With all of Steve Jobs’ achievements as the CEO of Apple (and they were many), some people forget his major involvement with Disney Pixar. In 1986, Jobs purchased the company that would later be called Pixar from Lucasfilm for $10 million. He invested $5 million into the company as capital.

That means that on a basic level, Steve Jobs is responsible for some of the best animated films of the past decade and beyond – from Toy Story to Cars. Jobs’ reach extends even beyond the massive innovations he made in the personal computing and mobile technology fields.

Disney Pixar CEO John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, President of Walt Disney Pixar Animation Studios have made a joint statement on Jobs’ passing on the Disney Pixar Facebook page:

Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply ‘make it great.’ He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.

They also posted a photo of the three together, which is the image seen above.

Disney CEO Bob Iger also had this to say about Jobs:

Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an “original,” with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

G’day everyone, welcome to the Disney Traveller Website & Travel Blog. To compliment the Disney Vacations Website, we have created a brand new Disney travel information website and travel blog called “Disney Traveller”.

Friend the Disney Traveller Facebook Page today to get regular Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and Adventures By Disney delivered to you as news, articles, specials and discounts break throughout the day.

We are committed to ensuring that all of our readers are kept up to date with the latest Disney travel information that will assist in reduce hassle, time and expense when booking your next Disney vacation.

As you know, we are passionate Disney Travellers that love the world of Disney and especially the Disney theme parks. Since 2001, we have regularly visited Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida  and the Disney Resorts have become our vacation of choice.

Over the past decade we have had the opportunity to experience these wonderful vacation destinations and along the way we have learnt many lessons on what to do and more importantly what not to do. We have traveled to Disney as a family, we have visited as solo travelers and have even been to Disney as business travellers.

The Disney Traveller Website and Travel Blog have been created to share these experiences and lessons with all Australian, New Zealand and other international travellers and to encourage all of our readers to visit the vacation wonderlands of Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line.

We are committed to bringing you the latest Disney travel news, advice, tips, travel specials and discounts. We have also developed a series of free international traveller information guides for the Disneyland Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort, the Disney Cruise Line and how to save time, money and hassle when booking your Disney Parks or Cruise Line vacation.

The guides can be found here:

Disneyland Resort International Travellers Guides

Walt Disney World Resort International Travellers Guides

Disney Cruise Line International Travellers Guides

Save Time, money and Hassle When Booking Your Disney Parks or Cruise Line Vacation

To be kept updated on all the latest Disney travel news, please bookmark our home page, subscribe to our site through our free email subscription service or place our RSS feed into your favourite reader program to have our information delivered to you every day.

You can also follow Disney Traveller on Twitter and Facebook to be immediately updated  as new Disney information is released.

About AJ the Webmaster of Disney Traveller

As a Disney fan for many years, I am a passionate member and contributer to the Disney online community. I have been involved in establishing, contributing to and marketing a number of high profile Disney related blogs, websites, forums and podcasts.

As a public relations, communications and social media professional, I love to create and share quality Disney information to help assist, educate and inform via the online community.

As Walt Disney once said, “I am interested in entertaining people, in bringing pleasure, particularly laughter, to others, rather than being concerned with ‘expressing’ myself with obscure creative impressions”.

I hope that you enjoy our site, learn about the wonders of the Disney Parks and use this information to explore and appreciate the wonderful world of the Disney.

AJ

To have the latest Disney travel news, discounts and articles sent directly to you, subscribe now to our Facebook and Twitter feeds and our email alerts. Or if you have a specific Disney travel question, please email Disney Traveller directly.

Contact our Recommended Disney Travel Agent

Betty Taylor, the longtime female star of Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue has passed away, one day following the passing of her beloved co-star, Wally Boag.

The spunky leader of a troupe of western dance hall girls, in Disneyland’s popular Golden Horseshoe Revue, Betty Taylor passed away this morning at her home in Washington State. Betty was 91. She became the darling of nearly 10 million guests, who, over the years, visited the saloon to see the world’s longest-running stage show in the history of entertainment. In the nearly 45,000 performances that she appeared in, the charming, vivacious blonde never lost her girlish enthusiasm for playing the role of Pecos Bill’s sweetheart.

“Betty Taylor must have been born to become Slue Foot Sue in Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue,” says Disney Legend Marty Sklar, about the way Betty owned the role and perfermored every show as if it was her first. “She knew how to belt out a tune, in the storied tradition an old western saloon, and she held her own on a stage with the wild and wacky antics of Pecos Bill (comedian Wally Boag), the brogue of an Irish tenor (Fulton Burley) and a chorus line of can-can dancers. Imagine doing that five times a day for 31 years and 45,000 performances! Betty was a true trooper who loved playing the part in the show, and loved performing for Disneyland audiences.”

As former Disneyland magic shop cast member, comedian Steve Martin wrote in Betty’s autograph book, “How come I’m the only one who grows old around here (Disneyland)?”

Disneyland’s longtime Golden Horseshoe Revue entertainer and the voice of Jose in the Enchanted Tiki Room passed away today at the age of 91.

Wally Boag, a longtime leading man at Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue and television and film actor, passed away today. He was 91 years old. Wally entertained Disneyland park guests five days a week, three times a day, for nearly 27 years. By the time he retired, in 1982, from his role as the outrageous Pecos Bill, Wally had performed in nearly 40,000 productions of the popular Revue.

Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running stage production in show business history, Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue proved to be good steady work for the former vaudeville performer, who recalled, “My longest job before the Golden Horseshoe Revue was 54 weeks. And to think it all began with a two-week contract I signed with Walt Disney when the park opened [in 1955].”

Wallace Vincent Boag let out his first “yaa-hoo!” September 9, 1920, in Portland, Oregon. At age nine, he joined a professional dance team; by 16, he was running his own dance school; and by 19, he had turned to comedy, performing in nightclubs and theaters across the country and around the world. Among them, Wally played Radio City Music Hall, moving on to such theaters as the Palladium in London and the Tivoli Theatres in Australia and New Zealand.

In 1945, he won a contract with Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), appearing in such films as Without Love, starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, and The Thrill of Romance, with Esther Williams.

In 1955, a friend told him about auditions for Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue. Wally won the role and quickly became one of Walt’s favorite comedic actors, appearing on such television shows as the original Mickey Mouse Club, Disneyland and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, as well as motion pictures, including The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber and The Love Bug.

At Disneyland, Wally also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronics® parrot, Jose, in theEnchanted Tiki Room, and later, opened the Diamond Horseshoe Revue at Walt Disney World, in 1971. His original act in the Golden Horseshoe Revue was also featured in a Danny Kaye television special celebrating the 25th anniversary of Disneyland, in 1980.

Wally often toured and consulted on special projects and promotions for The Walt Disney Company. In 1980, he entertained audiences across the country during a 28-day, 20-city tour promoting the re-release of Disney’s animated classic Lady and the Tramp. He later traveled to Japan to help translate material for the opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983.

G’day everyone, have you had a chance to check out our new Disney travel websites yet. We are receiving great feedback from our subscribers and visitors and we would like all of our good friends that enjoy the Travelears to come by and have a look at all of our new ventures.

Please “friend” our fan pages on facebook and subscribe to our twitter feeds to be kept up to date with the latest Disney travel news, articles, advice, discounts and travel deals as they break.

We would really appreciate your support to get the word out there about our new Disney travel websites and blogs and you can find all the links to our new sites and social media pages here:

DISNEY TRAVELLER

Disney Traveller Website and Blog

Disney Traveller Facebook Page

Disney Traveller Twitter Feed

DISNEY TRAVEL CANADA

Disney Travel Canada Website

Disney Travel Canada Facebook Page

Disney Travel Canada Twitter Feed

DISNEY VACATIONS AUSTRALIA

Disney Vacations Australia Website and The DisneyOz Blog

Disney Vacations Australia Facebook Page

Disney Vacations Australia Twitter Feed

Thanks to you all and we really appreciate your support!

AJ & CHRIS

Great Deal for Canadians!

For every adult that flies, one child flies FREE when you book a WestJet Vacations package to the Disneyland Resort in California by May 31 for travel from April 21 to June 29 and September 7 to October 31, 2011.* Plus, with WestJet’s daily flights to Los Angeles and NEW Orange County – Anaheim, California, the happiest place on earth just got happier.

Read More here

The Disney Cruise Line plans to sail out of three new ports in 2012: New York, Seattle and Galveston, Texas.

Plans call for the Fantasy to replace the Disney Magic in Florida, at the company’s traditional home port roughly a one-hour drive from its flagship Walt Disney World resort.

Disney is stating that the Disney Magic, currently alternating between home ports in Florida and Spain, will move to New York in May 2012 for a series of 20 voyages through the fall. The ship then will reposition to Galveston in September for a series of 12 voyages.

Disney’s new voyages out of New York, to be announced today at a press conference in the city, will include three different itineraries:

– Eight-night Bahamas cruises that include stops in Nassau, Bahamas; Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas; and Port Canaveral, Fla., as a gateway to Disney World near Orlando. Disney says passengers will receive a one-day Disney World Park Hopper ticket and roundtrip transportation between Port Canaveral and Disney World to use during the Port Canaveral stop. Fares for the trips start at $1,240 per person.

– Five-night cruises to Canada that include stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick. Fares for the trips start at $715 per person.

– Two-night sampler cruises that offer a single day at sea and no port calls. There will be three such departures in 2012, on June 15, July 13 and Aug. 10. Fares start at $370 per person.

The Disney Wonder, which is spending this coming summer sailing to Alaska out of Vancouver, B.C., will move to Seattle for the summer of 2012 as it continues sailings to Alaska, beginning May 28. The cruises will visit Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as the Canadian port of Victoria. ”There will still be cruises departing Vancouver in 2012, but they will be greatly outnumbered by the Seattle cruises,” said Disney spokesman John McClintock.

The new Galveston sailings on the Magic, beginning Sept. 22, 2012, will be seven-night trips to the Western Caribbean. The ship will call in Grand Cayman and Mexico’s Costa Maya and Cozumel. Fares will start at $840 per person.

The Wonder will also do four seven-night Pacific Coast cruises from Los Angeles in the fall of 2012, calling at San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico. Then the ship will spend the winter season sailing weeklong cruises to the Mexican Riviera from L.A.

The Disney Wonder will also, for the first time, visit Hawaii, on one 15-night sailing, embarking from L.A. on April 29, 2012.

Compiled from USA Today, Seattle Times and Orlando Sentinel

G’day everyone, have you had a chance to check out our new Disney travel websites yest. We are receiving great feedback from our visitors and we would like all of our good friends that enjoy the Travelears to come by and have a look.

