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

Guests 17 and under can sail free on seven-night voyages aboard the Disney Wonder when accompanied by two full-fare paying guests occupying the same stateroom (government taxes and fees excluded). This offer is valid for most sailings from Jan. 23 to March 20, 2011, and covers a variety of stateroom categories, ranging from deluxe family staterooms with verandahs to standard inside staterooms (categories 4 to 11). However, there are a limited number of staterooms available for this special offer.  Guests can book through July 31, 2010.

Guests sailing to the Mexican Riviera aboard the Disney Wonder will experience exciting ports of call combined with a family-friendly cruise only Disney can deliver. The seven-night cruises include visits to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta coupled with three fun-filled days at sea. Onboard, guests will enjoy dazzling stage spectaculars, including “Toy Story-The Musical,” inspired by the Disney•Pixar films; over-the-top deck parties, featuring the only fireworks display at sea; nearly an entire deck dedicated to youth activities; sophisticated offerings for adults and fun experiences for the entire family.

Rates for the seven-night Mexican Riviera itinerary start at $639 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy.

To book a vacation or to get complete details on the “Kids Free” special offer, guests can visit disneycruise.com/kidsfree, call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent. Guests should mention or input booking code “KFMR” when making the reservation.

Disney Cruise Line

Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

As we continue to grow the Disney Cruise Line business, more ships, mean more Captains and Marco joins an elite line-up at Disney Cruise Line, as our sixth Captain.

A native of Venice, Italy, Marco fell in love with the sea early on and now enjoys an extensive 24-year career in the maritime industry commanding cruise ships worldwide from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. His most recent post was aboard Carnival cruise ships, where he served as Captain for 12 years. Marco also has experience in the ship-building process, which is certain to come in handy for Disney’s two new ships that are currently under construction, the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Over the next few months, Marco will become familiar with the shipboard and shoreside operations at Disney and will eventually find his new home aboard one of the Disney ships as Master in December. Be sure to say hello to Captain Marco when you see him out on the high seas!

Here are a few of Captain Marco’s Disney favorites…

• Disney character: Donald Duck
• Disney movie: “Toy Story”
• Disney attraction: Pirates of the Caribbean
• Disney theme park: Epcot

Disney Parks Blog

With its two new ships to be based at Port Canaveral, Disney already plans to permanently move one of its two existing vessels to the West Coast and to at least temporarily send the other to Europe.

“We thought we had an opportunity to expand our horizons, no pun intended,” Iger said. “We’re going to take advantage of that with Alaska, Southern California and Mexico, parts of Europe and, maybe down the road, Asia or Hawaii.”

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

The company said it expects to cease widespread discounting sometime this fall.

“We are determined and confident that we can take our pricing back to normalized levels,” Walt Disney Co. Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo said during a conference call with stock analysts.

Disney’s announces that company-wide profits surged 55 percent during the its fiscal second quarter, as Disney reaped a windfall from its hit 3-D movie Alice in Wonderland.

Disney’s theme parks continued to struggle, however, despite an improving overall economy. Operating profit at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts sank 12 percent for the quarter, falling from $171 million a year ago to $150 million. Sales inched up 2 percent to $2.4 billion.

The parks unit was also hurt by declines at Disney Cruise Line, which was squeezed both by rising fuel costs and greater promotional activity to stimulate bookings.

Attendance fell approximately 4 percent at Disney’s U.S. theme parks and was down 6 percent at Walt Disney World but flat at Disneyland. The decline was partly the result of a shift in Disney’s fiscal calendar that stripped from the second quarter the typically busy week around New Year’s. Without that shift, domestic attendance would have been flat.

Hotel occupancy also fell, dropping 8% in Orlando to 81 percent and two percentage points in California to 67 percent.

Disney has already begun reducing the size of available discounts in recent months, and the effect was clear in the second quarter. While attendance and occupancy fell, guest spending climbed from a year ago, when Disney was offering its steepest promotions.

Average guest spending rose 5 percent in Disney theme parks, while per-room spending in its hotels jumped 8 percent.

Across Disney’s other divisions, the company’s cable- and broadcast-television networks reported flat operating profit of $1.3 billion.  Operating profit in Disney’s consumer-products unit grew 37 percent to $133 million, while the company’s digital-media operations reported an operating loss of $55 million, 10 percent better than a year ago.

It’s unclear what happened, but there were apparent multiple network failures.

A Disney spokeswoman said:

An issue at one our technical facilities caused intermittent outages this morning. Most sites are back up and we expect                                                                 the issue to by fully resolved within an hour.

