The incoming chief executive will inherit
a mixed bag Saturday when he becomes only the sixth
person to lead the Walt Disney Co., replacing longtime
CEO Michael Eisner.
|
||
|
MickeyXtreme's News Archive September 2005 |
||
|
Friday September 30, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
THE MICHAEL EISNER ERA at the Walt Disney Co.
officially ends today, when the 63-year-old chief executive
steps down after 21 years at the helm. Unfortunately for
Eisner, he is more likely to be remembered for the missteps
and controversies of the last decade than for the phenomenal
successes of his first 10 years, when Disney blossomed into a
media powerhouse. That's the way Hollywood operates, after all
— you're only as good as your last screenplay.
Eisner's tenure would have made for a tense drama. His "Machiavellian (and imperial)" management style, to quote a federal judge in Delaware, prompted many talented underlings to jump ship. And when former pal Michael Ovitz didn't mesh with Eisner's tight-fisted operational style, Eisner threw him overboard 15 months after hiring him as Disney president.
Naturally, Eisner had to pay Ovitz handsomely
to leave — the buyout was valued at about $130 million. This
fabulous parting gift prompted a shareholder lawsuit, leading
to an embarrassingly public dissection of the whole sorry
episode.
Unlike Ovitz and such media moguls as News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch and Viacom's Sumner Redstone, Eisner was not a habitual dealmaker trying to build an empire through takeovers. Instead, he preferred to grow by squeezing more out of assets the company already owned. The main exception was in 1996, when Disney got into the TV broadcasting business by acquiring Capital Cities/ABC. Now Disney's broadcasting and cable properties generate the largest chunk of its revenue. This conservative streak saved Disney from making a colossal blunder during the late 1990s, when billions of dollars were bet and lost on dot-com-fueled fantasies. But the low-risk, low-reward approach also led Disney to bet on the wrong horse: It bought Infoseek, a second-tier Internet portal, instead of grabbing market leader Yahoo when it had the chance. As a result, Disney's attempt to compete for everyday Web surfers was a dismal failure. Still, Eisner deserves credit for breathing new life into the flagging Disney entertainment business. During his first dozen years on the job, Disney expanded its theme park business dramatically, released a string of hits by its own animators and by Pixar Animation Studios, took control of ABC and ESPN, built a burgeoning home-video business and gained a foothold on Broadway. The company's revenue grew from $1.5 billion in 1984, when Eisner was hired, to nearly $31 billion last year, and its shares are worth more than 20 times as much as they were when he took over. The company may not dominate children's entertainment the way it did in the days of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," but it is thriving. The successes are easy to overlook amid all the contretemps Eisner generated with his iron-fisted rule. Instead of being celebrated for the corporate turnaround, he became a poster boy for poor corporate governance. In a way, he's like an aging star on one of the teams Disney used to own: He stayed in the lineup long after he should have quit. |
||
|
|
||
|
During his five years as No. 2 to Walt Disney
Co. Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner, Robert Iger has
earned a reputation as a hard worker, a quick study and, well,
a pretty buttoned-down guy.
Steven Bochco came to know another, looser Iger in the early 1990s, when the prolific television producer sat down with the then-head of ABC to map out NYPD Blue, the gritty cop show that would feature, among other things, its stars' naked derrieres. "I remember sitting in Bob's office, just the two of us, with a pad and a pencil, drawing dirty pictures like a couple of sixth-graders," the producer recalled. Bochco laughs at the memory of using those sessions "to decide what was acceptable and what wasn't." But he is quick to credit Iger for developing a clear set of standards for the series, which ran for 12 years beginning in 1993, and for standing by the show when the religious right assailed it for its racy themes. Bochco and others say it is this Iger -- deliberate and steadfast -- who will prove effective when he officially succeeds Eisner at midnight Friday. "Bob has a terrific metabolism for that job," Bochco said. "He may not have been the exciting choice, given all of the drama that surrounded the whole issue of succession. But I think he is absolutely the right choice. He knows that company inside and out." In a sense, Iger is the flip side of Eisner, who had little compunction about roiling the corporate waters and seeking the spotlight. Iger is known for being more collegial than combative, a man who hopes to create a calmer environment in a company that has been through much upheaval in recent years. For all practical purposes, Iger, 54, already has put his mark on Disney. Soon after the board picked him in March, Eisner handed over the reins to the entertainment empire, whose theme parks, movies, television networks and consumer products generate more than $30 billion a year. He has drawn good reviews from company insiders, investors and analysts. For starters, Iger dismantled a strategic planning unit that many executives viewed as Eisner's right hand in micromanaging the company. He also began talks with Pixar Animation Studios chief Steve Jobs, who after clashing openly with Eisner had vowed to end Pixar's partnership with Disney. Iger negotiated a truce with Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold, former directors who led a shareholder revolt against Eisner. Lately, it seems, everyone loves Bob. Privately, however, some who have worked with Iger question whether he has the creative chops to replace Eisner, who since 1984 has guided Disney's revenue growth from $1.5 billion a year to more than 20 times that much. They rate Iger high on hard work and likability, but they are less enthusiastic about his prospects as CEO. A former associate described Iger as more technocrat than visionary. Another questioned whether his "great temperament and people skills" will translate to creative leadership. Iger declined requests for an interview. Through these doors Last fall, Iger sent an e-mail to the principal of Fulton Avenue School 8 in Oceanside, N.Y., as it prepared to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Iger said "he'd heard about the celebration and had wonderful memories" of the school but could not attend the festivities. That surprised Principal Ronald Schoen because Iger hadn't been invited. What surprised him even more was Iger's sentimental connection to the school, which he attended 40 years earlier. In his e-mail, Iger asked Schoen whether the words, "America's hope for the future passes through these doors" still graced the school's entrance. Yes, the principal told Iger, who then sent another message. "He said, 'Isn't it amazing that a little boy of that age who walked through those doors could actually become president of Disney?' " Schoen said. Iger majored in broadcasting at Ithaca College in upstate New York, where he worked for the campus TV station and graduated magna cum laude. After a stint as a weatherman, Iger gave up his aspirations to be on the air and joined ABC as a studio supervisor in New York. He later moved to ABC Sports and became vice president of programming in 1987. Iger is now married to broadcast journalist Willow Bay, with whom he has two sons. Second-in-command In 1989, Iger moved to Los Angeles to head ABC's entertainment division, where he was involved with not only NYPD Blue but also the hit Home Improvement. In 1994, Iger was named president and chief operating officer of ABC. He was widely considered to be heir apparent to Capital Cities Chairman Tom Murphy. Then Murphy sold the company to Disney for $19 billion in 1996. Four years after moving to Disney with ABC, Iger became Eisner's second-in-command as president. In the five years since, the company has endured the shareholder revolt led by Roy Disney and Gold; survived a hostile takeover bid by Comcast Corp.; and been dragged through the embarrassing details of a lawsuit over Eisner's hiring and firing of Michael Ovitz, Iger's predecessor as president. Iger also had to weather reports that Eisner was repeatedly dismissive of him as his replacement. In a 1996 memo to the Disney board, Eisner said Iger "is not an enlightened or brilliantly creative man." He later expressed his support for Iger, calling him "an excellent guardian of the Disney assets." An eye for the bottom line In addition to finally getting Eisner's backing, Iger has benefited from Disney's return to double-digit earnings growth and the remarkable rebound of ABC. Looking ahead, Iger has said he will give a hard look to the money the company spends on its film operations. He also said he will concentrate on expanding Disney's international business. He has stressed in recent months that theme parks in Asia are high on his agenda, from the park that opened in Hong Kong this month and then most likely mainland China. One of Iger's biggest hurdles will be to distinguish himself from Eisner. Producer Brian Grazer said Iger had the benefit of observing "the aggressively creative" Eisner up close -- for good and bad -- and probably will use those observations to shape himself as a leader. Grazer, who has known Iger for 15 years, disputes the notion that he lacks creativity and says his penchant for privacy is sometimes misinterpreted. Iger has never been a guy to show up at every party, he said, and he doesn't expect that to change. "I don't think he wants that level of intimacy or sees the value in it," Grazer said. "He's just the worker. He's always been the worker. Now he's the worker and the CEO." |
||
|
|
||
|
Emergency crews have responded to more than 100
medical calls at Disney's Mission: Space since the ride opened
two years ago.
The WESH 2 I-Team investigated why emergency calls at theme parks are handled differently than those made off property. No investigation will bring back 4-year-old Daudi Bamuwamye, who died after riding Mission: Space in June, but a closer look at the frantic minutes that followed his ride demonstrates how Disney's emergency response plan works. His mother carried him from a ride capsule to a bench in the hallway. Some experts who reviewed the 911 call point to confusion and miscommunication as seconds and minutes went by. "First thing that you want to do is to check for breathing. You want to check an airway, you want to check for pulse. I mean that's standard procedure," said former paramedic James Coker. But that didn?t happen until nearly one minute, 17 seconds into the call. "Is he breathing?" asked the 911 operator. "No, he's currently not breathing," the Disney employee replied. Despite the fact that two Disney workers later told a deputy "they are CPR certified," it appears that no one did CPR until ordered to do so by the dispatcher. "Is anyone doing CPR?" asked the 911 operator. "No one is doing CPR right now," the Disney employee responded. Four ½ minutes into the call, paramedics from a station ½ mile away arrived. Paramedics are also based inside the park at a first-aid center, located less than 200 yards from the Mission: Space. It took WESH 2's I-Team 4 minutes to walk to from the first-aid center to the ride -- the same time it took Epcot's paramedics to get there on a golf cart. Reedy Creek still calls that a "quick response time." Experts who spoke with the I-Team agree, but some believe Disney's emergency plans need improving. "I think they could do better," said Coker. When Coker was vacationing at Disney in May, he discovered a man barely breathing in his hotel. A Disney worker told him she called 911, but she offered no first aid. "It just struck me as very strange that they didn't have anyone local, close by, that was first-aid qualified or CPR-qualified that would even come up and try to help," Coker said. Other guests are critical of Disney as well. "When you go to the 'happiest place on earth' with your child, they shouldn't die. They shouldn't be in danger," said park visitor Kristina Juergens. Juergens and her son, Eric, visited Disney last year and rode Mission: Space. The boy said the ride's restraint was so tight he couldn't breathe. "It was like the bar went down and was not letting me breathe," he said. Despite his mother's screams to stop the ride, it kept going. "Nobody heard me. Nobody saw me, I guess. And if they did, there was no attention paid to it. But it was very upsetting that nobody paid attention," she said. They also said Disney workers ignored their complaints afterward. Eric wasn't physically hurt, but he was very shaken up. A Disney spokesman said the company stands by its emergency response program. According to the program, a 911 call summons help from one of four Reedy Creek stations. Paramedics are sent from the stations and from substations in each park. Disney also employs 70 doctors and medical technicians and encourages employees to use CPR or one of 500 automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, that can quickly restart a heart. According to Disney's own safety manual, 4,000 workers have been trained in CPR. How does that safety plan compare to other parks? Universal and SeaWorld tell workers to phone call centers in the parks, not county 911 dispatchers. Operators then dispatch paramedics or nurses employed by the parks. If needed, operators call 911. Both parks require supervisors to be CPR and AED trained. The bottom line is that safety is different from theme park to theme park. In each park, visitors place their trust in the park staff?s hands. "The safety of our guests and cast is always our top priority. We continue to believe the response to the incident was handled appropriately," a Disney spokesman told WESH 2 News. |
||
|
|
||
|
Strange
Smell Delays Boarding Of Disney Ship
A suspicious smell emanating from a suitcase turned out to be food but it was strong enough for a pair of alert bomb-sniffing dogs to keep passengers from boarding the Disney Wonder cruise ship Thursday, according to Local 6 News partner Florida Today. The Brevard County sheriff's bomb squad was called into Port Canaveral to search several pieces of luggage being loaded onto the 964-foot-long ship about 11:30 a.m. after two bomb-sniffing dogs picked up on the scent. The ship was scheduled to leave about 5 p.m. for the Bahamas. "There was a suspicious suitcase found and as part of our standard procedures, we evacuated the terminal," Rena Langley, a spokeswoman for the Disney Cruise Line told Florida Today. The suspicious smell apparently came from food someone packed away in the suitcase, said Andrew Walters, spokesman for the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. Bomb squad members X-rayed each piece of luggage on the cart headed for the ship, Walters said. Passengers waited just over two hours before being allowed to finally board the vessel about 2 p.m. "It's just the climate that our country is in right now," said Bill Nowak, an Orlando man who was cruising with his wife and two children. |
||
|
|
||
|
Eisner's
Exit Interview
What was the
darkest period of your tenure? When [Disney president and
chief operating officer] Frank Wells died [in 1994], and I had
my bypass surgery within the next four months. I wondered if I
had the energy, the executive power, to continue to do it and
keep morale high. The answer is, I did. |
||
|
|
||
|
Flight
Attendants Say Boycott 'Flightplan'
Three groups representing flight attendants are calling for a boycott of the box-office hit "Flightplan." In the Jodie Foster thriller about a mother looking for her missing daughter aboard a plane, a flight attendant colludes with an air marshal as part of a plot to extort a ransom from the airline. Other flight attendants are shown treating passengers rudely and being unsympathetic to Foster's character, whom they think might be delusional. The groups contend that the Disney film could breed distrust of their members among real airline passengers. "Should there be another 9/11, it would be critical for the cabin crew to have the support of their passengers, not the distrust that this movie may engender," said Tommie Hutto-Blake, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. "Our fellow crew members who perished in the line of duty deserve more respect." Two other organizations — the Association of Flight Attendants and Transport Workers Union, Local 556 — also called for a "Flightplan" boycott. Combined, the three groups represent more than 80,000 flight attendants at 23 airlines. In a statement, Disney said it regrets the groups' reaction to the film. "There was absolutely no intention by the studio or filmmakers to create anything other than a great action thriller," the company said. "We are confident that the public will be able to discern the difference between fiction and the incredible job that real-life flight attendants perform on a daily basis." The film was No. 1 at the box office last weekend, collecting $24.6 million. |
||
|
|
||
|
Regime
change might restore Disney's sparkle
The Eisner era at Disney comes to an end Saturday. Outgoing CEO Michael Eisner will be remembered for taking a sleepy theme-park company with a struggling animation division and building it into an entertainment empire. However, the emperor's choke hold on this magic kingdom had begun to squeeze the life out of the company. From the huge loss of Jeffrey Katzenberg years ago, to the recent split with movie moguls Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Eisner was increasingly perceived as doing more harm than good. Investors, insiders and the board grew restless, and the call for new leadership was, finally, heeded. Stepping into Eisner's Goofy-sized shoes will be Robert Iger, the company's president and chief operating officer for the past five years. Since being tapped as CEO-in-waiting in March, Iger has moved quickly to patch up relations with the Weinstein brothers and is working hard to renew Disney's Putting out Eisner's personal fires is the easy part, though. Keeping Disney's recent revival going is the real challenge. If he can, investors will profit handsomely. Iger's to-do list Disney has renewed growth over the past couple of years by streamlining its operations, by reviving theme-park traffic that lagged after Sept. 11, 2001, and by performing CPR on ABC. Now Iger says he's comfortable with the current size of the company, so don't expect him to prune more deadwood. As such, investors shouldn't expect the company to enjoy the same earnings leverage from improved operating efficiencies that it has in recent years. At the theme parks, Iger also isn't in a position to raise ticket prices to generate income, as Eisner did when he first took the reigns, because the economy wouldn't support such a move. Growth on this front will have to come from new park openings. There are reports that Disney plans to open a park in South Korea. New parks are good for the long-term, but the costs associated with building could dampen results over the near-term. There's also no guarantee that the new park will be well received. Euro Disney, though successful, has never lived up to its original hype. |
||
|
|
||
|
You're Hired!
The Walt Disney World College Program offers students from across the world the opportunity to participate in its magical world internship. The college program, which debuted in 1981, draws interns from many schools across the country. "I had a marvelous experience working at the Mouse Gear at Epcot, in Walt Disney World and I encourage all Kirkwood students to participate in this program, especially business students," said Beth Bloomfield, a former Walt Disney intern. "I am going to connect my experience to what I am studying and also to use my experience throughout my life." Interns live in exclusive complexes on a diverse campus and take seven courses offered through the program. The courses are worth three credits each, as recommended by the American Council of Education. Kirkwood has participated in the program since its inception. "Internship learning is the practical aspect of learning through agencies that work in the field that are related to your course of study. "We all learn through experience. Therefore, while you are studying a theory of a course, it is important that you also do the practical in order to get a tangible evidence of what you are studying" said Disney intern Ben Waycoff. The Spring Advantage internship presentation is scheduled for Oct. 6 in Iowa Hall at rooms A&B at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. |
||
|
|
||
|
I love Candy!
Disney has more candy this year with
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. |
||
|
|
||
|
A
new twin treat from Disney Channel
Disney Channel premieres its newest TV action/ comedy series called "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" with 'twin' episodes (Episode 1: "Grounded on the 23rd Floor" and Episode 2: "Hotel Hangout") tomorrow, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m. which will be simultaneously shown in Singapore and Hong Kong. In association with It's a Laugh Productions, the show is created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. It is executively produced by Danny Kallis (creator of "Who's The Boss?") and Irene Dreayer (who discovered the popular Mowry sisters). It is co-executively produced by Jim Geoghan and Pam Eells. And it stars identical twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse who play the 12–year–old twins Zack and Cody who live a life of antics, mischief, mayhem, and various catastrophes in their elegant new digs at the upscale Tipton Hotel in Boston. A press launch for the show was held last Sunday at the Mandarin Grand Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati. The afternoon event, which was mainly put up for children was hosted by teen star Khalil Kaimo, son of TV news anchor Mari Kaimo. Disney Channel's junior journo Nadine Lustre was among the kids who graced the affair. The programme of the launch included a live music lounge act, a seeing double game, a magic show by magician Roy, the screening of the first two episodes of the show, and a raffle draw. Contest winners claiming their prizes and photo opportunities with the handsome Khalil marked the end of the event. "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" follows the daily life of naughty and hyperactive twins Zack and Cody whose single mom gets a job as a headlining singer at the Tipton Hotel and as part of her contract, they get to live at an upper floor suite of the hotel. To the chagrin of the hotel management,the twins turn the hotel into their playground, and the staff and guests into unwitting participants in the outrageous situations they manage to create. The stars of the show, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, who may be hailed as the next set of twins bound for stardom since Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, have graced the big screen in the 1999 Hollywood comedy flick "Big Daddy" and TV's "Friends." Here are some trivia about the main stars of the show: Cole Sprouse (Cody Martin), was named after songwriter Cole Porter. He was born in Arezzo, Italy and is 15 minutes younger than Dylan. Raised in Southern California, they began a career in front of the cameras in a TV commercial when they were only six months old. Aside from "Big Daddy" and "Friends," he's also appeared in "Grace Under Fire," "The Astronaut's Wife," "Master of Disguise," "Eight Crazy Nights"and "Piggybanks." He's shared all roles with his brother Dylan and this is the first time that the twins received separate roles. Cole likes Math and the color blue. His hobbies include video games, snowboarding, surfing, basketball, and motocross. Dylan Sprouse (Zack Martin), was named after poet Dylan Thomas. Born 15 minutes before Cole, he shares the same hobbies as Cole. Dylan likes Science, the color orange and the Los Angeles Lakers. Like his brother Cole, he too is sports-minded and possesses great love for animals. The rest of the cast include Ashley Tisdale as Maddie,the hotel's teenage gift shop clerk and part-time babysitter who foils the twins' antics; Thai-American teen actress Brenda Song as the hotel owner's spoiled daughter London; impressive TV veteran Kim Rhodes as the twins' mom, Carey, the singer; and Phill Lewis as Mr. Moseby, the hotel manager who always catches the boys in their mischief and always saves the precious 'vase' at the end of the day. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
gives African art collection to Smithsonian
On the eve of Eisner's departure, he says the Smithsonian will get the private collection long sought by LACMA, other suitors. In a move to close his leadership of Walt
Disney Corp. with a philanthropic flourish, Chief Executive
Michael Eisner announced Thursday that the company would
donate its African art collection, hailed by experts as one of
the most important such collections in private hands in the
U.S., to the Smithsonian Institution. |
||
|
|
||
|
Eisner’s
record at Disney will be hard to beat
In two decades he transformed a struggling animation studio and its pair of amusement parks into a global entertainment powerhouse with 11 theme parks, a dozen television channels, a top-rated broadcast network, one of Hollywood’s biggest film studios and more than $30 billion in annual revenues. In fact, Michael Eisner’s record at Disney will be hard to beat says Laura Martin, an analyst with Soleil-Media Metrics: “That is a feat almost unprecedented in corporate America over a 20-year period,” she said. In many ways he was a pioneer. It was Eisner who perfected synergy in Hollywood, taking creative content from one division in a company and exploiting it across multiple business lines notes Martin. “I think Michael Eisner did the best job of any of his competitors in the industry of really creating a very tightly knit, integrated entertainment conglomerate around that strong animation position that he had,” Martin said. But things changed dramatically for Eisner and Disney in 1994 when his chief lieutenant, company president Frank Wells, died unexpectedly Under pressure to find a new second in command, Eisner hired his friend, Hollywood super agent Michael Ovitz, who wound up leaving the company after just 14 months on the job with a $140 million severance package. Angry shareholders sued Eisner and the company board for negligence. “Some of that difficulty and turmoil was obviously self-inflicted by the personality traits that Mr. Eisner brought to the job,” said Hal Vogel, president of investment firm Vogel Capital Management. Eisner was also blamed for a string of bad business moves, including a billion-dollar bath on failed Internet investments and the disastrous acquisition of the Fox Family Channel. Eisner clashed with Pixar chief Steve Jobs, who decided not to renew a lucrative partnership with Disney. He also fought with Disney studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, who left and launched DreamWorks — now a major Disney competitor in the red-hot animation field. But Eisner’s biggest mistake was taking on Walt Disney’s nephew Roy Disney, who launched a shareholder revolt after he was forced off the company board in 2003. At the company’s annual meeting a year later, Disney dissidents handed Eisner a resounding vote of no confidence, prompting his resignation as chairman and his ultimate departure from the chief executive suite. “[Eisner] was a colorful and charismatic figure, and there aren’t as many of those these days,” said James Bates of the Los Angeles Times. “And it’s kind of that personality, that charisma that helped to make the company what it is today.” Incoming Disney CEO Bob Iger has already put his own stamp on Disney — he recently made peace with Roy Disney, reached out to Steve Jobs and decentralized the company’s corporate structure. But Eisner says he’ll keep his hand in the entertainment business, and he’ll keep his seat on Disney’s board until next year’s annual meeting. |
||
|
|
||
|
Vacation
Discounts Announced
Disney has released Magic Your Way package discounts for guests traveling October 23 through December 25, 2005. Rates are valid most nights from: 10/23/05 - 11/20/05, 11/26/05 - 12/4/05 & 12/10/05 - 12/25/05. Travel must be completed by 12/25/05. Prices start at $999 for a family of 4 at a select Value Resort. Ask for code YQC. Vacations must be booked before October 23, 2005. The number of rooms is limited. |
||
|
|
||
|
Eisner
leaves mixed legacy as Disney chief
When Michael Eisner hands over the keys to Disney's Magic Kingdom on Friday after 21 years of running the media giant, he'll leave behind a stormy legacy -- brilliant early success mixed later with executive turmoil, an operational slump and a shareholder revolt. But industry experts say that ironically, as Eisner says farewell as Disney's chief executive officer, the company has begun to return to the double-digit earnings growth that marked his first decade running Disney with late president Frank Wells. Under new CEO Bob Iger, Disney will continue facing challenges settling issues at its movie studio -- including landing a new distribution deal with Pixar Animation Studios (PIXR.O) . But with a new park in Hong Kong open, and a turnaround at TV broadcaster ABC in progress, Eisner is leaving on a high note. "His legacy is brilliance, mixed with turmoil," said Hal Vogel, a veteran Wall Street analyst and money manager who has tracked the media industry for years. There is no doubt that Eisner's tenure has been successful. In the 21 years since he joined a then struggling Disney, the company has gone from $1.5 billion in annual revenues to nearly $31 billion today. The stock price was $1.33 in 1984 and traded at around $24 a share on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. Disney has split its shares since 1984, and Disney said $10,000 of its stock 21 years ago would now be worth more than $200,000. When Eisner ran the company alongside No. 2 executive Frank Wells, it seemed Disney could do no wrong. Along with studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, they reinvigorated Disney's vaunted film animation group, cranking out movies like "The Lion King." SUCCESS TO MISSTEPS The early successes peaked in 1995 when Disney agreed to acquire Capital Cities/ABC, which owned the ABC and ESPN TV networks, in a $19 billion deal. A year earlier, Wells died in a helicopter crash. Katzenberg left Disney after failing to ascend to Wells' job. Eisner instead hired Hollywood superagent Michael Ovitz to be president, but he departed in 1996 after clashing with other Disney executives and his former friend, Eisner. Katzenberg later sued Disney for bonus money and settled for an amount reported to be around $250 million, and Ovitz got a severance package with an estimated value at $140 million. "After Frank died, you can't say the company did much of anything that was all that brilliant," said one former Disney executive who asked to remain unidentified. Although ESPN has proven highly valuable, ABC stumbled badly until this past year when hit comedy "Desperate Housewives" and drama "Lost" sparked a viewership rebound and higher advertising revenues. Wall Street viewed Disney as paying too much in 2001 when it agreed to acquire Fox Family Channel from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Ltd. (NWSa.N) for $5.2 billion, including debt. The company had been an ambitious player on the Internet, but in 2001, it shuttered its uncompetitive GO.com Web portal and took over $800 million in quarterly charges. Like others, Disney's theme parks suffered from a tourism slump after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, although they have since rebounded. The missteps caused Roy Disney, nephew of company founder Walt Disney, to launch a campaign to oust Eisner. The board made many of the changes Roy Disney advocated, although Eisner leaves on his own terms. Iger still faces issues ahead. ABC's recent hits need support from new shows like presidential drama "Commander in Chief" to keep ratings momentum going. And the studio must rejuvenate its Miramax Films specialty division and its animated division, perhaps signing a new distribution agreement with Pixar Animation Studios Inc. (PIXR.O) after Eisner alienated Pixar CEO Steve Jobs. |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC
dominates Wednesday with 'Lost'
|
||
|
|
||
|
Winter
Garden man takes Disney triathlon
Two weeks ago, Marc Bonnet-Eymard of Winter
Garden beat the nearest competitor in the OUC Downtown Orlando
Triathlon by more than four minutes. Andriy Yastrebov, who lives in Dade City but
hails from the Ukraine, won Ironman Wisconsin three weeks ago.
Yastrebov, who specializes in the Ironman distance, took third
at Ironman Coeur d'Alene in Idaho in 2004 and second at
Ironman Florida in Panama City Beach in 2003. He consistently
runs sub three-hour marathons in triathlons -- after swimming
2.4 miles and biking 112 miles. |
||
|
|
||
|
Thursday September 29, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
| Disneyland Celebrates 50th Anniversary of The Mickey Mouse Club | ||
|
|
||
|
Disneyland, "The Mickey Mouse Club" and the
Mouseketeers -- three American pop culture icons -- share
their 50th anniversaries in 2005 and 10 of the original
Mouseketeers are returning "home" to Disneyland on
Monday, October 3, to celebrate their golden milestone where
they first made their initial public appearance. In salute to
one of the most popular children's television shows of
all-time, the Mouseketeers will return "home" to
Disneyland for a 9 a.m. reunion saluting the debut of the
classic 1950s television series. The special salute honoring
the original cast of Mouseketeers and "The Mickey Mouse
Club" is just one of many memorable moments taking place
during the 18-month Disneyland "Happiest Homecoming on
Earth" 50th anniversary celebration as it kicks into high
gear and continues throughout 2006. Additional upcoming
milestones and celebrations include "Golden"
holidays at Disneyland, the January opening of the all-new
attraction "Monsters, Inc. -- Mike & Sulley to the
Rescue" at Disney's California Adventure and the 40th
anniversary of "it's a small world."
In a nostalgic ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Mouseketeers will reflect on 50 years of "Mouske-Memories" in story and song before unveiling the world's largest pair of "Mouseketeer Ears," comprised of nearly 1,000 "Honorary" Mouseketeers filling the expansive forecourt of the castle. Seen from above, and to the strains of the familiar "Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater," the iconic black ears with the "Mickey Mouse Club" logo will magically come alive and be transformed to mark the milestone occasion. "We are very proud to honor the Mouseketeers for their contributions to Disneyland and to children's television," said Matt Ouimet, president of Disneyland Resort. "The Mousketeer hats that 'The Mickey Mouse Club' made so popular 50 years ago continue to be popular with Disneyland Guests today." "The Mickey Mouse Club" made its national television premiere on Monday, October 3, 1955, on the ABC television network. The Mouseketeers were a talented cast of youngsters who starred in the popular variety series that included cartoons, music and live-action adventures. The show began with the famous "Mickey Mouse Club March" (a tune still familiar with today's generation) and ended with another popular song, "The Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater," which expressed a heartfelt goodbye with the famous: "M - I - C -- See ya real soon -- K - E - Y -- Why? Because we like you! M - O - U - S - E." The Mouseketeers were first introduced to the public during the live broadcast of the Disneyland opening day festivities, televised nationwide on Sunday, July 17, 1955. They were featured in the inaugural Main Street parade and were showcased with their very own musical production number. All 24 initial Mouseketeers performed the "Talent Round-Up" song at the Mickey Mouse Club Theater in Fantasyland, culminating in the soon-to-become familiar "Mouseketeer Roll Call." Over the course of a four-year run (1955-1959), 39 original Mouseketeers appeared on the show. For many years, The Mickey Mouse Club Theater at Disneyland was the official home of the Mouseketeers. Opening on August 27, 1955, the theater featured a program of Disney cartoon shorts and 3D films. On November 24, 1955, Disneyland premiered the elaborate "Mickey Mouse Club Circus," starring many of the Mouseketeers as stunt riders and trapeze artists, plus head Mouseketeers Jimmie Dodd and Roy Williams. From 1963-64 the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland became the "Mickey Mouse Club Headquarters" where children could sign-up and get their own official membership cards in the club. Throughout the years the original Mouseketeers have returned to Disneyland numerous times, including reunions in 1980, 1990, 1995 and most recently at the actual 50th anniversary of Disneyland on July 17, 2005. "The Mickey Mouse Club" featured numerous Mouseketeers that would go on to successful entertainment careers including Annette Funicello ("Babes in Toyland," "The Shaggy Dog," numerous "Beach Party" films with Frankie Avalon), Bobby Burgess ("The Lawrence Welk Show"), Tommy Kirk ("Old Yeller," "Swiss Family Robinson"), Cubby O'Brien (professional drummer for numerous Broadway shows and headliners) and Tommy Cole (Emmy Award winning make-up artist). The show was revived in 1977 as "The New Mickey Mouse Club" with a whole new cast of Mouseketeers including Lisa Whelchel who later starred in the hit TV series "The Facts of Life." From 1989-1994, the "MMC" was broadcast on The Disney Channel and launched the careers of such successful performers as Christina Aguilera, J.C. Chasez, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russell, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. More information about the "Happiest Homecoming on Earth" and vacations at Disneyland Resort is available at www.disneyland.com, by calling (877) 700-DISNEY, or by visiting local travel agents. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's
MP3 player for kids
Going after a market that includes children as young as 6, Disney on Thursday unveiled a new line of portable digital audio players for preteen consumers. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney Mix Sticks are digital audio MP3/WMA players designed to download music files or copy from CDs. They also accommodate memory cards, called Mix Clips, that feature prerecorded music from Walt Disney Records. "Digital music is exploding and is ready to take off with kids," Chris Heatherly, Disney Electronics vice president, said in a statement. "The Disney Mix Stick-Mix Clips combination is the perfect way for kids to get started with digital music because it's easier to use than players that can only be used with a PC, and it is just as capable." |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney Mix Sticks have a storage capacity of 128MB, enough for about 60 songs, and work with a USB 2.0 connector. The MP3 players also feature an SD/MMC card slot for as much as 1GB of storage, or approximately 500 songs. The Mix Clip memory cards carry full-length albums from Walt Disney Records and are compatible with computers, cellular phones and other devices. |
||
|
|
||
|
The MP3 players are scheduled to ship in mid-October to major retailers and are expected to sell for about $49. The Mix Clips will be offered separately in the same price range as CDs. Disney isn't the first to attract young consumers with a media player. Apple's iPod has caught the attention of young teens and toy maker Hasbro also carries a portable digital-music recorder, PlayItNow. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney has its own iPod contender, the Mix
Stick MP3 player, for kids of all ages. The Mix Stick comes
with 128MB of built-in memory and is expandable to 1G to
store data and music files. It is expected to sell for
$49.99.
Disney's Jam Stand (sold separately) allows kids to play music from their Disney Mix Stick player while recharging its battery. The Mix Stick comes with a lithium battery that will last up to 8 hours. The Jam Stand's expected price is $39.99. |
||
|
|
||
|
The Mix Sticks come with four different
styles: Disney Chrome, Forever Princess, Sassy Pixie and
That's So Raven. Another accessory is a carrying case, a unisex black one or a pink purse with a see-through front. Disney is also offering a plain chrome model of the Mix Stick. The fourth model is called That's so Raven. A Raven Mix Clip can also be purchased separately. |
||
|
|
||
|
The Robert Iger era is beginning at Disney.
The 54-year-old Iger takes over a company
whose ABC network is on the rebound, whose theme parks
are recovering from the Sept. 11, 2001 tourism slowdown
and whose film division has lined up a slate of
potential blockbuster movies, including two sequels to
"Pirates of the Caribbean."
But he will face considerable challenges
as he tries to execute his vision of expanding Disney
internationally and leading the company into a digital
future.
Perhaps his most important task involves
animated films, a franchise lost in recent years to
Pixar Animation Studios Inc. and DreamWorks Animation
SKG Inc.
"Bob Iger's highest priority in our
view is to re-establish Disney and its affiliates as the
pre-eminent source of animated film," said Laura
Martin, an analyst with Soleil-Media Metrics.
Disney stumbled in recent years with traditional hand-drawn feature films while competitors were finding great success with computer-generated movies. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's (NYSE: DIS)
movie studios may not be doing so well these days, but
its broadcast network is coming up roses.
ABC bested General
Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC, News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox,
and Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) CBS in the ratings race for the
first week of the new television season in terms of the
vital 18-49 demographic, something it apparently hadn't
done in 10 years. The Mouse secured the pole position
via success stories such as Desperate Housewives
and Lost, generating a 21% increase in the 18-49
category versus one year ago. CBS, however, was No. 1 in
terms of overall viewer levels. Plus, consider that the
spread between CBS and ABC in terms of average overall
viewers was narrow (12.9 million vs. 12.3 million,
respectively).
This is great news for shareholders of Disney, including me. Then again, I'm also a shareholder of General Electric, whose NBC unit didn't do so well after posting a decrease of 7% in overall viewers. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Coming back to ABC, I have to say its performance impressed me because I was concerned that the network might not maintain its recent momentum. As we all know, you can be top of the heap one year and then bottom of the barrel the next. That's how it goes in Hollywood. But I'm pleased to see that ABC is still bringing in the eyeballs. Those eyeballs equal revenues, of course. Check out Rick Munarriz's commentary back in June, aptly titled "Easy As ABC." Considering that Invasion performed the best among all the new shows, one has to wonder whether it truly is that easy. It probably isn't. Bob Iger shouldn't rest on ABC's laurels just yet; he needs to ensure that this asset continues to rake in the ad dollars and serves as an antidote for the weak studio segment. Hopefully, last weekend's box office showing of Disney's Flightplan indicates good things to come, as it topped the Boxofficemojo.com charts with a gross of $24.6 million. ABC may be hot right now, but Disney's stock is not. The downturn in the company's movie business is really taking a toll. Things could be worse, though, if ABC weren't doing gangbuster ratings. So shareholders should take a positive attitude and a long-term perspective for the stock. |
||
|
|
||
|
The U.S. Department of Transportation's
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA)
and the Advertising Council (AdCouncil) today announced
an unprecedented tie-in with Walt Disney's original
"Cinderella" animated feature and Buena Vista
Home Entertainment (BVHE), to educate families on the
importance of booster seats until children reach 4 feet
9 inches in height. As part of the effort, an expansive
Public Service Advertisement (PSA) campaign will roll
out via television, radio, outdoor and online media,
featuring facts about booster seat usage, themed to the
"Cinderella" story and utilizing original
footage and characters from Walt Disney's classic
animated motion picture, to make the campaign more
effective and appealing to both children and parents.
This new and innovative way of combining
life-saving information about child safety seat use with
a well-known entertainment property is the first-ever
collaboration of the three organizations and was created
in response to overwhelming statistics indicating
booster seats reduce the number of avoidable deaths and
serious injuries from car crashes each year. The
expansive new public service campaign is designed to
create awareness among parents of young children who
have outgrown their toddler seats, that a booster seat
is a must for any child under 4 feet 9 inches tall, to
lift them up so that a safety belt fits properly.
Booster seat use is required by law in 33 states and the
District of Columbia.