Please “friend” our fan pages of facebook and join our twitter feeds. We would really appreciate your support to get the word out there about our new websites and blogs and you can find all the links to our new sites and social media pages here:

Disney Vacations Australia Website and The DisneyOz Blog

Disney Vacations Australia Website and The DisneyOz Blog

Disney Vacations Australia Facebook Fan Page

Disney Vacations Australia Twitter Feed

Disney Traveller Website and Blog

Disney Traveller Website and Blog

Disney Traveller Facebook Fan Page

Disney Traveller Twitter Feed

Thanks and we really appreciate your support!
Aj

The first-ever D23 Expo in 2009 left Disney fans asking when there would be another. On Thursday, August 19, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club begins ticket sales for the next adventure — an incredible three-day event that brings the entire world of Disney under one roof at the Anaheim Convention Center next August 19-21.

Tickets for D23 Expo 2011 will fall into three different pricing tiers, based on purchase date (see table below), and D23 Members can enjoy additional savings, plus members-only benefits. From August 19 through December 31, 2010, tickets will be $37 for a one-day adult admission and $27 for children ages 3 to 12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will be $30 for a one-day adult admission and $22 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available for both D23 Members and the general public, and D23 Members can save as much as $204 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate.

In addition to these special advance-purchase savings, D23 Members can also buy new D23 Expo VIP packages that are only available to members. These new packages offer incredible exclusive opportunities and will have very limited availability.

The Premiere Package includes three days of admission to the D23 Expo; reserved seating at all events and presentations in the Arena; access to a relaxing Premiere Lounge with concierge and complimentary refreshments, as well as a special exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives; a D23 Expo autograph book; and a special Premiere Package gift bag.

The Sorcerer Package includes all benefits in the Premiere Package; a private tour of and reception in the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit the night before the Expo opens; exclusive hardhat tour of the show floor prior to opening; limited edition artwork signed by Disney artist Dave Pacheco; reserved seating at all presentations and panels; a voucher for an appointment with an on-site massage therapist; special shopping opportunities at the Disney Dream Store; and a hardbound, collectible D23 Expo guidebook.

Only 250 Premiere Package tickets will be available at $500 per ticket. Availability of the Sorcerer Package will be strictly limited to 50 D23 Members at $1,000 per ticket. Both packages are only available to D23 Members. All D23 Members — both Gold level and Silver level — can take advantage of these exclusive admission savings and access to the special packages when tickets go on sale.

The D23 Expo 2011 will also feature the Disney Legends Awards — a tradition that pays tribute to the talented men and women who have made indelible contributions to the Disney legacy; the return of the D23 Live Auction boasting extraordinary rarities and specially designed items for Disney fans; an all-new Fan Art Contest themed to the 50th anniversary of One Hundred and One Dalmatians; Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives with an expanded exhibit of costumes, props and set pieces from Disney’s rich history; plus amazing live events, special celebrity appearances, panels and presentations, sneak peeks and unique experiences that celebrate the past, present and future of Disney.

In 2009, the first D23 Expo brought together all parts of The Walt Disney Company under one roof including The Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney Consumer Products, The Walt Disney Archives, ABC, Disney Channel, Radio Disney and Disney Interactive Media Group to celebrate all things Disney. Stars like Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Courteney Cox, Betty White, Robin Williams, John Travolta and the cast of Wizards of Waverly Place made appearances; Miley Cyrus and Honor Society performed in concert. Imagineering legends took to the stage, and key Disney executives and creative talent including Walt Disney President and CEO Bob Iger and Disney and Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter.

Gold-level D23 memberships are $74.99, and Silver-level memberships — which provide all benefits with the exception of a Disney twenty-three subscription — are just $34.99 a year. All discounts and special promotions are available to both Gold- and Silver-level D23 Members.

D23

Disney is redrawing the sweeping Fantasyland expansion plans it laid out last year, even as bulldozers clear land for the project inside the Magic Kingdom.

With the revisions, begun under new Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs, designers are attempting to rebalance the plans, which initially tilted heavily towards young girls by emphasizing attractions and experiences built around Disney’s stable of animated-movie princesses.

“We took a hard look at it amongst a number of us and said, ‘Can we make the appeal broader? Can we make it even better?’ “ Staggs said during an interview this week with the Orlando Sentinel.

Staggs declined to discuss specific changes to the Fantasyland plans, saying Disney would unveil them “in due course.”

Staggs said much of what was included in the original plans will be incorporated into the final product and that the changes are “improving it on the margin.” He characterized the revisions as part of any creative project’s natural evolution. As an example, Disney cited Hong Kong Disneyland, where early blueprints included an area dubbed “Glacier Peak” that was eventually replaced with a section themed around the company’s Toy Story film franchise.

“Our process is always iterative and always goes through changes as it goes along,” said Staggs, who was the Walt Disney Co.’s chief financial officer when he switched places with parks-and-resorts chief Jay Rasulo at the start of this year. Staggs added: “I believe one of my most important jobs is to make sure that I’m enabling and challenging our creative process to create the best possible result.”

The Fantasyland construction is well underway: Yellow backhoes and mountains of dirt are visible behind temporary construction walls erected inside the Magic Kingdom.

But rumors have been building for weeks that changes were afoot, fueled by reports from a pair of well-known Disney bloggers, Jim Hill of Jim Hill Media and Al Lutz of MiceAge.com.