Disney reps weren’t immediately available for comment, but the sites appear to have returned to normal a little after 10 a.m. EST.

The Disney Magic ship carrying 2,400 passengers was at Disney’s private island Castaway Cay on Friday when gale force winds prevented it from departing for Port Canaveral. The ship is expected to head back to the port Sunday. The 7-day cruise is not an 8-day excursion. The Disney Cruise Line is allowing them to make free cell phone calls and will get a 20 percent discount off of their next cruise.

Guests who were expecting to depart on the Disney Magic for an eastern Caribbean cruise out of the port on Saturday will have to wait one more day. Their cruise will be cut to six days from seven.

Disney has offered these guests a day at Epcot and is working to find them resort rooms for the night. They will also receive a 20 percent on their vacation, as well as $120 in credits on board the ship. They will also be allowed to cancel their trip without penalty.

MyFoxOrlando

While Disney will continue to recommend activities that appeal to specific maturity levels and ages, all offerings in the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are open to children ages 3 to 12 on the Disney Wonder and ages 3 to 10 on the Disney Magic.

In addition to the obvious benefit of have a wider range of things to do, this change also makes planning easier for friends and extended families who vacation together and have children of different ages. That definitely would be a key point for my children and their cousins.

For the rest of Kristin Ford’s article….please go to the Orlando Sentinel

Disney says passengers on voyages departing between now and March 31 who booked between May 28 and Dec. 1, 2008 — a period when the line was collecting a fuel surcharge fee in advance at the time of booking — will no longer get refunds of the money in the form of on-board credit due to oil’s rise above $70 a barrel.

Disney first implemented an $8 per person, per day fuel surcharge in 2008 as oil prices soared to nearly $150 a barrel. Falling oil prices prompted the line to eliminate the charge on Dec. 1, 2008 for all new bookings, and the line said at the time that customers who already had paid the fee for an upcoming voyage would get a refund in the form of an on-board credit when they sailed. The promise of a refund, however, came with a caveat that the refunds would end if oil prices went back above $70 a barrel, something that has occurred in recent months.

For the rest of Gene Sloan’s article…please go to USA Today

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

This limited-time product offering may be booked now for 10- and 11-night Disney Cruise Line Mediterranean vacations on the following departure dates: May 5, 15, 26; August 7, 18, 28 and September 8.

“This new product brings the best of both Adventures by Disney and Disney Cruise Line to families interested in the ultimate Mediterranean experience,” said Karl Holz, President of Disney Cruise Line & New Vacation Operations. “Visiting some of Europe’s most captivating destinations, the trip is designed to ensure that the guest’s only agenda is to soak up the culture, relax and have fun in the Mediterranean.”

A Mediterranean Adventure, On Land and By Sea

Adventures by Disney now brings the history and wonder of the world’s best destinations to families taking a Disney Cruise Line Mediterranean voyage. The first-time add-on package combines Adventures by Disney‘s highly-trained Adventure Guides and incomparable itineraries designed specifically for families with the unparalleled Disney Cruise Line experience at sea.

Leveraging Adventures by Disney’s signature “Disney Difference,” the Adventure Guides oversee every aspect of the itinerary, serving as VIP host and expert tour guide for each traveler throughout the vacation. Families enjoy a hassle-free vacation, while the Adventure Guides handle all the details so parents and children can spend their time having the time of their lives in each port.

While at sea, guests may participate in many special shipboard activities and programs available only as part of theAdventures by Disney/Disney Cruise Line vacation package. As part of the Mediterranean trip, families are entitled to scheduled shore experiences and meals, a night of fine dining for adults, wine tasting at Palo aboard the Disney Magic, private receptions, and onboard and onshore photos.

While in ports of call, guests step into the region’s must-see cities including beautiful Barcelona and scenic Naples, are immersed in the ancient history and culture of Tunisia, Malta and Corsica, and even explore the French Riviera. AnotherAdventures by Disney point of difference is that itineraries are developed with the family in mind and boast an array of activities that immerse each member in the culture and history of every city, including thrills created especially for children.

Featuring Adventures by Disney’s signature service, guests take pleasure in daily outings that are nearly impossible to book on their own. For example, families who take the Mediterranean vacation embark on a powerboat ride to the Island of Gozo featuring its striking scenery and serene beaches, followed by an off-road tour to uncover the island’s hidden charms – one of the many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities guests experience. Other special touches include a tasty behind-the-scenes tour of a Florence gelateria, granted expedited entrance into the Vatican or travel via coach to various destinations. All said, families receive a well-rounded tour of the Mediterranean matched with specific off-the-beaten-path experiences just for them.