"We're delighted that the Ad Council and BVHE have agreed to help us get kids between four and eight into booster seats," said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Jacqueline Glassman. "What better messenger than the Fairy Godmother to tell us that the magic number is 4'9"." "We are very proud to stand with NHTSA in promoting child safety by lending Walt Disney's original beloved 'Cinderella' characters to this important safety campaign," Robert Chapek, President, Buena Vista Home Entertainment said. "Using the beloved Fairy Godmother and Cinderella to help deliver this message, but in a more family-friendly way, can heighten the public's receptivity to such an important safety issue." |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
and Raven-Symone Unveil ``That's So Raven'' Fragrance
& Cosmetics Collection
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and international teen superstar Raven-Symone (a.k.a. Raven), of Disney Channel's hit series "That's So Raven," introduced a new fragrance and cosmetics collection for tween girls today at an exclusive launch event in New York City. The collection, from Disney Consumer Products and licensees Townley Cosmetics and boom!, reflects the spirited, fresh and warm "That's So Raven" brand for today's tween. It offers the opportunity for girls to express themselves with this season's hottest color palettes and a fun new fragrance, all while further connecting with their favorite TV series and star. Both lines will be available at May Dept. stores, Wal-Mart, Limited Too, Claire's stores and specialty retailers nationwide beginning in October. Raven-Symone will make personal appearances at Wal-Mart stores in Orlando, Dallas and Atlanta in early October to coincide with the product's in-store arrival. To ensure her personal preferences were infused in the development of the product, the multi-talented 19-year-old entertainer collaborated with Disney Consumer Products and its licensees Townley Cosmetics on the color cosmetic line, and boom! on the "That's So Raven" fragrance. "I am a make-up and fragrance fanatic who likes creating art with all kinds of beautiful color and texture, so the process of working alongside the pros to create these lines was an intriguing and fun experience for me," said Raven-Symone. She continued, "I also wanted to provide some tips to girls about the best way to apply make-up so that it looks natural and doesn't freak their parents out." "Raven-Symone is a great inspiration and role model to girls everywhere," said Shiela Ullery, category director, health and beauty, Disney Consumer Products. She continued, "We've seen a tremendous response to `That's So Raven' products such as apparel and video games, so extending the brand into personal care was a natural fit. Working alongside industry leaders boom! and Townley Cosmetics, we set out to develop a line that truly captures her energy and spirit while playing up the series' fun attributes." In addition to selecting the fresh and natural color palettes, the teen superstar chose "flavors" for lip gloss and suggested shade names for lipstick, eye shadow and blush. A make-up enthusiast, Raven-Symone provided "how to apply make-up" tips for tweens on the product packaging. She participated in lab reviews with fragrance makers from boom!, contributing to the creation of the fragrance by sharing her preferences for certain notes and scents. The new "That's So Raven" fragrance bouquet contains vanilla bean notes with white lily and lemon zest contrasted with low notes of soft, warm musk to create the energetic and playful scent. The collection offers cologne sprays and a fragrance shimmer stick at a suggested retail price from $7.50- $12.00. The new cosmetics collection offers an array of color blends in blush, eye shadows, all over compacts, lip gloss, lip pots, lip wands, nail polish and more. The collection is available individually and as make-up sets, packaged in stylish, useful make-up bags, kits and notebooks, with a suggested retail price from $3.00-$15.00. "That's So Raven" is seen on Disney Channels around the world. In the U.S., it is televised daily (7:30 p.m. ET/PT) on Disney Channel. It is also seen Saturday mornings (10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT) on the ABC Television Network's ABC Kids. 2005-to-date, "That's So Raven" is the basic cable television industry's #1 series with Girls 6-11 and Tween Girls 9-14. For 2004, it was the #1 series on basic cable with Tween Girls 9-14. It is also Disney Channel's #1 series in Households and Total Viewers and the #1 Saturday morning program on ABC Kids with Tween Girls 9-14. Disney Channel, part of Disney ABC Television Group, is available in over 86 million U.S. homes. Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company that extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home decor, stationery and books to interactive games, food and beverages, electronics and animation art. This is accomplished through the work of DCP's various lines of business: Disney Toys, Disney Softlines, Disney Hardlines, Disney Home, Disney Publishing, Buena Vista Games, The Baby Einstein Co. and The Muppets Holding Co. The Disney Store, which debuted in 1987, also falls under DCP, through stores currently owned and operated by unaffiliated third parties under licensing agreements in North America and Japan, and wholly owned by Disney in Europe. boom! LLC, based in New York City, is a full service company focused on design/development and distribution within the fragrance, color cosmetic, bath, body and hair care categories. Clients have included brands like Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Sears, United Retail, Limited Too, Disney, Wrangler and the National Football League. Townley Inc., a New York based cosmetic and accessories company with over 50 years of industry experience, specializes in Kids, Tween and Teen cosmetics and covers all aspects of the licensed and private label cosmetic markets. Townley has created dynamic partnerships with brands from Disney, Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network and Sanrio. Retail partnerships include Club Libby Lu, Hot Topic, Limited Too, Target and May Co. |
||
|
|
||
|
Veteran
to head Disney union
Morty Miller, a longtime union organizer,
business agent and officer, was elected Wednesday to head the
Service Trades Council, an umbrella group for six unions
representing 27,000 full- and part-time employees at Walt
Disney World. |
||
|
|
||
|
Don't
forget Eisner also saved company
There was a before, you know. Before the Michael Ovitz lawsuit. Before the shareholder revolt. When Michael Eisner got to Disney 21 years ago, he wasn't the guy with the target on his back. He was the guy brought in to fix things, to protect the sleepy company from another attack by corporate raiders. And that's just what he did. Say what you will about Eisner -- and I've said plenty -- but there's no disputing the facts: The reluctant retiree who leaves his post this week had a passion for entertainment. And, despite a privileged background, he had an uncanny feel for popular taste. Eisner purchased the ABC television network; he launched Disney's theatrical productions; and he oversaw a hotel and theme-park building boom in Central Florida. Did pettiness and ego sometimes mask his skills? Absolutely. Were there flops? To be sure. You don't hear much about the Disney Institute at Walt Disney World these days. And those plans in Virginia for Disney's America, a history park about which an executive said tourists would "feel what it was like to be a slave," were scuttled, fortunately. But through much of his career, Eisner was golden, as near as it came to a reincarnation of Walt himself. Charlie Ridgway, a retired Orlando publicist, remembers the first time Eisner and Frank Wells, Disney's late president, walked through the Magic Kingdom. Hundreds of workers lined up to shake their hands outside Cinderella Castle. "I think there was a significant feeling of relief," Ridgway said. That's because Disney had weathered two raiders -- Saul Steinberg and Irwin Jacobs. Had either succeeded, they may have busted up the company and sold off the parts. Eisner was the guy who kept Disney together. Early in his tenure, Eisner recognized the key to success in Orlando would be keeping people on property. That meant giving them more hotels to stay in and something to do at night -- namely Pleasure Island (where, incidentally, he tooled around on skates with Michael Jackson). In the boom-building days, it wasn't unusual to find Eisner in a hard hat at construction sites. Before he was so recognizable, he would sneak into the park as a regular tourist to see what the experience of paying customers was like. His favorite ride or show? It was always the one that had just opened. "He's a promoter. The newest thing will always be his baby," said Tom Elrod, a retired marketing and entertainment executive at Disney. "And he was fanatical about the competition." He wanted to know about everything -- and his sneaking around included trips to SeaWorld and Universal Orlando, too. At his parks, he would insist on changes, like closing the Magic Kingdom's Alien Encounter show to make it more intense. He rode Mission: Space at Epcot at least 20 times when it was under development. I asked current and former executives if Disney would be Disney -- a $31-billion-a-year conglomerate -- were it not for Eisner. No way, they said. The last couple of years have been difficult for the Big Mouse. Shareholders, who once stood in line to get his autograph, stripped him of his chairman's title. And a judge, though clearing Eisner and other directors of wrongdoing, had harsh words for him regarding the $140 million in severance paid to his buddy, Michael Ovitz. But there was a time when folks were happy to credit Eisner with turning a tired company into a powerhouse. I hope when people look back on his tenure, they remember that, too. |
||
|
|
||
|
Fox
Valley Disney store opens after makeover
Disney stores in suburban Chicago are sporting a new look, complete with a dressing room, outfits for newborns and entryways styled as Mickey Mouse ears. They also have a new retail strategy, mingling discounts and two-for-one sales with higher-priced goods. The Disney store at Fox Valley Center in Aurora already has been made over. Stores at Orland Park Mall and at the Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie will reopen Nov. 4 and Nov. 8, respectively, with the remodeled look. "The new prototype is designed to capture the imagination ... to bring back some of the fun of the theme park experience," said Mario Ciampi, president of Disney Stores North America. Mickey as an 11-foot-tall sorcerer stands prominently in the front of the stores, with sparkling lighting overhead. An imaginatively designed checkout stand features huge molds of Mickey's ears, hands and feet. A media wall in the back of the store shows previews of Disney movies and memorable clips from movie and DVD releases. The stores sell Disney DVDs. Children sit in Donald and Daisy "duckbills" as seats. The dressing rooms sport Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and Captain Hook motifs. Shoppers should notice that the Disney store clothing has improved fabrics, some tagless items and easier washing requirements, Ciampi said. Nearly all of Disney's stores will get the makeover in the next three years. The remodeling was announced four years ago, at the same time Disney said it would close 100 of its 508 stores nationwide as their leases expired. The Children's Place Retail Stores bought the 313-store Disney chain for $100 million last year. Shoppers will notice only minor touchups at the Disney flagship store at 717 N. Michigan, among the top three stores in sales nationwide. "It's not as old as some of the other stores, and it was built to last a long time, as a flagship," Ciampi said of the six-year-old store. |
||
|
|
||
|
Michael
Eisner steps down, Robert Iger takes helm
The Robert Iger era is beginning at Disney. The incoming chief executive will inherit a mixed bag Saturday when he becomes only the sixth person to lead the Walt Disney Co., replacing longtime CEO Michael Eisner. The 54-year-old Iger takes over a company whose ABC network is on the rebound, whose theme parks are recovering from the 9/11 tourism slowdown and whose film division has lined up a slate of potential blockbuster movies, including two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean. But he faces considerable challenges as he tries to execute his vision of expanding Disney internationally and leading the company into a digital future. Perhaps his most important task involves animated films, a franchise lost in recent years to Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation SKG. ''Bob Iger's highest priority in our view is to re-establish Disney and its affiliates as the pre-eminent source of animated film,'' said Laura Martin, an analyst with Soleil-Media Metrics. Disney stumbled in recent years with traditional hand-drawn feature films while competitors were thriving with computer-generated movies. The company has since switched to computer animation. Iger is already trying to strike a new distribution deal with Pixar, a move that would give Disney breathing room as it launches its own slate of computer animated films, beginning with this year's Chicken Little. Iger has also convened a group of top executives who will work with a management consulting firm to envision what Disney and its component businesses will look like in 2015. In recent months, Iger has declined requests for interviews about his plans. But he has told analysts that adapting Disney's content to the digital future will be one of his priorities. Consumers ''are going to put demands on how, when, where and how much they consume in media and how much they spend as well,'' Iger said at a recent investment conference. ``Those dynamics, we believe, create a voracious appetite for content.'' While Disney continues to rebound and promise double-digit growth this year and next, Iger faces hurdles sustaining that growth long-term, analysts said. In recent years, Disney has improved profits by shedding underperforming assets, like its retail stores, and is now talking to potential suitors about its radio business. For the latest quarter, net income rose 41 percent to $851 million from $604 million for the year-ago period, helped by higher ratings for ABC shows such as Desperate Housewives, and increased attendance at its theme parks. Disney's stock has rebounded from a low of less than $15 a share in 2002, closing Wednesday at $23.37, up a penny, on the New York Stock Exchange. Iger doesn't have the luxury of raising already expensive theme-park prices to boost growth. And his plans to expand the company's television and movie businesses into China and Asia will be tempered by restrictions placed on American media by those countries. He has told analysts he is happy with Disney's current size and mix of businesses, a structure that has helped it weather downturns in tourism and slumps in the television advertising market. ''We like the size of the company today given the environment and have no plans to split it up and make it smaller,'' Iger told analysts, referring to plans by rival media company Viacom Inc. to split into separate entities to operate its TV and movie interests. Iger inherits a much different Disney than Eisner found when he took charge.In 1984, Disney was a small, sleepy movie studio with three theme parks and a moribund animation department. Eisner quickly raised park prices and invested in animation, spurring quick growth. Unlike his predecessor, Iger will not be consumed with quieting corporate turmoil and fending off dissident shareholders. After being named Eisner's successor in March, Iger quickly persuaded ex-directors Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold to drop their two-year feud with the company. Disney, the nephew of company namesake Walt Disney, was named a director emeritus and consultant last July. In exchange, he and Gold agreed to support Iger. Iger also moved quickly to mend fences with Bob and Harvey Weinstein, co-founders of Miramax, the Disney-owned company responsible for some of its parent's most respected films. |
||
|
|
||
|
BST excels with challenging 'Beauty' Like the song goes, "Disney's Beauty and the Beast'' tells a tale as old as time. But the splashy stage production at Billings Studio Theater weaves another story - of homegrown talent like the tap-dancing Howland siblings, Judy Morrell's velvety vocals as Mrs. Potts and the acrobatics of Andrew J. Smith as Lefou. This musical features heaps of talent, including the two leads, Hana Pestle as Belle and Casey Visser as the Beast. The costumes are flashy, if a bit cumbersome. Visser had trouble opening night projecting his rich voice because part of his mask was covering his nose, and a dancing fork struggled with folding tongs. Otherwise, the show was a flawless mix of ambitious choreography, whimsical costumes and inspired vocals. Shows have been selling out since opening weekend, so the theater has added two Saturday matinees. The musical, the theater's most expensive undertaking in recent years, is a full staging of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast.'' No detail is left out, from the gargoyles that embellish the castle walls to a perfect replica of Belle's golden gown from the animated Disney movie and the light-up candlestick hands on Lumiere, whose antics make him one of the highlights of the show. Played by BST veteran Tom Wagner, Lumiere is a persistent flirt throughout, tickling the feather duster Babette, played by Janet Morgenstern, and advising Beast on how to court a lady. The big production numbers are dazzling, especially the "Be Our Guest'' scene where 40-some dancers, most of them dressed as household items, waltz and strut around the stage without losing a beat. The scene showcases individual talents, including some fancy tap dancing by the cream and sugar bowl, played by brother and sister Ben and Mandy Howland, the waltzing silverware, and the can-can napkins. Mary Monaghan does a fine job moving and singing in her boxy wardrobe costume, intricately decorated with feathers and glitter. And Morrell dressed as Mrs. Potts in a full-blown teapot still manages to float around the stage as if she were wearing a tutu. Director Gerry Roe put together a strong cast well-suited for the roles and added an extra bite to the show by beefing up the comedic role of Gaston, played by Mark Jurovich. The pairing of Jurovich and Smith as Gaston's sidekick Lefou is especially strong. The wiry, gymnastic Smith adds much physical humor to the show, and Jurovich enhances that with his portrayal of the brutish Gaston. At one point, Lefou leaps into Gaston's arms, smirking the entire time. Choreographer Michelle Guelff brings some bold strokes to the production, most noticeably in the wolf scene, where the costumed actors tangle with the Beast in a dreamy, balletlike scene. And the costuming is phenomenal, from Belle's gorgeous gowns to Chip's unique setup as a cup on wheels. Gary Treglown designed and built the magical costumes, with help from several others putting them all together. Jeff Boschee, who also played Cogsworth, created the sets, which included the extraordinarily detailed castle, and Kathryn McLain does a fine job as musical director. The show runs almost three hours, but it feels shorter and you'll leave hoping for more. |
||
|
|
||
|
Iger
plans to animate Disney
The Robert Iger era is beginning at Disney. The incoming chief executive will inherit a mixed bag on Saturday when he becomes only the sixth person to lead the Walt Disney Co, replacing longtime CEO Michael Eisner. The 54-year-old Iger takes over a company whose ABC network is on the rebound, whose theme parks are recovering from the tourism slowdown after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and whose film division has lined up a slate of potential blockbusters, including two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean. But he will face considerable challenges as he tries to realise his vision of expanding Disney internationally and leading the company into a digital future. Perhaps his most important task involves animated films, where Disney has lost ground in recent years to Pixar Animation Studios Inc and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Disney's stock has rebounded from a low of less than $15 (£8.50) a share in 2002 and has traded at between $22 (£12.50) and $29.99 (£17) per share over the last year. It closed at $23.37 (£13.25) in New York yesterday. |
||
|
|
||
|
Jim
Brickman: the Disney Songbook
Platinum-selling pianist Jim Brickman and the industry's #1 family music label are proud to present their first collaboration - Jim Brickman: The Disney Songbook. The release makes its debut in stores October 4, 2005 on Walt Disney Records. Jim Brickman: The Disney Songbook pays tribute to the timeless Disney musical repertoire through Brickman's heartfelt interpretations and special guest vocal performances. The CD features two brand new, original tracks inspired by the first-time-ever DVD release of the beloved Disney original animated feature Cinderella - "I'm Amazed," featuring platinum-selling country recording artist Lila McCann, and the all-new adult contemporary track, "Beautiful." The single "I'm Amazed" was "most added" at AC radio on September 13. The soaringly romantic "Beautiful" was co-written by Jim and performed by Emmy® Award-winning TV star Wayne Brady. As a special bonus feature, the CD includes the full length "Beautiful" music video showcasing Jim Brickman and Wayne Brady. In The Disney Songbook, Jim romances Disney favorites including "Beauty and the Beast," "Mary Poppins Medley," "Cruella De Vil," "Reflection," "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," "Some Day My Prince Will Come," and "When You Wish Upon A Star." Additional collaborators on Jim Brickman: The Disney Songbook include pop/R&B artist Kimberley Locke ("A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"), "One Life to Live" star Kassie DePaiva ("Baby Mine") and country music sensation Josh Gracin ("When I See an Elephant Fly"). This exciting new CD will be featured in Jim Brickman's third PBS musical special, Jim Brickman at the Magic Kingdom: The Disney Songbook, premiering November 2005 and airing through the end of the year. This vibrant television special will highlight Jim's piano virtuosity and feature special guests Wayne Brady, Lila McCann, Broadway star Linda Eder and Grammy Award-winner Michael Bolton, all giving electric performances filmed earlier this year at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Over the course of ten albums since Jim's solo recording debut No Words, he has been awarded one Platinum and four Gold records and has sold over 5MM units in the US alone. Jim is a staple at AC Radio with a long string of Top 10 hits. In addition, he was a recipient of the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award and earned a 2003 Grammy nomination for the holiday CD Peace. On October 4, 2005, Jim Brickman: The Disney Songbook will be available for a suggested retail price of $18.98 wherever music is sold. All Buena Vista Records and Walt Disney Records audio products also can be ordered by visiting DisneyRecords.com. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
brings its Princesses to India
Disney has launched the Princess Collection of Dolls and Role-Play sets in India. The Walt Disney Company has entered into an agreement with Funskool India to retail Disney's range of toy merchandise. The products are priced between Rs 299 and Rs 649 for the dolls and between Rs 199 and Rs 1,500 for the role-play sets. The eight princesses - Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White - were brought together under the same marketing umbrella by Disney Consumer Products in 2000. Rajat Jain, Managing Director, Walt Disney Television (India), said: "This move represents another significant step in The Walt Disney Company's business strategy in India." Funskool will import the Princess products and distribute them in India. The company will also manufacture board games and puzzles from its facility in Goa. |
||
|
|
||
|
'A Disney
Serenade'
Young Hearts Theatre, now in its 26th year of continuous performances, is presenting "A Disney Serenade" at the Ursuline Campus. The program features nearly three dozen senior adults singing and dancing to music from such Disney favorites as "Beauty and the Beast," "Mary Poppins," "Cinderella" and "Peter Pan." The performers range in age from the early 60s to the late 80s. The group's founder, Eloise Terry, who still performs, will celebrate her 90th birthday next month. The show, which opened last week, has remaining performances at 7 p.m. tomorrow and 2 p.m. Sunday. It is directed by Cy Webber with musical |
||
|
|
||
|
Daddy
Yankee bags ABC Radio gig
ABC Radio Networks is catching on to the Raggaeton craze. In a bid to expand its Hispanic audience, ABC has signed a multi-year agreement with Raggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee, the network will announce today. ABC Radio will create a weekly two-hour syndicated program hosted by the Puerto Rican singer. "The Daddy Yankee Radio Show," is set to debut later in the fall and will air on Saturday evenings. The all-Spanish language program will feature music and interviews and will target young music fans. "In just a few short years, Daddy Yankee has quickly established himself as an international music phenomenon and we look forward to bringing him to a national Hispanic radio audience here in the United States," said ABC Radio Networks' general manager Darryl Brown. "I am proud to be the first Reggaeton artist to have his own nationally syndicated radio show," Yankee said. A fast-rising Latin music genre, Reggaeton is a blend of reggae, hip hop and dance hall. Hispanics are the fastest growing segment of the population. The group's buying power is currently $766 billion, and will approach $1.1 trillion by 2010. ABC has been adding Spanish language stars with the goal of capturing more Hispanic ad dollars. Through a deal with Hispanic media giant Spanish Broadcasting System, ABC Radio syndicates three Hispanic radio programs, including "El Vacilón de la Mañana with Luis Jimenez and Moonshadow" which originates on New York station WSKQ-FM. In addition to Daddy Yankee, another pop star just got his own radio show. Yesterday, XM Satellite Radio said it struck a deal with rapper Ludacris who will host weekly music program that will debut in January on XM's uncut hip-hop channel RAW. |
||
|
|
||
|
Wednesday September 28, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
The Robert Iger era is
beginning at Disney. The incoming chief executive will inherit
a mixed bag Saturday when he becomes only the sixth person to
lead the Walt Disney Co., replacing longtime CEO Michael
Eisner.
The 54-year-old Iger takes over a company whose ABC network is on the rebound, whose theme parks are recovering from the 9/11 tourism slowdown and whose film division has lined up a slate of potential blockbuster movies, including two sequels to "Pirates of the Caribbean." But he will face considerable challenges as he tries to execute his vision of expanding Disney internationally and leading the company into a digital future. Perhaps his most important task involves animated films, a franchise lost in recent years to Pixar Animation Studios Inc. and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. "Bob Iger's highest priority in our view is to re-establish Disney and its affiliates as the pre-eminent source of animated film," said Laura Martin, an analyst with Soleil-Media Metrics. Disney stumbled in recent years with traditional hand-drawn feature films while competitors were finding great success with computer-generated movies. The company has since switched to computer animation. Iger is already trying to strike a new distribution deal with Pixar, a move that would give Disney breathing room as it launches its own slate of computer animated films, beginning with this year's "Chicken Little." Iger has also convened a group of top executives who will work with a management consulting firm to envision what Disney and its component businesses will look like in 2015. In recent months, Iger has declined requests for interviews about his plans, preferring to keep a low profile during the transition. But he has told analysts that adapting Disney's content to the digital future will be one of his priorities. Consumers "are going to put demands on how, when, where and how much they consume in media and how much they spend as well," Iger said at a recent investment conference. "Those dynamics, we believe, create a voracious appetite for content." While Disney continues to rebound and promise double-digit growth this year and next, Iger will face hurdles sustaining that growth long-term, analysts said. In recent years, Disney has aided its bottom line by shedding underperforming assets, such as its chain of retail stores, and is now talking to potential suitors about its radio business. For the latest quarter, net income rose 41 percent to $851 million, compared to $604 million in the same period last year, thanks to higher ratings for ABC shows such as "Desperate Housewives," and increased attendance at its theme parks. Disney's stock has rebounded from a low of less than $15 a share in 2002 and has traded between $22 and $29.99 per share for the last 52 weeks. The stock closed Wednesday at $23.37 per share on the New York Stock Exchange. Iger does not have the luxury of raising already expensive theme park prices to boost growth. And his plans to expand the company's television and movie businesses into China and Asia will be tempered by restrictions placed on American media by those countries. He has told analysts he is happy with Disney's current size and mix of businesses, a structure that has helped the company weather downturns in tourism and slumps in the television advertising market. "We like the size of the company today given the environment and have no plans to split it up and make it smaller," Iger told analysts, referring to plans by rival media company Viacom Inc. to split into separate entities to operate its TV and movie interests. Iger inherits a much different operation than the one Eisner found when he took the company's reins more than two decades ago. In 1984, Disney was a small, sleepy movie studio with three theme parks and a moribund animation department. Eisner was able to quickly raise prices at the parks and invest in animation, moves that led to quick growth. Unlike his predecessor, Iger will not be consumed with quieting corporate turmoil and fending off dissident shareholders. After being named Eisner's successor in March, Iger quickly persuaded ex-directors Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold to drop their two-year feud with the company. Disney, the nephew of company namesake Walt Disney, was named a director emeritus and consultant last July. In exchange, he and Gold agreed to support Iger's leadership. Iger also moved quickly to mend fences with Bob and Harvey Weinstein, co-founders of Miramax, the Disney-owned company responsible for some of its parent's most respected films. Iger "has subdued most of the fires of the past," said Harold Vogel, head of the investment firm Vogel Capital Management and a longtime Disney observer. "That gives management time to focus on the future more confidently." The transition to the Iger era has gone smoothly, with Eisner taking a back seat for most of this year and letting his second-in-command take the spotlight. "He did it the honorable, wise and decent way," Vogel said. For his part, Eisner has not focused on the transition. Speaking to film and television executives this week, he made only a passing reference to his departure, noting the ratings success ABC has had so far this season. "And just in the nick of time," Eisner joked. "Next week, I couldn't take credit for it." |
||
|
|
||
|
More than 30 ABC Daytime stars from "All
My Children," "One Life To Live" and
"General Hospital" will appear at the 10th Annual
ABC Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios, November 12-13,
2005. ABC Super Soap Weekend is the largest soap fan event
held anywhere in the country and is included with theme park
admission to the Disney-MGM Studios.
Now in its tenth year, ABC Super Soap Weekend
is the largest soap opera fan event held anywhere in the
country. Event activities are included with theme park
admission to Disney-MGM Studios.
2005 Information: Stars scheduled to attend this year include: "All My Children": "One Life to Live": "General Hospital": Throughout Super Soap Weekend, fans will have the opportunity to meet favorite stars from the three ABC Daytime dramas. Also featured: Hollywood-style motorcades, star autograph sessions, interactive game shows and much more. Soap Central: |
||
|
|
||
|
Disneyland
Paris - Halloween has taken over the Disneyland Park ready for
a “not so” scary celebration. Once you enter the park you
will not be save for either the pumpkin Men or the Witches.
Main Street U.S.A. is Pumpkin Men zone with orange everywhere.
Pumpkins are growing from under the roof or have taken big
proportions at the end of Main Street U.S.A. on central plaza
while the streets pavement is not saved from the orange
paintbrush. But it seems the Pumpkin Men will not be save on
their turf as the Witches have already send some of their
black cats over to see what all the guest think about the
decorations. |
||
|
|
||
|
Walt Disney TV Names Marketing VP Walt
Disney Television has appointed Paul O’Higgins, former
creative VP at Nickelodeon, as VP of marketing for Europe, the
Middle East and Africa. O’Higgins will oversee all aspects of marketing, on and off air, across EMEA. He will be responsible for creating major marketing campaigns for Disney’s key TV shows and channel launches. |
||
|
|
||
|
Amp'd
Mobile Inc. and Disney both offered details this week about
their upcoming mobile virtual network operator services. McGuire did not release subscriber forecasts, but said Amp'd needed to generate $180 million in revenue per year to break even and that it expects to post average-revenue-per-user results in the mid-$50 range. McGuire noted that unlike some MVNOs that were hatched by larger companies or sprung from carrier partners, Amp'd is totally venture-capital funded and will be looking to provide a return for its investors. To hit those revenue numbers, Amp'd said it initially will offer postpaid rate plans that include competitive voice pricing and tiered data rates that mimic what is offered by the cable TV industry. That model will include a basic package that will likely be included in a bundle and can be augmented with extra-cost premium content. "Pricing is something we have to nail from a simplicity standpoint," McGuire said. "We have done a lot of research on how people want to pay for service and found the cable model is very popular. We want to package everything on the base plan so that they still have money left over to buy the premium content." Disney In anticipation of the launch of its much-hyped MVNO next year, the House of Mouse is aggressively expanding its wireless content operations. In addition to developing content based on its legendary cast of characters, Disney is building a library of entertainment, personalization and information offerings to deliver both through carriers and directly to consumers. "Every CTIA (show), there's a whole new wave of religion, but we want to play in all the spaces," said Larry Shapiro, executive vice president of business development and operations for the Walt Disney Internet Group. "Hopefully, out of those broad offerings, 25 percent will be big hits." Separating the hits from the misses will provide a road map for the future, he added. "That helps us shape what we want to do and how we want to invest in the business." Indeed, few companies aside from pure-play wireless content providers are pursuing the platform as aggressively-and few can afford to. Disney's mobile content operations has grown from Shapiro's split role (he also oversees the company's Internet content business) to five full-timers. The company plans to double that staff by year's end. Much of the new content will come from Starwave Mobile, the Disney subsidiary that licenses content from outside parties. And much of it is worlds away from Mickey and Minnie: The company is developing Homies: Dominoes and Dice, a multiplayer online game featuring urban characters based on a popular line of collectibles; as well as videos, graphics and ring tones from noted extreme sports filmmaker Warren Miller. But while content is a top priority for Disney, its planned MVNO will be less about content than it will be about family-friendly calling plans and services that include parental controls, Shapiro said. And while the company has been cited by consumer activists who claim the company is unethically targeting young wireless users, no operator will succeed unless they successfully market to the family as a whole. "Because of the Disney brand, we're held to a higher standard, and we accept that standard," he said. "And 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, they don't go to the store with credit cards." |
||
|
|
||
|
Seawolf men to play at prestigious Disney tourney The UAA men’s basketball team will play at Disney’s Division II Tip-Off Classic, the premier early-season tournament in Division II basketball, Nov. 11-13, at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex at WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort. Along with the Seawolves, the 2005 men’s field features Caldwell (N.J.), Columbus State (Ga.), Philadelphia (Pa.) University, Presbyterian (S.C.), Bridgeport (Conn.), Nebraska-Omaha and Southern Indiana. The ninth annual event, which is produced with the support of the NCAA Division II Commissioners Association, regularly features schools ranked in the BCA coaches’ poll. The Seawolves will play Bridgeport in their opening-round game, Nov. 11 at 11:30 a.m. Alaska Standard Time. That game and the entire UAA schedule can be heard live in Anchorage on AM-550 KTZN “The Zone” or in RealPlayer at www.GoSeawolves.com. “Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex has formed a unique relationship with the NCAA Division II Commissioners Association,” said former Sunshine State Conference Commissioner Don Landry. “Disney offers our athletic teams the chance to compete at a high level, in a world class facility,” he said. Anthony Travel, a full-service travel management company specializing in sports travel, is providing spectator packages that include: hotel accommodations for three and four nights, a WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort Theme Park ticket, admission to Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney’s Division II Tip-Off Classic, admission to Disney’s Division II Tip-Off Classic Welcome Party, a commemorative game program and use of the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort transportation system. “We are pleased to work with the Disney sports team to help these dedicated Division II athletes compete in a phenomenal setting,” said John Anthony, President and CEO of Anthony Travel. “It is a pleasure to assist the teams and their fans travel to such a memorable tournament and destination.” Spread over 240 acres in the heart of WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex plays host to more than 170 events each year for professional and amateur athletes in some 30 sports. The state-of-the-art facility includes multiple venues and is home to more than 40 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Championships, Atlanta Braves spring training, Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp, the Sports Experience interactive area, and the All Star Cafe sports-themed restaurant. Since opening its doors in 1989, Anthony Travel has serviced more than 20,000 athletes and 25,000 spectators participating in sporting events at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Anthony Travel is the Official Travel Provider for Disney’s Division II Tip-Off Classic as well as numerous other events at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. The company also serves as the Official Travel Partner for the University of Notre Dame, University of North Carolina Athletics Department, Purdue University Athletics Department, Stanford University Athletics Department, University of Tulsa Athletics Department and many others. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney selects cartoon scripts in China American cartoon giant Walt Disney Co. has been involved in selecting elite original cartoon scripts in China, according to sources with an international cartoon arts festival opened here Wednesday. Organizers of the 2005 China International Cartoon Digital Art Week said Disney as one of the co-organizers of the event would have the final say of the winner of 100 entry works that the organizer has selected nationwide for a show of cartoon drafts at the art festival. The organizing committee in Changzhou City, south China's Jiangsu Province said Disney has contracted to invest 100,000 US dollars per 22-minute episode for the winner's cartoon series, which will be jointly produced by Chinese and Korean cartoon makers. Members with the judging panel of the entry works also included chairman of the International Cartoon Association Noureddin Zarrinekelk, and prestigious cartoon designers from France, Canada, ROK, America and Italy. The cartoon festival has received cartoon and flash art works from 23 countries and regions. Cartoon designers and producers will discuss the industry's future at forums and shows held during the week-long event. China has a large group of cartoon designing talents and abundant art and literary resources for cartoon production. The country's burgeoning cartoon industry earned 8 billion yuan (one billion US dollars) in revenue in 2004. |
||
|
|
||
|
During his five years as No. 2 to Walt Disney
Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner, Bob Iger has earned a
reputation as a hard worker, a quick study and, well, a pretty
buttoned-down guy.
Steven Bochco came to know another, looser Iger in the early 1990s, when the prolific television producer sat down with the then-head of ABC to map out "NYPD Blue," a gritty cop show that would feature, among other things, a procession of its stars' naked derrieres.
"I remember sitting in Bob's office, just
the two of us, with a pad and a pencil, drawing dirty pictures
like a couple of sixth graders," the producer recalled.
Bochco laughs at the memory of using those sessions "to decide what was acceptable and what wasn't." But he is quick to credit Iger for developing a clear set of standards for the series, which ran for 12 years beginning in 1993, and for standing by the show when the religious right assailed it for its racy themes. Bochco and other's say it is this Iger — deliberate and steadfast — who will prove effective when he officially succeeds Eisner at midnight Friday. "Bob has a terrific metabolism for that job," Bochco said. "He may not have been the exciting choice, given all of the drama that surrounded the whole issue of succession. But I think he is absolutely the right choice. He knows that company inside and out." In a sense, Iger is the flip side of Eisner, who had little compunction about roiling the corporate waters and seeking the spotlight. Iger is known for being more collegial than combative, a man who hopes to create a calmer environment in a company that has been through much upheaval in recent years. For all practical purposes, Iger, 54, already has put his mark on Disney. Soon after the board picked him in March, Eisner handed over the reins to the entertainment empire, whose theme parks, movies, television networks and consumer products generate more than $30 billion a year. So far, Iger's drawn good reviews from company insiders, investors and analysts. For starters, Iger dismantled a strategic planning unit that many executives viewed as Eisner's right hand in micromanaging the company. He also began talks with Pixar Animation Studios chief Steve Jobs, who after clashing openly with Eisner had vowed to end Pixar's partnership with Disney. Iger even negotiated a truce with Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold, former directors who led a shareholder revolt against Eisner and filed a lawsuit challenging Iger's selection as CEO as "a sham." Lately, it seems, everyone loves Bob. In keeping with Hollywood's tradition of never kick 'em while they're up, public criticism of Iger is hard to come by. Even some people who had only good things to say about Iger called his office for clearance before returning a reporter's calls. Privately, however, some who have worked with Iger question whether he has the creative chops to replace Eisner, who since 1984 has guided Disney's revenue growth from $1.5 billion a year to more than 20 times that much. While they rate Iger high on hard work and likability, they are less enthusiastic about his prospects as CEO. One former associate described Iger as more technocrat than visionary. Another questioned whether his "great temperament and people skills" would translate to creative leadership. Iger declined requests for an interview and had little to say to reporters Tuesday at a Hollywood Radio and Television Society luncheon for Eisner in Beverly Hills. "This is Michael's event," he said. "I'm trying to avoid it being about me right now." His friends and colleagues say such statements typify his modesty. Still, he does seem to relish his achievements. "I have to admit I'm excited about this opportunity and deeply appreciative to have that," he said Tuesday. Last fall, Iger sent an e-mail to the principal of Fulton Avenue School No. 8 in Oceanside, N.Y., as it prepared to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Iger said he'd "heard about the celebration and had wonderful memories" of the school, but could not attend the festivities. That surprised principal Ronald Schoen because Iger hadn't been invited. What surprised him even more was Iger's sentimental connection to the school, which he attended some 40 years earlier. In one of several more e-mails, Iger asked Schoen whether the words, "America's hope for the future passes through these doors," still graced the school's entrance. Yes, the principal told Iger, who then sent another message. "He said, 'Isn't it amazing that a little boy of that age who walked through those doors could actually become president of Disney?' " Schoen said. At Oceanside High School, Iger tried a bit of everything, according to his 1969 senior yearbook. He played intramural softball, was on the Human Relations Club and was president of the Key Club, a sort of junior Kiwanis. He also was sports editor of the school paper, worked as a varsity sports announcer and played Francis Nurse in "The Crucible," an Arthur Miller play. His senior year he was voted "most enthusiastic," a title he shared with a classmate. "He was one of those student government guys," said his boyhood chum Elliot Krufky, who described Iger as a straight arrow who hung out with a small circle of friends at the local Nathan's hot dog stand and gathered weekly for nickel-dime poker games at each others' homes. "I don't think I ever saw him be nasty to anybody," he said. "He wasn't like one of the cool kids who wouldn't talk to the other guys." Iger majored in broadcasting at Ithaca College in upstate New York, where he worked for the campus TV station and graduated magna cum laude. Since 1989, he has served on the board of trustees and made other contributions, including a gift to the music school that prompted the college to name a 75-seat lecture hall after him. After a stint as a weatherman, Iger gave up his aspirations to be on the air and joined ABC as a studio supervisor in New York. He later moved to ABC Sports and became vice president of programming in 1987. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, he proved his mettle when the temperature soared to 65 degrees and there wasn't enough snow for the venues, said Tom Murphy, former chairman of Capital Cities/ABC. It fell to Iger to figure out how to juggle programming for schedule changes caused by the melt. "We noticed how cool he was under fire," Murphy said. "As far as the American public was concerned, or the world public, they weren't conscious of the temperature. It went off very, very well." Iger's well-known work ethic was evident even during his early days in New York, said Patricia Fili-Krushel, who started as a secretary and became president of ABC television before leaving in 2000. She has known Iger since the mid-1970s and says that then, as now, he rose before dawn to work out at a gym and get to the office early. "I can e-mail him at 6:30 in the morning and get an e-mail back in 10 minutes," she said. One of the things that most struck her, Fili-Krushel said, was Iger's commitment to his family. Married then to a television news producer, Iger left the office each day around 6 to get home for dinner with his two daughters while his wife worked the evening newscasts. Just last week, Iger combined a trip to New York for the wedding of his daughter, Kate, and an appearance at a Goldman Sachs investment conference, where he loosened up the audience with a joke. "One thing I learned, by the way, is don't lend your car to your daughter on the week she is getting married because she is not going to concentrate on driving," he said. "She told me last night she used the car to pick up her dress and hit something along the way." Iger is now married to broadcast journalist Willow Bay, with whom he has two sons. In 1989, Iger moved to Los Angeles to head ABC's entertainment division, where he was involved with not only "NYPD Blue" but also with the hit "Home Improvement." He also took risks with other shows such as "Twin Peaks" and "Cop Rock," a short-lived musical series by Bochco. "At first we were wondering who is this guy coming out from sports," said Stu Bloomberg, a former ABC executive who said Iger quickly "got it." He and others say Iger is a voracious reader who also scours the Internet — and retains what he absorbs. Andy Mooney, who heads Disney's consumer product division, said Iger quickly learned the complexities of his business. "He is such a quick study that I can discuss things in shorthand with him," Mooney said. In 1994, Iger was named president and chief operating officer of ABC. He was widely considered to be heir apparent to Capital Cities Chairman Murphy. When Murphy sold the company to Disney for $19 billion in 1996, some took it as a signal that he lacked confidence in Iger's ability to run the company. Murphy denies this. "That's a lot of nonsense," Murphy said. "I sold it because I got a very, very good price for the company and I felt an obligation to take it. It had nothing to do with Bob whatsoever." Four years after moving to Disney with ABC, Iger became Eisner's second-in-command as president in 2000. In a rough and tumble five years since, the company has endured the shareholder revolt led by Roy Disney and Gold; survived a hostile takeover bid by Comcast Corp.; and been dragged through the embarrassing details of a lawsuit over Eisner's hiring and firing of Michael Ovitz, Iger's predecessor as president. Eisner and Iger also were cast unflatteringly in "DisneyWar," James Stewart's behind-the-curtains book that portrayed Eisner as vindictive and controlling, and Iger as sometimes insecure and too eager to please his mercurial boss. Iger also had to weather reports that Eisner was repeatedly dismissive of him as his replacement. In a 1996 memo to the Disney board Eisner said Iger "is not an enlightened or brilliantly creative man." He later expressed his support for Iger, calling him "an excellent guardian of the Disney assets." In addition to finally getting Eisner's backing, Iger also has benefited from Disney's return to double-digit earnings growth and the remarkable rebound of ABC. The network had languished for several years before being revived last season by the hits "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." His detractors say he is owed little credit for those successes, considering that he fired the two ABC executives most responsible for getting them on the air. Looking ahead, Iger has said he will concentrate on expanding Disney's international business and exploiting new technologies to promote the company's brands. He also has said he will give a hard look to the money the company spends on its film operations. Just two weeks ago, Disney announced that its movie unit would lose $250 million to $300 million this fiscal quarter, largely because of a string of poor-showing Miramax releases. One of Iger's biggest hurdles, however, will be to distinguish himself from Eisner. Producer Brian Grazer said Iger had the benefit of observing "the aggressively creative" Eisner up close — for good and bad — and probably would use those observations to shape himself as a leader. Grazer, who has known Iger for 15 years, disputes the notion that he lacks creativity and says his penchant for privacy is sometimes misinterpreted. Iger has never been a guy to show up at every party, he said, and he doesn't expect that to change. "I don't think he wants that level of intimacy or sees the value in it," Grazer said. "He's just the worker. He's always been the worker. Now he's the worker and the CEO." |
||
|
|
||
|
OK, so she hasn't had the greatest track record with TV remakes.
But Gabrielle Union says unlike the summertime
big-screen flop "The Honeymooners," her latest
project, a small-screen remake of the '70s cult TV series
"Kolchak: The Night Stalker," is different.
"It's not a remake, it's a `reworking,'" she emphasizes, laughing. "I've learned my lesson about remakes." Premiering 8 p.m. EDT Thursday on ABC, the new "Night Stalker" picks up the saga of newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak, who investigates crimes connected to the supernatural. Portrayed for one season (1974-75) by Darren McGavin — whom we see for 24 hours every year on TBS as the father in Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story" — Kolchak now is played by Stuart Townsend ("The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"). The series — reminiscent of "The X-Files," on which executive producer Frank Spotnitz once worked — adds a new twist, with Union's Perri Reed serving as Kolchak's journalistic sparring partner. "I needed other people in the newsroom for Kolchak to interact with," says Spotnitz, "relationships that were going to drive these stories. And I wanted the competitiveness ... Who could outdo the other to get the story." While shooting an episode recently in Pasadena, Union is relaxed and cool, despite sweltering heat and no air conditioning in her trailer — her preference. She's so blissfully chatty about the show and handsome co-star Townsend ("My girlfriends are always dropping by to visit the set") that it's hard to believe she almost passed on the series. "Hourlongs are like doing movies that never end," says Union, who'd soured on TV dramas after her laborious stint on "City of Angels." In the last five years, the 32-year-old Omaha, Neb., native has appeared in more than a dozen films, running the gamut from action ("Bad Boys II") to romantic comedies ("The Brothers"). But she felt as though she was "being put in the box." "It's cool to be in the commercial movie box, but I wasn't getting the opportunity to even audition for more serious roles. I really didn't want to do TV," she says, "but my options film-wise were literally this actress' third best friend and like somebody's wife who you'd see twice." Initially, when she got the "Night Stalker" script, "I was like, I don't get those sci-fi shows." But at her agent's insistence, Union finally read it "and I was like, this is kind of good. Couple more pages, and I was like, this is really good!" She met with Spotnitz and executive producer-director Daniel Sackheim. "They said, `When we think of Perri Reed, we think of you.' And I'm like, `OK, who else passed, because I know you didn't just think of me,'" she says, laughing. "They're like, `No. When we thought about Perri Reed we thought about strength, and thought about you,'" Union says. "And they didn't say we have to change the writing because you're black. It was never brought up. Not once." Spotnitz confirms: "Perri wasn't written to be anything other than a really smart, capable person. I think we're becoming more of a polyglot as a people ... and I'm eager to embrace that." |
||
|
|
||
|
Eisner
Looks Back and Ahead
On the eve of his exit, outgoing Walt Disney
Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner took center stage at the
Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel and reflected on his fortuitous
timing. |
||
|
|
||
|
Eurotunnel
becomes an affiliate partner of Disneyland Resort Paris
Eurotunnel has become an affiliate partner of Disneyland Resort Paris as its campaign to promote self-drive travel in Europe accelerates. According to Eurotunnel, the partnership
deal means that customers booking online at www.eurotunnel.com
Jo Willacy, Eurotunnel commercial director, said, "With a simple click of the Mickey! mouse, our customers can now plan a complete self-drive package to Disneyland Resort Paris. Why bother with the hassle of the airport when you can drive straight to the Magic Kingdom and all that Disneyland Resort Paris has to offer." The company also added that self-drive is becoming increasingly popular with families traveling to the Disneyland Resort Paris, who are tired of airport delays eating into their holiday time. Recently, Eurotunnel stated that its shuttle service revenue were up 6% to £146 million in a favorable local context in the first half of 2005. During the same period, railways revenue was stable at £117 million, including payments of £36 million under the Minimum Usage Charge (MUC). Its first-half operating profit rose 19 percent to 74 million pounds. "Net interest charges, including other financial income and charges, were £161 million for the first half of 2005, a decrease of 4% compared to the same period in 2004. Hedging charges included within net interest charges significantly offset the benefit of lower interest rates. The net loss improved by £18 million to £87 million for the first half of 2005," said the company. |
||
|
|
||
|
Walt Disney Co.(DIS) has
requested extensive information about Seoul Grand Park from
the city of Seoul, indicating the U.S. operator of Disney
theme parks may still be interested in building an amusement
park in South Korea, according to a Seoul city official.
"Disney has recently requested more information, including geological facts, on Seoul Grand Park," said the official who handles foreign investment and who requested to remain anonymous. He added that no decisions have been made and he didn't know when Disney will reveal its plans. Seoul Grand Park is located in the city of Gwachon, at the southern tip of Seoul, and is under the municipality of Seoul. |
||
|
|
||
|
Setting
the Stage at Disney
Since being tapped as Michael Eisner's
successor in March, Robert Iger has taken Walt Disney Co. for
a spin as de facto chief executive. |
||
|
|
||
|
Eisner
legacy: A bigger Disney
There are no airports named for Michael
Eisner in Central Florida. No major roadways or subdivisions.