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

Image Courtesy of The Walt Disney Company

Just as scores of you had hoped – we’re leaving the lights on and extending Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” at Walt Disney World. By popular demand, the parade at Magic Kingdom Park will continue an open-ended run when “Summer Nightastic!” ends on August 14.

It’s probably no surprise to hear that the parade has been one of our highest rated entertainment experiences at Magic Kingdom Park since returning in early June. It’s been an “overwhelming success,” according to Park Vice President Phil Holmes. And now, you’ll be able to continue cheering and humming “Baroque Hoedown.”

Of course, new elements of Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will continue during the encore phase of the run. Those include:

• Tinker Bell leads the eye-filling procession, waving from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering in fairy light.
• Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade, and Snow White joins the Seven Dwarfs on a diamond mine float.
• There are new lighting effects, and the parade’s highly recognizable musical theme is brightened by new technology.

Disney Parks Blog

After Walt Disney died in 1966, his grieving staff sealed his office suite in Burbank, and even as work proceeded on “The Jungle Book” there was anxiety that the company’s past might be brighter than its future.

Four years later, those worries deepened as key executives approached retirement, including Walt’s older brother, Roy O. Disney. That’s why, in 1970, the company handed the key to Walt’s still-sealed office to a former UCLA research librarian named Dave Smith, who was sent into the chamber to learn its history.

“I didn’t expect this to become my life’s work, but it did,” Smith, 69, said on a recent afternoon as he gave a tour of the Disney Archives, a massive collection spread across several in-house libraries and high-security warehouse space filled with Disney movie props, costumes, toys, art, animation, vintage theme-park gear and company publications.

It all began with the items that Smith found in Walt’s desk all those years ago.

“It was an eerie thing to sit … in his chair and count the paper clips in the drawer,” Smith recalled with a nervous chuckle. On the bookshelves, he discovered books and letters given to Walt by Upton Sinclair, Winston Churchill and C. S. Lewis, who inscribed one of his books of poetry with the words: “From one visionary to another.”

Friday, 40 years and a day after he was hired, Smith will announce his imminent retirement from a corporation that, as he put it, “reuses and returns to its past more often than any company in the world.”

On a recent afternoon at one of the archive’s secret Glendale warehouses, Disney archive manager Becky Cline held up one recent find — a cache of storyboards and concept art for the 1964 classic ” Mary Poppins.”

“This hasn’t been seen or touched since the movie came out, and it’s never been reproduced in any way,” said Cline, who will take over Smith’s title as official archivist after his departure in October. “This is simply amazing stuff. And we’re going to get to show it to the world.”

For the rest of the article…please go to the Los Angeles Times

12min World of Color video offers behind-the-scenes look at recording sessions, animation, construction

Disney’s ‘World of Color’ a look behind the scenes from Chris Fisher on Vimeo.

Art Linkletter, who as the gently mischievous host of TV’s “People Are Funny” and “House Party” in the 1950s and ’60s delighted viewers with his ability to get kids — and grownups — to say the darndest things on national television, died Wednesday. He was 97.

Linkletter died at his home in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles, said his son-in-law, Art Hershey, the husband of Sharon Linkletter.

“He lived a long, full, pure life, and the Lord had need for him,” Hershey said.

Linkletter had been ill “in the last few weeks time, but bear in mind he was 97 years old. He wasn’t eating well, and the aging process took him,” Hershey said.

Linkletter hadn’t been diagnosed with any life-threatening disease, he said.

Linkletter was known on TV for his funny interviews with children and ordinary folks. He also collected their comments in a number of best-selling books.

“Because of Art Linkletter, adults found themselves enjoying children,” said Bill Cosby, whose style interviewing kids on his own show in the late ’90s was often compared to Linkletter’s.

“An amazing fellow, a terrific broadcast talent, a brilliant businessman. An all-around good guy,” CNN’s Larry King added about his longtime friend and frequent guest.

Asked what made Linkletter so appealing to audiences, King said, “He had an unusual voice, a twang to his voice that was immediately recognizable. And he looked like your favorite uncle.”

“Art Linkletter’s House Party,” one of television’s longest-running variety shows, debuted on radio in 1944 and was seen on CBS-TV from 1952 to 1969.

“On `House Party’ I would talk to you and bring out the fact that you had been letting your boss beat you at golf over a period of months as part of your campaign to get a raise,” Linkletter wrote.

“All the while, without your knowledge, your boss would be sitting a few feet away listening, and at the appropriate moment, I would bring you together,” he wrote. “Now, that’s funny, because the laugh arises out of a real situation.”

Linkletter’s programs — like many of today’s reality TV shows — often relied on ordinary people sharing too much information on national television.

But his shows were far gentler than today’s often mean-spirited productions. His guests experienced, at most, mild embarrassment instead of utter humiliation. When Linkletter elicited an all-too-revealing remark from a guest, he did it with devilish charm, not malice.

Though “House Party” had many features, the best known was the daily interviews with schoolchildren.

Linkletter collected quotes from children into “Kids Say The Darndest Things,” and it sold in the millions. The book “70 Years of Best Sellers 1895-1965″ ranked “Kids Say the Darndest Things” as the 15th top seller among nonfiction books in that period.

The prime time “People Are Funny,” which began on radio in 1942 and ran on TV from 1954 to 1961, emphasized slapstick humor and audience participation — things like throwing a pie in the face of a contestant who couldn’t tell his Social Security number in five seconds, or asking him to go out and cash a check written on the side of a watermelon.

