Legends ceremony, it was time to eat lunch and then hit the D23 Expo Dream store.  There was a lot of Expo exclusive merchandise and other Disney merchadise…along with the growingly popular Vinylmation figures. This store was so popular that it took me over an hour to check out after I had picked out what I wanted.  Luckily there was a USPS kiosk to send some of my items home.

The somewhat big news was while in line I had read on my Blackberry and confirmed by an internet media person who tweets and “Stitch Kingdom” that Bob Iger had mentioned in a news conference that Disney did not have any definite plans to bring Captain EO back to any of the parks.

Because the shopping took longer than I expected, it kind of prevented me from seeing any presentations I may have wanted to see.  Instead I decided to stroll the Exhibitors Floor where I met Steve Barrett (Hidden Mickey Guide), CMO Justin Muchoney, Disney child acting legend Tommy Kirk, The Fabulous Annett Owens (from WDW Today and Mousefan Travel) and Beci Mahnken (Mousefan Travel, WDW Radio Show, WDW Today). Much of what I saw among the exhibitors was very nice and interesting to look at.

As 5 PM approached it was time to head over to Disneyland hopefully in time to see Billie Hill and the Hillbillies (which I did) and Indiana Jones.  I even managed to squeeze in a night time trip on the the Jungle Cruise.

Greg and I spoke and recorded a brief summary after the morning presentations…hopefully it will be appearing online soon.

So thats, my summary of Day 1…stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow.

The star of the “Toy Story” movies, Buzz Lightyear, will get a hero’s welcome this week when he returns to Earth after spending more than a year on the International Space Station.

The 12-inch (30-centimeter) tall figurine who launched into space in May 2008 was on board the US space shuttle Discovery when it undocked from the ISS earlier Tuesday, the first manoeuver before the crew begins the journey back to Earth.

Lightyear was only supposed to spend six months in space, returning home in November on board space shuttle Endeavor, but Disney said his stay was extended because his educational mission there had been such a resounding success.

“The education program that was put in place for kids had really worked out well. So by keeping him up there, it kind of kept the stories and educational pieces relevant,” said Todd Heiden, Disney World’s strategic planning director.

Disney is bringing Lightyear back to Earth just in time to attend and help promote the opening of a remastered double feature of Toy Story 1 and 2, which will be in cinemas next month.

Walt Disney World was also planning a ticker-tape parade for the toy “because he will have been the longest-tenured crew member in space — and that even surpasses the Russians,” Heiden told AFP.

“If my calculations are correct, he will have spent 467 days in space if they come down as planned on Thursday.”

That’s 30 days longer than Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov who spent 437 days on board the Mir space station in 1994

AFP

Walt Disney, the man whose creativity spawned an international entertainment industry, will finally get his due Oct. 1 when the Walt Disney Family Museum opens in San Francisco.

The interactive museum is in San Francisco’s Presidio, a former U.S. military facility that is now part of the Golden State National Recreation Area. The museum will focus on the life and times of Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and Disneyland, among other internationally known characters, films and businesses.

Highlights will include Disney’s successes and disappointments and the creation of characters that have become an indelible part of pop culture in the U.S.and abroad.

For the rest of Rosemary McClure’s article…please go to the Los Angeles Times

At the Festival, John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, as well as Brad Bird, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich of Pixar Animation Studios were awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

BusinessWire

Jewelry designer Tom Binns, a Council of Fashion Designers of America winner, is taking a madcap turn and collaborating with Disney to design two collections of Alice In Wonderland-inspired jewelry.

Disney Consumer Products announced Binns as the first in a cadre of top designers and brands participating in a fashion-driven lifestyle program inspired by the much-anticipated Alice In Wonderland film.

Directed by Tim Burton and based on Lewis Carroll’s cherished novel, the film is slated to hit screens in spring of 2010, with the Disney fashion and jewelry collections launching at the same time.

Binns’ Alice In Wonderland-inspired lines will include a high-end collection as well as one with entry-level price points. The “Tom Binns for Walt Disney Signature” line will offer a limited-edition collection of six jewelry pieces designed in Binns’ over-the-top runway style. The collection will be available through luxury retailers and fine boutiques, with pieces ranging in price from $1,000 to $3,000.

Meanwhile, “Tom Binns for Disney Couture” will offer 35 pieces featuring Binns’ unique style in collaboration with Lucas Designer International. Retail prices will range from $50 to $250, with pieces incorporating photo inlay with lace accents and Swarovski crystal details. The collection will be available at department stores and specialty boutiques.

“This timeless story of Lewis Caroll married with the wonderful world of Disney and Tim Burton’s interpretation offers so much philosophical fantasy and peculiar surreal imagination,” Binns said of the collaboration in a media release. “It opens up a labyrinth of doors for my particular way of seeing the world, allowing me to express my fashion experience with my interest in art and cinema. Alice is the perfect story to release that creativity, and I cannot imagine a better story to cultivate my relationship with Disney.”

DCP said in the release that as 2010 approaches, it will announce the full line-up of designers and brands behind theAlice in Wonderland lifestyle program.

“Disney fashion continues to be at the forefront of trends,” Pam Lifford, DCP executive vice president, global fashion and home, said. “Drawing inspiration from such creative works of art as Alice In Wonderland and collaborating with top designers like Tom Binns keeps Disney and our characters relevant with tastemakers and serves up an aspirational halo effect with consumers and Disney fans of all ages.”

National Jeweler

The D23 Expo’s 50 and Fabulous Film Festival is adding more Disney star power to make each screening and panel discussion magical and memorable.