But the outgoing chief of the Walt Disney Co. has left his
mark. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
& Walden to Form a "Bridge to Terabithia"
"Disney Studios and Walden Media are
planning a big-screen adaptation of Katherine Paterson's
Newberry Medal-winning book "Bridge to Terabithia,"
says Variety. |
||
|
|
||
|
HANNspree
Launches Exciting New Line of Disney and Disney/Pixar-Themed
LCD Televisions
HANNspree California, Inc., creator of a
brand new category of design-driven, lifestyle-inspired LCD
televisions, announced today the launch of an exciting new
line of LCD television sets inspired by beloved Disney
characters and films. The line offers seven styles, including
models featuring Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, 102
Dalmatians, and Cinderella. The televisions are currently
available at HANNspree boutique stores, DisneyShopping.com,
The Disney Store and Disney theme parks. View photo's here LINK |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
Making Navy Marine Mammal Pic
Walt Disney Pictures has set Brent Maddock
and Steve Wilson to write an untitled film about the Navy
Marine Mammal Program, reports Variety. |
||
|
|
||
|
French/West
wins Disney contract
The Triangle's largest public relations agency, French/West/Vaughan, won a contract to publicize the launch of a new fragrance line from Disney Consumer Products. The "That's So Raven" line is expected to be available in October. It will be targeted to girls 6-14, the core fans of the Disney Channel's hit TV series of the same name. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disneyland
on Display
Disney Insider - As Disneyland's 50th
Anniversary celebration continues in full golden glory at the
Park, the time is ripe to explore the dream that turned an
orange grove in Anaheim into the Happiest Place on Earth. A
new traveling museum exhibit aims to let visitors see the art
and inspiration behind the creation of Disneyland. Behind the
Magic: 50 Years of Disneyland premieres this month at the
Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, Michigan, preparing for a
national tour. Created by Exhibitour, the traveling exhibit
arm of the Henry Ford, working in conjunction with Walt Disney
Imagineering, the show aims to take the magic of Disneyland
nationwide. The show follows the creative process from
the first blue-sky dreams to bits of authentic memorabilia
that appeared in the Park when it opened. It includes
treasures like original artwork, ride concept models of the
Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan's Flight, drawings, character
sculpture, original signs from the Park, photographs, and ride
vehicles from both Peter Pan's Flight and Mr. Toad's Wild
Ride. Scott Mallwitz, director of experience design for the
Henry Ford, says "My favorite item would be Disney's
first Audio-Animatronics figure, Abraham Lincoln, which was
featured at the 1964 New York World's Fair. A close second
would be the ‘pitch kit' used by Roy Disney to secure
financing for the construction of Disneyland - a few pages of
description and a wonderful ‘bird's-eye view' sketch by Herb
Ryman set the Park in motion." |
||
|
|
||
|
Tuesday September 27, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's
Auction of 75 Mickey Mouse Statues at Sotheby's Raises
$614,500 for Charity
The Walt Disney Company:
50 Organizations To Benefit, Including Boys
& Girls Clubs of America, Children Affected by AIDS
Foundation, James Birrell Neuroblastoma Research Fund,
Make-A-Wish Foundation of America & Starlight Starbright
Children's Foundation
This afternoon at Sotheby's (NYSE: BID), Disney (NYSE: DIS) raised $614,500(a) when 75 unique Mickey Mouse statues, designed by artists, athletes and celebrities for the celebration of Mickey's 75th anniversary, were sold at auction. A total of 50 charities will benefit from the sale, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, James Birrell Neuroblastoma Research Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. Artists whose statues brought premium prices for the charities they selected included Sir Elton John ($52,000 for "Music Royalty"), Michelle Kwan ($20,000 for "Peace & Love") and Tom Hanks ($15,000 for "Space Mouse"). A number of statues designed by Disney legends were also favorites, including those created by Al Konetzni ($45,000 for "Back to School"), Lori Tyminski of Disney Publishing ($29,000 for "Funny Pages") and Tuck Morgan of Disney Consumer Products ($21,000 for "Mickey Through the Years"). Since Mickey Mouse's 75th Anniversary on November 18, 2003, the 6-feet-tall, 700 pound statues have traveled 700,000 miles across the country as the "Celebrate Mickey: 75 InspEARations" tour. The one-of-a-kind tributes to Mickey visited 14 cities and brought smiles to more than 20 million people during the celebration. "Through the Celebrate Mickey: 75 InspEARations statue tour, Mickey Mouse's 75th Anniversary brought one of the world's most beloved characters to millions in ways never before seen," said John Gong, vice president, Marketing and Synergy for Disney Consumer Products. "We are so pleased that the Sotheby's auction, the finale of this milestone event, enabled us to raise $614,500 to benefit 50 deserving charities and help children and those in need." Lee Dunbar, Director of Sotheby's Collectibles department, said: "Mickey Mouse holds an enduring place in the hearts of Americans and people throughout the world, transcending all boundaries as a symbol of happiness and hope. We are thrilled to continue our long-standing relationship with Disney in an auction which will benefit so many worthwhile charities and look forward to working with them in the future." A comprehensive list of statue artists, statue names, specific charities and price achieved for charity follows(a):
Disney was able to bring "Celebrate Mickey: 75 InspEARations" to fruition with the help of The Coca-Cola Company, the primary tour sponsor. The Home Depot® provided "Disney Color by Behr" paint and other supplies to bring the statues to life; Suddath Relocation Systems, an agent for United Van Lines, transported the statues to each destination; and Kodak offered digital photographs in each city via its EasyShare system. For more information on the charity auction, visit www.sothebys.com/mickey. To download high-resolution images of the statues, visit www.disneyconsumerproducts.com. (a) Total raised at Sotheby's auction with buyer's premium included is $737,400. |
||
|
|
||
|
Eisner's
parting words to Hollywood: "Don't panic"
In his parting words to a gathering of Hollywood executives on Tuesday, Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Michael Eisner told an industry facing major technological change: don't panic. "Don't panic over the latest techno jargon like ... peer-to-peer, wi-max, 80211, bittorrent ... the only thing that gives purpose to all these remarkable delivery systems is the kind of creative content we all produce," Eisner said. The chief mouseketeer faces his final day at Disney this Friday when he steps down after 21 years at the helm. Starting in 1984, he took a troubled company that had a few U.S. theme parks and a movie studio and turned it into a media giant with global theme parks, television networks and film operations. In an address to the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, Eisner detailed a laundry list of technology changes from talking films to television to videocassette tapes that Hollywood has faced and, ultimately, used to its advantage. In fact, the Disney chief began his speech with the opening remarks he made at a similar function in 1981 when he had returned from a consumer electronics show dazzled by the display of new TV sets and video recorders on display. "We cannot escape that Hollywood is in the middle of a wave of technological change," Eisner said, quoting from his 1981 speech. "The current angst over all the implications of new entertainment technology is nothing new." Eisner said that while technology changes have ushered in new ways of distributing entertainment products, the one constant is that all of those delivery systems have relied on Hollywood creative content to fill their pipelines. "Over time, the product we produce has been consistently successful here in America and around the world," Eisner said. "Apparently, we are doing something right." He noted that historical figures, such as Joseph Kennedy in 1936, had complained about excessive costs and extravagance of the entertainment business. Since the early days of the entertainment business, Eisner said, critics have argued that creativity and financial success don't mix. Yet billions of dollars have been made because companies like Disney successfully married creative content with business sense. Eisner talked whimsically of his love of the business, from his earliest days as a television network page to a creative executive helping create TV shows like "Happy Days" to his time at the Paramount Pictures movie studio. "The most gratifying experience of my life has been my 21 years at Disney," he added. Eisner, who has been known to clash with creative types like Miramax Films co-chief Harvey Weinstein, who also leaves that company on September 30, said that reasonable conflict can be good when it comes to creating new products. He ended by quoting Shakespeare, saying "All the world's a stage." "It's our stage so let's put on a good show," Eisner said to the Hollywood crowd. |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC
finishes TV premiere week at ratings peak
For the first time in a decade, ABC finished the opening week of a new U.S. TV season on top of the ratings, led by returning hits "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," while rival network NBC posted its lowest ranking in five years. Walt Disney Co.-owned (DIS.N:) ABC claimed six of the top 10 shows in the key race for young-adult viewers -- including No. 1 ranked "Desperate Housewives" -- and five of the hottest programs overall during the first week of the 2005-06 broadcast season, Nielsen Media Research reported on Tuesday. Among viewers aged 18 to 49, the benchmark group most networks use to measure prime-time success, ABC also boasted the highest-rated new series for the week, alien thriller "Invasion," and the week's top reality show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Another unsung hero of ABC's lineup, the returning medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," landed at No. 4 in the 18-to-49 group and at sixth place in total viewers. "All of our key programs that we needed to work this week are all in the top 10," ABC ratings expert Jeffrey Lindsey said. The multiple successes added up to ABC's first premiere week at No. 1 in the 18-to-49 ratings since 1995, when the network's schedule included such hits as "Home Improvement," "Ellen," "Roseanne" and "Grace Under Fire." CBS, a unit of Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N:) remained the most watched network overall, with return of mega-hit "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" drawing the week's single-biggest audience in total viewers, 29 million. COMIC SOAP OPERA Darkly comic soap opera "Housewives" and castaway thriller "Lost," two breakout hits that led ABC's ratings rebound last season, ranked second and third behind "CSI" last week with viewer tallies of 28.3 million and 23.4 million, respectively. The launch of CBS's latest detective show, "Criminal Minds," ranked as the most watched new show among all age groups for the week and fourth overall. But ABC, which finished the week a close second behind CBS in total viewers, was the only network among the Big Three broadcasters to see its average audience grow in comparison to the same week a year ago. CBS and NBC both lost viewers. NBC, embarking on its second season since sitcom hits "Friends" and "Frasier" left its lineup, ended the week in third place for both total viewers and the 18-to-49 audience that the General Electric Co.-owned (GE.N:) network had long dominated. That marked NBC's lowest starting point for a new TV season since September 2000, when ABC was still flying high with its gargantuan game show hit "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." One bright spot on NBC's new schedule was the premiere of "My Name Is Earl," which ranked as the highest-rated new comedy in prime time and ranked No. 8 in the 18-49 ratings derby. "ER," the venerable hospital drama that has long anchored NBC's once-mighty Thursday night lineup, returned for its 12th season with respectable numbers. But NBC continued to see ratings slippage on a night it once branded "Must-See-TV." "Friends"-spinoff "Joey" was eclipsed by the premiere of UPN's Chris Rock-inspired series, "Everybody Hates Chris," which yielded the highest-rated comedy debut on the Viacom-owned network in its 10-year history. And "CSI" pummeled real estate tycoon Donald Trump's return for a fourth edition of his reality show "The Apprentice." A new "Apprentice" spinoff starring domestic diva and ex-con Martha Stewart fared even worse against ABC's "Lost" on Sunday night. |
||
|
|
||
|
ESPN
to start mobile service with Sanyo phone
Sports television network ESPN plans to start selling a wireless service for sports fans on a limited basis this year with a mobile phone from Sanyo Electric Co Ltd (6764.T) , it said on Tuesday. Disney's (DIS) ESPN sees the mobile service, which will operate on a high-speed wireless network that Sprint Nextel Corp. (S.N is building, as a way to expand its brand and its sports programming beyond traditional television screens. Sprint Nextel leases network space to several wireless providers including Virgin Mobile USA, its joint venture with Virgin [VA.UL],in an effort to gain revenue from consumers it has not signed up for Sprint branded services. Sprint Nextel, which plans to have a high-speed network that covers about half of the U.S. population early next year, will also support a separate Disney branded mobile service. ESPN said customers could sign up for its Mobile ESPN service and buy the Sanyo MVP phone on its Web site in time for the winter holiday season. It plans to follow with a full national retail launch in February. Along with traditional phone call services it plans to deliver sports score alerts, breaking news and commentary as well as some audio and video clip services to mobile phones. It did not reveal pricing for the service or the phone. The Sanyo MVP has a 1.3 megapixel camera, a video and voice recorder, and an MP3 digital music player, ESPN said. |
||
|
|
||
|
One Frog. One Planet. Fifty Years. Put them together and you have the hoppiest celebration on Earth. To honor the 50th anniversary of his meteoric rise from the swamp to international icon, The Muppets Holding Company today announced that Kermit the Frog is taking his celebration on the road with a whirlwind tour of 50 destinations around the globe. The world's most beloved frog will kick off his worldwide adventure on October 14 in the aptly named town of Kermit, Texas. "Kermit the Frog has not only transcended genres, he has entertained generations of fans for more than five decades," said Chris Curtin, general manager and vice president, The Muppets Holding Company, LLC. "For someone who has touched the hearts of millions, it only seems fit that we honor Kermit with the grandest of celebrations." Through the end of 2006, Kermit will meet fans and participate in major events, visit famous attractions, and enjoy local celebrations in 50 destinations, touching down in numerous countries across four continents. The globe-hopping star will see renowned monuments such as the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China, among others. Our ever-youthful frog will touch down at NASA's Johnson Space Center, brave a Frog Leg Festival in Fellsmere, Fla., as well as run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Other activities will include a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland, a performance with the Rockettes and Kermit's first-ever USO appearance, where he'll bring a smile to service men and women abroad. "Kermit is truly an international star, with a fan base that reaches the far corners of the globe," added Dave Burchianti, director of marketing, The Muppets Holding Company. "We're taking Kermit's celebration to places both far and near -- and everywhere in between." Those who can't meet Kermit frog-to-face along his journey can follow him on Muppets.com. Fans will be able to download pictures and videos, as well as review Kermit's memories and adventures in an online journal -- his "Frog Blog." Truly a frog of the people, Kermit will allow his beloved fans around the world to determine his final destination via an online vote. The Muppets have geared up for Kermit's World Tour with a "rainbow connection" of activities and promotions to celebrate their favorite frog's 50th Anniversary. * The Muppet Show - Season One DVD Box Set -- In August, the Muppets released the first season of their hit television show, "The Muppet Show," on DVD for the first time in its entirety since its original broadcast in 1976. Delighting fans both old and new, "The Muppet Show" Season One quickly rocketed to the top of the sales charts, reaching number one on Amazon.com. * Celebrity T-shirt Designs Honoring Kermit's 50 Years in Show Business -- Some of today's hottest celebrities teamed up with Kermit the Frog to inspire designs of one-of-a-kind T-shirts. The tees are being auctioned off through the end of the year to benefit Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Celebrity participants included Robert DeNiro, Quentin Tarantino, Jennifer Garner, Kelly Ripa, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Virginia Madsen, Tony Hawk, and Jimmy Johnson. * "It's Not Easy Being Green and Other Things to Consider" Hits Stores Shelves -- On September 15, Hyperion Publishing released the book "It's Not Easy Being Green and Other Things to Consider." With commentary from some of Jim Henson's most well-known characters, such as Kermit the Frog, the book provides insight into the philosophy and humor that was essential to Henson's creations. * Commemorative Postage Stamp -- On September 28, the United States Postal Service will issue a commemorative stamp collection in honor of the late Jim Henson and the Muppets. For the first time ever, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam the Eagle, Statler & Waldorf, The Swedish Chef, Animal, Bunsen and Beaker, Rowlf and the Great Gonzo will be featured on postage stamps. For more information about Kermit the Frog's 50th Anniversary activities, visit www.muppets.com . |
||
|
|
||
|
Forbes
Ranks Roy Edward Disney As 283rd Richest In America
Net Worth: $1.2
billion |
||
|
|
||
|
Raglan
Road opening date confirmed
Raglan Road is now confirmed to officially open on October 21st 2005. Irish hospitality and a
bit of blarney come to Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World
Resort when Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant officially
opens Oct. 21. Raglan Road delivers an experience immersed in
genuine Irish atmosphere -- from food and drink to live music
and entertainment. |
||
|
|
||
|
Roy
Disney company buys interest in Harlem Globetrotters
An investment company
controlled by Roy E. Disney has bought 80 percent of the
Harlem Globetrotters and will help expand the basketball
team's merchandising and licensing activities worldwide. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney is poised to expand further into Asia with plans for a new theme park in South Korea under discussion in Seoul. Lee Myung Bak, the mayor of Seoul, announced that the US media and entertainment giant was conducting feasibility studies for a new theme park in his city. Mr Bak added that the local government had been in talks for some months with executives from Disney. Sources confirmed that Mr Bak’s claims were genuine. |
||
|
|
||
|
Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive
entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), and
Epic Games, world-class developers of cutting-edge video games
and pioneer of the award-winning Unreal Engine, today
announced an agreement to license Unreal Engine 3 for multiple
next-generation BVG projects. The first game under the
agreement is based on the popular "Turok" franchise,
and will be developed by BVG's new Propaganda Games studio in
Vancouver, British Columbia.
"We have ambitious goals for the future
and a strategy to enhance Buena Vista Games' position as a
major force in interactive entertainment. BVG's intellectual
properties, combined with Epic's leadership in underlying
technology, ensures the best game content for consumers,"
said Michael Ryder, vice president of worldwide production,
Buena Vista Games.
"Licensing Unreal Engine 3 is a strategic move to provide cost-effective and timely delivery of new content, allowing our development teams to leverage the enormous capabilities of emerging next-generation systems," he concluded. Mark Rein, vice president and co-founder of Epic Games, said, "BVG has some awesome IP to work with and we feel privileged to contribute to its success. It's great to be working with the Propaganda Games team, an amazingly talented group of people, and with a management team that appreciates the importance of providing its teams with the best tools and technology to help them deliver. We have no doubt that BVG will be one of the big success stories of the next generation." |
||
|
|
||
|
Call
for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders
Are you a Mouseketeer? A limited number of Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders are needed to participate in a special event. The special event will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse Club and will take place at the Sleeping Beauty Castle forecourt. Annual Passholders will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. Monday, October 3, 2005 6:00am-10:30am Annual Passholders are welcome to come join in the fun. Annual Passholders must be 18 years of age. This event requires standing for an extended amount of time and the ability to hold light production props. IMPORTANT INFORMATION How do I sign up? Where do I park? What time do I arrive? What time do you stop taking participants? Where do I check-in? Do I get paid to participate in this event? Can I bring a guest that does not have an
annual pass? Do I have to stay the entire time? What do I need to bring?
What should I wear?
Can I bring a camera? |
||
|
|
||
|
Disneyland
50th Celebration Sing-Along Songs
It's Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, and in honor of this wonderful event, Walt Disney Home Entertainment is releasing four Disney Resort-themed Sing-Along Songs for the first time on DVD. A favorite with children and families, each "Sing-Along Song" title features fun Disney-themed songs and onscreen lyrics. Available on DVD September 27 for $14.99 (S.R.P.) each. SING-ALONG SONGS: DISNEYLAND FUN (1st time on
DVD!) SING-ALONG SONGS: BEACH PARTY AT WALT DISNEY
WORLD (1st time on DVD!) SING-ALONG SONGS: CAMPOUT AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
(1st time on DVD!) SING-ALONG SONGS: FLIK'S MUSICAL ADVENTURE
(1st time on DVD!) |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Phoenix And The Carpet
Miramax Home Entertainment presents THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET, the wondrous family adventure tale, available on DVD on September 27. Based on the novel by E. Nesbit, this live-action adventure tells the story of a family of children and their marvelous adventures with the Phoenix and his magic carpet. Jane, Robert, Cyril and Anthea hope for "something to happen" and their wish is granted most spectacularly! Quite by accident, they become the owners of an ancient talking bird, the Phoenix, when it hatches from a magnificent egg after 2000 years of rest. With his encouragement, the children climb aboard his magic carpet and are transported anywhere they want to go—to tropical islands, in search of treasures and on daring rescues! This enchanting film features Miriam Margolyes ("Being Julia") and David Suchet (TV's "Poirot"). With a magical mix of fantasy and fun, THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET is an extraordinary journey for the whole family. |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Parent Trap 2 Movie Collection DVD
Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents THE PARENT TRAP – 2 MOVIE COLLECTION, a 2-disc DVD which features Disney's original 1961 classic THE PARENT TRAP and the sequel movie THE PARENT TRAP II, first time ever on DVD. This delightful double feature DVD of family fun stars Disney legend Hayley Mills and is available on September 27 for $19.99 (S.R.P.) THE PARENT TRAP: THE PARENT TRAP II: |
||
|
|
||
|
Mickey
& Pals Classic Holiday Stories
Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents two holiday-themed volumes in the popular WALT DISNEY'S CLASSIC CARTOON FAVORITES series: HOLIDAY CELEBRATION WITH MICKEY AND PALS and CLASSIC HOLIDAY STORIES, two terrific DVD collections featuring Disney's classic characters and their animated shorts. These superb collections feature Disney's Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto and more in some of their most hilarious, heartwarming and entertaining holiday film moments. Each available separately on Disney DVD September 27, 2005, for $14.99 (S.R.P.). VOLUME 8: HOLIDAY CELEBRATION WITH MICKEY AND PALS Mickey's Good Deed Peculiar Penguins The Clock Watcher Rescue Dog Corn Chips Lend A Paw Toy Tinkers VOLUME 9: CLASSIC HOLIDAY STORIES The Small One Pluto's Christmas Tree Mickey's Christmas Carol |
||
|
|
||
|
Monday September 26, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
Outgoing Walt
Disney Co. CEO Michael Eisner will leave the media
conglomerate this week without fanfare, according to a
published report.
The New York Times reports that Eisner's 21-year career at Disney will include no grand send-off or congratulatory party. Through a spokeswoman, Eisner declined last week to discuss his career with the Times. Instead he is expected to send an e-mail message to Disney's employees before he vacates his office Friday, the paper reported. Eisner's retirement as CEO was first announced a year ago, when he said he would be leaving when his contract expired in September 2006. But while his preferred successor, Robert Iger, will assume the CEO job Saturday, Eisner's departure from the company comes sooner than he would have chosen. Eisner has been important to the growth of Disney, as revenue climbed to $30.75 billion in 2004, from $1.5 billion in 1984. During his tenure, Disney went from a relatively small movie studio and theme park operator to a major media conglomerate that became a component of the Dow Jones industrial average. It has opened many new theme parks, most recently in Hong Kong. Its holdings now include ABC and a slew of cable networks, led by the strongly profitable ESPN brand, which were added on his watch. Part of the reason for low-key exit could be the controversy surrounding Eisner's last two years running the media conglomerate. He was stripped of the chairman post in March 2004 after a shareholder revolt lead by former board member Roy Disney, the nephew of the company's namesake founder. "Whatever Michael's faults were, and we all have them, Michael took a moribund company and energized it to a level I'm not sure anyone else could have done," Richard Nanula, Disney's former chief financial officer, told the paper. "He ensured that Disney provided 10 times the level of entertainment available for children prior to him getting there - high-quality, clean, fun entertainment." The paper reports that Disney stock gained 1,646 percent during Eisner's time. But despite recent successes for the company, Disney shares are down about 16 percent year to date, a far sharper drop than declines at competitors Viacom and Time Warner although similar to the stock decline at News Corp. Eisner has yet to disclose his plans, according to the Times, which reports that his contract says he can remain a Disney consultant. In an interview earlier this year with Charlie Rose, the public television show host, Eisner said he hoped to remain in entertainment, perhaps producing Broadway shows or making movies, according to the report. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
Finds Investors for Films
Walt Disney Co., whose film unit said it
would lose money in the fourth quarter, recently raised $505
million from investors to reduce the risk of financing movies,
the first time it has done so in almost a decade. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
to scale back Miramax
Less than two weeks before he officially takes over the reins as CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger said the Burbank-based conglomerate will dramatically scale down the output from its Miramax Films division now that founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein have departed. "Miramax under them had basically become a major studio," Iger said at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York. "We're still in the Miramax business, but it will be reconstructed to look more like what they started." Miramax initially made its mark by releasing small-budget independent films but in later years had such big-budget productions as Gangs of New York and Cold Mountain. Iger said that he now expects from four to six low-budget film releases from Miramax going forward and that, overall, Disney is "reducing dramatically" its investment in live-action films. He said the company's studio division experiences better returns and across-the-company leverage when it invests in such Disney-branded movies as Pirates of the Caribbean, which has two sequels in the works, including one scheduled for release in summer 2006. On the home-video side, Iger noted that the DVD boxed set of the hit ABC series Lost has already sold more than 1 million units and tops the sales charts. The company also released the first season of its smash Desperate Housewives on DVD on Tuesday. But with the home-video market being crowded with television-show titles and classic films, it's become more difficult for newer feature films to make as big a splash because of increased competition and less shelf space in stores. "There's a glut of product in the marketplace," said Iger, who noted that 8,000 titles will be released in 2005. "It's actually a business that's showing some growth, but it's showing more challenge for the motion-picture side of the business." Also on Wednesday, Disney and Verizon Communications Inc. announced a long-term, wide-ranging programming agreement. Verizon will carry Disney and ESPN programming and broadband services on the Internet. Verizon and Disney will also cooperate to help curb infringement of Disney's copyrighted material over the Internet while still protecting the privacy of Verizon Internet-service subscribers, the companies said. Verizon will track subscribers involved in alleged illegal distribution of Disney material and terminate their service or provide information for subpoenas. "This is a significant step forward in the effort toward inter-industry cooperation in addressing the serious problem of copyright infringement over the Internet," said Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg. |
||
|
|
||
|
'Flightplan'
charts course to the top
Jodie Foster's mother-in-distress elbowed ahead of an animated bride-in-limbo, with "Flightplan" taking in $24.6 million in weekend ticket sales and "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" tallying $20.1 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday. Although the overall box office continues to lag behind 2004, the weekend showed continuing signs of improvement. The two films propelled box office to a fourth consecutive weekend that beat the same three-day periods last year, according to box office tracking firm Nielsen EDI. And that was despite theaters in the significant market of Houston being largely missing in action because of Hurricane Rita. If estimates hold up when more reliable figures become available today, it will mark the first time more than two films have grossed more than $20 million in their initial weekends of wide release during the month of September — ordinarily a slow month for moviegoing. "Flightplan" and "Corpse Bride" will be the third and fourth such films this month, after "Transporter 2" and "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." "Flightplan" moviegoers were split 51% to 49%, female to male, and Disney said exit surveys indicated the Imagine Films production appealed to a broad age group, with 70% of its ticket buyers between ages 18 and 49. In the film directed by Robert Schwentke, Foster plays a mother whose young daughter vanishes during a transatlantic flight, with the crew having no record that the girl even boarded the jet. The movie was playing in 3,424 theaters. "Corpse Bride," Burton's stop-motion animation adventure about a flesh-and-blood groom-to-be who inadvertently conjures a different mate from the land of the dead, ballooned from five theaters in its initial weekend of limited release to 3,204, with Warner Bros. reporting audiences made up of families with children and adults 25 and under, about evenly split between males and females. Among other new releases, "Roll Bounce," about a skating showdown between two groups of kids, opened in fourth place with about $8 million in 1,625 theaters, Fox Searchlight reported. Films debuting in limited release were led by "A History of Violence," which took in $504,000 in 14 theaters for a healthy per-venue average of $36,000, New Line reported. The movie, which stars Viggo Mortensen as a small-town hero who attracts the attention of the Philadelphia mob, rolls out to 1,200 additional theaters on Friday. Roman Polanski's "Oliver Twist" arrived in five theaters spread among Los Angeles, New York and Toronto, with about $69,000 for an average of $13,727. Sony/TriStar said it will expand the film to about 800 theaters Friday. |
||
|
|
||
|
The glass slipper finally fits on October 4,
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) proudly debuts the
long-awaited two-disc Platinum Edition of Walt Disney's
original beloved classic, CINDERELLA . On DVD for the first
time ever, the highly anticipated release has been digitally
restored and loaded with bonus materials that allow viewers to
extend their movie experience and transport themselves into
the magical world of Cinderella, and to gain fascinating
insight into the animated classic with never-before-scene
bonus features and footage.
|
||
|
|
||
|
The clock strikes midnight as one of Disney's
most popular fairytales makes her long-awaited DVD debut after
having been unavailable in any form for almost 10 years -- as
the sixth release in Disney's celebrated "Platinum
Edition" line. The CINDERELLA DVD plays off the theme of
transformation found in the movie -- having undergone a
painstaking restoration with the use of state of the art
digital technology. DVD bonus features also play off this
unique theme, demonstrating the fairytale's integral part in
the lexicon of pop culture with exciting bonus items such as
the all new featurette ESPN Classics' "Cinderella
Stories" which showcases many of the most
unbelievable "Cinderella" moments in sports history.
An all-new DVD-ROM feature, "The Royal Life," allows
participants to scan their picture and become part of a
fairytale world that they can create (read on for more
complete bonus material details). Also returning on VHS, both
the DVD and VHS editions will carry a suggested retail price
of $29.99 (SRP). As well, a special DVD Collector's Gift Set
will accompany the release, priced at $49.99 (SRP).
A major initiative across The Walt Disney Company, CINDERELLA activity will span beyond home entertainment to bring the magic of Cinderella to life. This includes an unparalleled Disney Consumer Products (DCP) partnership which will see the release of dozens of new products in all major retail categories, including toys, apparel, electronics, fast moving consumer goods, stationery, home furnishings and much more (from third quarter 2005, into the holidays and well into 2006). Nearly 10 years in the Disney vault, and not released theatrically since 1987, the twelfth feature film to come from The Walt Disney Company, CINDERELLA was produced by Walt Disney himself, and is one of only three films to have utilized the skills of every member of the formidable group of key animators that have been affectionately dubbed his "nine old men" (others are Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan ). Originally released in 1950, the film features the voice talents of Ilene Woods (Cinderella) and Eleanor Audley (the wicked Stepmother), while future talk show host Mike Douglas supplies the singing voice of Prince Charming. Nominated for three Academy Awards, the film enjoyed theatrical releases in 1950, 1957, 1965, 1973, 1981 and 1987, drawing more than 75 million moviegoers and grossing more than $350 million (combined box office, adjusted to current dollars). Since going back into the Disney vault after its VHS release in 1995, CINDERELLA has become the most requested Disney title for release, even above such classics as "The Lion King," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Beauty and the Beast." Cinderella Synopsis With a wave of her wand and some "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," Cinderella's Fairy Godmother transforms an ordinary pumpkin into a magnificent coach and Cinderella's rags into a gorgeous gown, and then sends her off to the Royal Ball. But Cinderella's enchanted evening must end when the spell is broken at midnight. It will take the help of her daring animal friends Jaq and Gus and a perfect fit into a glass slipper to create the ultimate fairy tale ending. |
||
|
|
||
|
Is
Disneyland the most expensive place on Earth?
They call it the happiest celebration on Earth. And they could be right - no one puts on a show quite like Disneyland. But sadly, being part of the magic doesn't come cheap. Especially on a Kiwi budget. The dollar was looking good. That's why we chose now to vist Disneyland's 50th anniversary 18-month-long party. The kids were just at the right age - five, seven and nine - and their 60-year-old grandmother was keen on coming too. Still, strong currency or not, our bank account was in trouble long before we boarded the plane. Buy online in advance and save, declares the Disneyland website. But while booking ahead can save up to $US40 ($NZ59, less shipping) on three, four, and five-day Park Hopper Passes, there are no discounts for one and two-day visits. Park hopping was introduced in 2001 with the opening of Disney's California Adventure, just next door to the original theme park. Whereas a one-day one-park pass costs $US53 per adult and $US43 per child (ages three to nine), same-day entry to both is an additional $US20. It may not be cheap but at least it's easy. We chose the two-day Park Hopper pass - a gut-wrenching $US105 for adults and $US85 for children (under 10). Total value in Kiwi dollars for a family of five - $693. True, Disneyland has much to offer. In addition to the old favourites - the Haunted House, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World etc - there are many new fun and exciting attractions. Like the Indiana Jones Adventure and the 3D movie, Honey I Shrunk the Audience. There are performances –- theatre productions like Snow White and Aladdin, shows that run so many times daily, no expense has been spared. At night comes the spectacular fireworks display, lighting the sky for almost half an hour. And just before dark, the Parade of Dreams, with its wildly extravagant floats and line-up of every imaginable Disney character, which quite simply will never be matched on any New Zealand street. But then, neither will the crowds. While newer rides appear to have been created so as to accelerate the loading of passengers and a "FastPass" system has been introduced to offset waiting in line, queues are still long. Our first day, a Wednesday in May, was fine. Our second day, a Friday, was not so good. Though we expected the masses to thin out later in the day, this was not the case. The opening of California Adventure, which one would think would alleviate crowd numbers at Disneyland, appears to have done just the opposite. More people go because there is more to do. Staff advise the best time to visit is midweek and especially during the off-season. Peak season is any time children in North America are out of school - the Christmas/New Year holiday, spring break and the long northern summer. Unfortunately, this runs in contradiction with operating hours. In order to get more value for money, it's best to pick a day where the park opens early and closes late. Naturally, these days are usually only during the busy season. Luckily, the kids didn't seem to mind. Fuelled by adrenaline and junk food, they were happy and ready to go all day. Food too, is an issue. "Very high prices and poor quality" is how one American - who didn't even have to contend with the exchange rate - described Disneyland's culinary delights. The first day we were taken unawares. On day two, we did as she suggested - we left the park in search of a decent meal. Outside the entrance and across the street is a selection of eateries, which, if not haute cuisine, are at least reasonably priced. Inside California Adventure is a small McDonald's with big prices. Yet just half a block from the entrance is an outlet with usual prices. The short walk saved us $US15. On this same street, Harbor Boulevard is also where you will find perhaps the highest concentration of motels in the US. From the Hyatt Regency to the Red Roof Inns and Motel 6, all accommodation options are available. We had not booked ahead, fooled by some belief that with so much on offer a clean, cheap room would be easy to find. We were wrong. In recent years, Air New Zealand has offered package deals where an extra $NZ100 will get you four nights' accommodation plus return airport transfers. It may be based on twin share but the bottom line is you'll never find a decent night's sleep in Anaheim for less than $NZ50. Having learned the hard way, we were lucky. Using a "Traveler Discount Guide" coupon, we booked a hotel up the road at just $US60 a night. The Traveler is a hotel discount book which is distributed along the US highways and in tourist destinations throughout 48 US states. It can also be picked up in the small tourist office by the Jolly Roger Hotel on Katella St, half a block from Disneyland, or ordered online. Per night, we saved an average $US30, which helped to offset the bizarre $US3 daily resort fee (for a motel?) and the 15 per cent hotel room rate tax imposed over and above the quoted rate. If you intend on travelling further afield, The Traveler is worth looking out for. It's also worth noting that if you hope to save a few dollars by cooking for yourself, US motels are not as well equipped as Kiwi motels. Though some rooms do provide a small fridge, cooking facilities are virtually unheard of - unless you specifically order a kitchenette and are prepared to pay more. In many cases the closer you stay to the park entrance, the greater the room rate. But distance is no longer a problem, thanks to a convenient and frequent shuttle service offered by the city of Anaheim. For US$3 a day, anyone over the age of 10 is permitted unlimited rides. This service allowed us to take our kids back to the motel for a swim, nap and dinner before the busy night ahead. Service begins before the park gates open and does not stop until everyone in the Disney pick-up spot has been accounted for. Looking back, we all had a great time. And yet I remain ambivalent. It's true: you can't fly all the way from New Zealand to California without visiting Disneyland –- not with kids anyway. But for a country that leads the way in "the customer is always right" customer service, one can't help but wonder why "guests" are so tolerant of such unacceptable queues. And why Disneyland doesn't do more. They are trying, so they say. When I ask how, they tell how many shows are purposely scheduled during peak times to alleviate line-ups elsewhere. And, of course, there is the new FastPass system which reduces wait times by letting you save your place in line for a later designated time. And finally, Disney "imagineers" have designed new "heavily themed and entertaining" attraction queues which they say are "very entertaining and in many ways, an extension of the attraction itself". The new waiting areas are not as boring as the old, but to call it an extension of the attraction itself is overly generous. Perhaps on a US budget, wait times are not worth worrying about. But on a Kiwi budget, making memories costs a small fortune. You may feel the magic but be prepared to work and wait for it. |
||
|
|
||
|
A
Quiet Departure for Eisner at Disney
When Michael D. Eisner leaves the Walt Disney Company for good on Friday, there will be no grand send-off or congratulatory party. Mr. Eisner, who served as chief executive for more than two decades, has agreed only to a one-page retrospective in the company newsletter, according to Disney executives. It is a low-key way to end a 21-year career that was both brilliant and controversial and during which Mr. Eisner, 63, became the face of Disney for the generation whose parents grew up with the founder, Walt Disney. In the late 1980's, Mr. Eisner was the host of "The Wonderful World of Disney" television show and presided over the company's resurgence in animated musicals like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King." He is recognized by youngsters at the company's theme parks, and it is common to see children gathered around his 6-foot-3-inch frame, asking for autographs. Mr. Eisner has little to say about his leaving. Through a spokeswoman, he declined last week to discuss his career. Instead he is expected to send an e-mail message to Disney's employees before he vacates his office. Several Disney executives and others who have talked to Mr. Eisner in recent days said it was an awkward time for him. He is leaving a job he loves before he is ready to, they said. Moreover, they added, he is concerned that last year's shareholder revolt, after which he was stripped of his chairman's title, will be given greater weight in assessing his legacy than the gains he made at the company in his early years. Mr. Eisner has yet to disclose his plans. His contract says he can remain a Disney consultant. In an interview earlier this year with Charlie Rose, the public television show host, Mr. Eisner said he hoped to remain in entertainment, perhaps producing Broadway shows or making movies. He has an apartment in New York and has long expressed interest in the theater there. Under Mr. Eisner's tenure, Disney grew from a small theme-park operator and movie studio into a sprawling media company. In that time, the company added 7 theme parks (for a total of 11), a cruise ship line, a successful stage play division and 10 domestic cable channels - including the highly profitable ESPN - and acquired the ABC broadcast network. Revenues increased to $30.75 billion in 2004, from $1.5 billion in 1984. The stock price has increased 1,646 percent. And the number of employees grew fivefold, to 129,000, from 28,000. Mr. Eisner's recent years, though, were marred by the shareholder revolt and a bitter board fight in which Mr. Eisner clashed with two former directors - Roy E. Disney, the nephew of the founder, and Stanley P. Gold, Mr. Disney's financial adviser. They had originally lobbied to give him the top job in 1984 during another management shake-up. More recently, they sought to oust him, contending his clashes with employees and Disney's partners were a drag on the company. "Whatever Michael's faults were, and we all have them, Michael took a moribund company and energized it to a level I'm not sure anyone else could have done," said Richard Nanula, Disney's former chief financial officer, who worked at the company from 1986 to 1998. "He ensured that Disney provided 10 times the level of entertainment available for children prior to him getting there - high-quality, clean, fun entertainment." Mr. Eisner had few interests other than Disney during his tenure. (He does appreciate architecture.) But since Mr. Eisner announced his retirement last spring, he has let Robert A. Iger, the Disney president who will succeed him on Saturday, run Disney day to day. Still, Mr. Eisner has not been entirely absent in recent months as Disney's ambassador. Last week, he attended the memorial service for Peter Jennings at Carnegie Hall in New York. On the same trip, he attended an auction of hand-painted Mickey Mouse statues with his wife, Jane. And two weeks ago, he delivered remarks at the opening of the company's newest park, Hong Kong Disneyland, which the company hopes will be a profit center in Asia for years to come. Thomas O. Staggs, Disney's chief financial officer, noted that while Walt Disney created the original theme parks, they were now populated with characters from "The Lion King, "Beauty and the Beast" and "Mulan," which were developed during Mr. Eisner's tenure. Many in the entertainment business say they believe that Mr. Eisner's career is hardly over. Ultimately, friends say, judgments about his success at Disney will be determined by his long-term record, not just the corporate turmoil that has preoccupied the company in the last few years. "Disney is a major powerhouse," said Bob Daly, a friend of Mr. Eisner who for two decades ran Warner Brothers with Terry S. Semel, now chief executive of Yahoo. "But it wasn't a major powerhouse when he started." |
||
|
|
||
|
WITCH
series to celebrate Halloween with new WITCH video game,
magazine issue, books
Tween favourite W.I.T.C.H. has cast a spell over Halloween to help fans get into the Halloween spirit. To celebrate, the first ever W.I.T.C.H. video game is launching, together with a series of special events and activities throughout the Halloween holiday. These will link the W.I.T.C.H. magazine, the TV series on Jetix, and the clubwitch.co.uk website, as well as fantastic W.I.T.C.H. mobile content. The W.I.T.C.H. Halloween highlights include: - The launch by Buena Vista Games of the first ever W.I.T.C.H. video game on Gameboy Advance. Utilising the game's interactive feature, W.I.T.C.H. fans can play against their friends and hold their own interactive tournament on Halloween night - A special Halloween weekend on Jetix, culminating in the first UK screening of the W.I.T.C.H. season one finale - The October issue of W.I.T.C.H. magazine, bursting with spooky Halloween stories, puzzles and quizzes - Five brand new W.I.T.C.H. companion story books on sale in UK book shops, featuring storylines which all tie into and build on the W.I.T.C.H. TV series. Jetix will celebrate the magical season by dedicating a whole day of programmes to W.I.T.C.H., with a season finale that features back-to-back episodes from season one as well as an exclusive screening of the series' last two episodes. The W.I.T.C.H. event will take place on 30th October on Jetix with the usual episode at 9am, followed by double episodes at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm, and the final installment at 5.30pm. The first ever W.I.T.C.H. video game launches on Gameboy Advance on October 7th, just in time for Halloween night when W.I.T.C.H. fans can use the interactive features in the game and play with their friends. Based on the W.I.T.C.H. action/adventure TV series, the game is designed to transport players into the lives of all five W.I.T.C.H. heroines. In addition, new storylines and characters have been developed exclusively for the game, which encompasses five chapters split into 20 magical levels. The game will be available to buy from all good stockists, priced at £15.95. W.I.T.C.H. will begin celebrating the spooky season on 1st October 2005, when the Halloween issue of W.I.T.C.H. magazine hits the shelves. Full of seasonal specials to encourage readers to celebrate Halloween, it also features spooky Halloween stories from readers, a special Spooky Search puzzle and a festive quiz to find out if you are a Scary Fairy, Costume Queen or Sleepover Spookster. Further to the success of W.I.T.C.H. magazine, five all-new W.I.T.C.H. companion story books published by HarperCollins have just launched in UK - The Power of Five, The Disappearance, Finding Meridian, The Fire of Friendship and The Last Tear. The books are currently on sale in UK book shops, Asda stores and from Amazon.co.uk. All the books tie into storylines featured in the W.I.T.C.H. TV series and the next four titles in the book series are due to be launched on 5th December as a timely pre-Christmas follow up. W.I.T.C.H. fans can also find great content online. The UK W.I.T.C.H. microsite launched in April 2005 and has attracted more than 175,759 unique users to date. The full UK W.I.T.C.H. website is due to launch later this autumn (www.clubwitch.co.uk). W.I.T.C.H. mobile content is also available from www.clubwitch.co.uk. and www.disneymobile.co.uk, where W.I.T.C.H. fans can buy exclusive W.I.T.C.H. ringtones, wallpapers and java games for their mobile phones In addition, W.I.T.C.H. fans will be able to celebrate Halloween in Disney Stores throughout the UK. The stores will be getting into the Halloween spirit with spooky decorations, Haunted House displays and a whole host of W.I.T.C.H. products available including toys, clothing, stationery, cosmetics and toiletries, offering exciting new ideas for treats to be used this year for 'trick or treating'. Tessa Moore, Vice President Marketing, Walt Disney International, commented on the activities: "The W.I.T.C.H. team is excited to be able to co-ordinate such a magical offering of activities over Halloween for W.I.T.C.H. fans to enjoy. All the celebration activities planned have been tailored in true W.I.T.C.H. style, combining elements of a fantasy world and a real adventure that can be experienced with friends." About W.I.T.C.H. W.I.T.C.H. is the fourth biggest magazine globally and the most successful tween's magazine launch ever, selling 11.6 million copies in Europe in 2004. Established in 2001 in Italy, the creative home of Disney Publishing, W.I.T.C.H. magazine is currently published in over 28 languages in 66 countries. The W.I.T.C.H. phenomenon spread rapidly across the Walt Disney Company. In addition to the magazine, there is a TV action series, combining epic adventure, comedy, magic and realism. It follows the adventures of five young heroines and best friends designated to maintain the natural order of the universe. W.I.T.C.H. stands for Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin: five ordinary school-friends who discover they each possess extraordinary powers allowing them to control the natural forces of water, fire, earth and air. They have been chosen as the next generation of Guardians whose mission it is to defend the Veil, an invisible barrier that protects the world from the dark forces of evil. The magazine and animated TV series tell the story of these five strong, dynamic female characters and the power of their friendship - combining magical fantasy and adventure with storylines grounded in the universal concerns faced by tweens and teens the world over. |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Black Pearl, Pirates and Ocean Race