The down-to-earth charm of Linkletter’s broadcast persona seemed to be mirrored by his private life with his wife of more than a half-century, Lois. They had five children, whom he wrote about in his books and called the “Links.”

But in 1969, his 20-year-old daughter Diane jumped to her death from her sixth-floor Hollywood apartment. He blamed her death on LSD use, but toxicology tests found no LSD in her body after she died.

Still, the tragedy prompted Linkletter to become a crusader against drugs.

A son, Robert, died in a car accident in 1980. Another son, Jack Linkletter, was 70 when he died of lymphoma in 2007.

Art Linkletter got his first taste of broadcasting with a part-time job while attending San Diego State College in the early 1930s. He graduated in 1934.

“I was studying to be an English professor,” Linkletter once said. “But as they say, life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.”

He held a series of radio and promotion jobs in California and Texas, experimenting with audience participation and remote broadcasts, before forming his own production company in the 1940s and striking it big with “People Are Funny” and “House Party.”

Linkletter was born Arthur Gordon Kelly on July 17, 1912, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. His unwed mother put him up for adoption when he was a baby; when he was about 7, he and his adoptive parents moved to the U.S., eventually settling in San Diego.

He recalled his preacher-father forced him to take odd jobs to help the family. So Linkletter left and became a hobo, hopping trains across the West, working where he could. He recalled later that he felt the religious faith instilled by his father had been a great gift.

After leaving daily broadcasting in 1969, Linkletter continued to write, lecture and appear in television commercials.

Among his other books, were “Old Age is Not for Sissies,” “How To Be a Supersalesman,” “Confessions of a Happy Man,” “Hobo on the Way to Heaven” and his autobiography, ‘`I Didn’t Do It Alone.”

A recording Linkletter made with his daughter Diane not long before she died, “We Love You, Call Collect,” was issued after her death and won a Grammy award for best spoken word recording.

“Life is not fair … not easy,” Linkletter said in a 1990 interview by The Associated Press. “Outside, peer pressure can wreak havoc with the nicest families. So that’s the part that’s a gamble.

“But I’m an optimist. Even though I’ve had tragedies in my life, and I’ve seen a lot of difficult things, I still am an optimist,” he said.

Linkletter had extensive business interests. He headed a company involved in real estate development and management and operation of cattle ranches in Montana, New Mexico and California. He held interests in oil and gas wells, owned livestock in Australia and was involved in a solar energy firm.

“In a couple of months Art Linkletter would have been 98 years old, a full life of fun and goodness, an orphan who made it to the top,” reflected Phyllis Diller. “What a guy.”

He is survived by his wife, Lois, whom he married in 1935, and daughters Dawn Griffin and Sharon Linkletter, as well as seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

The family said no services were planned at this time.

Associated Press

Walt Disney World soon will begin building its first new hotel in nearly seven years, a 2,000-room resort that is planned to open in 2012.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will feature 1,120 suites with room for as many as six people each and another 864 traditional hotel rooms, with a design theme based on four of the company’s most popular animated movies.

The resort is expected to be priced as a “value” hotel.

Disney also appears to be betting that travelers will continue the frugal spending habits many adopted during the downturn.  Up until now, Disney has been relying on discounts to sustain attendance during the past year, and executives have acknowledged that consumers are still searching for deals.

The new resort will be built on a 65-acre plot across a lake from Disney’s Pop Century Resort. The new hotel will allow Disney to use a pair of long-neglected, unfinished buildings that Disney originally constructed as a second phase of Pop Century but which it abandoned amid the 2001 recession.

Plans show that the new resort will have 10 wings of rooms and a separate building housing the check-in lobby and restaurants. The hotel wings will be separated into four distinct groups, each with a theme from a different animated movie: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Cars.

Because the majority of its rooms will be six-person suites, the Art of Animation Resort will have roughly the same capacity as Pop Century, which has 2,800 conventional rooms.

With the project, Disney is placing an aggressive bet on what it says is a growing market for affordable suites aimed at families traveling with several children or extended families.

Disney declined to say how much it will spend to build the hotel. It expects to break ground this summer and open it in phases throughout 2012.

image Courtesy of Walt Disney World

Yes, you read right…the classic 3-D film experience “Captain EO” is coming back to Walt Disney World Resort this summer just months after it reopened to rave reviews at Disneyland park. The 17-minute musical space-fantasy adventure film is now scheduled to begin at Epcot on July 2.

I remember enjoying “Captain EO” during its original run at Epcot from 1986 -1994. But for some of you, it’ll be a new experience. The film features Michael Jackson as “Captain EO” and a crew of Disney-created space characters. During their journey, the group uses the power of dance, light and music to turn a colorless planet into a world of color and happiness.

And there’s more. “Captain EO” will be returning to other Disney Parks locations. It’s scheduled to open at Tokyo Disneyland on June 30 and Disneyland Paris on June 12. We’ll have more details on the film’s return to Walt Disney World in upcoming weeks but we wanted Disney Parks Blog readers to be among the first to know. Please check back for updates.

Disney Parks Blog

Fess Parker, a baby-boomer idol in the 1950s who launched a craze for coonskin caps as television’s Davy Crockett, died Thursday of natural causes. He was 85.

Family spokeswoman Sao Anash said Parker, who was also TV’s Daniel Boone and later a major California winemaker and developer, died at his Santa Ynez Valley home. His death comes on the 84th birthday of his wife of 50 years, Marcella.