To learn more about this new itinerary or to make reservations, visit adventuresbydisney.com/DCLMed.

PRNewswire

The Bahamas Tribune has reported that 18 cruise passengers, from two different ships on different excursions, were robbed at gunpoint in the Bahamas on 20th November.

The passengers were travelling with Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas and Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder.

Apparently two shotgun waving men tied up one group’s tour guide and ordered the passengers to the ground before taking money, passports, mobile phones and credit cards from them. The second group arrived in the area during the course of the first robbery and were treated similarly. No passengers were injured. Both cruise lines have stopped running the tours, which took place in Earth Village, an area of outstanding local beauty that is often travelled through by Segway. It’s been a popular excursion for many ships visiting the Bahamas and Carnival and NCL also offer it on their cruises – at present it’s not clear whether they will continue to run this excursion.

Disney Cruise Lines immediately canceled the tour from it’s shore excursion list.  In a statement issued today, Royal Caribbean said nine of its passengers were in the group and that “We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and (they) will continue to provide them with any support they may need”.

The U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office is not advising against travel to the area, although it seems 40 people have had similar experiences in the past month: eight were robbed at the Queen’s Staircase, the 18 cruise passenger and the rest being tourists who were robbed while walking around the streets. It’s always wise not to carry valuable items off-ship and to take advice from FCO or other bodies about the relative safety of the destinations you’re planning to visit.

A first-of-its kind water coaster that sends guests racing above the upper decks of the ship. An animated turtle that engages children in conversation about life in the ocean. A sophisticated lounge where the sun sets over the skyline of a different world-famous city each night. When the Disney Dream debuts in early 2011, the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet will bring to life these innovations and more.

The Disney Dream will take family cruising to all-new heights, embracing the spirit of innovation, magical family entertainment and immersive experiences that have made Disney Cruise Line the preeminent cruise of choice for families since 1998.

Disney Cruise Line revolutionized the cruise industry with purpose-built ships designed just for families. With the Disney Dream setting sail on Jan. 26, 2011, preparations are underway to expand the one-of-a-kind family experience, utilizing technology to enhance the world-class entertainment and legendary guest services onboard. From stem to stern, the Disney Dream will offer a cruise experience that caters to the preferences of the whole family.

“For more than a decade, passengers have filled their passports with memories sailing around the world with Disney Cruise Line,” said Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo. “With the Disney Dream joining our fleet, we’ll be able to take families to even more places they never imagined they could visit – in true Disney style.”

The Disney Dream features a remarkable interior design which provides guests with a warm and welcoming feel throughout. The ship’s design offers guests a perfect blend of elegant Art Deco style and fun-filled Disney whimsy to create one of the most spectacular ships afloat. Distinctly Disney guest features aboard the Disney Dream include:

AquaDuck Water Coaster. . .

Disney Cruise Line debuts a cruise-industry first: a shipboard water coaster … AquaDuck! Guests aboard the Disney Dream will get swept away on an exhilarating high-speed flume ride featuring twists, turns, drops, uphill acceleration and river rapids – all while traversing the upper decks of the ship.

–  AquaDuck stretches 765 feet in length – more than two and a half times

the length of a football field – and spans four decks in height.

–  Guests slide 13 feet over the side of the ship in a translucent “swing

out” loop allowing them to look down on the ocean 150 feet below.

–  Guests experience coaster-like thrills as high-powered water jets push

them upwards and forwards at 20 feet per second

– AquaDuck continues through the forward funnel, encounters a 335 foot stretch of river rapids and splashes down to an end on Deck 12.

A Virtual Porthole for Inside Staterooms. . .

Disney Cruise Line introduces another stateroom innovation with all inside staterooms on the Disney Dream featuring a Virtual Porthole that provides guests with a real-time view outside the ship. High-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each Virtual Porthole.

As guests observe the impressive outside views, they may glimpse a magical surprise: animated characters such as Peach the starfish from the Disney-Pixar hit film “Finding Nemo,” or Mickey Mouse may pop by the Virtual Porthole.

A Magical Oasis for Children. . .