The Black Pearl is a sailboat to be skippered by a renowned sailor in the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race, in conjunction with the release of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'. THE Black Pearl, official entry in the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race, the world's premier round-the-world race for mono-hull sailboats, was christened recently at Maritime Walk, Ocean Village in Southampton, England. The event was hosted by Robert Mitchell, managing director, Buena Vista International UK, and skipper of The Black Pearl, Paul Cayard. The Black Pearl entry is part of a unique marketing partnership between The Walt Disney Company and Volvo Ocean Race supporting the July 2006 feature film release of Walt Disney Pictures'/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. "This is an exciting moment as we embark upon uniting the exhilaration of a world class sporting event with what will certainly be one of the most anticipated films of next year," said Mitchell. "There will be plenty of high seas adventures both on screen and off for the next 10 months." The Black Pearl is a Volvo 70 class yacht and one of seven entries in the Volvo Ocean Race which begins in Vigo, Spain in November, and ends in Gothenburg, Sweden next June. Cayard is the first American skipper to win the race in 1998. He has returned with the energy, determination and sheer passion of the sport to lead his highly experienced and competitive Pirates of the Caribbean team around the globe, with stops in 10 of the world's most exotic locales. Said Mitchell, "We are thrilled that Cayard will be our very own modern-day "Captain Jack' taking to the high seas to command his team on The Black Pearl in this year's Volvo Ocean Race. Cayard is a legendary figure in the world of sailboat racing, and we will be cheering him on port after port as he leads his Pirates of the Caribbean crew around the globe." According to Cayard, "I am honored to skipper The Black Pearl, a boat inspired by a worldwide phenomenon, in the premier round the world sailing race. This race will be much more demanding physically than in the past due to the larger scale of the boats and fewer crew than in the past. The excitement, however, will be unparalleled thanks to the other six very competitive entries. The 2005-06 race will offer the public much more exciting access to the sport with the newly added feature of in-port racing where spectators can really see us in action. Additionally, they will be able to observe our lives on board 24 hours a day, seven days a week via 10 cameras placed throughout each boat. All of this is certain to make for great sport and great entertainment." From Vigo in Spain the race travels to Cape Town, South Africa; Melbourne, Australia; a pit stop in Wellington, New Zealand; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Baltimore/Annapolis, Maryland; a pit stop in New York City; Portsmouth, England; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and finishes in Gothenburg. For complete details, please visit: www.volvooceanrace.org Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski, once again stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as Will Turner and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann. It's a spectacular follow-up to the international blockbuster released in 2003. It is currently being filmed in Los Angeles and the Caribbean and will be released in July next year. Visit www.disneypictures.com for more information on the movie and www.blackpearlracing.com for information on The Black Pearl entry in the Volvo Ocean Race. |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC
Family Premieres The Original Movie 'Alchemy' Friday, October
7
ABC Family premieres the original movie ALCHEMY, Friday, October 7 (8:00 – 10:00 PM ET/PT). Tom Cavanagh ("Ed," "Love Monkey"), Sarah Chalke ("Scrubs," "Roseanne") and James Barbour ("Eight Crazy Nights") star in this modern day Cyrano De Bergerac story with a high tech twist. Film also stars Illeana Douglas ("To Die For"), Michael Ian Black ("Stella") and Nadia Dajani ("Emily's Reason's Why Not"). In Alchemy, Mal Downey (Tom Cavanagh) a well known professor, creates a human-like interactive computer, Jerry (voiced by Michael Ian Black), which can emulate human emotions and respond just as a person would. In order to keep his research funded, Mal must his work published and decides to enlist the help of his friend Jane (Nadia Dajani) to document in a popular woman's magazine whether a woman could fall in love faster with a computer or a real man. Jane knows the right man for the job and lures Dr. Troy Rollins (James Barbour), aka Professor Love, to be part of the experiment. Soon the test subject Samantha (Sarah Chalke), a free spirited commitment-phobe, begins to fall under the spell of Professor Love, prompting Mal to disguise himself as a Frenchman to take on a human form for Jerry. But when Mal begins to fall in love with Samantha, all bets are off. Will Mal be able to make Samantha fall in love with Jerry before she succumbs to the advances of Professor Love? Alchemy is written and directed by Evan Oppenheimer ("Justice," "The Auteur Theory"). The movie is executive produced by Kenneth Schapiro ("My Girlfriend's Boyfriend") and Daniel O' Meara ("Bring Rain," "Jailbait"). Distributed in over 88 million homes, ABC Family features original series, movies and specials, major theatrical releases and acquired hit series. ABC Family provides programming that is reflective of today's families – with all their diversity, dysfunction, humor and passion. Real stories. Real families. Real heart. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disneyremixmania
CD and Disneymania 3 in Concert DVD
Walt Disney Records puts a new spin on classic Disney tunes with two new additions to today's top tween audio franchise, the "Disneyremixmania" CD and the "Disneymania 3 in Concert" DVD, in stores September 27, 2005. The hot new "Disneyremixmania" compilation features the most popular tracks from the platinum-selling Disneymania franchise -- remixed! "Disneyremixmania" showcases 15 tracks from talented performers including Jesse McCartney, Smash Mouth, The Cheetah Girls, Ashanti featuring Lil' Sis Shi Shi, and Hilary and Haylie Duff putting a new twist on their versions of favorite Disney songs. Complementing the "Disneyremixmania" CD release, the "Disneymania 3 in Concert" DVD features some of today's hottest teen artists taking center stage at Disney's California Adventure Theme Park in Anaheim, California to perform classic Disney songs. This exciting new DVD features exclusive backstage footage from the concert, including up close and personal interviews with Raven-Symone, Skye Sweetnam, Aly & AJ, Kimberley Locke, The Cheetah Girls, Christy Carlson Romano, Everlife, Lalaine, Vitamin C and Fan_3. "Disneyremixmania" track list: 1) "The Second Star to the
Right" - Jesse McCartney (Lost Boys Remix) "Disneymania in Concert 3" DVD live performances by and interviews with: Raven-Symone - "Under the Sea,"
"Grazin' in the Grass" On September 27th, "Disneyremixmania"
will be available for a suggested retail price of |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC
News Off-Air Reporters To Chronicle The Lives Of Seven
Families Displaced By Katrina
ABC News off-air reporters have spread out across the country to chronicle the lives of seven families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The reporters will follow the families for a month as they try to settle into their new lives, and will check in with them periodically over the coming years as they rebuild. "Everyone displaced by Katrina faces a myriad of challenges that are hard for many of us to fathom – finding new jobs in new cities, enrolling children in new schools, building or rebuilding homes, navigating the bureaucracy put in place to help the victims. There are so many lives affected and so many stories to tell – placing reporters with families will provide our audience a unique, first-hand perspective," said ABC News President David Westin. The seven off-air reporters have joined with displaced Katrina families in Seattle, WA; Colorado Springs, CO; Baton Rouge, LA; Gulfport, MS; Summersville, SC; Atlanta, GA and Houston, TX. The reporters spend time throughout the day with the families, using DV cameras to document their experiences. Over the coming months and years ABC News will periodically check back with these families to see how they are faring. Reports and video diaries will be featured on all ABC News broadcasts and platforms, including "Good Morning America," "World News Tonight," "Nightline," ABCNEWS.com, ABC News Radio and ABC News Now. |
||
|
|
||
|
Eisner's
legacy at Disney: From mouse to media lion
When Michael Eisner leaves Walt Disney for good on Friday, there will be no grand send-off or congratulatory party. Eisner, who served as chief executive for more than two decades, has agreed only to a one-page retrospective in the company newsletter, according to Disney executives. It is a low-key way to end a 21-year career that was both brilliant and controversial and during which Eisner, 63, became the face of Disney for the generation whose parents had grown up with the founder, Walt Disney. In the late 1980s, Eisner was the host of the television show "The Wonderful World of Disney" and presided over the company's resurgence in animated musicals like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King." He is recognized by youngsters at the company's theme parks, and it is common to see children gathered around his 6-foot-3-inch, or 1.90-meter, frame asking for autographs. Eisner has had little to say about his leaving. Through a spokeswoman, he declined last week to discuss his career. Instead, he is expected to send an e-mail message to Disney's employees before he leaves his office. Several Disney executives and others who have talked to Eisner in recent days said it was an awkward time for him. He is leaving a job he loves before he is ready to, they said. Moreover, they added, he is concerned that last year's shareholder revolt, after which he was stripped of his chairman's title, will be given greater weight in assessing his legacy than the gains he made at the company in his early years. Eisner has yet to disclose his plans. His contract says he can remain a Disney consultant. In an interview this year with Charlie Rose, a U.S. public television show host, Eisner said he hoped to remain in entertainment, perhaps producing Broadway shows or making movies. He has an apartment in New York and has long expressed interest in the theater there. Under Eisner's tenure, Disney grew from a small theme-park operator and movie studio into a sprawling media company. In that time, the company added seven theme parks, to make a total of 11, as well as a cruise ship line, a successful stage play division and 10 U.S. cable channels including the highly profitable ESPN, and it acquired the ABC broadcast network. Revenue grew to $30.75 billion in 2004 from $1.5 billion in 1984, and the stock price rose 1,646 percent. The number of employees grew nearly fivefold, to 129,000 from 28,000. Eisner's recent years, though, were marred by the shareholder revolt and a board fight in which Eisner clashed with two former directors, Roy Disney, the nephew of the founder, and Stanley Gold, Disney's financial adviser. They originally lobbied to give him the top job in 1984 during another management shake-up. More recently, they sought to oust him, contending that his clashes with employees and Disney's partners were a drag on the company. "Whatever Michael's faults were, and we all have them, Michael took a moribund company and energized it to a level I'm not sure anyone else could have done," said Richard Nanula, a former Disney chief financial officer who worked at the company from 1986 to 1998. "He ensured that Disney provided 10 times the level of entertainment available for children prior to him getting there - high-quality, clean, fun entertainment." Since Eisner announced his retirement last spring, he has let Robert Iger, the Disney president who will succeed him on Saturday, run Disney day to day. Thomas Staggs, Disney's chief financial officer, noted that while Walt Disney created the original theme parks, they were now populated with characters from "The Lion King, "Beauty and the Beast" and "Mulan," which were developed during Eisner's tenure. Many in the entertainment business say they believe that Eisner's career is hardly over. Ultimately, friends say, judgments about his success at Disney will be determined by his long-term record, not just the corporate turmoil that has preoccupied the company in the past few years. "Disney is a major powerhouse," said Bob Daly, a friend of Eisner's who for two decades ran Warner Brothers with Terry Semel, now chief executive of Yahoo. "But it wasn't a major powerhouse when he started." |
||
|
|
||
|
Martial
Arts Festival
The sixth annual Disney's Martial Arts Festival will combine the positive atmosphere of competition with the magic of Walt Disney World Resort when it returns to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Oct. 25-30 with competitions in American Kenpo, Japanese and Okinawan classical karate, Chinese martial arts, continuous point sparring, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, karate and self-defense. Clinics, such as the American Kenpo Camp and the Tae Kwon do Clinic of Champions, will also be available for participants. The event is open to children and adults at skill levels ranging from White Belt/White Sash to the Black Belt/Black Sash. Registration is available online at disneyworldsports.com. For a registration form via mail, call 407/832-7710. Spectator admission for ages 10-older is $18 for one day and $28 for a three-day pass. Admission for ages 3-9 is $12 for one day and $22 for a three-day pass. The event is free for children under age three. |
||
|
|
||
|
Return
of 'Housewives' roars for ABC on Sunday
"Desperate Housewives" came roaring back to life for ABC on Sunday as its sophomore season premiere drew more than 28 million viewers to a new round of adventures on Wisteria Lane. "Housewives" couldn't quite top its first-season finale numbers last May, but it nonetheless reeled in an eye-popping 28.2 million and 12.1 rating/26 share in the adults 18-49 demographic at 9 p.m., according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research (compared to 30.3 million viewers and 13.2/31 in the key demo for the May 22 finale). As was the case last season, ABC owned Sunday night overall. The network opened with a two-part, four-hanky episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which peaked at 8 p.m. with 16.3 million viewers and 6.8/16 in adults 18-49, and ended with a strong showing at 10 p.m. by the sophomore season opener of medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" (19.5 million, 8.6/21). Only Fox put up any kind of challenge. "The Simpsons" (10.2 million, 5.0/12) was a competitive No. 2 at 8 p.m. The network's new live-action domestic comedy "The War at Home" (8 million, 3.8/9) drooped at 8:30 p.m. but 9 p.m.'s "Family Guy" (9 million, 4.6/10) braved the "Housewives" challenge by posting its highest numbers of the season to date. CBS' lineup was thrown off for the night by a 53-minute NFL overrun that pushed back the start of its primetime lineup by nearly an hour. Crime drama "Cold Case" suffered a weak turnout in its delayed bow at around 9 p.m. with about 11.5 million viewers. The network's "Martha Behind Bars" ripped-from-the-headlines Martha Stewart movie, starring Cybill Shepherd, was a big bust that appeared to draw less than 10 million viewers. NBC felt its share of the sting from ABC's heat. The network ran a distant fourth for the night overall. The relocated "West Wing" (8.9 million, 2.4/6) didn't do much business in the 8 p.m. hour through it did improve on its "Dateline NBC" (7.9 million, 1.4/4) lead-in. At 9 p.m., the fifth-season opener "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (10.3 million, 3.0/7) posted its lowest marks for a season premiere episode. The only silver lining on the night for the network was "Crossing Jordan" (13.2 million, 3.7/9) managing a little growth spurt at 10 p.m. All things considered, the WB Network didn't do too badly with 8 p.m.'s season premiere of "Charmed" (4 million, 1.8/4) but things went downhill at 9 p.m. with the second season bow of "Blue Collar TV" (2.7 million, 1.1/2). When all was said and done, ABC logged a commanding win of the first Sunday of the 2005-06 season with an average of 18.4 million viewers and 7.8/19 in adults 18-49. |
||
|
|
||
|
Going
Deep for Digital
Last March, executives from the Walt Disney Studios approached the visual-effects wizards at George Lucas's company, Industrial Light & Magic, with an audacious request. Could they convert the forthcoming Disney animated film "Chicken Little" into 3-D? In less than four months? "We gave it serious consideration, and we decided they were out of their minds," said Colum Slevin, senior director of computer graphics at Industrial Light. "'Fourteen hundred shots in 14 weeks? You're dreaming.'" But Disney persisted. And Mr. Slevin's team of techies came through, as audiences will be able to see for themselves beginning Nov. 4, when "Chicken Little" opens across the country - and in at least 85 movie theaters equipped with costly state-of-the-art 3-D projection equipment, silver screens and the latest in goofy-looking 3-D eyewear. The 3-D technology is more advanced than anything audiences will remember from the 1950's or even from recent hits like "Spy Kids": no red-and-cyan lenses, no eyestrain, no headaches. And no bulky electronic glasses like at Imax theaters. "You've not seen anything quite like this," Richard Cook, Disney's studio chairman, assured hundreds of exhibitors and others before showing them a sample on Thursday. All but lost in their excitement over the technology is a huge milestone for Hollywood: the 3-D release of "Chicken Little" first requires the conversion of those 85 theaters to digital projection technology. For years, the movie industry has been struggling to replace its expensive film distribution system with digital technology. For the studios, the change promised huge savings: about $1 billion a year is spent making film prints and shipping them to thousands of theaters. For theater owners, it meant smaller savings, but improved quality. A movie could run for weeks - or indefinitely - without the scratches and other defects that become noticeable after as few as 10 screenings of a celluloid print. Last month, the Hollywood studios finally settled on a set of technical standards for the digital cinema introduction. Also recently, the studios, theater owners and equipment vendors have reached consensus on the basic framework to pay for the change to digital, which costs about $85,000 an auditorium. All that was missing was a catalyst for making the investment. Proponents of digital cinema are hoping it will be provided by 3-D movies like Disney's "Chicken Little" and next summer's "Monster House," from Columbia Pictures and the director Robert Zemeckis. Given that Mr. Zemeckis's "Polar Express," from Warner Brothers, earned roughly 10 times as much in Imax 3-D as it did in 2-D, that is a big catalyst, executives say. "3-D, at the moment, is driving the bus on this digital rollout," said Michael V. Lewis, chairman of Real D, a Beverly Hills optics company that developed the equipment and eyewear to bring "Chicken Little" to theaters in 3-D. But there is also a fairly sizable school of thought among studio executives - and influential filmmakers like James Cameron, who has said he will shoot only in 3-D from now on - that 3-D, despite its history as a fad, could this time have a momentous effect on cinema, the way silent movies gave way to talkies and black-and-white to color. "I honestly don't think it's a novelty," said Charles Viane, president of distribution for Disney, which may release all its future animated movies in 3-D should "Chicken Little" meet expectations at the box office. "I think you'll miss the dimensionalization in movies that don't have it." "Chicken Little" would not be coming to market in 3-D had Disney not been impatient to break the stalemate between studios and theaters over digital conversion. But it also required significant leaps forward in technology, which the four-year-old Real D and the 25-year-old optics company it acquired in February, StereoGraphics, had been pursuing for some time. Unlike some old-fashioned 3-D movies, the Real D process uses a single projector, but it merges two data streams, one for each eye. Because the projector is digital, it can project images far faster than 24 frames per second, the film standard. So "Chicken Little" will be shown at 144 frames per second, alternating left- and right-eye images faster than the eye can detect. The hard part of 3-D is to make sure the left eye sees only the left image, and vice versa. Real D, executives say, does so with an adapter mounted on the projector that polarizes each alternating image so that it can be seen only through the appropriate lens on Real D's cheap disposable glasses. The system is hardly perfect. It requires installing a special silver screen, which is a disadvantage for showing standard movies; the rapid frame rate slightly diminishes the resolution of the image, from 2,048 pixels to roughly 1,700; and even Real D executives acknowledge the system would be impractical for theaters with more than 300 seats because of screen size constraints. But executives from some of the 22 theater chains that have signed up so far - among them AMC, Loews and Regal - say they prefer it to a competing system, from In-Three and NuVision, that would use standard screens but require costly electronic eyeglasses, forcing theaters to spend money sanitizing, maintaining and securing them. The main disadvantage of the Real D system is cost: the company charges at least $50,000 upfront for each theater, and $25,000 a year. Tom Stephenson, president and chief executive of Dallas-based Rave Motion Pictures, said he had signed up to convert 9 of his 300 screens to Real D and was exploring whether to charge a dollar or two more for tickets, or whether increased ticket sales and concession receipts would ultimately cover his costs. Real D guarantees at least two 3-D movies will play in those theaters each year, Mr. Stephenson said. "Is that enough? No, but if it turns out people are really drawn to this technology, you'll get more than that." Among prominent filmmakers, who are eyeing dwindling box-office figures just as uneasily as theater owners, several have seized on 3-D as almost a panacea. "As the public's home television and sound systems get better and better, what is the reason they have to go to the movies?" said Jon Landau, a partner in Mr. Cameron's company, Lightstorm Entertainment, which is making the action fantasy "Battle Angel" in 3-D. "We believe 3-D is one of those things that people will come out of their homes in droves to see. From the big-scale movies to the small dramas - if you have somebody on their deathbed, and an intimate moment, you are much better off dropping the barrier of the screen, putting the audience in that moment, and putting it in 3-D." Whether the next "Terms of Endearment," let alone the next "Terminator," will be seen by millions in 3-D is anybody's guess, of course. But the digital introduction, on which 3-D technology will piggyback, is picking up speed. After months of wrangling between the studios and several vendors, the first deals are being signed that could lead theater owners to buy and install digital projectors. The structure of the deals follows a pattern. Theater owners pay roughly $10,000 toward the $85,000 cost of converting each auditorium. The balance is recovered, typically over 10 years, from the movie studios, which pay "virtual print fees." These fees, which start at around $1,000 for each copy of a movie delivered to a theater, are intended to approximate the studios' financial savings on film prints and shipping. They have agreed to steer that money to the suppliers of digital cinema equipment. Under the first major deal announced so far, Disney said on Sept. 15 that it would pay virtual print fees toward the installation of projectors from Christie Digital Systems USA, under a nonexclusive deal financed by Access Integrated Technologies, a start-up that is hoping to carve out a slice of the expected market for digital distribution to theaters. The gamble for Access, of Morristown, N.J., is that studios will release enough digital movies, and agree to pay the virtual print fees, to cover the cost of the equipment and installations - and to lower the cost of capital for a company with just $12 million in trailing 12-month revenue. "Somebody's got to be willing to put up what somebody has called brave equity to get something like this going," said A. Dale Mayo, a former theater owner who is chairman and chief executive of Access. Lurking around the corner, however, are film industry heavyweights like Technicolor, a unit of the Paris-based media services company Thomson, along with its rival Deluxe and the sound company Dolby Laboratories. Dolby has financed the purchase of digital systems for those theaters converting soon, for "Chicken Little" for example, hoping to gain exposure for its own servers and cinema management software. So goes the competition on the digital frontier. "It's street-fighting right now," said Jack Kline, president and chief operating officer of Christie Digital. "In order for the market to have confidence in the digital experience, we need real experience," said Michael Karagosian, digital cinema consultant to the National Association of Theater Owners. "We need at least 1,000 systems, with all the vendors delivering content to theaters in a flawless way, so the movie arrives, it's shown, the audience is entertained with the same reliability as today with film." That's a tall order, he cautioned. "We now have a 99.98 percent availability rate" for film projection, he said, referring to the incidence of equipment malfunction. "That means that 2 out of 10,000 shows fail, where you have to get a voucher. We don't expect to hear, 'The server didn't work.' But there are plenty of stories already about expired encryption keys, the date set wrong, somebody didn't push the right button." He added, "We're talking about putting desktop technology in the theater. Do you trust your boot-up every time?" |
||
|
|
||
|
Producer
Bochco, Disney sign TV deal
Veteran TV producer Steven Bochco, the man behind such shows as "NYPD Blue" and "Hill Street Blues," has cut a three-year production deal with Disney's Touchstone Television. Bochco's most recent studio pact was a five-year deal signed with Paramount Network TV in July 1999. It yielded such short-lived shows as "Philly" and last season's "Blind Justice," both on ABC. He is currently represented on the small screen by cable channel FX's Iraq war drama "Over There," which Bochco developed with 20th Century Fox TV. Bochco, a 10-time Emmy winner who ranks among the most successful and prolific TV writer-producers of all time, brings a handful of existing development prospects to Touchstone via new deal, including two projects set up at Fox and one at the WB Network. |
||
|
|
||
|
Raven
Moon's Low-Budget Animated Film Could Catch Disney Investors'
Eye
Raven Moon Entertainment, Inc. (OTC BB: RVMN) announced today that according to a story written by Alex Armitage and Mike Weiss of Bloomberg News, and published in the September 24, 2005 issue of the Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney Co., whose film unit said it will lose money in the fourth quarter, has raised $505 million from investors to reduce the risk of financing movies, the first time it has done so in almost a decade. According to Robert Iger, who on October 1 succeeds Michael Eisner as chief executive officer, in August said Disney will take a "very hard look" at film expenses. "What we're seeing should be a wake-up call to the entire industry in terms of expenses," stated Iger in August. Using "Disney/Pixar-style" technology, Raven Moon continues to fly under the big-budget radar with its first fully animated low-budget theatrical film called "Gina D & The Transistor Sisters." With a final budget of $3,000,000, Raven Moon Entertainment, Inc. plans to be the general partner of Gina D & The Transistor Sisters The Movie, LLLP, a limited liability limited partnership. Half of the $3,000,000 production budget totaling $1,500,000 has already been committed to by MG Studios, home of GINA D'S KIDS CLUB, and the balance of $1,500,000 will be available to investors. Raven Moon writers and producers have already written the full script and produced the music soundtrack. A fully animated distribution trailer will be ready in October and participation in the balance of the LLLP will be on a private one to one basis. "This low-budget concept is not new. Independent film companies have successful turned low-budget films costing only approximately one to three million dollars such as: 'The Adventures of Grizzly Adams,' 'The Amityville Horror,' 'In Search of Noah's Ark,' 'Fahrenheit 911' and 'The Blair Witch Project' into blockbuster profits of $25,000,000 or more," stated Joey DiFrancesco, Chairman and CEO of Raven Moon Entertainment, Inc. "The newest G-Rated independent film, 'March of the Penguins,' has already taken in a total of $70 Million in box office receipts to date." "The difference that gives us a 2005 edge is that we have the 3D technology, the creative team and the ability to produce low-budget animated features in a high demand consumer market," stated DiFrancesco. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
Adventures' interviews Andrew Adamson
Direct from the director, a sneak peek into
the winter wonderland of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe. By Stephen Timblin |
||
|
|
||
|
Nickelodeon exec Paul O’Higgins has been
poached by Disney to serve as vice-president of marketing
across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The role, previously occupied by Chris Cowan, includes overseeing campaigns for TV shows and exploring new channel launches. He will report to John Hardie, executive VP and MD of Walt Disney Television. Before joining Nickelodeon, O'Higgins worked at AOL Time Warner, Cartoon Network and Sci-Fi Channel. |
||
|
|
||
|
Sunday September 25, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
LeBeouf drives in winning role At 19, Shia LaBeouf is starring in ``The Greatest Game Ever Played,'' a movie a lot of people are expected to see. ``Greatest Game'' is a stirring re-creation of
the 1913 U.S. Open in Boston that saw amateur golfer Francis
Ouimet upset the defending champion, Britain's Harry Vardon. ``Disney knows not to bring me scripts unless it's something of quality. I refused 12 films last year. I'm pretty picky - they know,'' he said. |
||
|
|
||
|
The classic Disney
animated films continue to enthral generation after
generation. The films’ enduring popularity is in no small
way due to a fantastic choice of songs that fit the action
perfectly, but have a high profile life outside the cinema.
These songs almost uniquely appeal to young and old in equal
measure and Disney keep on doing it! From their classic Snow
White through to The Lion King the films have created a raft
of hits which became instant classics. Disney have launched a
new “lifestyle brand” aimed primarily at young girls (aged
between about 3 and 93 at a guess). This brand pulls together
the favourite princesses from stories like Cinderella, Snow
White, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas and Mulan. Disney have used
the “brand” to launch story CDs, toys, magazines and
clothing as well as the twin CD, Ultimate Disney Princess, a
collection of loved songs from the “princess brand” films
intermingled with three new songs written especially for
Disney Princess.
The first CD has many of the songs that a young princess might want to sing like ‘A Whole New World’ (Aladdin), ‘Some Day My Prince Will Come’ (Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs), ‘ So This is Love’ (Cinderella), ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ (The Lion King) and ‘Like Other Girls’ (Mulan 2). The album also includes many other favourites with a similar nostalgic appeal, such as ‘Colours Of The Wind’ and ‘Just Around The Riverbend’ (Pocahontas), ‘I’m Wishing’ and ‘With A Smile And A Song’ (Snow White) along with ‘He’s A Tramp’ (Lady And The Tramp), ‘A Spoonful Of Sugar’ (Mary Poppins) and ‘Once Upon A Dream’ (Sleeping Beauty). The album also has three new songs to delight any young princess: ‘If You Can Dream’, ‘Every Girl Can Be A Princess’ and ‘Waiting For My Prince’. Each have the Disney stamp of a distinctive, stirring music coupled with clear, fun lyrics. The second CD contains fourteen instrumental versions of the most singable songs from the first album, with the words thoughtfully printed in large type within the sixteen-page sleeve notes. Any young princess (or old and wicked step-mother for that matter) will love this collection, particularly the sing-a-long album. The extra CD is great just to listen to, with the instrumental versions just as magical without the words, but it is likely most tracks will evoke some form of karaoke. A fitting companion to the recent Ultimate Disney album. |
||
|
|
||
|
Restaurant
Akershus Returns to Original Menu
Restaurant Akershus at the Norway pavilion at Epcot has returned to its original menu focusing on authentic Norwegian food. The restaurant still has princess character dining, but now features the return of the traditional Norwegian meal. |
||
|
|
||
|
Root beer and cherry flavors are associated with medicine in China. Scratch those from the beverage list at Hong Kong Disneyland. Meals in Hong Kong are a social event that can last for hours, even at a theme park. Students in Asia revere their teachers, and any compliments are returned tenfold. Those are a few examples of the teaching and learning that have transpired in the past year as 89 people from Anaheim, Calif.'s Disneyland Resort trekked to Hong Kong to help train employees of Disney's first theme park in China. Hong Kong Disneyland opened Sept. 12 with 5,000 employees, a Main Street that's the spitting image of the one in Anaheim and high hopes that a new culture will embrace Disney's entertainment. "The basic spine of the park was replicated from Disneyland," said Tom Morris, an executive from Walt Disney Imagineering. "Everyone from Southern California walks in, and it strikes them right away — the train station, Main Street, the Castle, even the music are the same as in Anaheim. ... Then there's this beautiful mountain range right behind the castle. That's when you quickly realize you're in the South China Sea." Morris directed the creative development of Hong Kong Disneyland, and builders have hammered for more than two years to get every board in place at Disney's 11th theme park. The final phase of preparation — the phase that makes it a uniquely Disney park — is teaching local employees how to deliver the personal service the company calls "magic." Members of the Anaheim task force were chosen because of their expertise in a particular field, but also because of their devotion to the Disney product. Four shared their experiences from China, the fastest-growing tourism market in the world. Matt Holding, who has run attractions for nearly 15 years, patiently taught driving fundamentals to people who rarely drive anything. Hong Kong relies heavily on public transportation, and few people own cars. "We started with forward and reverse," said Holding, who showed them how to maneuver river rafts. His biggest job was helping the new staffers understand the legacy of Walt Disney. "You don't work at Disneyland because it's just a job," he said. "It was a lifelong ambition for me. I told them they are not just a host or a cast member, they are a Jungle Cruise skipper. We're teaching them that this is something very special." Holding's new friends taught him that Americans move too fast. "One day they said, 'Let's go to lunch.' It was an hour and a half. I eat lunch on the go half the time. For them, it's a time to socialize. When I go home to Anaheim, I am going to start taking a lunch break." Belinda Butt, a human-resources specialist from Laguna Hills, Calif., has trained staff members for most of her 20 years at Disneyland. She went to Hong Kong because the park's scale of operations is similar to Anaheim's. She knows how to implement Disney's scheduling system and set up a way of moving 5,000 people through orientation. "You have to think of things like, if you have 12 classes at the same time, don't have them all break at the same time or your bathrooms are slammed," she said. What she learned during five months was the power and grace of humility. "When you pay them a compliment, they bring it right back to you," she said. "They say, 'Oh, it's because you are such a good teacher.' They're very appreciative." Karlos Siqueiros took his 20 years of food-and-beverage expertise to Hong Kong. "The passion we all have for Disney is what brought us here," Siqueiros said. "We brought the importance of the story to them. It's not just a park or a restaurant. "In Anaheim, we say keep the story alive right down to the last bite. When you go into New Orleans Square and the world of pirates, you don't want to have a commercial at lunchtime. You want to still be in Louisiana." Siqueiros also elevated Disney's approach to celebrating birthdays in Hong Kong. "In China, where many people have just one child, birthdays are like our weddings. They go on and on. ... Tastes and flavors here are different, too. We tend to like sugar; they like the savory flavors. We had to adjust." Siqueiros introduced the concept of kids' menus — already a big hit — and he will bring home a new idea from the Hong Kong park's menu: a char siew (barbecue pork) burger. |
||
|
|
||
|
Don
Haskins is coming to town
Enid's native son who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 27, 1997, and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 9, 1999, and is the main subject of an upcoming Walt Disney Pictures movie, "Glory Road," has confirmed through relatives he is coming to Enid. "The Bear," or "Dandy Don" as he was known growing up in Enid, will attend an Enid Public School Foundation Hall of Fame banquet beginning at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13 in the recently built Enid High Food Court. He and Dr. Wynn Mabry, a retired U.S. Air Force major general who was Chief of the Air Force Medical Operations Agency 1996 to 1999, will become the 12th and 13th inductees in the public school foundation's hall of fame. "Those who are honored are those who have graduated from Enid High School or made a significant impact on Enid Public Schools or in their chosen fields," said Enid Public Schools spokeswoman Amber Graham Fitzgerald. Banquet tickets are $50 and available from Enid Public Schools or foundation board members. The public schools phone number is 234-5270. Earlier the same day, beginning at 11 a.m., Haskins will be honored at a city of Enid Parks Department dedication of outdoor basketball courts located west of the Cherokee Terrace Apartments and north of St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. Referred to as the South 6th-East Maine basketball courts, city of Enid Park System, park board members approved renaming the park Don Haskins Basketball Courts during their May meeting. Also in the works are negotiations with Walt Disney Pictures to get a special showing of "Glory Road" in Enid at Dickinson Theaters in Oakwood Mall. Enid High School boy's basketball coach Shawn Schenk said he has talked with Walt Disney executives about the possibility of getting a special showing here of the movie that includes scenes depicted in Enid, but a final word has yet to come from the corporate office. Studio executives and publicity people have announced a tentative release date for the movie on Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Day weekend. A movie poster began appearing in August. University of Texas at El Paso officials announced last month they are working with Disney to get a premiere showing of the movie. The movie stars Josh Lucas as Haskins and centers around the 1966 Texas Western (now University of Texas, El Paso) basketball season that ended with an NCAA championship game victory over the University of Kentucky Wildcats and coach Adolph Rupp, who is played by Jon Voight. Many historians and writers said the game single-handedly did more for racial equality in college sports than any other event as Haskins started five black players against Rupp's all- white team. According to studio executives, the movie is said to open with a young Don Haskins playing one-on-one with a black friend, Herman Carr, of Enid, who is played by James Aaron. Growing up in Enid, Haskins was known as "Deadeye Don" and was known for his baseball prowess in addition to his miraculous play on the hardwood that included a full-court length heave for two points in the 1948 district tournament championship game between Enid High and Stillwater in Convention Hall. Alan Livingston, current executive director at Hedges Regional Hearing Center, remembers Haskins' exploits in high school. "He (Haskins) worked on a jump shot during the summer of '47. We (younger kids) would rebound for him. He was a fantastic basketball player and really developed the art of the jump shot," said Livingston, who graduated from Enid High in 1955. |
||
|
|
||
|
Saturday September 24, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH)
and its DISH Network satellite TV service today announced an
agreement with Disney and ESPN Media Networks to add ESPNU, a
new 24-hour college sports network, to DISH Network's
"America's Top 180" programming package.
"We have recently increased our emphasis on sports programming for DISH Network customers," said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of Programming for DISH Network. "The addition of ESPNU and other college sports programming further enhances the exceptional value Dish Network offers and increases our competitive advantage in the sports programming arena." "We are pleased that DISH Network subscribers will now have the opportunity to see ESPNU and the incredible lineup of college sports programming that will be offered," said Sean Bratches, president, Disney and ESPN Networks, affiliate sales and marketing. "The launch of our newest network on DISH Network demonstrates our continued commitment to serving passionate sports fans and is a great step forward to making more of our products and services available to fans nationwide." ESPNU, available on DISH Network's Channel 148, was launched in March 2005 and will feature more than 300 live college sports events this year. Viewers get a variety of top football and men's and women's basketball mixed with baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, wrestling and more. ESPNU also offers comprehensive studio programming, replays of ABC Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television games. ESPNU is available to customers who subscribe to America's Top 180 for $52.99 per month. For more information, or to subscribe to DISH Network, viewers can go to the award-winning website www.DISHNetwork.com, call 800-333-DISH (3474) or visit a local DISH Network retailer. |
||
|
|
||
|
Destination
Disney
Though Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest among Disney’s theme parks and has a fewer number of attractions compared to those in Orlando, Florida, Paris and Tokyo, it doesn’t mean that it’s not worth your while and money. It may be a smaller world, but it’s a sort of friendly world where people of all ages can find plenty to keep themselves occupied and amused. The park’s not so huge that it takes ages just to walk around, but if you’re going to take in all the rides and the shows, you’re going to need plenty of time, including for waiting in queues. So, let’s say, to have your fill of the fun in Hong Kong Disneyland, you need at least a full day. As soon as the opening ceremony, in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, was over on September 12, Hong Kong Disneyland welcomed its first guest to the park. There was a surge at the turnstiles and a Chinese woman rushed to a FastPass machine in front of the park’s Space Mountain to be the first rider on its roller-coaster. Behind her was a big crowd of cameramen and reporters, all wanting her to talk while they clicked away. It’s not just kids who are taken up with the Disney fantasy. If the opening was anything to go by, it seems that people of all ages are in love with the magic of Walt Disney’s fairytales. The first groups entering the park were dominated by teenagers. There were families with children following them, including an old man in a wheelchair. A good many of them were rushing to the Space Mountain in Tomorrowland – one of the most popular rides in Hong Kong Disneyland. It carries passengers at a warp speed on a simulated journey to the far reaches of the universe, with cutting-edge special effects providing thrills aplenty. For those who are not after an adrenaline high and seek to escape from the tiring heat, there is Mickey PhilharMagic in Fantasyland. It’s a 3-D theatrical adventure incorporating magical moments and magical music from Disney classics such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin”. Smells and other special effects to suit the scenes in the movies envelop viewers in the air-conditioned theatre. In Adventureland, the first thing most visitors did was reserve their seats for the Festival of the Lion King. The colourful show of music and dance is inspired by Disney's award-winning animated film “The Lion King” and performed by a cast picked from all over the world. The show took the audience to the jungles of Africa while talented singers belted out “The Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” – all hit numbers from the acclaimed film. The movable stage is in the centre of the dome-shaped venue and can be rotated through 360 degrees as well as elevated. Sophisticated sound and light effects turn it into a grand spectacle worth waiting for. The only show they have in Hong Kong and aboard the “Disney Magic” cruise – but not the other parks – is the Golden Mickey. Its finale has been rewritten, however, making it unique to Hong Kong. For those who understand Cantonese, it’s a fun-filled show of Hollywood-style awards. All the characters speak the local language while the songs are in English. Chinese guests had a rip-roaring time while one suspects the others had a nap. Both The Lion King and Mickey shows were well-received by the Chinese audience, who could identify the characters and sing along. Probably a pay-off for Disney teams, who spent more than six months in China and Hong Kong before the park opened, busy promoting the studio’s films. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
presents Pixar's The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure,
on sale Now
Atlanta, Georgia – Get ready to experience
a whirlwind adventure with the Incredibles in an original tale
as Bob, Helen, Violet, Dash and even little Jack-Jack attempt
to take a normal vacation to the Magic Kingdom® Park when
Disney On Ice debuts an all new ice show -- Disney presents
Pixar’s The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure.
Produced by Feld Entertainment Inc., this production will take
audiences on the ride of a lifetime when the Incredibles try
to blend in and mask their superpowers as they experience
favorite Disney theme park attractions and meet famous Disney
friends. |
||
|
|
||
|
UNLV
star enters Disney tourney
Promising golf prospect Ryan Moore will play in Orlando in 2005 after all. Moore, one of the most decorated players from the college ranks in several years, was one of four players to receive a sponsor exemption into next month's PGA Tour event at Walt Disney World, the $4.4 million Funai Classic. In one of the greatest seasons ever compiled by an amateur, Moore, a star at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, won the U.S. Amateur, Western Amateur, U.S. Public Links and NCAA titles in 2004. He turned pro this summer and is hoping to make enough money in limited appearances to avoid going to Qualifying School in the fall. So far, so good. He has earned $512,900 in eight events and finished second three weeks ago at the Canadian Open. Moore was offered an exemption into the Bay Hill Invitational in March, but he couldn't play. Also getting sponsor exemptions are Lake Nona's Trevor Immelman, Tampa's Ryuji Imada and one of Tiger Woods' best pals, Notah Begay. The tournament will be held Oct. 20-23. Immelman, a South African who is playing this week on the International team in the Presidents Cup, will begin playing full-time on the U.S. tour next year. He earned a two-year PGA Tour exemption by being named to the team as a captain's pick by countryman Gary Player. Begay, who has been hampered by a bad back, has played in only eight events and stands at No. 244 on the money list. Imada is No. 107 in earnings and attempting to remain above No. 125 in order to keep his card. A rookie, he finished third on the Nationwide Tour in earnings last year. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's
Soccer Showcase highlighted
When Soccer America magazine was gathering information to rank the top youth soccer tournaments in the country, a trend started to develop -- the same tournament kept appearing at the top of every category: Disney's Soccer Showcase. The youth tournament held annually in December at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando shut out the competition, earning the No.1 ranking in each of five categories for both boys and girls competition: best tournament competition, best tournament organization, best tournament facilities, best tournament showcase and best tournament destination. The rankings were determined by a survey Soccer America conducted of approximately 300 leading youth coaches from around the country. The results can be viewed in the August edition of the magazine. "The Soccer America rankings conducted by the coaches naming the Disney Soccer Showcase as the number one youth tournament in the country was welcomed news," said Patrick Dicks, soccer program manager with Disney Sports Attractions. "It reinforced our belief that a strong and dedicated team of professionals can achieve great things." Paul Kennedy, managing editor of Soccer America, said he was not surprised by the results of the survey. "You can pretty much look at the list of teams a tournament has and see its importance if you're familiar with the quality of the teams," Kennedy said. "In the case of the Disney's Soccer Showcase, one great advantage it has is timing. It falls in the Christmas to New Year's period when most clubs have their players available." Dicks said there are many other factors that contribute to the tournament's success as well. "A team of proven, dedicated sports professionals who have passion is the number one reason for its success," he said. "Our world-class facilities and dedication to offer the best playing surfaces is another winning factor. And the support we receive from the Walt Disney Company and its array of world-class theme parks, resorts and recreational facilities provides an exhilarating experience for our guests. When you take all of these things into consideration we really have a great winning formula." Even before the Soccer America rankings were released, the success of Disney's Soccer Showcase was evident in its growth. Starting in 2000 with just 71 teams, the tournament has grown in just five years to more than 400 teams. The tournament has become so popular that approximately 300 soccer teams had to be turned away last year. Similar numbers are expected this season. Disney's Soccer Showcase annually includes top boys and girls club teams in 14 age groups (Under-12 through Under-18), as well as an adidas Super Group, which features the U.S. Under-17 men's national team, US Youth Soccer's ODP Boys Regional Teams, and renowned international junior squads from as far as Europe and Asia. Teams that compete in Disney's Soccer Showcase must meet criteria based on national rankings, previous tournament records, state and regional cup results, and the quality of roster. Teams that do not meet these criteria have an opportunity to join the tournament by finishing as one of the top two teams in their age group in a September qualifier tournament. Registration for the 2005 Disney's Soccer Showcase presented by adidas is currently closed. More information on Disney's Soccer Showcase is available at www.disneysoccershowcase.com. For more information on events taking place at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex please visit www.disneyworldsports.com. |
||
|
|
||
|
Friday September 23, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
Walt Disney Co., seeking
to regain momentum for its movie division after a projected
quarterly loss, on Thursday touted its slate of upcoming
releases to theater owners and held out the prospect of
reviving a lucrative distribution deal with Pixar.