“She’s a wreck,” Anash said, adding Parker was coherent and speaking with family just minutes before his death. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

The first installment of “Davy Crockett,” with Buddy Ebsen as Crockett’s sidekick, debuted in December 1954 as part of the “Disneyland” TV show.

The 6-foot, 6-inch Parker was quickly embraced by youngsters as the man in a coonskin cap who stood for the spirit of the American frontier. Boomers gripped by the Crockett craze scooped up Davy lunch boxes, toy Old Betsy rifles, buckskin shirts and trademark fur caps. “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” (“Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee…”) was a No. 1 hit for singer Bill Hayes while Parker’s own version reached No. 5.

“It was an explosion beyond anyone’s comprehension,” Parker recalled decades later. “The power of television, which was still new, was demonstrated for the first time.”

The first three television episodes were turned into a theatrical film, “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier,” in 1955.

During a cross-country personal appearance tour in the summer of 1955, as many as 20,000 fans reportedly showed up to greet the actor when he landed at each city’s airport.

By the time Disney realized it had a hit on its hands, it was already producing its third “Davy Crockett” episode. And true to history, it killed off its hero in “Davy Crockett at the Alamo,” where the real-life Crockett died in 1836 at age 49. But spurred by popular demand, Disney brought Crockett back for some episodes in the 1955-56 season, including “Davy Crockett’s Keelboat Race.” In reporting this development, Hedda Hopper wrote: “Take off those black armbands, kids, and put on your coonskin caps, for Davy Crockett will hit the trail again.”

Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger already had captivated television’s first generation of young viewers when the first Crockett adventure aired, but nothing before had equaled the effect of the buckskinned hero.

“Those Davy Crockett episodes really brought American history — indeed, a Disney version of American history — to the playground as well as to the American living room,” Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, told the Los Angeles Times some years ago.

“You not only could watch these programs, but you could play them, dress up like them, make the Davy Crockett aesthetic infiltrate every part of your life,” said Thompson. “And, of course, those coonskin caps: No self-respecting kid under the age of 12 could go through American life without one.”

“I left the business after 22 years,” Parker told The Associated Press in 2001. “It was time to leave Hollywood. I came along at a time when I’m starting out with Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Sterling Hayden and Gregory Peck.”

“Who needed a guy running around in a coonskin cap?” he said.

Parker had made his motion picture debut in “Springfield Rifle” in 1952. His other movies included “No Room for the Groom” (1952), “The Kid From Left Field” (1953), “Them!” (1954), “The Great Locomotive Chase” (1956), “Westward Ho, the Wagons!” (1956), “Old Yeller” (1957) and “The Light in the Forest” (1958).

Several of Parker’s films, including “The Great Locomotive Chase” and “Old Yeller,” came from the Disney studio.

It was Parker’s scene as a terrified witness in the horror classic “Them!” that caught the attention of Walt Disney when he was looking for a “Davy Crockett” star. He chose Parker over another “Them!” actor, James Arness – who became a TV superstar in the long-running “Gunsmoke.”

After departing Hollywood, Parker got into real estate with his wife, Marcella, whom he had married in 1960.

He bought and sold property, built hotels (including the elegant Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn & Spa in Los Olivos and Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort Santa Barbara) and grew wine grapes on a 2,200-acre vineyard on California’s Central Coast, where he was dubbed King of the Wine Frontier and coonskin caps enjoyed brisk sales.

After its inaugural harvest in 1989, Parker’s vineyard won dozens of medals and awards. The Parkers’ son, Eli, became director of winemaking and their daughter, Ashley, also worked at the winery.

Parker was a longtime friend of Ronald Reagan, whose Western White House was not far from the Parker vineyards. Reagan sent Parker to Australia in 1985 to represent him during an event, and when Parker returned he was asked by White House aide Michael Deaver if he was interested in being ambassador to that country.

“In the end, I decided I’d better take myself out of it. But I was flattered,” Parker said.

Parker also once considered a U.S. Senate bid, challenging Alan Cranston. But Nevada Sen. Paul Laxalt said it would be a rough campaign, and a key dissenter lived under the same roof.

“My wife was not in favor,” Parker said. “I’m so happy with what evolved.”

Fess Elisha Parker Jr. was born Aug. 16, 1924, in Fort Worth, Texas – Parker loved to point out Crockett’s birthday was Aug. 17. He played football at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene but was injured in a nearly fatal road-rage knifing in 1946.

“There went my football career,” Parker had said.

He later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas.

Parker, who for many years divided his time between homes in Montecito and the Santa Ynez Valley, often greeted visitors to his winery, many of them aging baby boomers, who would reach out to shake the hand of the gray-haired man who had once portrayed Davy Crockett or have their picture taken with him.

“I think I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” Parker told a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1994. “I’ve lived long enough and observed enough to make myself very comfortable with the realization that the Disney films and particularly Davy Crockett gave me an image that is unbelievably durable. It’s been 40 years and people are still talking about it.

“Had I played Hamlet and starred in a number of Broadway shows or motion pictures as a very versatile actor, I wouldn’t have had the identity, recognition and, most importantly, the welcome I’ve been accorded by most of the homes of viewers. It’s like we’re old friends.”‘

Besides his wife of 50 years and his children, Parker is survived by 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Associated Press

Breaking news…we just announced during Disney’s annual shareholders meeting that a new premium annual pass for admission to the parks at both Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort will be offered beginning Thursday. It’s called “Disney Premier Passport” and it’ll feature the same benefits you get with the “premium” annual passes for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts for $700, plus applicable- sales tax.