Only on a Disney Cruise Line ship can children become immersed in their favorite Disney stories with the help of caring counselors, beloved Disney characters and a sprinkling of pixie dust. The celebration of children’s creativity rises to a new level on the Disney Dream with nearly an entire deck of youth spaces designed to inspire, entertain and unlock the imagination of children. There are two main spaces for children ages three to 10:

At Disney’s Oceaneer Club, children can:

–  Play among larger-than-life characters from Disney–Pixar’s “Toy Story”

in Andy’s Room

–  Explore the Laugh Floor with lovable monsters Mike and Sully from

“Monsters, Inc.”

–  Dive under the sea with Nemo and friends or visit Tinker Bell’s fairy forest

At Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, children feel as though they are embarking

on a great seafaring adventure in a room filled with maps, maritime

instruments and swashbuckling artifacts. Here, children can try their

hand at animation, become a pop star or navigate ships through digital seas.

Both venues offer magical interactions with the animated characters such as

Crush, the sea turtle from the Disney-Pixar motion picture “Finding Nemo”

and Stitch, the mischievous alien from “Lilo and Stitch.” The characters chat,

play and joke with children in live, unrehearsed conversations from their

digital undersea and intergalactic environments via 103-inch plasma screens.

Chill-Out Zones for Tweens and Teens. . .

Located inside the forward funnel is Edge – the lounge just for tweens

(ages 11 to 13). This tween pad is filled with a multitude of hi-tech

entertainment including the ability to create and star in photo postcards

and video karaoke using green-screen technology.

Teens can create and edit videos, play computer games, access the onboard

social media application or try their hand at spinning and mixing dance

tracks. Teens have their own private outdoor deck area with chaise lounges

for sunbathing, two wading pools, misters and pop jets for cooling off,

and deck games such as ping-pong and foosball.

Personal Touches with Rotational Dining. . .

Disney Cruise Line continues its innovative rotational dining concept onboard

the Disney Dream with elaborately themed restaurants, distinctly Disney touches,

and world-class cuisine to create a magical dining experience. Throughout the

cruise, guests “rotate” through three different restaurants for dinner -

with their servers accompanying them, providing guests with friendly, familiar,

personalized service each night. The rotational dining restaurants include:

–  Animator’s Palate, a signature Disney Cruise Line restaurant that brings

the magic of Disney animation into the dining room for a unique

experience that will captivate the entire family.

–  Royal Palace, an elegant restaurant inspired by the classic Disney films

“Cinderella,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Beauty and the Beast”

and “Sleeping Beauty.”

–  Enchanted Garden, a whimsical, casual restaurant inspired by  the gardens

of Versailles and featuring a dining environment that magically

transforms from day to night.

Just for Adults. . .

On the Disney Dream, while children are having the time of their lives

in the elaborately themed youth areas, adults can look forward to

incomparable indulgences and relaxation with exclusive areas and offerings

designed exclusively for them.

–  Adults can escape into The District, a nighttime entertainment area on

the Disney Dream with five unique venues.  This playground for grownups

features sophisticated lounges, each with its own unique design, look,

feel, and palate-pleasing delights.

–  Senses Spa & Salon offers adult tranquility with 17 private treatment

rooms, lavish spa villas with indoor treatment rooms and private outdoor

verandahs, and Rainforest, a special section of the spa offering the

benefits of steam, heat and hydrotherapy to relax the mind and body.

–  At Palo, adult guests find epicurean excellence and an unforgettable

dinner experience at sea.  Every seat offers beautiful ocean vistas

while a pianist softly serenades guests in an intimate restaurant

setting.

The Disney Dream is scheduled to depart on its maiden voyage Jan. 26, 2011,

and will sail alternating three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas and

Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. During summer months, the ship will

alternate four- and five-night itineraries with two stops at Castaway Cay.

Guests can book their Disney Dream cruise beginning Nov. 9, 2009.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can

visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500 or contact

their travel agent. Travel agents can call Disney Cruise Line at 888/325-2500

or visit disneytravelagents.com.

PRNewswire

Disney Cruise Line is offering its Kids Sail Free promotion again in 2010 on most three-night cruises Jan. 7 through April 15 and most four-night cruises Jan. 10 through April 11. Kids Sail Free will also be available on most 10- and 11-night Mediterranean sailings from April 24 through May 26.

There are restrictions, of course. Kids must be 17 or younger and stay in the same stateroom as two full-fare guests. The offer is valid for Category 4 through Category 12 staterooms only and applies to new reservations only.

It’s a Disney Cruise Line® first! The Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship is sailing to Alaska for a four-month season of 7-night cruises in 2011. Departing out of Vancouver, B.C., the ship will call on popular ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.