Disney also said it would hold the world premiere of its widely-anticipated "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" in December at London's Royal Albert Hall with Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla set to attend. For more than a year, Disney and Pixar Animation Studios Inc. have been in on-again, off-again discussions about renewing a long-running successful partnership that has released six films including "The Incredibles" and "Finding Nemo." Pixar has made the films, and Disney has distributed them in a partnership that has generated billions in movie ticket and DVD sales. But Pixar's Chief Executive Officer, Steve Jobs, and Disney's outgoing CEO, Michael Eisner, had clashed in years past, and Jobs had said he wanted a new distribution partner for Pixar. In recent months, as Eisner's September 30 departure from Disney neared, Pixar and Disney have resumed talks. In August, Jobs told financial analysts and reporters in a conference call that he was "cautiously optimistic" about a new deal and said he liked Eisner's successor, Bob Iger, "a lot." On Thursday, Disney studio chief Dick Cook was introducing the pair's final planned film, "Cars" which will hit theaters in June 2006, when he said the plane flying Pixar's creative executive John Lasseter to Los Angeles had been delayed. As a result, Cook jokingly stepped into both his role and Lasseter's during a planned question-and-answer session between the Disney and Pixar executives. "I think you guys have the best worldwide distribution," Cook said, standing in for Lasseter. "I've told Steve (Jobs) a thousand times, 'Why would we ever want to go anywhere else?"' Cook said for Lasseter. That drew a laugh from the crowd, which was filled with theater owners, entertainment industry executives and reporters. Lasseter eventually did show up, and the pair were good-natured together on stage. Cook joked that he had just talked with Jobs and added "We have come to an agreement. If 'Cars' grosses $300 million domestic (box office), He's going to get me an iPod at cost." Jobs is chief executive of both Pixar and Apple Computer Inc., maker of the iPod, the phenomenally successful digital music player. Earlier this month, Disney announced that its movie studio division would post a loss of up to $300 million in its fourth quarter, hurt by weak box office sales and higher expenses from a larger slate of releases from its Miramax unit. The company has credited the performance of its theme parks and cable networks, including ESPN, for keeping it on track to meet its forecast of double-digit earnings growth for the full fiscal year, excluding a write-off of $100 million in leases for bankrupt Delta Airlines. On Thursday, the studio showed clips of Christmas movie "Casanova," upcoming golf title, "The Greatest Game Ever Played," and November's computer-animated "Chicken Little." "Narnia," based on the book by author C.S. Lewis, will have its London premiere on December 7, and is scheduled to begin playing in U.S. theaters on December 9. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
to take $68M charge over Delta bankruptcy filing
Walt Disney Co. said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Friday that it expects to take an after-tax charge of $68 million as a result of Delta Air Lines Inc.'s bankruptcy filing. Disney holds an investment in aircraft leveraged leases with Delta with a book value of $101 million, the company said. No amount of the impairment represents a cash expenditure, Disney said. |
||
|
|
||
|
Walt Disney Co., whose film unit said it will lose money in the fourth quarter, raised $505 million from investors to reduce the risk of financing movies, the first time it has done so in almost a decade. The venture will provide 40 percent of production and distribution costs for about 32 films over the next four years, said Natacha Rafalski, vice president of corporate finance at Burbank, California-based Disney. The partnership will share 40 percent of the profits, including box office and video sales. The deal guarantees Disney distribution fees and 60 percent of the profits, Disney spokesman David Caouette said. Disney last week said its film unit will have a fourth-quarter loss of as much as $300 million. Robert Iger, who next month succeeds Michael Eisner as chief executive officer, in August said Disney will take a ``very hard look'' at film expenses. ``The cost of movies is so great that sharing a little risk is not such a bad idea,'' said Vic Hawley, a fund manager at Los Angeles-based Reed, Conner & Birdwell Inc., which owned 2.6 million Disney shares at the end of June. The Kingdom Films LLC partnership is Disney's first film- financing venture since 1996, when Mariner Film Partners raised $200 million. In 1990, the company, the No. 2 U.S. media company, raised $600 million through Touchwood Pacific Partners for movies such as the comedy ``Father of the Bride.'' Disney first started using partnerships to fund films in the 1980s under Eisner, who set up a series of Silver Screen partnerships to make films including ``Down and Out in Beverly Hills.'' Investors Kingdom Films, set up in June by Credit Suisse First Boston, raised $135 million in equity and $370 million in debt, Caouette said. Investors included hedge funds, insurance companies and mezzanine funds, Rafalski said. CSFB's DLJ Investment Partners II, a $1.6 billion investment fund, is the lead investor in Kingdom Films, CSFB spokeswoman Victoria Harmon said. She declined to say how much the fund put up or identify other partners. Rafalski and Caouette also declined to identify any of the investors. Kingdom Films attracted hedge funds, an industry whose assets under management more than doubled to $1 trillion since 2001. ``Several years ago, you would have found hedge funds require higher returns to invest'' in film financing, Rafalski said. ``With the heavy inflow of cash into these funds, we were able to structure something that met our needs as well as those of the hedge funds.'' Film Costs The average price tag for producing and marketing a major motion picture crossed the $100 million threshold for the first time in 2003 before dipping to $98 million last year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Box office returns have faltered this year, with sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters falling 7 percent to $6.23 billion through Sept. 18, according to box office tracker Nielsen EDI. ``What we're seeing should be a wake-up call to the entire industry in terms of expenses,'' Iger, 54, said in August. Executives at Disney's film unit, run by studio Chairman Dick Cook, declined to comment, Caouette said. Shares of Disney, which have declined 16 percent this year, fell 10 cents to $23.23 yesterday in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The Standard and Poor's 500 Index is little changed for the year. `Flightplan' Brian Grazer's ``Flightplan,'' which opens Sept. 23 and stars Jodie Foster, is the first film to be released using the partnership, Caouette said. Foster plays the mother of a young girl who disappears without a trace on a transatlantic flight. Kingdom Films will finance all of the live-action movies produced under the Walt Disney and Touchstone Pictures labels during the next three to four years, excluding animated films and some prequels and sequels, Rafalski said. The company will produce 15 movies this year and made 19 last year, Disney spokeswoman Heidi Trotta said. By financing films over a number of years, partnerships like Kingdom Films reduce the risk that investors will be hurt by one bad lineup, said Brian Mulligan, former co-chairman of Universal Pictures who now runs a media investment firm called Brooknol Advisors LLC. ``If you look at the history of the film business, a slate of films over a three- to four-year period is actually a pretty good bet,'' Mulligan said. ``There is a portfolio effect that comes into play with the major studios so that the winners more than offset the losers.'' |
||
|
|
||
|
Hong
Kong Disneyland Prefers No Union
The newly opened Hong Kong Disneyland said Friday it prefers that its 5,000 workers not unionize as activists described tough work conditions at the park such as long hours, harsh turnarounds and lack of breaks. Disneyland, which opened two weeks ago, said in a statement it respects the right of workers to seek union representation, but that it thinks it's more effective for labor and management to "work and communicate directly with each other." The statement came as activists detailed strenuous work conditions at the park and an organizer said it's exploring the option of setting up a union with park workers. Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions Organizing Secretary Elaine Hui said the park was unresponsive to workers and that they need the leverage of a union to protect themselves. "In the long run, if they want to discuss their treatment with the company, they need to rely on the power of a union to get the right to dialogue under equal circumstances," she said, noting Disneyland parks in the U.S. and France have unions. However, Hui said a stumbling block to unionizing is concern that the park may retaliate against workers who join the union. As the union dilemma is debated, activists said Disneyland workers complain they work up to 13 hours a day and must make quick turnarounds, with some leaving work late in the evening and due back early in the morning the next day. The long hours are aggravated by the long travel time to and from the park, which is located on Hong Kong's outlying Lantau island, the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and Disney Hunter, a Disneyland watchdog group, said in a statement issued Thursday. The activists urged Disneyland, which opened Sept. 12, to arrange bus services covering more areas. They also said the workers' 45-minute lunch break should be lengthened to an hour and that 15-minute breaks every four hours aren't enforced because of staff shortages. "Disney's goal is to pursue dreams and bring happiness to the masses, but its labor policy is entirely opposite to such a goal, disappointing its eager workers and the masses," the activists said in their statement. Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Esther Wong said Friday the park won't comment on the allegations in detail, but that some of them are inaccurate. Wong said labor-management relations are good and that staff retention has been strong. But she said the park, owned by The Walt Disney Co. of Burbank, Calif., will listen to worker feedback. "Our cast members are a very important component," she said, using Disney's terminology for its workers. |
||
|
|
||
|
A
body of work
One of the most distinctive office buildings in Orange County is getting some freshening up. The Team Disney Anaheim headquarters, which opened in 1996 on the back side of Disneyland, has not had a new exterior paint job until now. Why bright yellow? The building's architect, the world-famous Frank O. Gehry, explained during the dedication ceremony almost 10 years ago: "It's a color you use making a cartoon. I wanted to push the edge." |
||
|
|
||
|
HSBC
presents credit card campaign prizes
HSBC has presented a new car, a holiday for
four to Disneyland Paris and a 42 inch plasma screen
television to the three winners of its recent Quikcash and
Credit Card campaign lottery. The three winners were Mrs
Annabelle Debono, Ms Sarah Anne Darmanin and Ms Maria Lourdes
Mifsud respectively. |
||
|
|
||
|
Churches across America are being given a
sneak preview of a new Disney film about golf.
The movie, called The Greatest Game Ever Played, is based on sportsman Francis Ouimet's improbable win in the 1913 US Open golf championships. "Its themes are about family, about not giving up on your dreams, courage," said Dennis Rice, head of publicity at the Walt Disney Studios. Similar marketing techniques have been used recently by other movie studios. Faith-based support He said the film's themes were concerned with "secular virtues" but he said they also could "potentially be Christian virtues". Films - not necessarily with a religious theme - which have been marketed in this way have included the recent father-son story The Thing About My Folks and even the dark drama The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Twentieth Century Fox has launched a website to market family-friendly videos directly to Christian groups. The moves follow lessons learned since the release of Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ, which had unprecedented marketing and publicity throughout churches. Film-makers behind smaller movies say that support from faith-based communities encourages studios to make similar films. "If the powers that be see there is a bigger market out there, it will make it easier for the next time around," said Paul Reiser, who wrote and co-stars in the family comedy The Things About My Folks. To promote that movie, members of churches, synagogues and Jewish community centres were invited to more than 30 screenings in cities including Minneapolis, Cleveland and Chicago. Disney is also aiming for support from Christian audiences for its forthcoming big-budget The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, adapted from a CS Lewis novel. The studio has hired Motive Entertainment, the same group which marketed The Passion of The Christ to churches, to sell "Narnia" to Christian audiences. Dozens of churches nationwide will host sneak previews of parts of the film before its December opening |
||
|
|
||
|
Animated
look ahead at Dis slate
Walt Disney Studios chairman Richard Cook took on the role of stand-up comedian Thursday as he hosted the Walt Disney Studios Showcase, which offered previews of the studio's slate through 2008 and featured cameo appearances by Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and Elton John. The daylong event, held at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland, treated exhibitors, retailers, merchandisers and other business partners to footage from upcoming movies. As an example of the presentations' jocular tone, Cook introduced "Eight Below," an upcoming Antarctica adventure movie, by saying that it was not filmed in the chilliest place on Earth. Rather, he cracked, "the coldest place on Earth is my conference room when I was sitting next to Harvey Weinstein during the Miramax negotiations." |
||
|
|
||
|
Notch Novelty Corporation proudly announces
tremendous success in the introduction of their new Disney
Fuzz Fun product line at the ASD/AMD mega-show in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Over 50,000 retailers and distributors and 7600
exhibitors attend this semi-annual event. The show, operated
by a division of VNU Expo (), is recognized as the biggest
order-writing show in the country.
``The response was amazing! Our first container was sold by the end of the second day of the show,'' reports Brett Weiss, CEO of Notch Novelty Corporation. ``We kept selling the item to new distributors and retailers across the country until we had sold 3 times our initial production run. The factory is now operating at full-speed and beginning a new production to rush out of China by October 1. Any projections for this product line have been incredibly exceeded and we are looking forward to an extremely prosperous 2006!'' Disney Fuzzy Fun is a creative art product for kids developed in conjunction with National Design of San Diego. The item is one of the highest-value $1 retail items available today, with the great benefit of a Disney license. You can see the item on-line at http://www.notchcorporate.com or by visiting high-value retailers in your neighborhood starting October 1, 2005. |
||
|
|
||
|
Breakfast
Characters move
Disneyland Paris -
Walt's, located in Main Street U.S.A., is one of the most
beautiful locations to dine. It has also been a superb spot to
have one of those special character breakfasts one should not
miss when visiting Disneyland Resort Paris. |
||
|
|
||
|
The stage has been set for the World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year. On December 7, in the presence of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, this extraordinary event film will transform Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Garden in to Narnia's 100 year winter. Chosen as the prestigious 2005 Royal Film Performance, the premiere is a fundraising event in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund, it was announced today jointly by the Walt Disney Studios, Walden Media, the CTBF and Clarence House. The magic of Disney will transform the evening into a glittering Winter Wonderland reflective of C. S. Lewis' vision of Narnia's 100 Year Winter. Royal Albert Hall will be turned in to a spectacular film palace with a glamorous white carpet replacing the traditional premiere red carpet. The 100 Year Winter theme will continue at the exclusive party in Kensington Garden following the screening where guests from around the world will be transported into a magnificent land with giant trees, frosted and sparkling, and adorned with ice carvings. Towering over the guests will be a giant iced chandelier as the centerpiece to the party. And, no matter what the weather may be outside, it is a guarantee that snow will be falling inside as guests enjoy a feast including Turkish delights and skating on an ice rink created exclusively for their enjoyment. Unique to this event, a select group of seats will also be made available to the public for purchase. Grandstand seating will also be offered to the public so they may view up close and personal all the action and celebrity arrivals. Huge screens will broadcast the star-studded arrivals. Commenting on the announcement, Dick Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, said, "We are proud and thrilled that 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' has been selected as this year's Royal Film Performance, in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. It is truly a great honor to be chosen for this most prestigious event on the British film calendar, and we think this event is the perfect place to introduce the film to audiences around the world. It is particularly gratifying and appropriate that this event take place in C.S. Lewis' beloved homeland. The cherished and timeless classic that he created over 50 years ago is rooted in Britain, and remains one of the best loved books of all time. The big screen version of 'Narnia' is a fantastic and faithful adaptation of Lewis' stories and we know that audiences everywhere are going to be enthralled with this unique and entertaining motion picture experience." David Weil, CEO of Anschutz Film Group, parent company of Walden Media, said: "We feel privileged that 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' will make its world premiere as the 2005 Royal Film Performance in aid of The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. This film, and particularly the premiere at Royal Albert Hall, is the culmination of a long and fulfilling journey for Walden Media. From our first meetings with the C.S. Lewis Company over four years ago, to our hiring of director Andrew Adamson, to our partnership with our friends at The Walt Disney Company, we have worked tirelessly to produce a film worthy of one of the most popular and beloved books of all time. The enchantment of the magical world Andrew has created is truly a tribute to C.S. Lewis and his millions of fans in Great Britain and around the world. It is with tremendous pride that we share this film with moviegoers and literary fans everywhere." Commenting on the selection of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" as the 2005 Royal Film Performance Peter Hore, Chief Executive of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund says: "The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund, the cinema industry's unique trade charity, is delighted that Buena Vista International (UK) have offered the 'Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' for the 59th Royal Film Performance, a unique and very special occasion for the film industry and all concerned, in front of the cameras and behind the scenes." Based on C.S. Lewis' timeless adventure "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," the movie follows the exploits of the four Pevensie siblings -- Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Peter (William Moseley) -- in World War II England who enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of 'hide-and-seek' in the rural country home of an elderly professor (Jim Broadbent). Once there, the children discover an incredible new world inhabited by talking beasts, dwarves, fauns, centaurs and giants that has become cursed to eternal winter by the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton). Under the guidance of a noble and mystical ruler, the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), the children fight to overcome the White Witch's powerful hold over Narnia in a spectacular, climactic battle that will free Narnia from her icy spell forever. The film marks the first live-action directorial effort for New Zealander Andrew Adamson (the Oscar-winning "Shrek," "Shrek 2"), who also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with Emmy Award-winner Ann Peacock (HBO's "A Lesson Before Dying") and scribes Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (all writing credits not final). The film is produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Mark Johnson and Philip Steuer. To bring his dazzling vision to the screen, Adamson has secured the talents of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Donald M. McAlpine, ASC, ACS, Oscar-nominated production designer Roger Ford, seasoned costume designer Isis Mussenden, film editors Sim Evan-Jones and Jim May and composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," is released in the UK by Buena Vista International (UK) Ltd and opens in cinemas everywhere in December 2005. Directed by Andrew Adamson ("Shrek," "Shrek 2") and produced by Mark Johnson ("The Rookie," "Rain Man") and Philip Steuer, screenplay by Ann Peacock and Andrew Adamson and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (writing credits not final), the film stars Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Rupert Everett and Jim Broadbent with Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Liam Neeson, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell, with Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan. |
||
|
|
||
|
Verizon
to Police Web Customers to Protect Disney from Piracy
Stepping up the battle against entertainment piracy, Verizon Communications Inc. and Walt Disney Co. have entered a long-term programming deal that calls for the phone company to send a warning to Internet users suspected of pirating Disney’s content on its broadband services. Under the deal, one of the first of its kind in the television industry, Disney will contact Verizon when the company suspects a Verizon customer of illegally downloading content. Without divulging names or addresses to Disney, Verizon will then alert the customer that he or she might be violating the law. Disney will be able to identify suspicious customers through an Internet coding system. The provision was announced as part of a content deal that will provide Verizon with Disney and ESPN programming and broadband services. New York-based Verizon, one of several telephone carriers launching video services to compete against cable companies, also secured 12 Disney channels, including ESPN, ABC News Now and the Disney Channel for its new television service, Fios TV, which will start rolling out today in Texas. In a related development, News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch told a Goldman Sachs investment conference yesterday that News Corp. is “99% there” in completing a content deal with Verizon. He didn’t elaborate, but that deal would likely include such networks as FX and Fox News. Verizon’s deal with Disney comes as content providers are looking at more ways to deliver movies and music over the Internet while protecting copyrighted material. Verizon in the past has successfully battled the music industry in court over the issue, refusing to turn over the names and addresses of customers. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act compels Internet providers to divulge customer information regarding pirating upon subpoena. Verizon insists its deal with Disney doesn’t compromise any of its past court efforts. Company officials say they want to comply with the law but also must protect subscribers’ privacy. “We understand that Disney has issues of copyright but for Verizon the critical issue is privacy for our customers. We’re as committed to that as we ever were,” said Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe. Mr. Rabe said the company could shut off service to customers who have been repeatedly warned that they are infringing on Disney copyrights. In a presentation to the Goldman Sachs conference yesterday, Disney’s CEO-elect Robert Iger described the antipiracy provisions of the deal as “breakthrough” and said “the rest of the industry should pay heed and hopefully follow.” |
||
|
|
||
|
New
Studio Entertainment
Disneyland Paris - If a garbage bin could
talk even the trash would not be save from gossip anymore. It
looks like it’s happening at the Studios right now. Throw
the garbage away, but be prepared that some words might be
thrown back at you. No use to run away from it as the trashcan
can also walk and could start following you around wherever
you hide. The Trashcan is operated by one man who is middling
in the audience that gathers around it. A remote control, well
hidden in a bag of the man, makes it move while he uses a
device hidden in his hands to make it talk and interact with
the guest. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
Online's Toontown Grand Prix
WHAT: Young
Hollywood celebrities will put the pedal to the metal Disney's Toontown Online is the first massively multiplayer (MMP) game for kids and families, that allows thousands of participants to play together online, communicate in a safe environment and undertake challenging quests. In Toontown, players create their own character and join together with other players to help save Toontown from the humorless Cogs, a band of bungling business robots attempting to turn the Toons' colorful world into a bleak metropolis. Because the Cogs can't take a joke, Toons can diminish the Cogs' power by choosing from fun gags and jokes to play on them, such as smashing a pie in their face, or squirting them with seltzer water. Since launching in 2003, Toontown has attracted gamers of all ages and levels and has received critical acclaim in the media. Gannet News Service touted that "Kid-testers of all ages consistently gave this game an enthusiastic thumbs up." Toontown also has been recognized with numerous industry awards including: the 2004 Game Industry News Family Game of the Year; 2003 MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) Game of the Year by Computer Gaming World; and, it was named on of the Top 10 Games of the Year 2003 by the New York Times. Toontown is available for download at www.toontown.com for $9.95 per month, and, for consumers who prefer to try before they buy, there is a 3-day free trial period available on the site. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
fantasy island
It was a hot day but the crowd that had turned up for the grand opening of the Hong Kong Disneyland on September 12 didn't complain. People lined up in long queues eagerly expecting to see the performances and animated shows at the newly-opened amusement park. The park has three distinctive theme areas: Adventureland, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. The 3-D "Mickey's PhilharMagic" show, the "Golden Mickeys" _ a Broadway-style performance _ and the "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" at Fantasyland drew long lines of visitors, as did the "Festival of the Lion King" at Adventureland and the "Space Mountain" at Tomorrowland. "They want to be among the first to see the new attraction," said our guide of the expectant crowd. You have to plan your schedule to the minute if you want see and experience everything that's on offer at the park. "I was here during the rehearsals with my children and it took me the whole day just to see three shows," said a park staffer. Some 5.6 million visitors are expected at the theme park in the first year, a majority _ 80% _ from mainland China. Henry Tang, the finance secretary of Hong Kong, said the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland "would be a driving force for tourism growth in Hong Kong, family tourism in particular." The world-class theme park and resort, located on Lantau Island, is Disney's first theme park in China that offers magical experiences for the family ranging from Broadway-style shows and signature Disney attractions to vibrant fireworks and parades. "Now everyone is talking about going to Hong Kong Disneyland. Our package to Disneyland has received favourable feedback from Thai travellers," said Yongyut Lujintanon, sales and marketing manager for Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) of Cathay Pacific Airways. In the run up to the opening on September 12 the airline had sold over 400 travel packages to Disneyland. It's offering a two days/one night package from Bangkok to the theme park priced at 17,300 baht which includes roundtrip air ticket, accommodation at Disneyland Hotel or Hollywood Hotel and a day pass to the theme park. The newest Disneyland is also the smallest property of its kind in the world, but it would still take visitors more than a day to admire and experience all its attractions. So overnight stay is recommended. The Disneyland Hotel comprising 400 rooms is set in grand Victorian style and sits on the shores of the South China Sea. Patterned after the Grand Floridian Beach Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida, the hotel features two restaurants, several specialty shops, a lounge and tea area, a spa, 15 suites, meeting and convention facilities (including a grand ballroom), a wedding gazebo and lushly landscaped grounds. The Hollywood Hotel, on the other hand, is designed with an art deco exterior and features motifs of Disney's world-famous mouse. It is a tribute to the heyday of the movie-making capital of the world. One can see Mickey Mouse stalking you everywhere _ in the lobby, corridor, bathroom and even the bedroom. All amenities are in the shape and design of Mickey Mouse that can amaze and bore you at the same time. Visitors to the park must take the time to Disney's three theme parks. Adventureland's highlight is the the 2,200-seat Theatre-in-the-Wild, which is one of the most technically advanced theatrical venues in any Disney park around the world. It is here that guests can take in the Disney musical spectacular _ the Festivals of the Lion King. Also, take the opportunity to join a boat exploration for an exotic journey along the waterways aboard the Jungle River Cruise. The boat skipper will guide guests on the journey past river rafts, elephants frolicking in water, quaking temple ruins, invading gorillas, erupting geysers and some very mischievous hippos. For guests seeking a hint of the future, Tomorrowland offers a world filled with science fiction and soaring space adventures. Taking a whole new approach Walt Disney imagineers have created an entire land that becomes an intergalactic spaceport _ and every restaurant, shop and attraction is filled with robots, rocket ships and drifting planets. Guests are treated to the warp-speed adventure of "Space Mountain"; fly their own flying saucer at "Orbitron" and blast off with "Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters". And at Fantasyland, you must make it a point to see as many shows as you can. Just bear in mind, the queue can be long. After you have finished tour of the theme park, you might have to remind yourself that you are in Hong Kong. The Disneyland is definitely a departure from traditional trips to Hong Kong that revolve around shopping, sightseeing and dining. Thai visitors now have a better reason to be in Hong Kong _ the Disneyland. |
||
|
|
||
|
2nd
time's lucky for O'Hurley on ABC's dance-off
ABC's surprise footloose hit inspired by ballroom competition returned for an encore this week, and this time around, last summer's runners-up John O'Hurley and Charlotte Jorgensen came out the winners. "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off" was a rematch, substituting viewer vote tallies for the whims and wisdom of a panel of three judges. In July, "General Hospital" actress Kelly Monaco and professional dancer Alec Mazo won out, relegating O'Hurley, an alumnus of "Seinfeld," and his professional dancing partner to second place. But a lot of viewers cried foul, and ABC, eager to give the feverish competition and ratings winner one more outing, reprised the contest Tuesday and then let viewers decide, with all proceeds headed for charity. "Don't phone, don't moan," was a Tuesday-night mantra, warning viewers to put up or shut up. So vote they did, "in the millions," we were told, though the decision revealed Thursday came down to a difference of less than 1 percent. Disgruntled viewers who felt their team unfairly lost the first time can take comfort, while Monaco proved stoic, if somewhat pouty, in defeat. Plans call for another round of "Dancing with the Stars" in January. |
||
|
|
||
|
Thursday September 22, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney officials rejected a request for tougher
thrill-ride height restrictions proposed by the parents of a
4-year-old Pennsylvania boy who died after passing out on
Epcot's "Mission: Space" ride, according to the
family's attorney.
Moses and Agnes Bamuwamye, of Sellersville,
Pa., proposed raising the bar from 44 to 51 inches in a letter
their attorney sent to Disney officials last month.
Disney rejected the restrictions because the
boy's death has not been conclusively linked to the ride,
according to correspondence the Bamuwamyes' attorney provided
to the Orlando Sentinel.
"Simply to make a change on no informed basis would be false solace to those affected and of no benefit to anyone else," wrote Margaret C. Giacalone, a member of Disney's legal staff. "Further, the minimum height requirement was carefully considered, analyzed and established on the basis of a variety of factors." Daudi Bamuwamye was 2 inches taller than the simulated spaceship ride's 44-inch height requirement. The cause of the boy's June 13 death remains under investigation. "We know of no reason to conclude or infer any connection between the Mission: Space ride and the incident," Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty said Wednesday. The Mission: Space ride is so intense that it has motion sickness bags and several riders have been treated for chest pain. Robert A. Samartin, the Bamuwamyes' Tampa attorney, told the newspaper Wednesday that the theme park should not permit young children on rides that cause some adults to pass out or vomit without proving their safety. he thrust of it is, this is really not appropriate for 4- and 5-year-old kids. This is not the Tea Cups or Dumbo ride," he said, referring to rides in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Two adults in poor health and a 12-year-old Virginia girl have died this year at Walt Disney World, out of the millions who visit the park each year. A 16-year-old British girl who suffered cardiac arrest July 12 after riding the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at the park was still in critical condition when she was flown home by air ambulance last month. |
||
|
|
||
|
Honda
to Give Away a Civic-A-Day at the Disneyland Resort Starting October 1, Honda will present a month-long 2006 Civic-A-Day giveaway at the Disneyland Resort as part of the re-launch of "Space Mountain," American Honda Motor Co. and Disneyland Resort jointly announced today. Honda's "The Coolest Ride in the Galaxy" sweepstakes is the latest addition to the 18-month celebration of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary that continues through 2006. Each day, one lucky guest at Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure will win a new 2006 Civic. Park guests will receive a scratch-off card upon entry, with finalists participating in a daily ceremony to award the car at a replica of "Space Mountain" in the Disneyland Resort Esplanade. |
||
|
|
||
|
As Disneyland marks five decades of fun with
all-new shows, adventures and attractions, Honda debuts its
all-new eighth-generation 2006 Civic. The new Civic represents
an extreme transformation of technology, design and dynamics,
and delivers clean and efficient performance with
class-leading standard safety equipment.
"We believe this month-long giveaway will create added excitement for our guests as Disneyland's 50th Anniversary shifts into high gear," said Matt Ouimet, president of the Disneyland Resort. "We're excited about this opportunity to spotlight the 2006 Civic, which offers enhanced safety, performance and refinement beyond anything we've ever offered in this segment," said John Mendel, senior vice president, Auto Operations, American Honda. The Civic, available in two distinctive body styles and highlighted by an environmentally friendly Civic Hybrid and a high performance Civic Si model, symbolizes the new generation compact vehicle that is stylish, fun-to-drive and practical. |
||
|
|
||
|
A
Musical History Of Disneyland" Box Set Released Nationally!
Now available nationally from Walt Disney
Records is "A Musical History of Disneyland 50th Annivesary
CD Box Set". This nationally release is identical to the
original except the limited edition gold vinyl has been replaced
with black vinyl. |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
WiMax
Wireless May Directly Usher Disney Into The Living Room
Walt Disney Co. has cast its eyes on WiMax, an emerging wireless broadband technology, as a way to deliver movies, interactive gaming and other services to homes. The Magic Kingdom's interest in WiMax comes on the heels of Disney pulling the plug on another wireless project, called MovieBeam. That project would have beamed movies on demand to homes via unused TV broadcast spectrum, but consumers would've had to buy an extra set-top box. Disney needs to find a way to reach more consumers directly to compete against rivals in the fast-evolving media world, and WiMax could be its opening. WiMax is a long-range version of Wi-Fi, a wireless technology that lets laptop computer users connect to the Internet. Wi-Fi's available at some public locations, including many airports and Starbucks stores. WiMax, meanwhile, is being tested inside and outside the U.S., though there have been no commercial rollouts. With WiMax systems, service providers expect to provide coverage that spans miles. With Wi-Fi, users must be located within 300 feet of Wi-Fi network-connection gear. Disney has been testing a WiMax network near its Burbank, Calif., headquarters. Disney has also been active in setting WiMax standards. Those standards are needed so different equipment makers can build WiMax gear that works together. It's also possible that Disney will try a MovieBeam-like trial involving WiMax technology. "That's to be determined. We're clearly interested in what WiMax can and can't do," said a Disney technology executive who spoke on condition of anonymity. Unlike media rivals, Disney lacks a direct link to homes via cable, phone or satellite networks. Time Warner owns a cable company. News Corp. owns DirecTV. Disney has a keen interest in wireless technology. This year, it revealed long-expected plans to offer wireless phone services. It will use Sprint Nextel's network. If Disney gets serious about WiMax, some observers speculate that it wouldn't build a WiMax network of its own, but instead would rent Sprint's WiMax network. "It's far too early to be contemplating those kinds of partnerships," said Barry West, Sprint Nextel's chief technology officer. Sprint Not Talking Sprint Nextel doesn't plan to build a nationwide WiMax network until late 2007, he says. And, he says, the carrier hasn't decided whether to rent out its WiMax network the same way it leases capacity on its wireless voice network. Disney executives couldn't be reached for comment. Disney has resisted making a major acquisition that would give it direct links to homes. In recent years, analysts have said Disney should buy satellite firm EchoStar or a cable TV operator such as Charter Communications. Some analysts believe the planned split up of media firm Viacom into two companies could spur another round of mergers. If Viacom, a Disney rival, merges with a cable TV firm such as Comcast, that could pressure Disney into making a similar move, observers say. What's clear is that Disney is exploring many technologies, aside from mergers, that could give it access to homes. In August, Disney took part in a meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, where gear makers showed how video could be streamed over WiMax networks. Some studies claim that WiMax systems lack the bandwidth to provide video. Disney, though, believes WiMax is video capable. WiMax was developed as a faster data technology than its smaller brother, Wi-Fi. Firms have been working on standards that would let WiMax networks also carry phone calls via voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP. Not Another MovieBeam Besides movies, Disney's interest in WiMax includes using it to deliver to consumers multiplayer gaming, Web browsing and downloads of other content. Disney could repeat its mistake with MovieBeam if it plows ahead with WiMax trials, says Josh Bernoff, an analyst at Forrester Research. In April, Disney closed its MovieBeam trial in three cities. Bernoff says MovieBeam's main flaw was it required consumers to install a second set-top box in homes. Cable TV or satellite broadcasters normally provide one set-top box. "It doesn't matter if it's WiMax or digital TV spectrum," said Bernoff. "One of the big problems with MovieBeam was the idea that people would get a second set-top box." He says Disney might be better off providing movies on demand through cable TV or satellite partners. Disney, though, might not want to share revenue with such distribution partners. The company seems bent on developing its own delivery system. Other media firms might have the edge on Disney in this regard. News Corp. bought satellite firm DirecTV in 2003. News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch has said home-based digital recording devices could bring new releases straight to homes as well as theaters. Disney rival Sony (NYSE:SNE - News) has its popular PlayStation game console entrenched in many homes already. Sony could add more capabilities to PlayStation. Disney is still searching to come up with a similar hit device with consumers, even as it seeks direct links to homes, Bernoff says. "Disney may be sitting there feeling vulnerable," Bernoff said, "They'd rather not be stuck riding on somebody else's platform." Video on demand seems Disney's main focus. In late August, Disney's international arm announced a deal with Switzerland's Kudelski Group. The two companies plan to build and market set-top TV boxes with built-in DVRs. Kudelski's expertise is anti-piracy technology. Disney will target Europe and, at least now, won't market the boxes in the U.S. and Japan. The devices will deliver content via the Internet and cable and satellite networks. |
||
|
|
||
|
California
Screamin' Testing Underway The Disneyland Resort has begun testing of California Screamin' that has been closed since July 29, 2005 after one train collided with another. |
||
|
|
||
|
Orlando
airport limits where Disney workers can greet tourists
Walt Disney World workers can no longer greet tourists on the arrival floor of the Orlando International Airport, a decision officials made after limo and taxi drivers complained it gave the theme park resort an unfair advantage. The workers, part of Disney's Magical Express program, which whisks visitors directly to the resort without having to wait for luggage, had been allowed to station themselves outside security checkpoints on the airport's third-floor. Taxi and limo drivers, who weren't allowed on the third-floor and had to wait by luggage carousels one story below, had claimed Disney's advantage had cut into their business. "We don't let anybody else have greeters there," airport board Chairman Jeffry Fuqua said. "Everybody needs to have a fair opportunity and equal playing field." The change was announced Wednesday after the airport's attorney sent a letter to Disney's attorney informing him that the greeters need to be removed by Oct. 31. The letter also clarified that Disney World guests who had not prearranged a ride on Magical Express would not be able to access the service once they arrived at the airport. The taxi and limo drivers claimed that Disney workers were picking up travelers who didn't have an advanced booking in violation of Disney's contract with the airport. Disney spokesman Jacob DiPietre said the resort plans to discuss the changes with airport officials, but he would not comment on when the greeters would be moved or what effect that might have on the service. "We evaluate and adjust our operations on an ongoing basis," DiPietre said. Earlier this month an attorney for the Greater Orlando Livery Association, a group of about 200 bus, van and luxury-car drivers, sent a letter to OIA Executive Director Bill Jennings demanding that the airport terminate Disney's contract for the program. Jennings has not responded to the letter, and Disney officials have said the company never violated any terms of its agreement with the airport. Airport officials said they want to schedule a series of meetings with Disney over the next 60 days to lay out a framework for how Magical Express and any similar services that might be offered by other companies in the future will operate. |
||
|
|
||
|
Michael
D. Eisner To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael D. Eisner, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, will be honored at the 5th Annual Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), January 23-25, 2006, at The Westin Century Plaza Hotel & Spa in Los Angeles, Calif. Eisner will receive the prestigious ALIS Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of The Walt Disney Company's accomplishments in the lodging and tourism industries, and Mr. Eisner's commitment, leadership, and service to his many philanthropic interests. A major contributor to the entertainment and lodging industries, Eisner assumed his current position in 1984 and immediately implemented a number of successful growth strategies. In 1984, Disney had only four hotels with 2,500 guest rooms, and now has 36 hotels, including Disney Vacation Clubs, with more than 35,000 guest rooms. Under Eisner's leadership, Disney opened Disneyland Paris; expanded the Walt Disney theme parks; acquired Capital Cities/ABC, which included the ABC television network and equity ownership in ESPN, The History Channel, Lifetime, A&E, and E!; developed such leading Internet sites as Disney.com, ESPN.com, ABCNews.com, ABC.com, and FamilyFun.com; acquired Miramax Pictures; created Walt Disney Theatrical, which produced Beauty & the Beast, Aida, and The Lion King; and developed the Disney Cruise Line. This month, Disney opened its 11th theme park in Hong Kong. In addition to his duties at The Walt Disney Company, Eisner serves on the boards of the California Institute of the Arts, Denison University, American Hospital of Paris Foundation, the Yale School of Architecture Dean's Council, Aspen Institute, and the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, and is a member of The Business Council. In 1996, he and his wife Jane established and funded The Eisner Foundation, a philanthropic organization that helps improve and enrich the lives of underserved children. The Eisner Foundation gives approximately $7 million per year to non-profit organizations in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas of Southern California. 'Michael has developed an incredible company that has made a huge difference to travel and tourism throughout the world, said Jim Burba, ALIS Conference Chair. 'Under his leadership, Disney not only has developed a large and significant hotel company, but in the development of its world-renowned theme parks, it also has stimulated new tourism demand around the world and created countless opportunities for others in the travel and tourism industry. He is an incredible business leader and truly deserving of this prestigious award from our industry.' Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half day event is designed to address the unique needs of the hospitality investment community and provide a meeting and networking place for hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional financial advisors. ALIS features an extensive array of seminars hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. Proceeds from ALIS will benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation, AH&LA's not-for-profit affiliate. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
to face holiday crush
Hong Kong Disneyland would be unable to cope with the influx of visitors from the mainland during the golden week holidays following the National Day, the tourism industry predicted Tuesday. Michael Wu Sui-ieng, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents, said it was estimated that half of the 650,000 mainland visitors coming to Hong Kong between September 30 and October 10 would visit the theme park. This means almost 330,000 mainlanders would visit the park in 11 days, stretching Disney's capability of 30,000 people a day. Wu said travel agents would give tour groups priority when arranging tickets, but there would be little they could do for individual visitors if there were not enough tickets. They urged Disney to consider allocating more thickets to tourists during "golden week" as Hong Kongers could visit the theme park at other times. Meanwhile, overseas travel agents and inbound tour operators left out of pocket over unused Disneyland tickets from cancellations or no-shows are calling on the theme park to implement a more flexible ticketing system. A spokesman for the theme park said that to secure tickets, wholesalers had provided documentation about the number of people in tour groups visiting the park at least 10 days before admission. During the next eight days, the wholesaler can add tickets to their reservation but cannot reduce the number as "we assume that these tickets have already been sold," the spokesman said. |
||
|
|
||
|
Taubman
Shopping Centers offer Characters and Scenes from 'The
Chronicles of Narnia for the Holidays
Taubman Centers Inc., (NYSE: TCO) announced today plans for an innovative promotion surrounding the highly-anticipated theatrical release of Walt Disney Pictures'/Walden Media's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" this holiday season. For the first time ever, Taubman shopping centers will bring to life the spectacular classic fantasy adventure through a groundbreaking, interactive experience in 11 Taubman malls across the country. Beginning November 15, families who visit select Taubman shopping centers will have the opportunity to enter an environment showcasing elements of the world created by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media in the film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," leading up to the December 9th release. Decor will adorn the mall and the unique experience will bring to life key moments from the film through larger than life snow globes. The spectacular holiday set will include a walk-through magic wardrobe that simulates snowfall in Narnia; life-like figures that help tell the story from the film; and a green screen digital photography opportunity. Children will also have the opportunity to have their picture taken with Santa Claus and receive a special Narnia themed photo snow globe gift from Kodak. "We are so excited to be working with Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media to bring this classic story to life for families across the country this holiday season," said David Goldberg, Taubman vice president sponsorship and marketing. "This experience will be different than any other and will create holiday memories that will last a lifetime." The experience was designed and produced by the Becker Group. "We are thrilled to be working with the Taubman Centers and Buena Vista Pictures Marketing to create an immersive experience that both transforms the centers into a magical holiday destination and brings the film to life in such a unique way," stated Glenn Tilley, President of the Becker Group. Oren Aviv, President of Buena Vista Pictures Marketing, added, "'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' is shaping up to be the family film event of the holiday season, and the mall displays at Taubman shopping centers in 11 cities are the perfect way to share the fun, fantasy and excitement with moviegoers and mallgoers across the country. This unprecedented and colorful mall experience captures the spirit and imagination of the C. S. Lewis books as well as our ambitious big screen adaptation, and it's also a great way for millions of visitors to get into the joy of the season. Disney is thrilled to be working with Walden Media, director Andrew Adamson, and Academy Award winning producer Mark Johnson in bringing the rich characters and storytelling legacy of 'Narnia' to theaters this December, and we know that mallgoers will enjoy this very special event." Admission is free to The Narnia holiday experience. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
College Program Recruiters To Visit UTC
For 25 years, college students from across the United States and Puerto Rico have done an internship with Disney College Program. Now area college students will have the chance to speak with a Disney College Program recruiter on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 3:30 p.m. or Thursday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. to create their own career-building opportunity. Both presentations will be held in the Raccoon Mountain Room in the University Center. While on the Disney College Program, students embark into a learning laboratory that includes opportunities to network and learn from Disney leaders, gain real-world experience working in the Theme Parks and Resorts, and create lasting friendships with college students from around the nation and the world. They also have the opportunity to enhance their education by participating in one of seven completely redesigned courses offered as part of the Disney College Program. These courses include: Disney College Program Practicum Disney Communications Course Disney Hospitality Management Course Disney Experiential Learning for the 21st Century Disney Human Resource Management Course Disney Organizational Leadership Course Marketing You: Personal and Career Development Strategies The American Council on Education has recommended the seven courses for credit. Students should meet with their academic advisors for details about receiving credit. Students on the Disney College Program gain real-world experience through a variety of jobs in attractions, culinary, custodial, food and beverage, hospitality, housekeeping, life guarding, merchandise, park greeter, quick service restaurants, recreation and transportation. In addition to their roles, students have the opportunity to network with leaders throughout the Walt Disney World Co. by participating in on-property and Disney College Program networking events. Students on the Disney College Program are housed in furnished 1-4 bedroom apartments near Disney property. The rate of housing, which includes all utilities and transportation to and from work, is deducted from the students' weekly paycheck. Interested students must attend a presentation hosted by a Disney College Program Recruiter to interview for the program. The Disney College Program is open to all undergraduate students in any major who have completed at least one semester of school. For more information visit www.disneycollegeprogram.com and click on Walt Disney World Resort or call 1-800-722-2930. Disney is equal opportunity employer drawing creativity from diversity. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
security supervisor resigns
A Security supervisor at Hong Kong Disneyland who demanded two hygiene officers investigating a food poisoning report remove their badges has quit, according to a South China Morning Post report. The supervisor was asked to resign or face dismissal for the incident, the report said. The supervisor was previously a chief inspector with the Hong Kong Police Force, who left the force when his contract expired last year. He was among a group of local retired police officers recruited by the theme park. The two health officers were investigating a food poisoning report Aug.30 when the supervisor asked them to remove their caps and badges before entering the park. They agreed in the hope of quickly collecting food samples. A Disney spokeswoman Tuesday refused to comment on the supervisor's status, only repeating that the incident was inappropriate and the company has apologized. |
||
|
|
||
|
'Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire' Announces Upcoming Celebrity Edition
of the Game Show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," hosted by Emmy Award-winning host Meredith Vieira, is adding a week-long installment of "Celebrity Millionaire" to their November sweeps programming slate. The specialty shows will feature famous faces in the "Millionaire" hot seat, playing for the charity of their choice. The shows are scheduled to air November 7 - 11, 2005. "We are thrilled to be doing celebrity editions again on 'Millionaire,'" said executive producer Michael Davies. "We had tremendous success with celebrity shows on primetime 'Millionaire' and we felt it was time to let that success translate into syndication." Nearly $14,000,000 has been given away to charity on past celebrity editions of "Millionaire." Rosie O'Donnell, Drew Carey and Norm MacDonald are the only three celebrities who have reached the $1 million question. They each raised $500,000 for their charities. Additionally, "Millionaire" will launch the "Million Dollar Buddy Contest" on Tuesday, September, 27. Those people who add "MillionaireIM" to their AOL or AIM Buddy List Feature, and participate in "Millionaire's" interactive "Ask The Audience" lifeline could win a trip to the "Millionaire" hot seat. Buena Vista Television and America Online, Inc. partnered on a groundbreaking initiative last year that allows AOL members and AIM users to participate in "Millionaire" tapings. When a contestant selects the "Ask The Audience" lifeline during the taping of a show, he or she can see the response of the studio audience as well as those participating via IM. Last season, more than 440,000 people added the "MillionaireIM" screen name to their AOL or AIM Buddy List feature. Beginning Tuesday, September 27, "Millionaire" will track participants' correct responses sent to "MillionaireIM." The screen name that submits the most correct answers during the contest period, from September 27 - December 8, 2005, will win a trip for two to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, where he or she will tape an episode(s) of the television show at the "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire -- Play It!" attraction at Disney's MGM Studios. "This is the first time that 'Millionaire' has provided a way for people to WIN a trip to the hot seat and by-pass the traditional contestant audition process," said Davies. "For anyone who has auditioned in the past and not been chosen, or for those who are not physically able to travel to NYC to audition, this contest provides an amazing opportunity to win a trip to the hot seat and potentially, $1 million." Each contest participant must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. resident and must meet all eligibility requirements. To qualify, the winner must be signed on to AOL or AIM between the hours of 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (EST) on Friday, December 9, 2005 to receive a qualifying "IM" from "Millionaire." Go to www.millionairetv.com for complete official contest and "Millionaire" rules. |
||
|
|
||
|
Magic
of Disneyland
When I was in Hong Kong last week, I saw
Mickey everywhere. The carpet, shower curtain, bedspread,
windows, food… everywhere. In fact, it was Mickey’s voice
who woke me up every morning. |
||
|
|
||
|
Beth
Stevens Begins Term as AZA President On September 18th Beth Stevens, Disney's Animal Kingdom and Animal Programs Vice President, began her term as President of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. |
||
|
|
||
|
Zenith
Series Sold to Disney Channel Italy Cake Entertainment has sold Zenith Entertainment's animated series King Arthur's Disasters to Disney Channel Italy for broadcast this coming winter. The 13x30 series, voiced by comedians Rik
Mayall and Matt Lucas, was originally screened on CiTV in the
U.K. Zenith also recently secured a deal for the series with
Cartoon Network in France, Benelux and Russia. "We are absolutely delighted to add Italy
to the growing list of territories who have picked up King
Arthur's Disasters," said Julian Scott, head of children's
drama and animation at Zenith. "We are convinced that the
quick and irreverent humor can translate to children in any
territory, and for it to be airing on the Disney Channel, with
their terrific animation heritage, is fantastic." King Arthur's Disasters is a co-production
with Neptuno Films and is based on an original idea by Paul
Parkes and Will Ashurst. Zenith retains the distribution rights,
excluding Spanish/Brazilian speaking territories, which are
retained by Neptuno Films. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's
Gnomeo and Juliette
New details were revealed about a number of Disney studio's forthcoming flicks, including Gnomeo and Juliette (previously known as Gnome Story), a Romeo and Juliet-ish romance with – you guessed it – gnomes as the central characters.