So, what’s in it for you? At Walt Disney World:

• Unlimited admission for a period of one year to all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks, including park hopping privileges
• Unlimited admission to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach Water Parks
• Unlimited admission to DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex(valid only on event days; some events require an additional admission charge) and Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course (greens fee only. Tee time reservations are required and subject to availability)
• Parking at all four Theme Parks
• Subscription to Mickey Monitor, a collectible Passholder-only publication

And at Disneyland Resort:

• Unlimited admission to both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Parks for a period of one year, including park hopping privileges
• Parking at any pay-on-entry parking lot
• Subscription to Backstage Pass.
• Complimentary subscription to Disney’s Family Fun Magazine (one per household)

If you’re already holding a Premium Annual Pass for both Resorts, you’ll automatically be issued a “Disney Premier Passport” – with an expiration date based on the later of the two annual passes. You may also upgrade your annual or seasonal pass for one resort to a “Disney Premier Passport” for an additional fee.

The Passport will be available for sale at the Disneyland Resort box office and Walt Disney World Guest Relations windows beginning tomorrow.

Imagine a place where every step you take immerses you further into the Disney movies, magic and memories that live so deeply in your heart. A place where pavilions and exhibits from every part of The Walt Disney Company transport you on an unforgettable adventure through the past, present and future of the Disney imagination. It’s a pixie-dusted world where magical experiences — celebrity appearances, special screenings, never-before-seen exhibits and special presentations — are around every corner, just waiting to whisk you off into the very heart of Disney magic! And, of course, each day at this celebration gives you the opportunity to meet and mingle with thousands of people you have something very special in common with: A LOVE OF DISNEY!

This place is the D23 Expo, the single largest gathering of all things Disney and one of the most unique ways to connect fans to Disney’s timeless stories, characters, movies, Parks and more. At the inaugural D23 Expo, held September 10-13, 2009, thousands of excited fans discovered what happens when you put the many wonderful worlds of Disney under the same roof for four days: Magic!

The first-ever D23 Expo attracted nearly 40,000 Disney fans, bringing the entire world of Disney under one massive roof. During the D23 Expo, fans were treated to appearances by superstars like Johnny Depp, Miley Cyrus and John Travolta; explored exciting, new concepts and attractions from Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering; peered into Disney’s history at special panels, presentations and displays; and discovered the newest entertainment, products and events from throughout The Walt Disney Company.

The next D23 Expo, which will light up the Anaheim Convention Center from August 19-21, 2011, promises to deliver even more excitement! We’re still hard at work finalizing plans for the D23 Expo 2011, but you can expect to see what’s new and what’s next from Parks and Resorts, The Walt Disney Studios, Media Networks and Disney Consumer Products and more. Of course, there will be special exhibits of rarely seen Disney props and costumes from the legendary Walt Disney Archives, headline-grabbing celebrity appearances, screenings of classic Disney movies and exclusive sneak peeks at some that no one has seen yet, musical performances, panel discussions with legendary Disney actors, performers, animators, Imagineers and more and of course, Mickey and some of our favorite characters will be on hand to make sure the fun never stops!

Tickets for the D23 Expo 2011 will go on sale August 19 (one year in advance), with specially priced tickets available exclusively to D23 Members. In addition, D23 Charter Members will have access to a special Charter Member Lounge at the D23 Expo 2011, at no additional cost.

“The first D23 Expo surpassed all of our expectations, and our 2011 Expo is already shaping up to be a jaw-dropping, not-to-be missed showcase of the best and brightest Disney has to offer,” said Steven Clark, head of D23.

Stay tuned… we’ll update this site as new details are announced.

D23

According to the Los Angeles Times:

There are plenty of birthdays celebrated at Disneyland and a good number of them are for 1-year-olds enjoying their first cake-and-candles experience. On March 10, though, the youngster celebrating one year of life will be D23, the Disney fan community that shares its name withthe D23 Expo that was staged so memorably in September in Anaheim.

The inaugural convention (a sort of Comic-Con but just for Disney and its films, theme parks, television shows, collectibles etc.) started off slow last September. There were some major surprises and some wonderful memories.

But as it turns out, that won’t be happening. At least not this year. The Disney plan, as of now, is to stage the D23 Expo as a biennial event, which means we’ll have to wait until 2011 to see the second edition.

Join Ryan and Greg from the NFFC–Disneyana Fan Club event as they discuss lots of the little and bigger changes at the Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm also gets some coverage.

Travelears 055

Roy Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney Co. founder Walt Disney who was best known for revitalizing its animation unit and helping to oust longtime chief executive Michael Eisner, died on Wednesday at 79.

Disney, who had been ill with stomach cancer for a year, died at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California, the company said.

Starting out as an assistant film editor in 1953, Disney worked for more than half a century at the entertainment giant, where he was widely regarded as a fierce protector of the family’s legacy and a champion of animation.

He was the last Disney family member to work at the company, family spokesman Cliff Miller said.

“On behalf of everyone at Disney, we are saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague Roy E. Disney. He was much more than a valued 56-year company veteran – Roy’s true passion and focus were preserving and building upon the amazing legacy of Disney animation that was started by his father and uncle,” Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said in a statement.