Book-ending the 2011 summer season in Alaska, the Disney Wonder will sail 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises from the Port of Los Angeles. The Disney Magic® Cruise Ship will once again return to the Mediterranean with 10- and 11-night cruises sailing out of Barcelona, Spain.

Bookings open to the general public on Sept. 28, 2009

Early Booking for Gold, Platinum Castaway Club Members!

A Disney Cruise Line ship rescued a man who fell overboard from another ship bound from Florida for the Bahamas Wednesday night, officials say.

The Disney Wonder was headed into Port Canaveral, Fla., when it heard a report of a man falling from Carnival Cruise Line’s Sensation shortly before midnight about 28 nautical miles east-northeast of Port St. Lucie.

Rescue craft were dispatched but the Wonder happened to be nearby. Crew members heard the screams of the man and picked him up, WFTV, Orlando, reported.

It was not known why the man fell but authorities said he did not require medical treatment.

United Press International

Disney Cruise Line is preparing for a population surge on its private island.

The upcoming doubling of its fleet entails bigger ships and thus more passengers waiting to play for a day on the shores of its 1,000-acre resort.

The expansion plan calls for more than just setting out hundreds of additional lounge chairs and extending the dock.

Among the amenities on tap for Castaway Cay: an expanded family beach, more water-based recreation, more convenient eating options and 20 private cabanas — from which guests literally can flag down a bartender.

Guests here currently have many relaxation options — snorkeling, bicycling, hiking, a ray-interaction experience, massages and welcoming beach umbrellas and chairs. The Flying Dutchman ship used in the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest rests in the lagoon. Another unique-to-Disney amenity is that passengers walk straight from the ship to the dock — no tendering necessary. The atmosphere maintains a natural island theme with only low-key references to Disney characters.

One of the goals of the construction, set to be finished by next summer, is to spread out the guests, who usually hit the first patch of sand they see.

For the rest of Dewayne Bevil’s article…please go to the Orlando Sentinel

Beginning in September, Guests sailing on the Disney Magic will be able to use Key to the World cards to charge for washer and dryer services and to purchase detergent.

Disney Cruise Line is rumored to announce the European deployment for its fleet after it takes delivery of it’s two new ships, Fantasy and Dream, in 2011 and 2012.

British retailer Reader Offers is currently selling Disney cruises out of Dover and Barcelona to the Mediterranean and the Baltic next year.

Disney has never had to promote its cruises in the UK because the popularity of the product meant it was guaranteed to sell out in the US.

Peter Welch, Disney’s UK vice-president, hinted at the forthcoming announcement while at  the UK Cruise Convention.

“In the next few months we will be sharing information about what these two new ships will be doing,” he said.

“Needless to say we are here in Dover so that gives you a clue as to what might be happening.”

He said the line would be exploring new opportunities with the UK travel trade.

“We constantly look at way to increase and develop our product while looking at new itineraries.

“When we started our cruise line in the 90s we believed we could give our families a totally different experience.”

Welch said he believed quality brands would survive in the current economic crisis.

“It’s quality brands that make a difference and make your industry a success,” he said.

“Events like this give us a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourselves in these wonderful brands but for Disney the key for us is to speak to you and to listen to you and what your consumers are telling you about the industry we are in.

“We look forward to the potential the UK market can give Disney Cruise Line.”

Disney Cruise Line will be returning to Europe in the spring/summer of 2010. This week Disney invited a select group of journalists to preview their shore excursions in Tunis, Tunisia; Florence, Italy; and St. Petersburg, Russia. The winery/cooking school of Torre A Cenaia will be offered to guests when the Magic docks in La Spezia, Italy.

This shore excursion is more for adults and shows the other side of the cruise line, which caters to a large number of adults without children.

ExpertCruiser.com

A Port Canaveral cruise terminal was evacuated briefly Thursday after a fire alarm went off, leading to a brief bomb scare.

Terminal 8, home to the Disney Magic and Wonder, was evacuated about 12:10 p.m. after the alarm rang, said Brevard sheriff’s Maj. Greg Purden. Disney dogs trained in bomb-sniffing swept the parking lot and alerted on a van. The sheriff’s bomb squad determined that the owner had stored fertilizer in a plastic bin; fertilizer can be used to make explosives but in this case was not dangerous, authorities said.

The evacuation lasted about 20 minutes and did not interfere with the sailing of the Wonder, which left on time, said Christi Erwin Donnan, a spokeswoman for Disney Cruise Line. The Port fire department determined there was no fire in the terminal.