We're still not sure if Gnomeo will have a
similarly tragic ending (that seems doubtful), but the film
closely parallels Shakespeare's classic romance, with two star
crossed lovers from two feuding families.
Rocket Pictures, the film company run by Elton John and Canadian filmmaker David Furnish, is producing the project. John performed a song for attendees of today's event, and it was announced that songs from the legendary music star's library will be featured in the forthcoming film ("Tiny Dancer," anyone?). Gnomeo and Juliette is tentatively set for a 2008 release. |
||
|
|
||
|
Walt
Disney Tresures Wave 5 Coming This Winter
Walt Disney Home Entertainment’s acclaimed WALT DISNEY TREASURES series continues with WAVE 5, four new, separate limited-series DVD sets that include more of Walt’s greatest wonders. Available in time for the holidays on December 6, these rare marvels from the vault of The Walt Disney Studios are each hosted by noted film historian Leonard Maltin and presented in pristine color and sound. Each of the amazing 4 volumes are 2 disc sets, packaged in a collectible tin, and full of supplemental features such as rare archival material, still-frame production art galleries, and more. The four new (2 disc) volumes are:
Each of these four new DVD volumes is priced to own at $32.99 (S.R.P.), (limited quantities) on Disney DVD from Walt Disney Home Entertainment on December 6, 2005. THE CHRONOLOGICAL DONALD, VOLUME TWO,
1942-1946 THE ADVENTURES OF SPIN AND MARTY, THE
MICKEY MOUSE CLUB Bonus features include the complete episode of the Mickey Mouse Club that first introduced the series, Tim Considine’s original screen test; “Return To The Triple R” where Tim Considine and David Stollery give an exclusive interview and tour the location that was the original “Triple R Ranch” filming site; “Back In The Saddle With Harry Carey Jr.” where the actor reminisces with Leonard Maltin; and a gallery of still frame images from the “Spin and Marty” series. DISNEY RARITIES, CELEBRATED SHORTS
1920s-1960s Fans will enjoy the unique animation of “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom,” which won an Academy Award (Best Short Subject (Cartoon) 1953) and was the first cartoon produced in Cinemascope. This short film established a completely new animation style for the Studio. DISNEY RARITIES, CELEBRATED SHORTS 1920s-1960s showcases a large collection of Walt’s outstanding animated shorts that fans may not be aware of. Bonus features include: “Alice’s Cartoon World” in which Leonard Maltin discusses Disney’s historic “Alice” shorts with Virginia Davis who played the original Alice when she was 4-years old; “From Kansas City to Hollywood” – a timeline of Walt’s silent era; “A Feather In His Collar” a rarely seen short supporting the Community Chest; audio commentary for “A Symposium On Popular Songs” by composer Richard Sherman, and still frame galleries. ELFEGO BACA and THE SWAMP FOX,
LEGENDARY HEROES |
||
|
|
||
|
Something
for the Kids: Disney World
To visit the biggest, brashest theme park on the planet. Have all six senses assaulted by the first-rate rides and attractions at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. Get close enough to a giraffe at Animal Kingdom to see its eyelashes, have breakfast with Mickey Mouse, and get brownie points by the bucket load from your children. When should I go? Early August to mid-December are best for cheaper accommodation. Avoid July and August when Orlando gets hot and humid, with frequent downpours. What should I do when I'm there? Where should I stay? Staying at one of the Disney resorts guarantees you a Disney Unlimited Magic pass, and every day Disney opens the gates one-and-a-half hours early at one of its parks for guests staying at Disney-owned properties so you can beat the crowds. Can I escape the Cartoon madness? What's the heart of Disney world? WHat about the MGM Studios? What is Epcot? It gets across its educational and environmental message with the help of attractions such as Wonders Of Life, which explores a human body, and the magnificent Honey I Shrunk The Audience, a 3-D adventure with special effects and moving seats. |
||
|
|
||
|
Curtain
up on Aussie Playhouse Disney
Foxtel Digital and Walt Disney Television have
launched the Playhouse Disney Channel in Australia, its 10th new
market in the Asia-Pacific region. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
Recall
About 145,000 Disney Princess Bracelet Keyrings, imported by Monogram International Inc., because the jewelry contains high levels of lead which is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects. The keyrings were sold at various retailers nationwide including Walgreens and Wal-Mart from November 2003 through June 2005. For more information call the company at 800-736-1941 or visit http://www.monogramdirect.com or http://www.cpsc.gov . |
||
|
|
||
|
A man and woman in Kissimmee, Fla., were arrested for
allegedly selling admission tickets to Universal Studios and
Walt Disney World theme parks, according to a police news
release.
Agents with the Kissimmee police property crimes unit
conducted an undercover operation at 4024 W. Vine St. last
week after receiving information that stolen tickets were
being sold in the area. About 18,000 park admission tickets
were recently stolen in Newark, N.J. and the tickets have
apparently turned up in Florida.
During the undercover police operation, Lenore McLaughlin, 51,
and Donald McLaughlin, 43, sold stolen Anheuser-Busch employee
tickets and non-transferable Universal Studios and Disney
tickets to undercover investigators, according to the release.
Lenore and Donald McLaughlin were later arrested for dealing
in stolen property, grand theft and resale of multi-day
tickets.
Officials said there are still a number of stolen tickets
unaccounted for and the investigation is ongoing.
The tickets are marked on the back with a red stripe and the
words "Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (1 Employee
Ticket)." Further down in bold black letters is states
“NOT FOR SALE”.
Anyone with information concerning this crime should call CrimeLine at (800) 423-TIPS. |
||
|
|
||
|
Richard Gizbert, a London-based reporter who alleges he was
fired by ABC News in 2004 for turning down assignments in
Afghanistan and Iraq, is suing his ex-employer for unfair
dismissal and $4 million in lost earnings.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Fresh off its Emmy win for best drama on Sunday,
"Lost" posted astounding ratings Wednesday in its
sophomore season debut. "Lost" and its 8 p.m. recap
special "Destination: Lost" sucked up so much of the
available audience on Wednesday that ABC's rivals all had a
hard time getting started, particularly NBC with the 8 p.m.
bow of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" and 9 p.m.'s
"E-Ring." Of the six broadcast networks, UPN was the
most competitive, relatively speaking, with solid numbers from
its two-hour premiere of "America's Next Top Model."
ABC capped a stellar night with a strong showing from the 10
p.m. debut of drama "Invasion," which proved a
worthy companion to "Lost."
|
||
|
|
||
|
Wednesday September 21, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
Verizon VZ:NYSE and Disney DIS:NYSE rolled out a far-reaching content and programming agreement. Verizon will carry 12 Disney-owned channels on its expanded basic fiber service, called FiOS. The channels include 7 ESPN channels, ABC Family and ABC News Now, among others. As part of the deal Verizon will also be granted retransmission consent for ABC's owned and operated television stations. Verizon, which has plans to compete against cable and satellite operators in some U.S. markets, will deploy the service as soon as next week in some smaller markets in Texas and California. The agreement with Disney calls for Verizon to carry major Disney and ESPN programming along with broadband services. Speaking at a Goldman Sachs media conference, Disney CEO-elect Robert Iger didn't say whether the company is getting paid for carriage. He stressed that being part of the latest delivery platform is a positive for the company. The deal also has piracy implications. Verizon and Disney pledged to "help curb infringement of Disney's copyrighted works over the Internet while at the same time appropriately safeguarding the privacy of Verizon Internet service subscribers." Separately, News Corp. NWS:NYSE Chairman Rupert Murdoch, speaking at the same Goldman conference, said his company was very close to a similar deal with Verizon that is expected to include its Fox channels. Disney shares were trading down 36 cents to $23.39 on Wednesday afternoon. |
||
|
|
||
|
Verizon Communications Inc. has signed a deal
with Walt Disney Co. to carry ABC, Disney and ESPN TV channels
on its new television system, the companies said Wednesday.
Financial terms weren't disclosed. Verizon is set to being TV transmissions this week on an optical-fiber network, initially in Texas, to compete with cable companies. The companies also said they plan to work together to address Internet piracy. Verizon will forward notices to subscribers allegedly pirating Disney's works. Verizon will cancel Internet service for subscribers who have infringed Disney copyrights and received multiple notices, or identify them in response to subpoenas. |
||
|
|
||
|
In celebration of 50 years of Disneyland magic,
The Walt Disney Company inducted the 2005 "class" of
Disney Legends for their roles in creating the company's
treasure trove of entertainment, particularly their part in
creating "The Happiest Place on Earth." Today's
10:00am ceremony was presented in the Main Street Opera House
at Disneyland. Following the awards presentation the honorees
participated in a hand-print ceremony.
Honored during the ceremony at the Disneyland Resort were famed Hollywood star Steve Martin and legendary broadcaster Art Linkletter. As a teenager growing up in Orange County, California, Martin spent time working at the Magic Shop on Main Street, U.S.A. where he honed his talents for magic, juggling and creating balloon animals. Linkletter was one of the three hosts of the live nationwide telecast of the Disneyland grand opening festivities on July 17, 1955 (along with future U.S. President Ronald Reagan and actor Bob Cummings). The 2005 Disney Legends Ceremony marked the first time that the prestigious presentation has been showcased at Disneyland. It also signified the first time that an hourly Disney theme park "Cast Member" has been given the award (longtime Disneyland Cast Member Chuck Abbott). The honor was also bestowed upon Milt Albright, who in 1954 became the very first "Cast Member" on the Disneyland payroll. The other new inductees represent such Disneyland disciplines as attractions, entertainment, public relations, community service, custodial, administration, the Disneyland Marching Band, Imagineering, hotels, food and merchandise. The Disney Legends program was established in 1987 to acknowledge and honor the many individuals whose imagination and talents have made a significant impact on the Disney legacy. The Legends are chosen by a selection committee comprised of longtime Disney executives, historians and authorities. The awards are presented annually. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's Iger sees decision on radio ops relatively soon Walt Disney Co. (DIS) President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Iger said the company will make a decison "relatively soon" on whether its radio operations will continue to be part of the company. There have been various reports that Disney might be looking to spinoff or sell its group of 71 stations and radio network that includes the ESPN, ABC News and Radio Disney. "We are taking a long, hard look at these businesses," Iger said during a webcast from the Goldman Sachs Communicopia conference in New York. Disney will consider whether the radio operations "should be combined with some other assets and we let shareholders own that. Or should we stay the course." The Wall Street Journal said in July that Disney was considering a spin off of the $3 billion radio group in a tax-efficient "reverse Morris Trust" where it would be spun off and merged with another radio company, with Disney shareholders receiving at least 50% of the new company. However, Disney might not be ready to exit the radio business. Iger, who as CEO-elect is set to take over from Michael Eisner in October, noted that the radio division generates about $300 million of free cash flow annually. And he described the radio stations as "great assets that have outpaced the marketplace in most markets." "We are looking at the best way to drive shareholder value," concerning the radio unit, Iger said. "This should be resolved relatively soon for all the right reasons." |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney Insider - She's the shapely sprite who
has become a Disney icon second only to Mickey Mouse
himself. And yet Miss Bell has largely been a woman of
mystery. Where did she come from? Where are her fellow
fairies? And the burning question: Was she REALLY modeled on
Marilyn Monroe?
Fortunately, the Disney Insider has done some sleuthing and learned, more or less, everything you ever wanted to know about Tinker Bell. Tink originally appeared in J.M. Barrie's play, "Peter Pan." Well, sort of - onstage, the pixie never appeared in person, but was traditionally represented by a beam of light. When Walt Disney decided to film "Peter Pan," how to represent Tinker Bell was one of the great dilemmas to be resolved. Ultimately, Disney and his animators decided to put the mischievous fairy on the screen - but to keep with tradition in having her "voice" be a tinkling bell that only Peter can understand. Although Tinker Bell's vavoom figure and winsome blonde appearance have led generations of moviegoers to compare her to Marilyn Monroe, animator Marc Davis actually modeled her on actress Margaret Kerry. The Studio was quick to point out that although Tink might LOOK like Ms. Kerry, her capricious and sometimes downright mean personality had nothing to do with the actress! "Peter Pan" was a hit, but it was Tinker Bell who went on to become a cultural touchstone. The pixie proved so popular that she became something of an ambassador for Disney. In the process, her image has become less jealous pint-sized femme fatale and more dispenser of pixie dust, although that touch of mischief still remains part of her appeal. These days you can see Tink at the opening of "The Wonderful World of Disney," in the air at Disney theme park firework shows, and on every Disney DVD. She's prominently featured in the 50th Anniversary parade at Disneyland, "Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams," and Tinker Bell costumes and toys rival Disney Princess gear in popularity among little girls. Although she's a beloved and instantly recognized character, there are many unanswered mysteries about Tinker Bell, stemming all the way back to "Peter Pan." Where did she come from? Who are her friends? Where does Tinker Bell go when she isn't hanging out with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys? These are questions that are never answered by Barrie, or by the film. But Tink is such a vivid presence that for more than 50 years, children have wondered about her. These burning questions led the Disney team to develop a detailed story about Tinker Bell and the world from which she comes. Tinker Bell's world will be unveiled in a story first introduced in the novel "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" (available this month) by Gail Carson Levine of "Ella Enchanted" fame. The books feature illustrations by David Christiana. There's also a global Web site at DisneyFairies.com where we can meet the fairies and a get a glimpse of their world and pastimes. "I was so glad when the people at Disney Publishing invited me to be part of the project," Ms. Levine commented. "To enter the world of Peter Pan and weave in a new landscape has been an enormous honor. I'll be thrilled if readers join the fairies' quest and go on clapping and believing and keeping Never Land young forever." We learn that Tinker Bell is, in fact, a talented tinker - good at mending metal objects with her little hammer. This refers all the way back to a little joke in Barrie's Peter Pan - Peter claims that Tink is a common "tinker" sort of fairy. Tinkers, in Victorian England, were traveling tinsmiths. By exploring Tink's world, the artists of Disney hope that they will give the enduring fairy new dimension - and a new place in the hearts of children (and adults) everywhere. If you believe in fairies, clap your hands for Tinker Bell! |
||
|
|
||
|
Bus service links Disneyland, airports Coach USA/Gray Line of Anaheim launched The Disneyland Resort Express, a bus service that provides transportation between Los Angeles International Airport or John Wayne Airport and the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. The company purchased 12 vehicles that will be dedicated to providing frequent, on-time service, said Bryan O’Connell, Coach USA’s general manager. The buses replace a previous service. The new vehicles are easily identifiable, with Disney logos and images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The coaches operate every 30 minutes between LAX and the Disneyland Resort from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and they operate hourly from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 7 p.m. until midnight. The coaches run between John Wayne Airport and Disney hotels every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and hourly from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The service operates nonstop between the airports and the Disney hotels, then proceeds to other area hotels for pickup and drop-off. The one-way fee for LAX is $19 for adults and $16 children. For John Wayne Airport, the fee is $14 for adults and $12 for children. |
||
|
|
||
|
HK Disneyland forces out staff member over food scare A Hong Kong Disneyland security supervisor, who sparked a row after asking hygiene inspectors to remove their caps and badges while they were investigating food poisoning cases at the park, has been forced out of his job, a report said. The unnamed park official, a former policeman, was asked to resign or face dismissal, the South China Morning Post said. The incident during an August 30 rehearsal attended by thousands of invited guests ahead of the park's September 12 opening led to accusations that Disney had tried to hush up the probe to avoid worrying visitors. The two hygiene officials were investigating three claims of food poisoning at two of the park's restaurants. None of the allegations were substantiated. A Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman said the company would not comment on whether or not the supervisor had left his job. She said management had apologised for the incident and the park would observe all local laws in future. The three billion US dollar Hong Kong Disneyland, a joint venture between the US entertainment giant and the Hong Kong government, employs 5,000 people and is hoped to rake in some 19 billion dollars over the next 40 years. |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Henry Ford Reschedules Opening Day of Disneyland Exhibit An unanticipated obstacle has arisen in the mounting of this exhibition. Tickets purchased for time slots prior to September 30 will be honored throughout the run of the exhibit. Timed tickets at $10 for adults and $6 for kids 5-12 are on sale now and can be purchased at www.TheHenryFord.org or by calling 313-982-6001. Kids 4 and under are free. General museum admission is also required. The Henry Ford is collaborating with Walt Disney Imagineering, to create this unprecedented exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of Disneyland - Disney's original theme park. Behind the Magic: 50 Years of Disneyland, is the first exhibition of Walt Disney Imagineering art and artifacts focused on Disneyland to be widely displayed in the United States. Included in the 7,500-square foot display are 250 pieces of original Imagineering artwork, hand-crafted models, construction drawings, and marketing materials tracing the growth and history of the California landmark. Visitors will have the special opportunity to view--and, in some cases, interact with--more than 40 three-dimensional artifacts, among them figures from "it's a small world," unique original arcade games from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction, and the Model T-like vehicle used in "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride." |
||
|
|
||
|
Premieres are no match for ABC's 'MNF' If Monday was any indication, the new TV season is going to be a dogfight. The first official night of the 2005-06 campaign was a night of premieres and seesaw competition among the Big Four networks. ABC won the night with its extended "Monday Night Football" coverage that shifted in various markets between two games, New York Giants-New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins-Dallas Cowboys. The 8 p.m.-midnight broadcast also included telethon segments with celebrities, current and Hall of Fame NFL players pitching and taking pledge calls to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The 8-11 p.m. primetime portion of the telecast averaged 15.8 million viewers and a 6.2 rating/16 share, according to Nielsen Media Research. |
||
|
|
||
|
Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company, announced yesterday that Disney's Cinderella: Magical Dreams for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and Disney's Cinderella Dollhouse 2 for PC/CD-ROM are now available at retail outlets nationwide. "Cinderella has been a long-time favorite character of the Disney family, popular with kids and parents alike," said Dana Long, director of kids' marketing for Buena Vista Games. "Buena Vista Games is proud to be a part of the celebration surrounding the release of the Cinderella 55th Anniversary Special Edition DVD with two great titles that are sure to enchant and delight Cinderella fans of all ages and generations." As a special offer through December 31, 2006, players will receive a free Disney Enchanted Call from their favorite Disney Princess when they register their game online in the United States. |
||
|
|
||
|
State officials coax Disney to film "Underdog" here Underdog will be
here. Walt Disney Pictures will film a live-action version of
the 1960s cartoon "Underdog" in Rhode Island. Disney
spokeswoman Heidi Trotta confirmed the company's plans last
night. |
||
|
|
||
|
Iger: Disney to trim live-action movies Iger was speaking at Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference in New York along with other entertainment executives. The conference comes a week after Merrill Lynch held a similar conference in Pasadena, Calif., with the same companies. Iger said the new Miramax without Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein will release just four to six low-budget, independent films each year, which will greatly reduce the studio’s overall live-action slate. Disney also is focusing more on creating Disney-branded live-action films, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, which have greater value in the market, he said. Iger said the studio believes that high-definition DVD will boost growth in home video. He blamed the recent slowing of the video industry on a glut of releases. “It’s actually a business that’s showing some growth but it’s showing more challenge for the motion picture side of the business,” Iger said. TV is still a high point, and Iger said Disney expects to sell more than 1 million units of ABC TV series Lost on DVD. Also at the conference, Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons also said his studio is experiencing strong growth on TV DVD sales but has seen a growth slowdown on new releases and library film releases. On the flip side, Viacom and News Corp. are both still projecting continued strong growth in their DVD businesses, despite industry slowdowns. Viacom co-president and co-chief operating officer Tom Freston said Paramount Home Entertainment, which ramped up its TV and movie release slate this year to more than 200 titles, will put out even more DVD releases next year. Freston said the studio also sees more opportunities to re-release films both in new special editions and in versions with lower price points. “We’re looking at several years of good, solid growth out of the DVD business,” he said. News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch attributed 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s DVD success not just to the studio’s successful film slate, but also to controlled inventory and “not getting overexcited on shipping.” Murdoch didn’t mention by name rivals DreamWorks Home Entertainment and Disney, both of which have reported higher-than-expected returns on releases this year. DreamWorks warned investors in the second quarter on Shrek 2 and Shark Tale, which hurt its earnings. Disney/Pixar, likewise reported higher returns on The Incredibles. |
||
|
|
||
|
Tuesday September 20, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
On April 4, 2003, Glen Keane, one of the most
respected animators at Walt Disney, summoned about 50 of his
colleagues to a conference room on the lot here to discuss the
war brewing at the studio.
Disney's animators had settled into two opposing camps: those who were skilled in computer animation and those who refused to give up their pencils. Keane, a 31-year veteran who created the beast from "Beauty and the Beast" and Ariel from "The Little Mermaid," was a Disney traditionalist. But after a series of experiments to see whether he could create a computer-animated ballerina, his opposition softened. So he invited the 50 animators to discuss the pros and cons of both art forms, calling his seminar "The Best of Both Worlds." For an hour, Keane listed the pluses and minuses of each technique while the other animators listened quietly. After a few tentative questions, the crowd burst into chatter as animators shouted over one another, some arguing that computers should not replace people and others expressing fears that they would be forced to draw by hand. In a recent interview, Keane said that Kevin Geiger, a computer animation supervisor, then stood up and demanded of him, "If you can do all this cool stuff that you're talking about - that you want to see in animation - but you have to give up the pencil to do it, are you in?" Keane hesitated before answering, "I'm in." Three weeks later, the company's animators were told that Disney would concentrate on making computer-animated movies, abandoning a 70-year-old hand-drawn tradition in favor of a style popularized by newer and more successful rivals like Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. The results were nothing short of a cultural revolution at the studio, which is famous for the hand-drawn classics championed by its founder, Walt Disney, like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Peter Pan." On Nov. 4, a little more than two and a half years after that decision, Disney will release "Chicken Little," the first of four computer-animated films being developed at the newly reorganized studio. The company is hoping that this movie, along with others like "Meet the Robinsons," "American Dog" and Keane's "Rapunzel Unbraided," will return a reinvigorated Disney to its past glory. There is a lot more than pride, however, riding on their success. Animation was once Disney's heart, a profitable lifeline that fed the company's theme park, book and home video divisions. And reviving profit is as essential to Disney these days as regaining its storied reputation. Last week, the company said that it expected its studio to post a loss of as much as $300 million in the fourth quarter because of poor performance in its live-action division. Over all, Disney had net profit of $2.27 billion in the first three quarters of its 2005 year on the strength of its ABC television network and its ESPN sports cable channel. "From a psychological standpoint, 'Chicken Little' is very important for Disney," said Hal Vogel, an independent analyst. "Everything is touched by animation, and if they don't refresh it, it becomes frayed at the edges." The box-office numbers show how far the sky has fallen. The studio reached the height of its most recent popularity with the 1994 release of "The Lion King," which brought in $764.8 million at the worldwide box office. By contrast, the last nine animated movies Disney either made or acquired took in only $758.3 million combined. "The Incredibles," the 2004 film created by Pixar, brought in $630 million, nearly as much as Disney's last eight animated movies. So it should come as no surprise that when Keane stood up and made his passionate plea in 2003, Disney was in the midst of an identity crisis. It had to reinvent itself - or wither. "When everybody feels pretty good about themselves, and you have Champagne coming out of the water fountain, it's almost like we've got to burn the place down," Mark Dindal, the director of "Chicken Little," said in an interview in August that also included the directors of Disney's three other current animated-film projects. But the competition in animated films is tougher than ever. It is also fraught with enough sibling rivalry to make the wicked stepsisters in "Cinderella" blush. To begin with, there is Jeffrey Katzenberg, who left Disney in 1994 after a dispute with the chief executive, Michael Eisner, to become a co-founder of DreamWorks SKG. The studio's offshoot, DreamWorks Animation, is now one of Disney's fiercest rivals. Then there is Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer and the Pixar chief executive, who took a swipe at Disney last year, calling its animated sequels "embarrassing." Jobs also sparred with Eisner even though the two companies have been partners since 1991. That deal was brokered by Katzenberg. Jobs agreed only recently to resume talks with Disney about a new distribution agreement that would start in 2007. Against such a backdrop, "Chicken Little" is almost certain to be one of the most scrutinized movies of its kind, not only by moviegoers but also by investors, competitors and fellow animators alike. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
alters itinerary for Magic's voyage
Disney Cruise Line has altered the itinerary of its current Disney Magic voyage, changing it to a Western Caribbean itinerary from an Eastern Caribbean itinerary to avoid the potential impact of Hurricane Philippe. "We're always prepared to change the itinerary to avoid severe weather, and we know our guests will enjoy the modified itinerary," said Rena Langley, a Disney Cruise Line spokeswoman. "Because of the projected path of Hurricane Philippe, we changed from an eastern to a western Caribbean itinerary." Disney officials also said they are "very closely" monitoring Tropical Storm Rita, which was expected to become a hurricane, but do not anticipate any changes in upcoming voyages of the Port Canaveral-based Disney Magic or the Disney Wonder because of that storm. The Disney Magic departed Saturday from Port Canaveral and is scheduled to return this Saturday. |
||
|
|
||
|
Happy
HalloWishes rehearsals
A special Halloween-themed edition of Wishes will debut this year at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party -- “Happy HalloWishes” -- featuring spooky music from family-friendly Disney attractions and movies including Haunted Mansion and “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” as well as the voices of memorable Disney characters such as Madame Leota, Ursula, Jafar, Maleficent and Oogie Boogie. There will be a rehearsal performance of HalloWishes, without the perimeter fireworks, on September 26th and 28th, and the full show will debut on September 30th at Mickey's not-so-scary Halloween Party. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disneyland
workers learned much from Chinese they trained
Root beer and cherry flavors are associated with medicine in China. Scratch those from the beverage list at Hong Kong Disneyland. Meals in Hong Kong are a social event that can last for hours, even at a theme park. Students in an Asian culture revere their teachers, and any compliments are returned tenfold. Those are a few examples of the teaching and learning that have transpired in the past year as 89 people from Anaheim, Calif.'s Disneyland Resort trekked to Hong Kong to help train employees of Disney's first theme park in China. Hong Kong Disneyland opened Sept. 12 with 5,000 employees, a Main Street that's the spitting image of the one in Anaheim and high hopes that a new culture will embrace Disney's entertainment. "The basic spine of the park was replicated from Disneyland," said Tom Morris, an executive from Walt Disney Imagineering. "Everyone from Southern California walks in, and it strikes them right away _ the train station, Main Street, the Castle, even the music are the same as in Anaheim. ... Then there's this beautiful mountain range right behind the castle. That's when you quickly realize you're in the South China Sea." Morris directed the creative development of Hong Kong Disneyland, and builders have hammered for more than two years to get every board in place at Disney's 11th theme park. The final phase of preparation _ the phase that makes it a uniquely Disney park _ is teaching local employees how to deliver the personal service the company calls "magic." Members of the Anaheim task force were chosen because of their expertise in a particular field, but also because of their devotion to the Disney product. Four shared their experiences from China, the fastest-growing tourism market in the world. Matt Holding, who has run attractions for nearly 15 years, patiently taught driving fundamentals to people who rarely drive anything. Hong Kong relies heavily on public transportation, and few people own cars. "We started with forward and reverse," said Holding, who showed them how to maneuver river rafts. His biggest job was helping the new staff understand the legacy of Walt Disney and his dreams. "You don't work at Disneyland because it's just a job," he said. "It was a lifelong ambition for me. I told them they are not just a host or a cast member, they are a Jungle Cruise skipper. We're teaching them that this is something very special." Holding's new friends taught him that Americans move too fast. "One day they said, `Let's go to lunch.' It was an hour and a half. I eat lunch on the go half the time. For them, it's a time to socialize. When I go home to Anaheim, I am going to start taking a lunch break." Belinda Butt, a human-resources specialist from Laguna Hills, Calif., has trained staff for most of her 20 years at Disneyland. She went to Hong Kong because the park's scale of operations is similar to Anaheim's. She knows how to implement Disney's scheduling system and set up a way of moving 5,000 people through orientation. "You have to think of things like, if you have 12 classes at the same time, don't have them all break at the same time or your bathrooms are slammed," she said. What she learned during five months was the power and grace of humility. "When you pay them a compliment, they bring it right back to you," she said. "They say, `Oh, it's because you are such a good teacher.' They're very appreciative." Karlos Siqueiros took his 20 years of food-and-beverage expertise to Hong Kong. "The passion we all have for Disney is what brought us here," Siqueiros said. "We brought the importance of the story to them. It's not just a park or a restaurant. "In Anaheim, we say keep the story alive right down to the last bite. When you go into New Orleans Square and the world of pirates, you don't want to have a commercial at lunchtime. You want to still be in Louisiana." Siqueiros also elevated Disney's approach to celebrating birthdays in Hong Kong. "In China, where many people have just one child, birthdays are like our weddings. They go on and on. ... Tastes and flavors here are different, too. We tend to like sugar; they like the savory flavors. We had to adjust." Siqueiros introduced the concept of kids' menus already a big hit and he will bring home a new idea from the Hong Kong park's menu: a char siew (barbecue pork) burger. |
||
|
|
||
|
Movie
Studios Unite To Fight Piracy
The big movie
studios are culling their resources for their most
aggressive--and controversial--effort yet to combat piracy. |
||
|
|
||
|
Chicago
ties lost in a small world
Oh, Chicago, a native son seems forever lost in the fantasyland that's "the happiest place on earth." Fifty years after Chicago-born Walt Disney changed American culture yet again by opening the Disneyland theme park, hardly anyone remembers where the grand visionary was born. Not even Oscar Martinez, 70, a cheerful cook who has worked the past 49 years at Disneyland Resort, could recall where his first boss entered the world. Martinez often saw the animation genius making predawn inspections of the grounds before his 1966 death. "Southern California," Martinez stated. Wrong. "Oh, that's easy: Marceline, Missouri," said Jennifer, 29, another Disneyland cast member, or employee. Nice try, but wrong again. "Oh, great, not even the cast members knew," she added. The creator of Mickey Mouse was born Dec. 5, 1901, in a modest Northwest Side house that his carpenter father, Elias, built at 2156 N. Tripp Ave., according to Disney Co. archivists. A city marker designates the structure, but it isn't an official city landmark, a Chicago landmarks spokeswoman said. It was in 1906 when Disney's parents took him to Marceline, Mo., where he and four siblings lived on a farm until 1911, when the family moved again, to Kansas City, archivists said. The Disney's returned to Chicago in 1917, and Walt enrolled in 8th grade at McKinley High School, archivists said. It's said that Disney took night classes about the same time at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (even its Web site lays claim), but enrollment records for him don't exist, a spokesman said. In either case, Chicago was the last of Disney's schooling, archivists said. In 1918 he joined the Red Cross Ambulance Corps and went to France after World War I ended, according to archivists. He visited family in Chicago after his October 1919 discharge and then left the Windy City for good, archivists said. This summer, Walt Disney Co. won a break from the unflattering controversy over Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner, former President Michael Ovitz and their alleged management skullduggery. The entertainment giant rolled out an equally riveting spectacle honoring its founder and the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. Today Disneyland is the granddaddy of America's and perhaps the world's theme parks, and Disney opened its 11th such attraction Sept. 12 in Hong Kong. A recent sunny day's tour through Disneyland Resort--now composed of the original park plus Disney's California Adventure, three hotels, and a Disney "downtown"--yielded only faint vestiges of the architect's Chicago roots. Young or old, employee or visitor, most struggled with the lore of Disney's birthplace. "To tell you the truth, I never really thought of it," said Elizabeth Flores, 18, a cashier at Corn Dog Castle. It took a 12-year-old to get the answer right, but not until after a long pause. "Oh, I have a book on this!" said Heather Hudson of Culver City, Calif., as she and her sister, Cassie, 22, toured Disneyland's Town Square. "Wasn't it Chicago or something like that?" Chicago's place in Disney's life often gets lost. "Oh, that is a little-known fact, and we have to tell people all the time that he was born in Chicago," Walt Disney Co. archivist Dave Smith said. "He talked so much about growing up on a farm, a lot of people thought he was born there." Add this to the lore: "Do you know why his family left Chicago?" Smith asked. "Some neighbor boys were arrested for vandalism or something, and Elias was thinking that this was not a wholesome place to bring up his kids and that's why they started thinking that farm life might be better for him." Then, Smith joked, "In my visits to Chicago, Tripp is not too far from Cicero where Al Capone was, so it's possible that it was not that good an area." Let's nip this one in the bud. Capone was born in January 1899, about three years before Disney. It would take almost 30 more years for Capone and Cicero to secure infamy. Few links to hometown It's a stretch to find any material connection between Disney and Chicago in his most enduring theme park. A replica emporium, which sells golden mouse ears as well as the traditional black, is akin to a turn-of-the-previous-century department store that could conjure an old-fashioned general store in Chicago's early days, said Robbin Almand, director of entertainment services for Disney Entertainment. That comparison and others evoke an image of Chicago before it became "the incredible big city it now is," Almand said. A better link is perhaps in spirit--and bygone mores popularly linked to the nation's heartland. For example, Disney lived on the grounds here during the park's early years in the mid-1950s. His old apartment, off limits to regular visitors, is a flat above the fire station on Main Street, U.S.A., a fantasy version of a small town with restaurants, shops and a theater. Save for an Edison Victrola, none of the furniture is original because Disney's family members had taken away Walt's belongings, officials said. Still, a stroll through the studio with a kitchenette and bathroom creates a cozy feeling, with touches of 1950s-like appointments such as a grilled-cheese sandwich maker and glass baby bottles in the cabinet. They leave the light on for him A faux desktop gas lamp, now fitted with a light bulb, always burns in the window above the firehouse door, a sort of eternal flame for the originator. "We always keep the light on to show that he's here because the other parks don't have the Walt alliance" of his having lived there, said Disneyland Resort spokesman Bob Tucker. If the bulb burns out, the staff strives to change it before visitors notice. A renovation of the quarters for the golden anniversary accurately replicates Disney's tastes--right down to two sofa sleepers separated by several feet of floral carpet, said Doug Foye, director of guest services. Such an arrangement serves as among the more palpable reminders of Disney's Midwestern influences, officials said. "I think the more important part of Walt and his true connection with the Midwest and Chicago is with the cast members today--to treat people and greet them warmly as if you're welcoming them into your own home," said Almand, 51, who cried as a girl whenever the televised Mickey Mouse Club concluded. "It's that part of America that might have passed since then," she said, "but it's still really important." |
||
|
|
||
|
Nissan
Sponsors Housewives DVD Bonus
Nissan is
partnering with ABC and Buena Vista Home Entertainment for the
first-season DVD and new season launch of the ABC hit
Desperate Housewives. |
||
|
|
||
|
Mickey's
magic in dragon land
Kids squeal with delight as they skip along Main Street USA in search of "Mickey, Mickey, Mickey Mao". The kids are having a magical time in Hong Kong Disneyland which opened its gates to the public on September 12. Hong Kong is in the grip of "Mickeymania", and hasn't seen such a frenzy since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. While wowsers have talked the Magic Kingdom down ("it's too small; not enough rollercoaster rides; there are no shaded spots for relaxation, queues are too long") entry to the Disneyland theme park has become the hottest ticket in town. Locals are voting with their feet and visiting the park in their thousands. Guests from mainland China were among the first in queues that spilled through the gates after Monday's opening ceremony. The park may be small, a blend of American showmanship and Chinese dragon-style culture, but it embraces 21st century technology in its space-age attractions and theatre productions. Kids are arriving at the park in T-shirts emblazoned with images of Mickey and his gang, and with Mickey ears precariously perched on their heads. By day's end they have collected even more Disney kitsch from a swag of shops across the park. Name any Disney character and a soft toy can be found, or a key ring, or handbag, or stapler, or raincoat, or jewelery. There is even a crystal Sleeping Beauty castle, set with 27,000 precious stones, that sells for $US27,000 – or just $US1 a stone. Some newspapers are screaming "Honkers goes bonkers for Mickey"; others highlight the negatives: there were no truly international celebrities for the opening night party. Rumours had spread that Johnny Depp, John Travolta or Julie Andrews would be treading the red carpet. But the biggest star was Hong Kong's Jackie Cheung – who happens to be Hong Kong Disneyland's "spokesperson" and Asia's answer to Robbie Williams. While adults may have a slant on how the park can be improved, the kids just want to be caught up in the magic of Mickey – that endearing rodent with big ears, Chaplinesque gait, flat feet and squeaky voice. They are packing the park, which has a limit of 30,000, and are happiest with the simplest experiences – being photographed with a Disney character, or riding a carousel on Dumbo the elephant. One third of park visitors are expected to be Hong Kongers, a third from mainland China, with international visitors making up the rest. Australians have in the past headed to Los Angeles to see Mickey and the gang. But Hong Kong's Disneyland is a viable alternative for a short break, or for those on a stopover en route to mainland China or Europe. Hong Kong Disneyland may even give Hong Kong the edge over Singapore and Bangkok as a stopover for the Australian market. OK, it's smaller – at 126ha less than half the size of Disneyland in California. But that means the Disney experience is covered in one full day with all the attractions of the established parks. And while the queues may be long at weekends, there are likely to be fewer people mid-week. Hong Kong's park has all manner of state-of-the-art technology including a 3-D show where viewers are rained with water and smell a cake cooking, as well as a stunning in-the-round Festival of the Lion King performance that has the audience singing along to the show's hits. But it is Mickey and the gang, and the old favorites such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs who remain the enduring favorites. They may not have the whiz-bang technology of heart stopping Space Mountain and newer attractions, but they are what Disney magic is all about – simple, genuine and real. Some 5.6 million are expected to visit Hong Kong's Disneyland in its first year. The Hong Kong Government has a 57 per cent stake in the park, and Disney the rest. The opening ceremony was performed against a backdrop of the Sleeping Beauty castle, the park's towering centrepiece, with the mountains of Lantau Island behind. Centerpiece of the ceremony was a traditional lion dance ritual. While a walk along Hong Kong Disney's Main Street puts visitors in middle America, it is soon evident this is China, with all signs in Chinese characters as well as English, and stage shows in both languages. Hong Kong Disneyland has 5000 employees, known in Disney lingo as cast members. In the two luxury Disney hotels the cast encourage guests to search for hidden Mickey's (on shower curtains, bedspreads, lamp shades, and in public rooms around the properties). In similar vein, the Disney train line, specially built to service the park, has whimsical touches in its carriages such as mouse-shaped windows and strap hangers, star-studded ceilings, and bronze figurines of Disney characters. Like the other parks in Anaheim, Florida, Paris and Tokyo, Hong Kong is offering Disney's unique blend of stardust and magic in a fairytale kingdom with a 21st century twist. Hotel guests even get a wake-up call from Mickey Mouse that urges them to "have a magical day." |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's
Pooh to Play Holiday Engagement at Beacon Theatre
A host of familiar names have shaped Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh, an "interactive, three-dimensional, state-of-the-art theatrical production," which launched a 26-city North American tour in Florida this past July. B.T. McNicholl — the associate director of Broadway's Cabaret and The Civil War — helmed the production, which will play New York's Beacon Theatre Dec. 8-28. Christopher Gattelli, who received a Drama Desk nomination for his work on Altar Boyz, choreographed. The creative team also includes David Loud (music director), Anna Louizos (set and production designer), Gregg Barnes (costume designer) and Patrick Dierson (lighting designer). The family-friendly show, which features such characters as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo and Owl, will offer new arrangements of "Winnie the Pooh," "Rumbly in My Tumbly" and "The Whoop De-Dooper Bounce." Tracie Franklin narrates the show, which takes the audience on a 90-minute journey through the Hundred Acre Wood. Children of all ages are welcome to attend the musical production, which is a collaboration between The Walt Disney Company and Feld Entertainment, Inc. Winnie the Pooh is set to play additional engagements in Los Angeles (at the Kodak Theatre) and Chicago (at the Rosemont Theatre). A run in Japan is also scheduled for 2006. The Beacon Theatre is located in New York at 2124 Broadway at West 74th Street. Tickets, priced $21.50-$78.50, are available by calling (212) 307-7171 or by visiting ww.ticketmaster.com. |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC
Adds Blogs
ABC News has launched a series of daily blogs with comments enabled, allowing viewers to provide feedback. ABC journalists can now publish personalized accounts of their own news coverage, providing "perspective, insight, personalities and details that you won't necessarily find on the broadcasts." This move follows CBS (Public Eye blog) and NBC News (anchor Brian Williams' blog). ABC News already has a blog-like feature, The Note, which does not allow feedback; the network recently added a podcast, the AfterNote. |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl on DVD
From Robert Rodriguez, director and writer of the SPY KIDS films, comes THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL, a supercool family movie filled with amazing adventures and awesome special effects, on DVD from Dimension Home Video. This thrill-packed movie can be enjoyed on DVD in the fun 3D format, which makes the special-effects and fantasy worlds of the film even more breathtaking. Every DVD includes four pairs of 3D glasses that bring audiences right into the action. The DVD also includes a separate full version of the feature in 2D for those who prefer a traditional viewing experience. On DVD, director Robert Rodriguez provides feature audio commentary for the film. Plus, "Creating Sharkboy and Lavagirl with Racer Max" is an inside, behind-the-scenes look at this special-effects-packed film. Sometimes the most amazing superheroes are the ones inside your dreams. That's the discovery made by ten-year-old Max (Cayden Boyd, "Freaky Friday"), an outcast little boy who has become lost in his own fantasy world while dealing with quarreling parents (David Arquette, "Riding The Bullet" and Kristin Davis TV's "Sex and The City"), and a school bully (Jacob Davich, "The Aviator"). Max keeps a journal of his dreams, but the other kids in school make fun of it. One day while in Mr. Electricidad's (George Lopez, TV's "The George Lopez Show") class, two of Max's imaginary heroes come for a real-life visit. Soon Max is off on an amazing adventure with Sharkboy and Lavagirl, in a fantastic world where Max's imagination is more real than he could ever believe. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
will offer mobile content
Walt Disney has become the latest media owner to launch a mobile content strategy, after signing a deal with mobile network, 3, to show action from the hit Channel 4 series, Lost. Owner of 3, Hutchison, will combine with Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) and sister company, Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG), to target a mobile audience of more than 3.2 million. The media owners are also in talks with 3 and other mobile operators about the mobile broadcast rights to other programmes, including another cult C4 hit, Desperate Housewives. Tom Toumazis, executive vice president & managing director BVITV EMEA, said: "Lost is our fastest-ever selling, most successful TV series, having been licensed by us to 183 territories worldwide on TV and is now being licensed for the first time on mobile." He added: "The addictive, action packed nature of the show lends itself well to this format." 3 will make available two to three-minute recaps of every episode at 50p a time, along with behind-the-scenes interviews and previews of the next episode. Graeme Oxby, 3's marketing director, said: "Every one of our 3.2 million customers has a TV in their pocket. This new service means they will never be behind the plot and can keep on top of the action, wherever they are." The mobile provider has already launched mobile content on the back of shows such as Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity and the X Factor. |
||
|
|
||
|
Bedia
Dances to Disney Festival
The Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA) will participate at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Disney World in the United States for the first time. BEDIA will be taking a cultural ensemble to the festival, which will run for six weeks from September 29-November 13. BEDIA public relations and communications officer, Gomolemo Zimona, says they have invited the ensemble because they intend to promote Setswana culture through traditional music during the festival. He says that the cultural ensemble will perform different forms of traditional music like borakanana. Zimona indicated that the ensemble has been presented with national colours by the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC), in order to advertise the country. He explained that in the past, people from overseas have confused Botswana with South Africa and this is why they are taking a cultural group, to promote the country's culture and market the country. BEDIA will also use Botswana students who are studying in the US to assist them market the country during the festival. The BEDIA spokesperson said 12 countries are expected to exhibit at the festival, adding that different nations are given an opportunity to showcase their culture. Zimona said they are also going to use the festival as an investment promotion opportunity. "There are so many people who will attend the fair as tourists and we intend to attract them to visit the country," he said, adding that they are going to showcase basket weaving as well. "We are taking a local weaver to the festival and hope that Botswana baskets will find a market in the US," said the official, further adding that the country has been excelling in basket weaving. He noted that they would also utilize the festival as part of BEDIA's export development strategy. "We are also going there to find markets for products," he said. He said one of the weeks would be dedicated to promoting tourism, adding that they intend to advertise tourist attractions like the Okavango Delta. They will also show a promotional DVD about the country. Zimona said the delegation will also run business workshops about the country which will be aimed at attracting potential investors to the country. Speaking at the send-off party held for the troupe on Thursday evening, BEDIA chairman, Morago Ngidi, said the decision to participate in the festival was aimed at showcasing the country's culture, food as well as its tourism treasures and investment opportunities. "Since the US is the biggest economy in the world, it is critical that we cultivate and nurture linkages with as varied and as many sectors of society as possible. In collaboration with the Botswana Tourism Board, we have put together an elaborate program," he said. Ngidi said a chef working for Phakalane Estates, Joseph Seeletso, will participate in a number of cooking activities during the first two weeks of the festival. He indicated that former Miss Universe, Mpule Kwelagobe, is expected to join the delegates to beef up the investment and tourism campaign. BEDIA is also exploring the possibility of inviting the winner of Nokia Face of Africa, Kaone Kario, to participate in the program during the last week of the festival. "We chose to participate together with 11 countries in the six week long festival because it will accord us the opportunity, not only to showcase our culture, tourism and foods, but also to conduct targeted meetings and workshops with potential investors, tour operators, and tourists. "Through these we expect to establish long term relationships with Disney World and the US to fully exploit the opportunities of doing business with an established brand name, that is well positioned, not only in the US but globally," said Ngidi. He stressed that the drive to attract foreign direct investment is a national objective, which requires collective and coordinated efforts. "These efforts will enhance our chances of success in positioning our country as the investment destination of choice. Needless to say, the competition for FDI and tourist inflows is awesome, but due to our determination we should get a slice of the cake". |
||
|
|
||
|
Monday September 19, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
NARRATORS: The list is subject to change;
"ENTERTAINMENT SUBJECT TO CHANGE without notice."