At the time of his death, Disney owned more than 16 million shares of common stock, which was worth $518 million at the close of trading on Wednesday, but retained no direct role in running the giant media company. He served as a consultant for Disney and a director emeritus for the board of directors.

The successful philanthropist, filmmaker and award-winning sailor helped to guide the studio with a string of animated box office hits including “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King.”

THE ‘SAVE DISNEY’ WARS

Disney was executive producer of “Fantasia/2000,” a sequel to the 1940 Disney classic, and served in a similar capacity on a number of recent animated shorts.

Unhappy with the leadership of chief executive Ron Miller, Disney abruptly quit the company’s board of directors in 1984, touching off a series of events that ultimately brought the departure of Miller and his replacement by Eisner.

Disney returned to the board of directors and served as head of the famed animation department but resigned again in 2003, this time citing serious differences with the direction Eisner was taking the company.

After his resignation, Disney helped establish the Web site called SaveDisney.com aimed at ousting Eisner.

At a 2004 annual shareholder meeting, an unprecedented 43 percent of Disney shareholders voted to oppose the reelection of Eisner to the board.

As criticism of Eisner intensified in the wake of the shareholder meeting, his position grew more tenuous. Eisner announced in March of 2005 that he would resign that September, one year before his contract expired.

At Iger’s behest, Disney rejoined the company in July of 2005 as a non-voting director emeritus and consultant.

“He put his heart and soul into preserving Disney’s legendary past, while helping to move the art of animation into the modern age by embracing new technology. Roy was a visionary and passionate supporter of the art form, and he was all about quality,” said John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.

Disney was born in Los Angeles on January 10, 1930 to Roy O. Disney and Edna Francis Disney.

He is survived by his wife, Leslie, and four children from his marriage to Patricia Dailey Disney.

Reuters

it's a small world holiday

With Christmas fast approaching, the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure has been transformed into a winter wonderland. Whether you’re a fan of parades or the classic attractions, there is something for you.

……

Read more at Examiner.com

Walt Disney World officially announced late Wednesday it is retiring the “Lights of Winter”, the lighted Christmas themed arches at Epcot.

A note from the DisneyParks twitter feed stated, “Note: The Lights of Winter at Epcot has been enjoyed for years.  But tech to operate the lights is obsolete, prompting us to retire the lights.”

The 30,000 lights that covered the walkway connecting World Showcase to Future World danced to synchronized Christmas music.

Greg McNaughten

Little Miss Matched

Little Miss Matched is one of two recently opened shopping experiences at Down Town Disney. In their own words “I’ve got all kinds of stuff that’ll knock your boring white socks off! From books to bedding, PJ’s to pencil pouches and flip flops to furniture, I’m all about creativity and individuality. I want you to express yourself!

My innovative products are fashion forward AND evergreen. And best of all, they balance high quality, ingenuity, and FUN!

The media, celebrities and retailers alike have fallen madly in love with yours truly! Why? Cuz who else lets you: 1) be as missmatched as you wanna be, 2) go crazy with your creativity, 3) unleash your inner child to come out and play?!”

Stop by and get miss matched!

Ridermakerz at Down Town Disney

Ridemakerz, a sister company to the highly successful Build-A-Bear Workshop has opened their doors right next door to the Bear Workshop. Licensed to make the Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Ram, Dodge Viper, Ford F-250 Super Chief, Ford Mustang, Mini Cooper, and the Scion xB, Ridemakerz is creating quite a buzz.

Start your engines and start customizing. You can build a freewheeling or remote control car at Ridemakerz. You are the “customizer” while in Ridemakerz. Go NUTS!

New Taqueria Margarita Bar

A new Taqueria Margarita Bar is coming soon to Tortilla Jo’s and is scheduled to open in October 2009. A very popular restaurant at Down Town Disney, the new Taqueria Margarita Bar is a welcome addition to Down Town Disney.

For more photographs of the changes at Down Town Disney, please visit my Flickr site.

Enjoy our latest video podcast of this years EPCOT spectacular Flower and Garden. See you on the next show,

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will.

Welcome Foolish Mortals !

This week Greg Ryan and Chris talk about the new additions to the Disneyland Halloween Time celebrations. Hear our thoughts and review of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Halloween Screams fireworks extravaganza and Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Along with the new special events we also have a dinning review of the Celebration BBQ located behind Big Thunder Mountian at the BTM Ranch.

Enjoy this  Live in park audio.

** Special Bonus Greg and Ryan attended the Gallery opening that happened this morning on Mainstreet  listen to their thoughts about the new location.

Chris , AJ , Greg,  Ryan, Will, Shannon and Ray

Greg McNaughten

The Disney Gallery reopened on October 2, 2009 in the Main Street Bank on Main Street today with little to no fanfare. There we no opening day merchandise, no opening day celebration, but what there was, was a fantastic collection of Disney Art.

There are four room, one room being shared with the pre-show area of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. The First 50 Fabulous Years with Steve Martin is being shown in the pre-show. I was told to expect Mr. Lincoln to reopen by the end of the year.

Here are a few photos of the new Disney Gallery. As always, check my flckr site for more photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/imagineeringmyway/

Disney Gallery - Lincoln Pre-Show

Disney Gallery at Disneyland

Disney Gallery at Disneyland

Greg McNaughten

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

I was at Disneyland on Friday, September 25, 2009 for the opening of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and I captured this HD video Ghost Galaxy on YouTube. Look for a podcast soon with reviews of all the new and returning Holiday treats at Disneyland this Halloween Season.