Orlando Sentinel

In a Disney exclusive, numerous Disney Channel stars will set sail this summer, joining thousands of Disney Cruise Line guests aboard the Disney Wonder for eight special sailings during the first-ever “Disney Channel Summer at Sea,” presented by Kodak.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Disney Channel and offer guests on our ship a unique opportunity to sail with Disney Channel stars,” said Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz. “A cruise vacation with Disney Cruise Line is always a family-favorite and ‘Disney Channel Summer at Sea’ provides families another reason to set sail and experience the Disney difference.”

Popular stars from Disney Channel shows like “Hannah Montana,” “Sonny With A Chance,” “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “The Suite Life on Deck,” “JONAS,” “Camp Rock,” “High School Musical” and “Hatching Pete” will sail with guests on three- and four-night Bahamian cruises taking place July 9 through August 2. During these themed sailings, Disney Channel stars will help pump up the volume during onboard deck parties and will join guests for Q & A and autograph sessions along with preview screenings of Disney Channel programming. The onboard fun culminates with a “Party with the Stars” event, an evening where guests can join the stars for a special live musical performance. As an added treat, Radio Disney will broadcast live from the ship during two of the cruises.

Aligning with Kodak’s “It’s Time to Smile” campaign, all Disney fans will be able to share in the ship-to-shore fun online. Select video-blog reporters onboard the ship will capture their magical vacation memories on a ‘KODAK Zi6 Pocket Video Camera’ and post video from their voyages at disney.com/summeratsea.

“At Kodak, we’re all about relationships. We bring people together through images and are thrilled to work with the Disney Channel to help Disney fans share their magical vacation memories,” said Kodak Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President Jeffrey Hayzlett.

Each cruise during “Disney Channel Summer at Sea” will include multiple Disney Channel stars. Among those scheduled to sail include Tiffany Thornton from “Sonny With A Chance” (July 9 & 12), Nicole Anderson “JONAS”, Jason Earles from “Hannah Montana” (July 16 & 19), Mitchel Musso from “Hannah Montana” (July 19), Jason Dolley from “Hatching Pete” (July 23 & 26), Debby Ryan from “The Suite Life on Deck” (July 30) and Alyson Stoner from “Camp Rock” (Aug. 2). More stars will be announced shortly, guests can visit disneycruise.com/summeratsea frequently for up-to-date information on the line-up of stars sailing. (Talent is subject to change without notice.)

“Disney Channel Summer at Sea” adds to the family-friendly fun found onboard a Disney ship. Disney Cruise Line provides a vacation experience that every member of the family feels was created just for them. Families enjoy award-winning Broadway-style entertainment at the Walt Disney Theatre, play together at high-energy deck parties featuring the only fireworks display at sea and dine in three uniquely themed restaurants. Kids delight in their own dedicated spaces and become immersed in Disney stories with their favorite characters and hosted by specially trained youth counselors. While the kids are at play, parents can slip away and relax at the spa, soak up rays at the adult-only pool, dance the night away in the clubs, or enjoy an exquisite Northern Italian meal at Palo.

A leader in the family cruise segment, Disney Cruise Line offers three-, four- and seven-night itineraries to the Bahamas and the Caribbean with special voyages to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe on tap for 2010. Disney Channel Summer at Sea voyages are exclusive to three- and four-night itineraries on the Disney Wonder between July 9 and Aug. 2 with rates starting at $679 per person — based on double occupancy for a category 12 inside stateroom, not including government taxes and fees. Land/sea vacation packages that include a stay at Walt Disney World Resort are also available. To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can contact their travel agent, visit disneycruise.com or call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500. Travel agents can call Disney Cruise Line at 888/325-2500 or visit disneytravelagents.com.

Disney Cruise Line Press Release

The Disney Wonder along with Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl and Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas are assisting The Royal Bahamas Defense Force and the U.S. Coast Guard search for a 39 year old passenger on NCL’s Norwegian Sky that went overboard early this morning as the ship was sailing toward the Bahamas according to an NCL issued statement, “A male guest was reported overboard from Norwegian Sky by occupants of his stateroom who witnessed the incident. The ship immediately began a search and rescue operation and notified relevant authorities.”

NCL’s statement noted that Norwegian Sky departed Miami on Friday, April 17, on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas. The ship was approximately 60 miles north of Nassau when the incident occurred.
Story compiled from stories in the Miami Hearld and Cruise Critic