11/25-11/27 - Rita Moreno 11/28-11/30 - Phil Donahue 12/01-12/03 - Haley Joel Osment 12/04-12/06 - Cicely Tyson 12/07-12/09 - Jaci Velasquez 12/10-12/12 - Eartha Kitt 12/13-12/15 - Lou Diamond Phillips 12/16-12/18 - Harry Hamlin 12/19-12/21 - Marlee Matlin - Jack Jason will be interpreter for performances 12/22-12/24 - Jim Caviezel 12/25-12/27 - John Stamos 12/28-12/30 - Steven Curtis Chapman NARRATORS BIOS: Rita Moreno - Ms. Moreno is the only female performer to have won all four of the most prestigious show business awards - the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony, and the Grammy. She is widely known for her award winning performances in West Side Story, The Ritz, and The Electric Company album. Phil Donahue - Legendary talk show pioneer and host of the long running Phil Donahue show. Haley Joel Osment - Academy Award nominated child star of such films as The Sixth Sense, Al, and Pay It Forward Cicely Tyson - Legendary star of stage, screen, and television appearing in: Because of Winn-Dixie, A Lesson Before Dying, Fried Green Tomatoes, Roots. Jaci Velasquez - One of the world's most successful and beloved Latin pop/ballad singers. Awarded, two Latin Grammy® nominations, three Grammy Nominations, five Latin Billboard Award nominations, six Dove Awards and Female Pop Album of the Year at the Latin Billboard Awards. Eartha Kitt - The career of Eartha Kitt spans work as a dancer, singer, and actress - on stage, television, film, and in cabarets. Her vocal vibrancy, fiery personality, and unmistakable cat-like singing voice have made her an audience favorite, and a veritable entertainment legend. Lou Diamond Phillips - Actor most noted for his portrayal of rock pioneer Ritchie Valens in the film, La Bamba. Also starred in Young Guns and Murder at the Presidio Harry Hamlin - Film and Television actor, best known for his long running role on LA Law. Also starred in Strange Hearts and Silent Predators. Marlee Matlin - Marlee Matlin first received worldwide acclaim for her motion picture debut in Children of a Lesser God, rewarding her with both an Oscar and a Golden Globe award. Since then she has appeared in numerous screen and television productions, including NBC's West Wing. In addition to authoring a novel for children, she is the spokesperson for closed captioning. Marlee has had roles in numerous series including: Spin City, ER, Judging Amy and The Practice. Jim Caviezel - Best known for his role as Jesus in The Passion of the Christ (2004) -- not to mention the actual suffering that he endured when his shoulder was separated during the crucifixion sequence - this acclaimed actor truly followed through on bringing the story of the Christian Messiah to the masses. John Stamos- Actor/Producer. Starring on General Hospital and as Uncle Jesse on Full House. Most recently starring in the TV series, Jake in Progress. Steven Curtis Chapman - Steven Curtis Chapman is one of the most prominent performers of contemporary Christian music. He has sold more than 7 million records and his passion has rewarded him with 4 Grammy awards, 36 number one singles, and 45 Dove awards. |
||
|
|
||
|
In a bid to capitalize on the booming
cartoon-based toys retail market, Funskool India has entered
into an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to retail
Disney’s range of toy merchandise here.
A Funskool press release said the company has launched Disney ‘Princess’ dolls and Role-Play sets this year. The products come with a price tag of Rs 299 to Rs 649 for dolls and between Rs 199 and Rs 1,500 for the role-play sets. The Disney brand had crossed $ 3 billion in worldwide consumer retail sales and hopes to garner a market share of over 20 per cent in the growing organized Rs 15 crore category of toys, said a release. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
Online Names Brad Davis Vice President of Advertising Sales
Disney Online, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group and the leader in kids and family online entertainment, has appointed Brad Davis to serve as vice president of its online advertising sales unit. A veteran of the advertising sales industry with previous positions at America Online (AOL) and Comcast Spotlight, Davis will provide strategic direction for the sales team and lead all media sales efforts for Disney Online, which includes Disney.com, FamilyFun.com and Movies.com.
"With leadership roles at major Internet
and cable companies, Brad brings a great mix of experience and
insight to our rapidly expanding online media business,"
said Ken Goldstein, executive vice president and managing
director, Disney Online, to whom Davis reports. "Our
audience continues to grow along with the online advertising
market, and that combined with our unique access to parents
makes this a wonderful time to add depth to our senior
management team."
"It's an exciting time to be joining Disney Online, a recognized industry leader and innovator," stated Davis. "Clients are increasingly looking to online advertising for its unique creative solutions: an integrated environment, with powerful one-to-one marketing and retention tools. Disney Online and its affiliated sites offer rich media, video and highly targeted advertising opportunities -- all backed by a brand unlike any other." Davis has more than 20 years of experience in advertising sales. Prior to joining Disney Online, Davis served as a director of sales at Comcast Spotlight, Washington, DC, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable that serves more than 70 of the nation's largest DMAs. At Comcast, Davis was accountable for ad sales strategic development, tactical planning and implementation for the Washington, DC region. Before joining Comcast Spotlight, Davis spent nearly a decade in online advertising with AOL, holding numerous management positions including vice president, sales & product training and vice president, local sales and marketing development. While at AOL, Davis supported key units such as Digital City, AOL Local including Mapquest and Moviefone, and AOL's Interactive Marketing. Davis also held positions at National Cable Communications and several local broadcast affiliates. He has been active in industry organizations including IAB and iMedia, where he served on the Training Council. |
||
|
|
||
|
Explosion
Rocks Epcot in Walt Disney World
The inferno barge, responsible for many of
the spectacular effects for the Illuminations fireworks show
in the World Showcase lagoon, exploded today at Epcot. The
explosion could be heard throughout the park and nearby
Boardwalk resort area. "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth," is a nighttime spectacular filled with the fiery glow of torches, a high-energy soundtrack, sky-piercing lasers and thunderous fireworks. The Inferno Barge weighs in at 150,000 pounds, and has 37 nozzles that shoot propane flames to the sky. The energy produced is equivalent to 1.7 Million horsepower. |
||
|
|
||
|
Featuring Extended, Unrated Version of the
Film with Never-Before-Seen Footage, Plus Hours of Bonus
Materials Overseen By Director Robert Rodriguez
BURBANK, Calif., September 9, 2005 – Bursting off the pages of the famed comic book, Frank Miller’s Sin City became one of this year’s most stylish, hip and creative films. Now fans will get to take another trip to the dark edge of Old Town with the much-anticipated SIN CITY RECUT & EXTENDED, the complete and expanded unrated version of the film with never-before-seen footage integrated directly into the feature by director Robert Rodriguez. This essential two-disc DVD will be presented in ultra-stylish packaging, hours of all-new bonus materials supervised directly by Rodriguez showing how this unique film was brought to life, plus the complete first issue of Frank Miller’s Sin City graphic novel. This year’s must-have gift for the holidays, SIN CITY RECUT & EXTENDED will be available on two-disc DVD on December 13th for $39.99 SRP from Dimension Home Video. Robert Rodriguez (“Desperado,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “The Faculty”) and comics idol Frank Miller co-direct FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY, based on a series of graphic novels created by Miller, highlighted by a special segment from guest director Quentin Tarantino (“Pulp Fiction,” “Kill Bill” series). Sin City is infested with criminals, crooked cops and sexy dames, some searching for vengeance, some for redemption. Visually-stunning, the film has been translated from page to screen by remaining absolutely faithful to the look, feel and dialogue of the books. DVD CONTENTS DISC ONE • Original Feature Film Presentation • Feature Commentary with Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller • Feature Commentary with Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino • Feature Commentary of Austin Premiere Audience Reaction • Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes --A Hard Top With A Decent Engine: The Cars of Sin City --Making the Monsters: Special Effects & Make-Up --Trench Coats and Fishnets: The Costumes of Sin City --Booze, Broads & Guns: The Props of Sin City --How It Went Down: Convincing Frank Miller to Make The Film --Giving The Characters Life: Casting the Film --Special Guest Director, Quentin Tarantino • Sin-Chroni-City Interactive: As the viewer watches Sin City, it becomes apparent that the characters and their stories are not isolated, but intertwined. It is also revealed that the timelines for these stories are not in synch—and yet not entirely independent. This interactive feature allows the user to get a timeline view of the happenings of Sin City. The user can see the overview schematic of the scenes in chronological order and then zoom in for more detail on any of the events. • Teaser and Theatrical Trailers DISC TWO • Sin City Recut Extended Unrated Feature Film Presentation (with 23 added minutes) Full-length expanded cuts of each individual episode (“Customer Is Always Right,” “The Hard Goodbye,” “Big Fat Kill” and “That Yellow *******”) split out into short films – each with their own title cards and in their own complete form; viewers can watch separately and in any order desired. • 15 Minute Flick School – Showing how everything was done, including the development of the look of the movie before there was financing, plus early screen tests, rehearsal tapes, final effects. Narrated and cut by Robert Rodriguez. • All Green Version – A high speed look at the entire movie with only its green screen elements. • The Long Take – A full uninterrupted 17 minute take during the filming of Quentin's segment. Audience gets to see what it's like to sit in the middle of a whirlwind of creativity while the camera is rolling. They never call cut, so everyone is concentrating, working, experimenting and being creative for 17 minutes straight. Very interesting to watch, and hear everyone brainstorming and improvising. Clive, Nicotero, Rodriguez, Tarantino, and Del Toro, Stevie J, all doing their thing at one point or another. • Sin City: Live in Concert – Sin City filmmakers, cast and crew head over to Antone’s restaurant one night after shooting “That Yellow *******” so Bruce Willis' and Robert's band Chingon could play a benefit show. Shows the full version of Bruce and his band playing the song "Devil Woman" and Rodriguez and his band playing the “Theme from Sin City.” • 10 Minute Cooking School: Sin City Breakfast Tacos – Rodriguez’s meal of choice during the lnog night hours of making Sin City. Shows how to make Rodriguez’s grandma’s secret homemade flour tortilla recipe as well. FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY stars Bruce Willis (“Hostage”) as Hartigan, a cop with a bum ticker and a vow to protect exotic dancer Nancy (Jessica Alba, TV’s “Dark Angel”). Mickey Rourke (“Man On Fire”) stars as Marv, the outcast misanthrope on a mission to avenge the death of his one true love, Goldie (Jaime King, “White Chicks”). Clive Owen (“Closer”) stars as Dwight, the clandestine love of Shelley (Brittany Murphy, “Little Black Book,”, “8 Mile”), who spends his night defending Gail (Rosario Dawson, “Alexander”) and her Old Towne girls (Devon Aoki, “2 Fast 2 Furious”) and Alexis Bledel (TV’s “Gilmore Girls”) from Jackie (Benicio Del Toro, “21 Grams”), a tough guy with a penchant for violence. Elijah Wood (“Lord of the Rings” series), Nick Stahl (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), Michael Madsen (“Kill Bill Vol. 2”), Carla Gugino (TV’s “Karen Sisco”), Powers Boothe (“Deadwood”), Rutger Hauer (“Batman Begins”), Josh Hartnett (“Pearl Harbor”) and Michael Clarke Duncan (“Daredevil”) are also part of the ensemble cast. Based on the graphic novels by Frank Miller. Directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez (“From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Spy Kids”). STREET DATE: DECEMBER 13, 2005 Direct prebook: October 18 Distributor prebook: November 1 Suggested retail price: $39.99 (DVD) Rated: Not Rated Original Feature running time: Approximately 124 minutes Recut Feature running time: Approximately 147 minutes DVD aspect ratio: 1.85:1 enhanced for 16x9 TV screens DVD Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound DTS 5.1 Surround Sound (Original Feature Only) DVD Language: English |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC capped a rebound year with six Emmy Awards
on Sunday for hit shows including "Lost" and
"Desperate Housewives," but it was cable TV's HBO
that won the most awards, seven, at U.S. television's top
honors.
Walt Disney Co. unit ABC had long lagged rivals NBC and CBS in the viewership before the popular "Housewives" and "Lost" debuted last year, because of its success with the two shows, it was widely considered to be the Emmys frontrunner. An Emmy win can often attract new viewers to a TV show, which is especially important for broadcasters like ABC who depend on viewer ship and advertising dollars to boost revenue. "Lost," a thriller about the survivors of a plane crash who are stuck on deserted island, took home awards for best drama series and best directing. "Housewives" won for best comedy directing and one of the show's stars, Felicity Huffman, won for best lead actress in a comedy. ABC comedy "Boston Legal" picked up awards for James Spader as best actor and William Shatner as best supporting actor. In one major surprise, "Housewives" lost the best comedy Emmy to CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," which ended its nine-year run last season. CBS, a unit of Viacom Inc. won five Emmys overall, three of which were for "Raymond." Time Warner Inc. unit HBO took home the most statues thanks to three honors for TV movie "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," about the late comedian Sellers, and two for TV movie, "Warm Springs," about the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. HBO's movie "Lackawanna Blues" and miniseries "Empire Falls" each took home one award. Unlike traditional networks, premium cable channel HBO uses the acclaim awards bring to help boost subscription revenue. General Electric Co. unit NBC took home the least awards of any of the top three networks, winning just two Emmys. Before last season, NBC had long garnered the highest ratings of any other traditional network. This past year, however, the network has had trouble finding its footing since the cancellation of hit comedies "Friends" and "Frasier." NBC's awards included best actress in a drama series for Patricia Arquette of "Medium" as well as one for its broadcast of the opening ceremony of last year's Olympic Games. The FOX network, a unit of News Corp. Inc., and cable's Comedy Central also each won two awards. Fox hospital drama "House" won the award for best writing in a drama series and "Arrested Development," a low-rated but critically acclaimed Fox comedy about the family of a jailed businessman, won for best comedy writing. Including Emmys given out at a non-televised technical awards show last week, HBO took home a total of 27 statues, ABC won 16, CBS won 11, NBC won 10, and Fox won six. |
||
|
|
||
|
In the old fairy tale, a fretful fowl named
Chicken Little gets bonked by an acorn, mistakes this minor
incident for an astral calamity and frightens the neighbors by
exclaiming, "The sky is falling!" In the world of
traditional animation, when computer-generated (CG) 3-D
cartoons came in, the sky did fall. The first piece was Pixar,
with such movies as Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. Another chunk
was DreamWorks (the Shreks). And, yes, an outfit called Blue
Sky fell too, with Ice Age and Robots. Hand-drawn, or 2-D,
animation was instantly kaput. Chicken Little was right.
In a decade, CG animation has achieved a commercial and artistic revolution. It has also achieved something else: it annihilated the Disney cartoon feature. Now, with a fresh team at the company--CEO Robert Iger, film-studio boss Richard Cook and animation chief David Stainton--Disney has begun the arduous process of remaking itself. "It's like a battleship changing course," Cook says. "It takes a while, but we're moving in the right direction." They are indeed, to judge from the exclusive peek they offered TIME of their first four CG theatrical features. Disney surely has a winner in its debut effort, Mark Dindal's Chicken Little, which opens Nov. 4. It's one of the funniest, most charming and most exhilarating movies in years. And it's a genuine Disney cartoon, with a storytelling sense and graphic precision worthy of the old animation masters. The transition from pencils to pixels hasn't been easy for the studio. Hand-drawn feature animation was an art form it created and then nurtured for six decades, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 through the '94 smash The Lion King. Who could imagine that the empire would crumble? And why, when Disney had a distribution pact with Pixar, should the parent studio pursue CG animation? The box office answered both questions briskly: of the 10 top-grossing animated films since 1995, when Toy Story became the first computerized cartoon feature, all but one (Disney's Tarzan, at No. 10) are CG. Like a dazed boxer who has been KO'd, the old-line Disney artists were slow to rise from their canvases. They kept making serioso dramas with soaring Broadwayesque scores, when the CG films were mopping up with brash, no-song comedies that appealed to young males as well as the family audience. New ideas were stifled. "It's kind of an irony," says Oscar-winning animator Eric Armstrong (The ChubbChubbs!), "because Walt was well known for being an innovative guy. A lot of people thought it was funny that Disney didn't want to try the same experimentation." Gradually, Disney's box-office magic evaporated; Treasure Planet, in 2002, cost about $140 million yet cadged only $38 million at the domestic wickets. Worse, relations with Pixar soured--though the premier CG studio may sign up with Disney again. Last week Disney CFO Thomas Staggs said the film division expected a loss of more than $250 million for the year's fourth fiscal quarter. The 3-D-vs.-2-D debate at the studio went beyond the commercial or even artistic implications of CG. Hand-drawn animation was the Disney religion. Stainton, while overseeing a reduction of the animation staff from 2,200 to 725, worked hard to win over the old boys. He argued that CG actually frees artists "to produce movies of extraordinarily different styles. There are limitations in hand drawn. In CG you can do things that are much more complicated." But some still thought the very notion of a change sacrilegious. To abandon the grand old style for 3-D would be like tearing down Chartres to put up a condo. As the animator of many cartoon heroes, from Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Beauty's Beast to Aladdin, Pocahontas and Tarzan, Disney veteran Glen Keane was expected to lead the rearguard battle. "Everybody," he says, "wanted me to really fight for hand drawn." When Keane looked for ways to work in the new world, he says, "many of the traditional artists thought that I had betrayed them. And many of the CG artists didn't trust me." In 2003 the two camps met for a retreat. "We realized there were a lot of things being done [at CG studios] that just aren't us. So let's do us." A few respected animators, like Andreas Deja (who drew the title characters in Hercules and Who Framed Roger Rabbit) and Eric Goldberg (mastermind of the Genie in Aladdin), resisted making the switch to CG. And Keane, when he sat down at a computer, was soon aware of its downside. "It tempts you with the easy choices. It says, 'You designed half that face. Push this button, we'll duplicate it, and the job's done. You've got symmetry--perfect!' But the key to beauty is strangeness, asymmetry." To woo him, Stainton told Keane he could direct a favorite project, Rapunzel Unbraided--if it was CG. Keane discovered that the computer "forced me to be a better artist. It challenged me to be better at what I do." CG also allowed him to give his leading lady something hand drawn couldn't persuasively do: freckles. Rapunzel is scheduled for a 2008 release. It is to follow next year's fantasy trip Meet the Robinsons, in which a boy is taken in by a wonderfully eccentric family, and, in 2007, the hip, puckish American Dog, about a canine celebrity who thinks he's still on his TV show when he's really stranded in the desert. Those three films have a high standard to meet in the sassy, bouncy Chicken Little. The title character (voiced by Zach Braff) has huge glasses and a studious mien. And, oh, is this chick adorable, whether trying to win a chaotic baseball game or shaking a tail feather in his soon-to-be-copied chicken dance. It's up to him and his outcast pals to persuade the local skeptics that, darn it, the sky really is falling. At a pace as sprightly and assured as the great old Warner Bros. cartoons, the movie flirts with alien abductions, crop circles, Streisand jokes and familial reconciliation. The animation is gorgeous, but it's the feeling that you'll take home--warm, smart and happy. Thus does the Disney ship set its new course. There's no telling if Chicken Little will be a hit that convinces Wall Street and mall rats alike that the old studio has a brand-new bag. It has a lot of catching up to do. Sony's animation division will release its first CG feature, Open Season, in 2006. Blue Sky and DreamWorks aren't going anywhere. And Pixar would be a fierce competitor. But if Disney thrives in CG, a little chicken shall lead it. And from now on, they hope, the sky's the limit. |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Ultimate Body Language: How You Line Up for Mickey
Hong Kong Disneyland, the second Disney foray into Asia, is known to some in the theme park business as Disney Lite. At a little more than 300 acres, it's far smaller than Disney parks in the United States, Japan and France, with fewer of the elaborate signature rides. But in one area, at least, the Hong Kong park more than holds its own: the lines. In several weeks of trial runs leading up to the official opening last week, parkgoers complained of waits of over two hours for some attractions. One visitor said that in 12 hours at the park, he went on all of four rides. While many problems were no doubt attributable to the newness of the place and its employees - the first few weeks being the worst time to visit any theme park - the waits led some Hong Kong officials to urge Disney to reduce the planned number of daily customers, currently 30,000. And the delays sparked cultural complaints in Internet discussion groups, with some Hong Kong residents saying the problems were made worse by pushing and shoving by mainland Chinese visitors unaccustomed to orderly waiting. There are, in fact, cultural differences in how people behave while in line, according to social scientists and park designers. Those differences have even led to physical changes in so-called queuing areas at some parks. Rongrong Zhou, an assistant professor of marketing at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the differences went beyond a Hong Kong-mainland split. Ms. Zhou, who has studied the psychology of queuing in Hong Kong, although not at theme parks, said there was a tendency among Asians and others in more collective cultures to compare their situation with those around them. This may make it more likely that they will remain in a line even if it is excessively long. Ms. Zhou said this finding was rooted in a somewhat paradoxical observation: that it is the people behind a person in line, rather than in front, that determines the person's behavior. "The likelihood of people giving up and leaving the queue is lower when they see more people behind them," Ms. Zhou said. "You feel like you are in a better position than the others behind you." By contrast, she said, Americans and others in more individualistic societies make fewer "social comparisons" of this sort. They don't necessarily feel better that more people are behind them, but feel bad if too many people are in front of them. Lines in these cultures tend to be more self-limiting. In a place like Hong Kong, however, the lines may just grow and grow. "The longer the line, people think the service is more worthwhile to get," Ms. Zhou said. Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said that in the first few weeks of the Hong Kong park's operation, officials have noticed more specific differences between Hong Kong visitors and those from the mainland. About 25 percent of Hong Kong residents, Mr. Rasulo said, had already visited a Disney theme park. As a result, he said, they "seem a little more respectful." Visitors from mainland China, where only 1 percent have visited a Disney park, are still trying to figure out how lines work. "They are not as impulsive" as some of their peers in Europe, he said, but they also are not as patient as the Japanese. Europeans, Mr. Rasulo added, "have very different attitudes about how they wait for things." At the Disneyland Resort Paris, while British visitors are orderly, French and Italians "never saw a line they couldn't be in front of." After the French park opened, Mr. Rasulo said, the company made the lines narrower by moving handrails closer together to try to prevent people from pushing ahead of others. He said the Peter Pan attraction at the Paris park was so popular that it is the only Peter Pan ride in all of Disney's parks to have Fastpass, which allows people to come back at a specific time and is an effective way to control pushy crowds. Peter Alexander, a former Disney and Universal Studios theme park designer who at one time was director of project management for Tokyo Disneyland, said that most cultures are tolerant of waiting, though some more than others. The Japanese, said Mr. Alexander, who is now president of Totally Fun Company, a park design firm in Tampa, Fla., are among the most patient. "They are very Eastern mystical in their ignoring everybody else, and that's why they are able to deal with long lines," he said. And forget cutting in line at Tokyo Disneyland, where people spread out large mats along the parade route to reserve their spot hours beforehand. No one, Mr. Rasulo said, steps on the mats, and children wait patiently there with their parents until the parade begins. "The only place where I have been consistently advised that people can't stand to wait in line is the Middle East," Mr. Alexander said. The solution at theme parks in that region, he said, is to increase ride capacity so that little or no waiting is necessary. The other parks where people don't have to wait in line are the ones that are failures, Mr. Alexander said. He described one, Walibi Schtroumpf, a Smurf-themed park in eastern France, that attracted less than half of its projected two million visitors a year. "You don't wait in line at Walibi Schtroumpf," Mr. Alexander said, "because there's nobody there." |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC thriller 'Lost' wins Emmy for best drama The popular new castaway thriller "Lost," which helped lead a ratings rebound at the ABC television network last season, won the Emmy Award on Sunday for best drama series. The eerie episodic drama, about a group of plane crash survivors marooned on a spooky, remote island, was widely seen as sparking a new wave of high-concept, supernatural shows coming to prime time this fall. The Emmys are the U.S. TV industry's top awards. |
||
|
|
||
|
Raising
the curtain on Disney's top managers
The court has proclaimed its judgment. Michael Eisner, Chief Executive Officer of Walt Disney Co., did not intend to harm the company. He was just a bad manager. The final decision has been long in coming. The case, which began in 2004 in the Delaware Chancery Court, ended this January and the decision came just last month. Briefly, a group of shareholders filed a suit that the Board of Directors of Disney had been negligent in allowing Mr Michael Ovitz to receive a severance package worth about $140 million (Rs. 616 crore) eight years ago. The plaintiffs were seeking repayment, by the board, of the entire package plus interest, which would have amounted to about $200 million (Rs. 880 crore). A bit of background first. In 1995, Mr Eisner hired Mr Ovitz as President on a five-year contract, with the intention that he would be the next CEO. Mr Ovitz came with an established reputation in the entertainment industry as a powerful agent and a deal maker. Just 14 months later, he was given a `no fault' termination and the lavish package. The plaintiffs' argument was that Mr Ovitz should have been fired `for cause' instead, in which case, he would not have been eligible for the severance. They charged that the board had failed to do its job in not adequately scrutinizing Mr Ovitz's employment contract. By his contract, he could be fired for cause on grounds of negligence or malfeasance, which is what the plaintiffs' attorney tried to show. The irony was that Mr Eisner and Mr Ovitz were good friends to begin with and the former had made earlier attempts to get Mr Ovitz to join the company. It was a friendship that rapidly deteriorated. As the case proceeded, it provided titillating testimony from current and former employees on the goings-on in the company. Both Eisner and Ovitz emerged with their reputations tarnished as a parade of witnesses, some as high-profile as actor Sidney Poitier, who was a Disney director, shared with the court their thoughts on the individuals involved. The lawyers for the plaintiffs had to establish that Mr Ovitz was a misfit, so his hiring was wrong, and his firing should have been for cause, and thus the board did not do its job. Mr Ovitz took the stand to establish his reputation as a brilliant manager so his firing was wrong and he deserved the severance. The third party — Mr Eisner and the directors — had to establish that Mr Ovitz was bad enough to require termination but not so bad that he could be fired `for cause'. All this made for great drama in the court. Witnesses for the company, who were current or former directors stood up and said in open court that they thought Mr Ovitz was a `cancer' in the organization, he was not getting along with the executives in the company, was trying to strike deals not in the interest of the company, and, therefore, had to be terminated. Mr Ovitz, on his part, claimed that he made several decisions that helped the company but was often thwarted by lack of support from Mr Eisner. Mr Eisner and others downplayed the significance of those decisions to establish their position that he was a misfit including calling him a `psychopath.' The final decision of the court is expected to have some implications for corporate management. The judgment provides an inkling about what kind of company decisions board members cannot be held accountable for. Although the board is the ultimate decision-making body, it leaves several issues to the management. But if things go wrong, can the directors be held responsible? Some observers feel that if they had been held responsible in the Disney case, then it would have put a scare into boards all around for they would begin second-guessing management decisions, which can rapidly lead to paralysis. I disagree. Directors have a fiduciary responsibility that they must discharge and for which they are handsomely compensated. Moreover, in the Disney case, the directors were protected by insurance to cover any liabilities. Also, the money recovered by the plaintiffs would have come back to the company's coffers and not distributed to the shareholders. Thus, here was a golden, and no-risk opportunity for the court to make directors all around the country wake up from their slumber and earn their keep. Instead, the judge made use of the `business judgment' rule that allows managers wide latitude to run the company as long as they do not misappropriate funds for personal benefit or act in bad faith. In this case, the only punitive justice the CEO and directors received was a bit of lecturing on not measuring up to standards of board conduct! Come to think of it, it would have been surprising if the verdict had swung the other way. The tiny state of Delaware has a separate system called the Chancery Courts that deal with business issues and have built a long tradition of case law on business matters. In the process, they have also built a reputation of being a judiciary that is `management' friendly (as different from being `business' friendly). This reputation of the courts, apart from the ease of incorporation and reporting the State of Delaware allows, has made the State the preferred location for business registration. It is estimated that a majority of top US corporations are incorporated in Delaware even though they may have their head offices and principal businesses elsewhere in the country. The Disney case provided an inside view to the workings of a major corporation and it was not a pretty sight. Here were two top guys, hurling accusations and dragging each other's names through the mud in every conceivable way. One key skill of any CEO is to be able to hire the right people and leave them to do their job. In this, Mr Eisner failed publicly. He is even believed to have paid a director $250,000 (Rs. 1.1 crore) for his help in negotiating with Mr Ovitz in the process of hiring him. But within days of hiring Ovitz, when two senior executives refused to report to him, Mr Eisner did nothing to resolve the issue. Mr Eisner became CEO in 1984 and managed a brilliant turnaround of the company, got the stock price going up again, and engineered several acquisitions. But he overstayed his welcome. In another episode not unlike the Ovitz affair, he settled a lawsuit with his erstwhile studio chief, Jeffrey Katzenberg, for $250 million (Rs 1,100 crore), in 1999. In March 2004, shareholders dealt a blow to his ego with 45 per cent withholding support for his re-election to the board. The brother of founder Walt Disney and one other director of the company stepped down from the board in 2003 and have been challenging his authority at every turn. Finally, he seems to have got the message. He has decided to step down as CEO in 2006. The drama and intrigue of top management practice at Disney has all the ingredients of a Hollywood pot-boiler, although it is not the kind of fare that Disney is famous for. |
||
|
|
||
|
Holiday
Cheer At The Disneyland Resort Makes Spirits Bright, November
11 Through January 2
As its 50th Anniversary "Happiest Celebration on Earth" continues in full swing, the Disneyland Resort will be decked out for the holidays with dazzling décor, magical parades, and festive shows and attractions every day from November 11 through January 2. Extended park hours for Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure will be in effect for much of the season, and Downtown Disney District and the Disneyland Resort hotels will join in the fun with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining. Disneyland New this year is "Santa's Reindeer Round-Up" at Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland. The ranch will be transformed into a "West Pole" getaway where Santa will unwind with Mrs. Claus and his team of reindeer. Kids and their families can chat with St. Nick, see real reindeer grazing in a corral, play some reindeer games, create take-home Yuletide souvenirs and join in holiday line dances with music from a Western trio. "Haunted Mansion Holiday" returns with a madcap celebration where the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. The ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington from the film "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" has come to the "Haunted Mansion" to transform it with his skewed vision of the holidays. The park's annual holiday parade, "A Christmas Fantasy," will be presented November 18 through January 1 on Main Street, U.S.A. This ever-popular procession depicts an enchanting collection of holiday scenes, music and a cast of Disney characters and performers in Yuletide vignettes. Toy soldiers march in cadence, friendly snowmen dance and Santa waves from a soaring sleigh as his reindeer prance below. In Fantasyland, the classic "it's a small world" will again become "it's a small world Holiday" with a seasonal overlay that transforms this favorite Disneyland attraction into a holiday trip around the world. More than 300,000 glittery lights adorn the attraction's façade. The park will be trimmed with wreaths, lights, garland and other décor, and strolling holiday performers, including the Dickens Carolers, will make musical merriment all season long. Disneyland's 50th Anniversary entertainment includes the all-new nightly fireworks spectacular, "Remember… Dreams Come True," the most elaborate pyrotechnics display in Disneyland history featuring an amazing new flight path for Tinker Bell. During the holidays, "Remember" will conclude with a stirring rendition of "White Christmas" as a magical snowfall gently flutters down on Main Street, U.S.A., Small World Mall and New Orleans Square. "Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams" continues daily on Main Street, U.S.A., immersing guests in the musical grandeur and visual spectacle of this innovative Disney parade. Within the high-speed "Space Mountain" in Tomorrowland, guests will discover new special effects, a redesigned Spaceport and other surprises, while intergalactic adventurers can battle the evil Emperor Zurg in the new "Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters" attraction. Disney's California Adventure At the new "Block Party Bash," music and excitement are cranked to the max for this high-energy street extravaganza as Disney presents the Pixar Film pals, who invite guests to dance and play as they party along the performance corridor. Performed daily, this wild block party entertains with a non-stop musical parade that doubles as an interactive street spectacular. Also new is "Turtle Talk with Crush" at the "Disney Animation" exhibit in Hollywood Pictures Backlot. Starring Crush, the sea turtle from the hit Disney/Pixar film "Finding Nemo," this incredible experience gives guests the chance to chat and joke with the animated sea turtle. Sunshine Plaza will become "Santa's Beach Blast," where the Disney characters playfully blend classic holiday images with the California beach lifestyle. Santa the surfer will greet guests near a Woody wagon sleigh, and the area will be filled with seaside-style holiday decorations. The park's lands will glow with Yuletide cheer day and night. At Flik's Fun Fair, Flik and his bug buddies will spread giant Christmas lights, oversized ornaments and towering candy canes throughout their realm. Alongside Paradise Bay, a resplendent Christmas tree will provide a dazzling sight as other nearby trees sparkle with hundreds of lights and wreathes adorn lampposts. For Disneyland Resort information, call (714) 781-4565 or visit www.disneyland.com. |
||
|
|
||
|
Why
Disney gave up pencils for computers
On April 4, 2003, Glen Keane, one of Walt Disney's most respected animators, summoned about 50 of his colleagues to a conference room on the lot here to discuss the war brewing at the studio. Disney's animators had settled into two opposing camps: those who were skilled in computer animation and those who refused to give up their pencils. Keane, a 31-year veteran who created the beast from "Beauty and the Beast" and Ariel from "The Little Mermaid," was a Disney traditionalist. But after a series of experiments to see whether he could create a computer-animated ballerina, his opposition softened. So he invited the 50 animators to discuss the pros and cons of both art forms, calling his seminar "The Best of Both Worlds." For an hour, Keane listed the pluses and minuses of each technique while the other animators listened quietly. After a few tentative questions, the crowd burst into chatter as animators shouted over one another, some arguing that computers should not replace people and others expressing fears that they would be forced to draw by hand. In a recent interview, Keane recalled that Kevin Geiger, a computer animation supervisor, then stood up and demanded of him, "If you can do all this cool stuff that you're talking about - that you want to see in animation - but you have to give up the pencil to do it, are you in?" Keane hesitated before answering, "I'm in." Three weeks later, the company's animators were told that Disney would concentrate on making computer-animated movies, abandoning a 70-year-old hand-drawn tradition in favor of a style popularized by newer and more successful rivals like Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. The results were nothing short of a cultural revolution at the studio, which is famous for the hand-drawn classics championed by its founder, Walt Disney, like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Peter Pan." On Nov. 4, a little more than two and a half years after that decision, Disney will release "Chicken Little," the first of four computer-animated films being developed at the newly reorganized studio. The company is hoping that this movie, along with others like "Meet the Robinsons," "American Dog" and Keane's "Rapunzel Unbraided," will return a reinvigorated Disney to its past glory. There is a lot more than pride, however, riding on their success. Animation was once Disney's heart, a profitable lifeline that fed the company's theme park, book and home video divisions. And reviving profit is as essential to Disney these days as regaining its storied reputation. Last week, the company said it expected its studio to lose as much as $300 million in the fourth quarter because of poor performance in its live-action division. Over all, Disney had net profit of $2.27 billion in the first three quarters of its 2005 fiscal year on the strength of its ABC network and its ESPN sports cable channel. "From a psychological standpoint, 'Chicken Little' is very important for Disney," said Hal Vogel, an analyst who covers Disney. "Everything is touched by animation, and if they don't refresh it, it becomes frayed at the edges." The box office numbers show how far the sky has fallen. The studio reached the height of its most recent popularity with the 1994 release of "The Lion King," which brought in $764.8 million at the worldwide box office. By contrast, the last nine animated movies Disney either made or acquired took in only $758.3 million combined. "The Incredibles," the 2004 film created by Pixar, brought in $630 million, nearly as much as Disney's last eight animated movies. So it should come as no surprise that when Keane stood up and made his passionate plea in 2003, Disney was in the midst of an identity crisis. It had to reinvent itself - or wither. "When everybody feels pretty good about themselves, and you have Champagne coming out of the water fountain, it's almost like we've got to burn the place down," Mark Dindal, the director of "Chicken Little," said in an interview in August that also included the directors of Disney's three other current animated-film projects. But the competition in animated films is now tougher than ever. It is also fraught with enough sibling rivalry to make the wicked stepsisters in "Cinderella" blush. To begin with, there is Jeffrey Katzenberg, who left Disney in 1994 after a dispute with the chief executive, Michael Eisner, to become a co-founder of DreamWorks SKG. The studio's offshoot, DreamWorks Animation, is now one of Disney's fiercest rivals. Then there is Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer and the Pixar chief executive, who took a swipe at Disney last year, calling its animated sequels "embarrassing." Jobs also sparred with Eisner even though the two companies have been partners since 1991. That deal was brokered by Katzenberg. Jobs agreed only recently to resume talks with Disney about a new distribution agreement that would start in 2007. Against such a backdrop, "Chicken Little" is almost certain to be one of the most scrutinized movies of its kind, not only by moviegoers but also by investors, competitors and fellow animators alike. Soon after becoming president of Walt Disney Feature Animation in 2003, David Stainton was contemplating what to do about the standoff between Disney's two camps of animators, the techies and the traditionalists. When he was hired, Stainton said, Eisner and Richard Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, said they wanted Disney movies to be wittier, contemporary computer-animated comedies with a dramatic twist - in other words, as one Disney executive said, more like the DreamWorks animated film "Shrek." In the early 1990s, Stainton worked in creative development and later ran the Paris studio. Stainton, who has a master's in business administration from Harvard, was best known for running Disney's television animation division and overseeing the company's direct-to-video and sequels business, both of which were profitable but lacked the appeal of original theatrical films. Stainton said he knew he would need an influential animator on his side to succeed. "I sort of had an inkling that it would take artists to convince other artists that this was something viable," he said. So in February 2003, a month after he was hired, he responded enthusiastically when Keane met with him and Eisner and presented six hand-sketched scenes for "Rapunzel Unbraided," a heartwarming romance based on the fairy tale. Stainton and Eisner told Keane that they would approve the film but that there was one caveat: it had to be computer-animated. Keane balked. Stainton said he replied, "Glen, I'm not asking you to go make a movie with humans that look like 'Final Fantasy,"' referring to the stiff figures in the 2001 computer-animated dud. "I'm asking that you - and I know it doesn't exist out there - I'm asking you to go create it. You have to create something new." |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Cathay Pacific's Arabian offer for Disneyland Hong Kong Fly from Dubai to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific this autumn and the airline is offering a free night in a Disneyland hotel and two entry tickets. This great deal celebrates the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland. These tickets are competitively prices from $756 to $868. On the day before Hong Kong Disneyland officially opened to the public, an invited audience of political and business leaders and media were special guests for a Preview Day on Sunday, enjoying an advance look at some of the spectacular shows and attractions in the first Disney theme park in the region. Highlights of the day included preview ceremonies for several of the park's most eagerly anticipated shows and rides. Robert A. Iger, President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer-elect, The Walt Disney Company, welcomed the special guests to the majestic Theater in the Wild in Adventureland for a preview performance of 'Festival of the Lion King,' a live theatrical experience created especially for Hong Kong Disneyland. The high-energy spectacle uses song, dance, puppetry and stunning visual effects to create an African savannah setting filled with lions, giraffes, birds and gazelles. In this theater environment, 'Festival of the Lion King' retells the story of the lion cub Simba, from the Disney animated feature film 'The Lion King,' and his struggle to regain his kingdom following the death of his father. The show features the award-winning music from the movie, written by Elton John and Tim Rice. Hong Kong Disneyland also presents a second live show, 'The Golden Mickeys,' in the Storybook Theater in Fantasyland. Modeled on a Hollywood awards show, 'The Golden Mickeys' brings favorite Disney stories to life with song, dance and special effects. See Main Street, USA Main Street, U.S.A. was the stage in Hong Kong Disneyland for the celebratory 'Disney on Parade,' also previewed for the Sunday guests. The parade features more than 100 performers and nine fantastic, larger-than-life floats. It showcases the history of Disney from the early classic Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons to the fairy tale stories of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid to recent classics like 'Toy Story,' a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film. Earlier that day, Hong Kong actor-singer Eason Chan joined Iger for a preview of one of Hong Kong Disneyland's most exciting attractions, Space Mountain. Combining special effects, pulsating lights and a high-speed trip through near-total darkness, the space-themed indoor roller coaster has become one of the most popular thrill rides at Disney theme parks worldwide. Since the first Space Mountain opened in 1975 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, other versions have opened at Disneyland in California, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan and Disneyland Paris in France. The latest Disney theme park innovation was roaming at large in Hong Kong Disneyland on Sunday. Nine-foot-tall Lucky the Dinosaur walks freely and interacts with children and families, even signing his own distinctive four-leaf-clover 'autograph.' Sunday's Hong Kong Disneyland preview culminated with an after-dark party that was both elegant and exotic. The 'Enchanted Evening' began with food and drinks served along the jungle trials of Adventureland to the accompaniment of reggae music and hard-driving rhythm from village drummers. After dinner, the guests moved to the fairy tale setting of Sleeping Beauty Castle. There, majestic Chinese dragons appeared and were joined by spectacular Chinese acrobats and drummers to announce a sensational concert which mingled East and West, combining Asian and American musicians and singing stars to present well known Disney songs. The international lineup of stars was headlined by Hong Kong Disneyland spokesperson Jacky Cheung, and also starred Emil Chau, multiple platinum album Hong Kong recording artist; Andy Hui, Hong Kong singer and film star; singer-actor Eason Chan; 13-year-old piano virtuoso Rachel Cheung; Brad Kane, the American voice of 'Aladdin'; Coco Lee, Chinese pop star; Paige O'Hara, voice of Belle in 'Beauty and the Beast'; Lea Salonga, Broadway musical theater star and the voice of 'Mulan'; and Joey Yung, award-winning Cantonese/Mandarin singer. For a final burst of light, color, music and special effects, the evening's entertainment concluded with the dazzling 'Disney in the Stars' fireworks show. The night sky is the staging area for 'Disney in the Stars,' and Sleeping Beauty Castle comes to life with dreamlike images projected onto its walls. 'Disney in the Stars' is a spellbinding experience in which fireworks are choreographed to music like dancers in a ballet, and it was the perfect 'good night' ending for the very special Preview Day. |