Disney Legend Tommy Kirk will appear at the screening of his film The Shaggy Dog on Friday, September 11 at 10 p.m. Tommy will chat before the film with 50 and Fabulous host Geoff Boucher of theLos Angeles Times. Tommy, beloved for his performance as Wilby Daniels in The Shaggy Dog, has been a part of the Disney legacy for many years, having appeared in such Disney favorites asSwiss Family Robinson, Babes in Toyland, Old Yeller and The Absent-Minded Professor.

Other Disney Legends taking part in the festival include the previously announced Mary Costa and animator Floyd Norman, who will both speak before the screening of Sleeping Beautyon Saturday, September 12 at 10 p.m. Mary is best known as the title voice inSleeping Beauty, and Floyd worked on such Disney and Disney·Pixar classics as The Jungle Book, Toy Story 2, Mulan, and Monsters, Inc.

And Disney Legend — and Disney Chief Archivist — Dave Smith will chat with Geoff before the screening of Darby O’Gill and the Little People on Thursday, September 10 at 10 p.m.

The 50 and Fabulous Film Festival celebrates Disney films that turn 50 this year. All screenings will take place in the Walt Disney Studios Theater located on the third floor of the Anaheim Convention Center. Screenings are included with admission to the D23 Expo.

She is the youngest goodwill Ambassador ever to be appointed byUNICEF and she follows in the footsteps and commitment given by such beloved Hollywood legends as the late Audrey Hepburn and Danny Kaye, to contemporary celebrity talents such as such Anjelique Kidjoand Jessica Lange— all who have had a personal mission: helping children of the world.

Now it is Selena Gomez’s turn. The 17-year-old Disney actress/singer who is a favorite among tweens, teens and their parents, is traveling halfway around the world to Ghana in West Africa, not for a photo-op, but to bear witness and shed awareness on the plight and suffering of children in that corner of the world.

Click here for the rest of Paula Slade’s article

Between now and Oct. 21, the only place to play the new JONAS online game -- "Horace Mantis Academy Field Day Fun" -- is

at Verizon Online.

Available during that period only at http://surround.verizon.net to anyone
with a broadband connection, the game is the newest in a series of Jonas
Brothers videos, games and other features on Disney Connection, the online
family entertainment site that is a standard feature Verizon broadband
customers can access at no additional charge.  After October 21, Verizon
customers will be able to access the game within Disney Connection.

"JONAS: Field Day Fun" is a fast-moving sports game featuring characters from
JONAS, the Disney Channel show starring the Jonas Brothers, and set in the
show's Horace Mantis Academy.  There are three different play modes within the
game: Turf Surfing, The Wall and Sprinkler Hurdles. Each mode has items
players can pick up to add score and time bonuses to their game, as well as
obstacles they must avoid. 

Players tackle three rounds of each game, with every round being more
difficult than the last. At both the beginning and the end of the game,
players can choose to click the link to watch the JONAS "Clip of the Week."

PRNewswire

Robin Williams is plotting to run down the aisle for Disney, signing on to star in “Wedding Banned” for Touchstone Pictures.

In the comedy, Williams will play one-half of a long-divorced couple who kidnap their daughter on her wedding day in order to keep her from making a mistake. The divorced parents rekindle their relationship as they elude cops and the angry groom.

Deal quickly pairs up Williams again with Disney after making the comedy ”Old Dogs,”which bows Nov. 25 and also stars John Travolta.

The Mouse House picked up the ”Wedding” script from Jack Amiel and Michael Beglerlast summer for Mandeville’s David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman to produce.

For the rest of Marc Graser’s article….please go to Variety

Will the success formula of Comic-Con International work for a Mickey Mouse operation?

The leadership at Walt Disney Co. hopes so as it moves forward with the D23 Expo, a four-day event next month in Anaheim that will celebrate — and sell — all things Disney with celebrity appearances and slick sneak previews of upcoming films, television shows and theme park attractions.

The approach is pure Comic-Con, the pop-culture festival that has become one of Hollywood’s most potent megaphones by providing hard-core fans with insider-access experiences that turn many of them into Internet apostles for movies, television shows and other projects.

Robert Iger, Disney’s president and chief executive, said that the company has, more than any other entertainment outlet, enjoyed decades of support from “very passionate, very ardent” über-fans, but now, in this digital age, that constituency has greater expectations as well as newfound tastemaker power.

“We will be much better served by serving them better,” Iger said. “We live in a world where digital communication enables people to express their opinions about things to a much broader set of people. We call it the combustion of digital world of mouth . . . their ability to communicate with others is unlike anything we’ve seen at any time before.”

It’s a good time for Disney to reach out to fans — the recession has been bruising, even for a company with a market cap of $49.8 billion. Disney’s profits declined in the most recent quarter with tough times for television advertising, DVD sales and domestic theme park attendance. The film studio posted its first operating loss since 2005, despite the success of Pixar’s “Up.” Disney’s ABC has also struggled, with declines in summer prime-time viewership landing the network in fourth place.

Still, company leaders are sunny about the potential of D23, which is a chance to preach to their most devoted choir, the fans who are true believers in the Disney marketing message, that the company creates touchstones, not just entertainment properties.

The event at the venerable Anaheim Convention Center will be a chance for Disney to promote feature films such as Burton’s “Alice,” “The Princess and the Frog” and “A Christmas Carol” but also will serve as a big tent for Disney’s varied empire. Attendees will not only be offered the chance to buy new teen-pop CDs and vintage animation cels, for example, they also will be pitched travel packages for the Disney Cruise Line.

For the rest of Geoff Boucher’s article….please go to the Los Angeles Times