||
|
|
||
|
Fake
Disney products abound in China
Fancy a Mickey Mouse stuffed toy in vampire outfit with fangs? How about a matching set of black-and-white Mickey Mouse bra and underpants? They're among the more glaring knockoffs of Disney products on sale in the myriad small shops in the southern China boomtown of Shenzhen, just an hour away from Hong Kong -- home to the newest Disneyland. With the opening of the theme park Sept. 12, counterfeit Disney products manufactured in mainland China have flooded the markets in Hong Kong as licensed retailers struggle to keep up with demand. The sheer variety of fake Disney products on display in Shenzhen's bustling Dongmen (East Gate) market is astounding: Mickey Mouse steel wristwatches, Winnie the Pooh clocks, Mickey and Minnie stuffed toys, T-shirts, silver and orange-colored Mickey handbags, wallets and bed sheets. Despite the products' inferior quality, customers say they are drawn by the bargain prices. ''My children love Disney cartoon characters. The genuine clothes are too expensive. I don't mind if they are fake as long as they are wearable,'' said housewife Xiong Feng, whose 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son were donning pirated Mickey Mouse outfits. For 75 Chinese yuan (U.S. $9), shoppers can get a fake Disney wristwatch -- about one-third the price of a genuine one. The cape-clad Mickey vampire toy is on sale for 30 yuan ($3.70), while a set of Mickey underwear costs just 20 yuan (U.S. $2.50). A SERIOUS CONCERN Disney executives acknowledge that piracy is a serious concern for them. ''It's broad. It's everywhere, from our DVD business to our packaged goods, our consumer products, and everything in between,'' said Douglas Miller, executive vice president and managing director of The Walt Disney Co. (Asia Pacific). ''It's a multiple hundreds-of-billions-of-dollars-notjust-Disney issue. It's very significant in all areas,'' he said. To combat counterfeiting, Miller said Disney works with Hong Kong Customs and mainland Chinese authorities for market sweeps and keeps close contact with retailers. He declined to give details. In August, the company introduced a new security tag -- a three-dimensional holographic label -- to identify genuine Hong Kong Disneyland merchandise, sold at two retail outlets at the Hong Kong airport. It is also on sale at the park. CUSTOM CRACKDOWNS In recent weeks, Hong Kong custom officials also stepped up measures to crack down on counterfeit goods featuring Disney as well as Japanese cartoon characters, including raids on several local markets. In one raid, officers seized about 37,500 pirated toys, stationery, handbags and electric appliances worth about 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars (about U.S. $193,100). Officials said the sellers usually mixed genuine products with fake ones in order to evade customs inspection. Both licensed mainland Chinese and Hong Kong manufacturers of Disney products complain that rampant piracy hurts their business. Alice Cheng, marketing manager of Grand Smart International Development, a Disney licensee in Hong Kong, said her company would conduct frequent inspections of local markets and report sightings of counterfeit products to Disney. But across the border, Disney is facing a tougher war in the clampdown on piracy as local media reported that some mainland factories authorized to produce genuine products sometimes make fake goods on the side. ''We are very angry,'' said Zhang Fan, who is in charge of the Shenzhen operations of Youngjun Leather International Co., a Disney licensee of leather products with about 500 stores on the mainland. ''The counterfeiters would copy our new designs just days after they were launched,'' Zhang said. ``They are really fast and sell the fake goods near our own stores at much cheaper prices.'' Zhang said his company has notified Disney about the fakes, but they haven't directly contacted mainland authorities because he says their contract with Disney does not authorize them to do this. He said business is affected but declined to give an estimate. Disney executives expect the Hong Kong theme park -- a joint venture between the company and the Hong Kong government -- to draw throngs of mainland visitors, but whether the company can successfully tackle the piracy issue remains to be seen. |
||
|
|
||
|
Mickey
and the shark fin Disney gets Hong Kong to pay for its own
theme park
They are calling it "the Happiest Celebration on Earth." The Walt Disney Co.'s grand global promotional party to commemorate the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim in 1955 continues unabated. But things are not so happy in Hong Kong, where the family-entertainment firm's latest theme park opened Monday on one of the muggiest, smoggiest days of the year. Executives of the Disney Co. arrived in the former British colony more than five years ago, eager to establish a foothold in China. For Disney, the timing couldn't have been better. For Hong Kong, it could not have been worse. The cosmopolitan city was still staggering beneath a severe economic slump that followed its 1997 return to Chinese control. Hundreds of jumbo jets were arriving nearly empty, and tens of thousands of the city's lavish hotel rooms remained vacant. Unemployment rates were soaring to their highest levels in decades. And so Team Disney set to work, ready to play ball -- hardball. They assured Hong Kong's fretful civil servants that a glamorous new amusement park would bring their financially troubled town nearly $20 billion in revenue and create jobs for 36,000 young locals. Disney's Men in Black knew exactly what they wanted. And in the nine months of intense negotiations that followed, they never wavered. Disney demanded hundreds of acres of prime waterfront land worth billions (on a 50-year renewable lease), while stipulating that Hong Kong pay for construction of the approach roads, a dedicated subway line to the park, two ferry piers, highway interchanges, police and ambulance stations, all drainage and sewage works; plus the full cost of the 310 acres of land reclaimed from the sea, on a site that Disney's former chairman Michael Eisner called "the most spectacular park location we have anywhere in the world." For its part, Disney promised to provide its "expertise," that is, its marketing brilliance and assorted "cast member" training. Initially, Hong Kong balked. But then the Disney team whispered that they could always go up to Shanghai instead and build a park there. Shaken, Hong Kong backed down. And when the fairy dust finally settled, Disney revealed that for a very modest investment of $316 million, it would net 43 percent of the joint venture, while the Hong Kong government would fork over a whopping $2.9 billion for the privilege of holding a 57 percent share, thus making this the first Disney park ever publicly funded. Angry newspaper editorials screamed the evident question: Which Donald got the better deal, Donald Duck, or Donald Tsang, the city's financial secretary at the time? John Ap, a professor of tourism at Hong Kong's Polytechnic, had the answer. He told Business Week at the time, "Disney is getting a very good deal. It has made a 10 percent investment for a 43 percent share of the profits." In the nearly five years since, Disney's heavy-handed relationship with its Hong Kong partner has been akin to that between Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Things began sliding when Disney started filling its site, a once-pristine coastline called Penny's Bay. Local environmentalists warned that it has been a prime feeding area for a species of exceedingly rare Chinese pink dolphins. Disney brusquely brushed aside such worries and promptly closed the site to the media. Construction continued. It was only at the midway point, when all of the government-financed infrastructures were in place, that Disney made it publicly known, in a Pinocchio-like confession, that it was talking with the Shanghai government about building another park. Then, as Hong Kong's park began to take physical form, hometown fans realized that this Disney dreamland would be far smaller than those in Florida, or Paris or Tokyo -- a kind of Disneyland Lite. There would be no Small World, no Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, no Haunted Mansion, no Pirates of the Caribbean. It was only after unrelenting public outcry from Disney's most ardent enthusiasts that the company sheepishly promised that a missing Frontierland would be added later. The news came in May that Disney's theme-park restaurants would be serving shark's fin soup, a traditional but highly controversial Chinese delicacy. Citing the world's quickly declining shark population, and the cruel practice of "de-finning," in which the sharks have their fins hacked off before being thrown, still alive, back into the sea, to die a slow painful death, animal rights groups revolted. Weeks of thunderously bad press followed. With an Elmer Fudd-fashioned foolishness, Disney insisting it was merely following local cultural norms. Then it offered a bizarre compromise; it would continue to offer shark's fin but also distribute leaflets explaining why people should not order it. Even Disney supporters laughed like Woody Woodpecker. Finally, after meeting with a gaggle of 13-year-olds who threatened a very public protest at the park's opening, Disney deep-sixed its shark's fin menus, replacing them with lobster soup and seafood bouillon. Meanwhile, parents and doctors were furious when Disney revealed that it would not ban smoking in its restaurants, though it does so at its parks in Japan, Florida and California. Industry insiders say that Disney is insisting on allowing smoking in its restaurants so as not to lose business from China. Within days of the smoke-gets-in-your-fries fiasco, the South China Morning Post reported that 40 stray dogs adopted by Disney construction workers to use as watch dogs had been rudely rounded up and dispatched to a government kennel where they were put to sleep. Said Sally Anderson, founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue: "It's disgraceful that these dogs are simply thrown away like garbage." As the new Disneyland opened for business, there were indeed complaints about smoking, and lines so long that at least one patron filed a lawsuit. Undaunted, Disney unveiled plans to build a second theme park next door to create a "multi-day tourist destination." At Monday's opening ceremonies, Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong labeled the park an "eternal carnival for the Hong Kong people" and said China was supportive. But it bears remembering that when Disney executives first set up shop in Hong Kong, they were dismayed to discover that Cantonese (the Chinese dialect spoken in Hong Kong and southern China) had no word for "mouse" -- only the term "lo-shoo," meaning rat. Hence in Hong Kong, the beloved Disney icon is known as "Mickey the Rat." |
||
|
|
||
|
Hong
Kong Disneyland Hotel Offers Luxury In a Victorian Setting
Considered to be the flagship hotel the newly opened Hong Kong Disneyland, the aptly named Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel sits on the shores of Penny Bay overlooking the South China Sea. Inspired by the late-1800s Victorian era of England and Colonial America, this resort bears a striking resemblance to the Grand Floridian resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, right down to the birdcage-style elevator in the lobby area. The cream-colored buildings are accented in a deep crimson red, with detailed Victorian architecture such as tower turrets and lace-like latticework. As Disney designers like to come up with unique terms for their designs, this theme has been dubbed "Micktorian" (a combination of "Mickey Mouse" and "Victorian"). The six-story hotel features 400 guest rooms in seven room categories. The hotel has fifteen suites, ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms, including two Presidential suites, on the topmost floor. This floor, the Concierge level, also features 36 deluxe Kingdom Club guestrooms, and offers guests on this floor complimentary breakfast and evening cocktails. The rest of the non-suite rooms are divided into Sea View (171 rooms with balconies, 84 without), Park View (50 rooms) and Fantasia (44 rooms). Eight of the rooms, spread amongst the categories, have been designed to be disability accessible. The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel offers three restaurants and four lounges for dining and cocktails. Crystal Lotus is the hotel's signature restaurant, offering a menu of China's finest cuisine in a setting that uses the five elements -- earth, fire, water, metal and wood -- to create a balanced feng shui atmosphere. Guests enter the restaurant by crossing a virtual koi pond, which uses computer-animated fish that scatter and create water ripples when guests walk on top. The bar area features fire effects behind the bar. Wood and metal are used in the furnishings and lotus flowers balance the earth aspect. The Enchanted Garden Restaurant offers character meet-and-greets with an international buffet dining selection in a setting reminiscent of a Victorian-style garden conservatory. For a light snack, guests can visit the Sorcerer's Lounge. Those looking to just quench their thirst can visit the indoor Grand Salon, the outdoor Sea Breeze Bar, and for concierge level guests, the Kingdom Club is available, as well. Outdoor recreational activities abound at this resort, including an outdoor pool with slide, two floodlit tennis courts, a children's playground and for kids of all ages, a specially-created British-style botanical maze in the shape of Mickey Mouse. The indoor fitness center and mural-filled pool can be found at the Victorian Spa, which occupies the first two floors of the resort. The ten spa treatment rooms take their names from herbs and flora -- Jasmine, Peppermint, Lavender and Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Vanilla Pod, Rose water, Lemon and Lime, Rosemary and Thyme, Eucalyptus and Sandalwood -- and offer treatments featuring luxury skin care lines such as Elemis, La Therapie and Peter Thomas Roth. Signature treatments include the Victorian Wrapture, Victorian Aromatic Awakening and the Victorian Frangipani Ritual (I'm sensing a theme here...). The spa also offers a salon/barber shop for guests of the hotel. For those combining business with pleasure, the hotel's Grand Ballroom offers 888 square meters ("8" is considered a lucky number in Chinese business) of room, in an ornate setting complete with 15 massive crystal and gold chandeliers. It is the second-largest ballroom in Hong Kong. Guest rooms at the hotel offer a choice of one king-sized bed or two double beds, a flat-screen LCD TV, complimentary in-room high speed internet access, a complimentary mini-bar (wish the US theme parks did that!), an in-room safe, complimentary use of the Victorian Spa gym and daily newspaper delivery. Cribs are available upon request, as are non-smoking and disabled-accessible rooms. For an additional fee, babysitting and laundry valet service are available to guests. Nightly rates for Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel depend on the room type and the season, of which Disney has three:
Among the benefits of staying at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel are guaranteed admittance to the park with purchase of theme park tickets (even if it is close to full capacity), complimentary shuttle service to the park and complimentary parking (valet and self-parking). For more information on Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, or to make reservations, call 852 183 0830 or visit www.hongkongdisneyland.com. |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Happiest Search on Earth
I don’t know what other suburban Southern California moms – hereafter referred to as the much more hip-sounding SoCal moms – are thinking about when they’re in line to have their bags searched before they can enter the land of Disney. I know that I’m usually trying to keep my three sons from hitting, biting, or screaming, until we can officially become temporary royal subjects of this happy land. But the other day was a bit different. I’ll let you in on a secret that those of us annual SoCal passholders know about Disneyland: Don’t go when school is out! The crowds are horrendous. As a result, I hadn’t gone since the first of June, before the London bombings, before renewal of the Patriot Act. We were in line in the late August heat to go to a two-year-old’s birthday party. I’ll give this to the land of the mouse: Even when it’s crowded, they’re great about getting people to the warrant less baggage search quickly. And they are nice as they look inside your bags. I don’t know why we moms so quickly and easily acquiesce to this search. Disney has every right to do it, of course. Disney is a private company and the land is private property, whatever that means these days. We ticket holders have every right to refuse. But I’ve yet to see someone turn and walk away from a Disneyland search. Perhaps it’s because we have one or two or three children to keep us distracted. Or maybe it’s because most SoCal moms have to submit to much more humiliation when we visit our children’s grandparents: No one was actually born and raised in Los Angeles. We all have to herd our children through metal detectors, taking off shoes and folding strollers and taking off baby slings, all to show that, pregnant or nursing, we are not terrorists but merely moms trying to get some children to Grandpa’s house. Our family had, in fact, just returned from my mother-in-law’s funeral. She had died unexpectedly and my husband, trying to coordinate flights for us all, had gotten himself a one-way ticket to Miami. Of course, having his mother die earlier that day and trying to rush to help and comfort his father branded him as more likely to be a terrorist. The loving father of my children was taken aside, wanded, and asked to do some strange thing with the top of his pants. Nice treatment, really, for a bereaved son. The rest of us got off more lightly; we went a couple of days later and had a round-trip ticket, branding us only slightly guilty. Still, we worried. When you’re in the "social security" line, as my four-year-old calls it, with a four-year-old who likes to be funny, his two younger brothers, a tired mom who is a stand-up comic, and a sign that says "No Jokes," well, let’s just say that we feel lucky when we’re not singled out to be groped by a wand or by a stranger’s hand. A mom alone with three children under five feels fortunate when she is able to go to the gate unscathed in the same strange way that we treat those piddly plane pretzels we receive after boarding as if they were a small slice of filet mignon. The land of the mouse seems benign and peaceful in comparison, even with its employees’ search, for whatever. Having traveled back across the country the day before the birthday party, I was grateful for the quick search into my belongings, for the ability to remain fully shod. I unzipped my purse and hoped the guy peering into it wouldn’t think it was too messy. My purse must have passed muster because then he asked me to unzip my diaper bag; he hardly peeked inside. And it was all over: We were approved to spend money at Disneyland! What would have happened if I’d said no? No one with three impatient children wants to find out. We are easy targets indeed. A curious note though – the "cast member," as the mouse kingdom euphemistically calls its employees, seemed satisfied when he saw a diaper at the top of my diaper bag, not digging more deeply. While I am grateful for the half-trust of his cursory search, part of me wonders if he thought I would make a dumb terrorist, one who would not think to place any destructive device under a diaper. Did he think I wasn’t smart enough to place a diaper over whatever contraband he was looking for? And what was it he was looking for anyway? I’ve gone to Legoland, a couple of hours south of Anaheim, and am treated as though I am not at all a criminal. No one snoops through anything at Legoland and I've yet to hear of one terrorist act there. If I want to search the pocketbook of everyone who comes into my private home, I certainly can, but how many friends would I have then? And would I want to be a friend to someone who searched my bag before I entered his or her home? We Americans are a trustworthy bunch, though. If Disneyland’s doing it, it must be for our own good. Besides, we’ve got so much other stuff to think about. It was easy to let myself go through the cursory glance into my belongings. What’s a little freedom traded for a birthday party? Besides, we were so tired after lugging everyone to the tram, off the tram, to the baggage check line, and then through the actual entry gate, that we had no time to think about Disney’s motives after our arrival. Like a Beta-Minus from Brave New World, we assumed it was for our own good and found it easier to acquiesce than to question or refuse or turn around. After all, we had a Buzz Lightyear ride to catch. After the parade was over that evening and I had desperately searched for our car, having completely forgotten which Disney character level I parked on, I drove home with three sleeping children in the backseat. It’s times like these, when the cell phone is off, that give a suburban mom time to ponder such things as constitutional rights and freedom. And ponder I did, as I thought about the ease with which I had acquiesced to the opening of my purse and diaper bag. What if I hadn’t allowed the unzipping? Would we have been denied entry to the land of the mouse? Would any mom risk driving children to Anaheim and having her children not go to Disneyland? It can’t be too terribly different for the New York subway commuters, many of whom seem more than happy to be unzipped, groped, or otherwise searched, all at the mayor’s whim. They’re in a hurry; they have to go to work; they have to go home. Sure, you can say no, but why would you – especially when doing so might mess up your evening? And I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, when my children watch their mom unzipping her purse for a stranger for some vague reason that is unknown to my children and to me, that my children become desensitized to the whole search thing. I also remembered what another cast member had said during my unzipping; I heard her tell another potential royal subject that the area past the royal checkpoint is called the "safe zone." Those are her exact Orwellian words. If we sacrifice willingly a bit of freedom, then we gain safety. And a birthday party. Perhaps that’s the lesson of the Brave New America, the post-9/11 society in which we live. We said it was okay to sacrifice freedom when our elected congressmen approved the Patriot Act. And then again, we said for them to take away a few more freedoms when they renewed the Patriot Act, right after the London bombings. After all, we gain safety, right? In our new search-filled country, the "unreasonable searches and seizures" that our Constitution says we are "secure" against, seem much more reasonable. Indeed, we all become so desensitized to the search process itself that we willingly acquiesce, whether the search is constitutional or not. We have nothing to hide, after all, so why not allow that warrant less policeman, or social worker, or whatever, into our home? After all, a search is merely a prelude to the Happiest Place on Earth! |
||
|
|
||
|
Sunday September 18, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
Glen Keane, one of the Walt Disney Company's
most respected animators, summoned about 50 of his colleagues
to a third-floor conference room on the lot here to discuss
the war brewing at the studio. Disney's animators had settled
into two opposing camps: those who were skilled in computer
animation and those who refused to give up their pencils.
Mr. Keane, a 31-year veteran who created the beast from "Beauty and the Beast" and Ariel from "The Little Mermaid," was a Disney traditionalist. But after a series of experiments to see if he could create a computer-animated ballerina, his opposition softened. So he invited the 50 animators to discuss the pros and cons of both art forms, calling his seminar "The Best of Both Worlds." For an hour, Mr. Keane painstakingly ticked through the pluses and minuses of each technique while the other animators listened quietly. After a few tentative questions, the crowd burst into chatter, as animators shouted over one another, some arguing that computers should not replace people while others expressed fears that they would be forced to draw by hand. In a recent interview, Mr. Keane recalled that Kevin Geiger, a computer animation supervisor, then stood up and demanded of him, "If you can do all this cool stuff that you're talking about - that you want to see in animation - but you have to give up the pencil to do it, are you in?" Mr. Keane hesitated before answering: "I'm in." Three weeks later, the company's animators were told that Disney would concentrate on making computer-animated movies, abandoning a 70-year-old hand-drawn tradition in favor of a style popularized by more successful, newer rivals like Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. The results were nothing short of a cultural revolution at the studio, which is famous for the hand-drawn classics championed by its founder Walt Disney - from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to "Peter Pan." This Nov. 4, some two and a half years after that decision, Disney will release "Chicken Little," the first of four computer-animated films being developed at the newly reorganized studio. The company is hoping that this movie, along with others like "Meet the Robinsons," "American Dog" and Mr. Keane's "Rapunzel Unbraided," will return a reinvigorated Disney to its past glory. There is a lot more than pride, however, riding on their success. Animation was once Disney's heart, a profitable lifeline that fed the company's theme park, book and home video divisions. And reviving profits is as essential to Disney these days as regaining its storied reputation. Just last week, the company said it expected its studio to lose as much as $300 million in the fourth quarter because of poor performance in its live-action division. Over all, the Disney Company had net income of $2.27 billion in the first three quarters of fiscal 2005 on the strength of its ABC network and its ESPN sports cable channel. "From a psychological standpoint, 'Chicken Little' is very important for Disney," said Hal Vogel, a financial analyst who has covered Disney for years. "Everything is touched by animation and if they don't refresh it, it becomes frayed at the edges." The box office numbers show how far the sky has fallen. The studio reached the height of its most recent popularity with the 1994 release of "The Lion King," which brought in $764.8 million at the worldwide box office. By contrast, the last nine animated movies Disney either made or acquired took in only $758.3 million combined. "The Incredibles," the 2004 film created by Pixar, brought in $630 million - nearly as much as Disney's last eight animated movies. So it should come as no surprise that when Mr. Keane stood up and made his passionate plea in 2003, Disney was in the midst of an identity crisis. It had to reinvent itself - or wither. "When everybody feels pretty good about themselves, and you have Champagne coming out of the water fountain, it's almost like we've got to burn the place down," said Mark Dindal, the director of "Chicken Little," in an interview in August that also included the directors of Disney's three other current animated-film projects. But the competition in animated films is now tougher than ever. It is also fraught with enough sibling rivalry to make the wicked stepsisters in "Cinderella" blush. To begin with, there's Jeffrey Katzenberg, who left Disney in 1994 - after a spat with the chief executive, Michael D. Eisner - to become a co-founder of DreamWorks SKG. The studio's offshoot, DreamWorks Animation, is now one of Disney's fiercest rivals. Then there is Steven P. Jobs, the founder of Apple Computer and the Pixar chief executive who took a swipe at Disney last year, calling its animated sequels "embarrassing." Mr. Jobs also sparred with Mr. Eisner, despite the fact that the two companies have been partners since 1991. (That deal was brokered by Mr. Katzenberg.) Mr. Jobs agreed only recently to resume talks with Disney about a new distribution agreement that would start in 2007. Against such a backdrop, "Chicken Little" is almost certain to be one of the most scrutinized movies of its kind - not only by moviegoers, but also by investors, competitors and fellow animators alike. THIS is not the first time that Disney has faltered. After Walt Disney died of lung cancer in 1966, the studio was in a state of paralysis, as animators second-guessed themselves about what kind of movies Mr. Disney would have made if he were alive. The studio released a string of mediocre films in the 1970's and early 80's. And frustrated young animators, like the director Tim Burton and John Lasseter, who created "Toy Story" at Pixar, where he is now creative director, left Disney. So, by 1984, when Mr. Katzenberg joined Disney to oversee its film business and animation, the studio was in shambles. He is credited with a turnaround, releasing animated blockbusters like "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and, most famously, "The Lion King." But in 1994, at the height of Disney's resurgence, Mr. Katzenberg left because Mr. Eisner would not appoint him Disney's president. That year he helped to create DreamWorks SKG, where he set up an animation studio of his own. The move put Disney on the defensive. According to Disney executives, Mr. Katzenberg recruited heavily from the company, driving up salaries. And the studio lost some of its creative spark after his departure. Disney, too, was facing increasing competition: Pixar released its first computer-animated movie in 1995, the hit "Toy Story." By 1998, Disney's animation division had ballooned to 2,200 employees, far more than the company could afford, given that it was churning out fewer blockbusters. In 2001, Disney began laying off animators and closing studios. Ultimately, two out of every three employees in the division would lose their jobs as Disney closed offices in Paris, Orlando, Fla., and Tokyo. David Stainton seemed an unlikely candidate to become president of Walt Disney Feature Animation in 2003. In the early 1990's, he worked in creative development and later ran the Paris studio. Mr. Stainton, who has an M.B.A. from Harvard, was best known for running Disney's television animation division and overseeing the company's direct-to-video and sequels business, both of which were profitable but lacked the sex appeal of original theatrical films. Mr. Stainton, who became Disney's third animation chief in as many years, was not prepared for the trouble he encountered his first week. He said he had been warned then that the movie "My Peoples," a tale of star-crossed lovers that combined live action and animation, needed an overhaul. By contrast, he was told that the computer-animated "Chicken Little" was a winner. "I was sitting there at the screening room watching it and I thought: 'Oh my God! What am I going to do?' " Mr. Stainton, who is 43, recalled in an interview in his office last month. "This is the movie that's working? I honestly almost started to cry." Mr. Stainton shut down "My Peoples." As for "Chicken Little," Mr. Stainton said he told Mr. Dindal, the director who began the project in 2001, that the story line wouldn't work: it was about a young girl who went to summer camp to build confidence so she wouldn't overreact. "Just ripped the Band-Aid off," said Mr. Dindal, describing the conversation with his new boss. "He's kind of like that." Mr. Dindal took a three-month break and revised the script, turning "Chicken Little" into a tale of a boy trying to save his town from space aliens. At the same time, Mr. Stainton was contemplating what to do about the standoff between Disney's two camps of animators: the techies and the traditionalists. When he was hired, Mr. Stainton said, both Mr. Eisner and Richard Cook, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios, said they wanted Disney movies to be wittier, contemporary computer-animated comedies with a dramatic twist (in other words, said one Disney executive, more like DreamWorks' "Shrek"). But Mr. Stainton said he knew that he needed an influential animator on his side if he were to succeed. "I sort of had an inkling that it would take artists to convince other artists that this was something viable," he said. So, in February 2003, a month after he was hired, he responded enthusiastically when Mr. Keane met with him and Mr. Eisner and presented six hand-sketched scenes for "Rapunzel Unbraided," a heartwarming romance based on the fairy tale. Mr. Stainton and Mr. Eisner told Mr. Keane that they would greenlight the film, but that there was one caveat: it had to be computer-animated. Mr. Keane balked. Mr. Stainton said he replied, "Glen, I'm not asking you to go make a movie with humans that look like 'Final Fantasy,' " referring to the stiff figures in the 2001 computer-animated dud. "I'm asking that you - and I know it doesn't exist out there - I'm asking you to go create it. You have to create something new." "I loved 'Shrek,' " Mr. Keane responded. But the characters, particularly Princess Fiona, looked plastic to him. "Every frame of that film was a bad drawing to me, personally," he said. ONCE word of the meeting got out, the traditional artists rallied around Mr. Keane. "I couldn't walk down the hallway without running into 10 different people and them saying, 'We're praying for you,' " Mr. Keane said. But whether "Rapunzel Unbraided" was made or not, it offered a politically expedient way for Mr. Stainton to force a dialogue. So, on April 4, Mr. Keane held his "Best of Both Worlds" seminar. And at the end of that month Mr. Stainton lobbed another grenade. He told more than 525 employees gathered at a town hall meeting that the studio would stop making hand-drawn movies for the foreseeable future. Those interested in computer-generated animation could sign up for a six-month "C.G. boot camp." "What I was saying to them was, 'You've got to embrace it or there isn't going to be a place for you,' " Mr. Stainton said. Some animators resisted. "There was a period of time here when they were buying computers and we never really saw anything," said Chris Sanders, the director of "American Dog" who created "Lilo and Stitch." "You're like, 'Well, do we have computers?' 'Yes, we do.' 'Really? Where are they?' 'They're around.' 'Where, exactly?' 'Downstairs.' 'So, computer animation, we can we do that?' 'Uh-huh.' 'Like theirs?' 'Uh-huh.' " Mr. Sanders laughed. "It went around like that." The announcement did little to soothe the warring camps. Some traditionalists refused to sit with the computer set at lunch, Disney executives said. They voiced their complaints to Roy E. Disney, then the studio's animation chairman and Disney board member, who was locked in his own battle with Mr. Eisner, having vowed to oust him as chief executive. "There was so much tension and frustration and you couldn't talk about it civilly, it seemed, without people becoming angry," Mr. Keane said. That fall, Disney's animators met again to hash out their differences, this time on neutral territory, at the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif. Mr. Stainton still had movies to make. And he gave the green light to "American Dog" and another film, "Meet the Robinsons," a story of an adopted boy who invented a time machine; it is to be directed by Steve Anderson. Of course, there was still "Chicken Little." Mr. Dindal said he threw out 25 scenes. Along with the movie's three credited writers, he talked to six others who helped with character development. The director held nine screenings with children and parents. And he said he received what seemed liked "thousands and thousands" of notes from Mr. Stainton to make the story funnier. Mr. Dindal recalled a screening where he delivered a presentation outlining the movie's main points for about 125 animators. "I said to everyone, you can send any notes you want, but notes that speak to this, what the movie's really about, those are the ones which are going to be helpful," he said. But as much turmoil as there was within the studio, there was plenty outside, too. In November 2003, Mr. Disney quit the Disney board after learning that he would be asked to step down at the next board election. While Mr. Disney did not spend much time on the lot, he was the public face of Disney animation and blamed Mr. Eisner for the studio's shortcomings. Mr. Stainton said that Mr. Eisner had supported his changes. "The whole business between Roy and Michael was very distracting," Mr. Stainton added, "and the ability to sort of put our heads down and just do the work and not involve ourselves was helpful." Disney animation suffered another blow on Jan. 29, 2004, when Mr. Jobs announced that Pixar would end talks with Disney to continue its 14-year partnership and would seek a competitor to distribute its films after the release of Pixar's next movie, "Cars." Six days later, Mr. Jobs criticized Disney's animators, telling Wall Street analysts that Disney's "Treasure Planet" and "Brother Bear" were bombs and calling the studio's sequels "embarrassing." "It was the best thing that could have happened to us," said Mr. Cook, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Weeks later, Mr. Cook met with the animators and told them that it was time to get on with making great movies. "We needed to get ourselves back on track," he said. "They knew it. Enough of the Disney bashing; enough already. The way to stop all that is to win. And that's what we set our sights on." If there is any question about whether there is life for Disney after Pixar, consider the following: Last June, Disney caused a ruckus at the industry's largest computer-animation conference in Los Angeles when it set up a large poster in front of its booth - and facing Pixar's - to advertise the preproduction of "Toy Story 3." Mr. Jobs had sought to make the movie, but Mr. Eisner said no when Mr. Jobs wanted it to count toward the five that Pixar owed Disney as part of its partnership agreement. For many of those in attendance, it was an in-your-face gesture that showed Disney was prepared to go it alone. ("It was not intentional that it faced the Pixar booth, I promise," said Mr. Stainton, a boyish grin sliding across his face.) But it was also part of a larger public relations campaign to show that Disney was viable again. Disney was interviewing new recruits, showing off new technology and even having a party, attended by 200 people, on the roof of the Standard, a hotel in Hollywood. "We need to show people that we're back, that we are right up there doing cutting-edge stuff and stuff that is interesting and looks beautiful to anyone," Mr. Stainton said. "Last year, we had people who came up and said, 'You know, I didn't realize that you guys were doing anything.' Swear to God. People really thought we were out of business." Both Mr. Jobs and now Robert A. Iger, Disney's president who will become chief executive on Oct. 1, are cautiously optimistic that a Pixar-Disney deal can be struck that will solidify what has been a long and profitable relationship. But that won't solve all of Disney's problems. In 1995, only six animated movies were released - half of them from Disney, according to the company. By contrast, nearly 20 animated films are expected to be released in the next two years - three from Disney. That has led some Wall Street analysts to suggest that as animated movies become more mainstream, they will no longer command the huge profits that studios have enjoyed from them. Already this year, both DreamWorks and Pixar experienced higher-than-expected returns of DVD's sold to retailers, suggesting that consumer demand was softening. Piracy is a concern, and movie studios haven't yet devised a way to combat it. And studios may be headed for a showdown with theater owners if they push to distribute their movies simultaneously on DVD and in theaters. But Disney's biggest challenge may be to overcome the notion that, when it comes to animation, many moviegoers may no longer have much confidence in Disney. Indeed, the company's animators today have more in common with their predecessors than their competitors at Pixar and DreamWorks. When animators created "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the studio's first theatrical offering in 1937, it was referred to as "Disney's Folly" before its release. "How hungry were they?" Mr. Dindal said, referring to "Snow White's" animators. "It's fun to be at a place where everybody's hungry for something, as opposed to being well fed." |
||
|
|
||
|
Pleasure
Island's New Raglan Road Pub and Restaurant delayed opening
Raglan Road Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney's Pleasure Island was due to open in the Summer. Now has been put back to late September 2005. |
||
|
|
||
|
Meeting
Mickey in Hong Kong
Minnie was there, too, of course, along with the whole magical Disney family that has enthralled children the world over for half a century. Young-at-heart TAN GIM EAN shook hands with everyone and went on a tour. Be sure to try all the rides," almost everyone will exhort when you tell them you're headed for Hong Kong Disneyland. Now, can those prone to motion sickness still have fun there? But of course! As Walt Disney himself said again and again, Disneyland is not an amusement park. It is simply one place where you almost become a kid again – evident from the number of grey-haired folk walking around with the signature Mickey Mouse hat before the official opening on Sept 12 – and not worry about acting goofy. It's natural to make a run for Minnie, Pluto, the Chipmunks, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella or Alice, grab them by the arm and strike a pose for the camera – as proof that you've met those unforgettable characters from your favourite Disney movies. Starting mid-August, the park had opened its doors to 300,000 invited guests. The rehearsals culminated in special glittering pre-opening gala events featuring a host of local stars (among them Eason Chan, Coco Lee and Joey Yung), headed by Jacky Cheung, the spokesperson for HKD. Foreign guests included Lea Salonga, Brad Kane and Paige O'Hara. A visit to Hong Kong Disneyland actually begins at the Sunny Bay Station (Tung Chung Line), where a special train will transport visitors to the Disney Resort Station. The oohs and aahs start almost immediately, over its Mickey Mouse windows and characters encased in glass. Scamper past the arched entrance to the park and you'll be lifted by the sight of Mickey on a surfboard, "supported" by a jet of water gushing from a whale's snout. The first themed land past the gate is Main Street, USA, modeled after Walt's memories of his childhood in turn-of-the-20th-century America. For ideas on what to do and where to go, head for the three-storey City Hall. If you need a stroller or wheelchair, the Fire Department rents them out for HK$50 (about RM24) a day. Ideally, wander around the shops and pick out souvenir pins, T-shirts, bags, toys, candies and accessories. If shopping is not your scene, wait for the daily Disney on Parade, a feast of floats fringed by lasses decked out as film rolls, "green men", dancing flowers, musicians and a host of Disney characters. Fantasyland, the next themed enclave, boasts two firsts for Hong Kong – a re-creation of the original Sleeping Beauty Castle in Anaheim, California (site of the first Disney Land), and the Fantasy Gardens, with its cheerful "meet and greet" areas where you can bump into Mulan, Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, among others, and get their autographs. The castle has a scenic mountain backdrop, making it the ideal setting for Disney in the Stars, a nightly dazzler featuring lights and music. Those who love rides can get their fill in this land, on Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the Mad Hatter Tea Cups and the Cinderella Carousel. Pooh fans can hop into hunny pots and take a whirl into Hundred Acre Woods, where a party awaits the beloved bear and his friends. Don't miss Mickey's PhilharMagic, a 3D treat that has the audience laughing, lurching and "lunching" to snippets from classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. This is about the most magical of the park's attractions. Adventureland, which replicates the golden savannahs of Africa, is built around exploration and discovery, with surprises at every bend. You can tell the tree on which Tarzan's house sits is man-made – a painstaking effort involving six primary limbs, 56 secondary branches, 717 end branches and over 10,000 fluttering broad leaves. But the love that a motherless boy found there, in the bosom of a maternal ape, felt quite real. Tomorrowland stirs racier emotions, especially for those bold enough to climb into the rockets at the Space Mountain, which hurl passengers past the stratosphere into outer space. You'll end up screaming in fear or shouting for more. Outdoors, the Orbitron, with its colorful flying saucers, is less of a heart-stopper. So is the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, an interactive jaunt on ground level, which gives you room to help the Toy Story hero take shots at the wicked Emperor Zurg. Starving by now? Grab a quick bite from the themed food and beverage wagons parked along Main Street or have a sit-down meal at the Royal Banquet Hall, Clopin's Festival of Foods, the Tahitian Terrace Restaurant, or Plaza Inn. Re-enervated, you'll want to catch The Golden Mickey's at the Storybook Theatre in Fantasyland. This revue, fashioned after the Hollywood awards shows, has 24 cast members presenting selections from animated films like Lilo and Stitch, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mulan. The opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, the 11th Disney theme park worldwide, is timely: this year marks the 50th anniversary of its first one in Anaheim. The "Happiest Celebration on Earth", 18 months of activities to mark this auspicious occasion, was launched in May and will continue into 2006. Which augurs well for Hong Kong, where a new Tomorrowland attraction, the Autopia, is schedule to open next summer. The Autopia will enable visitors to drive along futuristic highways in electric-powered vehicles through a surreal landscape. At a pre-opening meeting with the media, Walt Disney Company's outgoing chief executive officer, Michael Eisner, said he first saw the land where the Hong Kong park is situated from a boat. In six years, the old shipyard nestled between mountain and sea has been transformed into a playground that transcends time and place. All because a host of people bonded by hope, optimism and fantasy share the Disney vision, added Robert Iger, company president and chief operating officer. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
World hosting food and wine fest
Beginning Sept. 30 at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla., Epcot International's annual Food and Wine Festival will serve the exotic fare of Turkey, Chile, Singapore, Castilla y León, Spain, and Puerto Rico. Cooking and wine schools and seminars, an Oktoberfest celebration and "Eat to the Beat" concerts also will be featured at the festival through Nov. 13. For more details, call 407-939-3378; access www.disneyworld.com/food. The Magic Kingdom's annual Halloween festivities, including Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, are planned on 15 dates between Sept. 30 and Oct. 31. For more details, call 407-934-7639; access http://www.disneyworld.com/. |
||
|
|
||
|
Mom
sues ABC for nixing makeover
The producers of "Extreme Makeover" promised Deleese Williams "a Cinderella-like" fix for a deformed jaw, crooked teeth, droopy eyes and tiny boobs that would "transform her life and destiny." But when the ABC reality show dumped the Texas mom the night before the life-changing plastic surgeries, it shattered her family's dream and triggered her sister Kellie McGee's suicide, says a bombshell lawsuit filed in L.A. Superior Court. As part of the pre-makeover hype, producers coaxed McGee and other family members to trash Williams' looks on videotape, the suit alleges. When they suddenly pulled the plug on the project, and the promised "Hollywood smile like Cindy Crawford," a guilt-ridden McGee fell apart. "Kellie could not live with the fact that she had said horrible things that hurt her sister. She fell to pieces. Four months later, she ended her life with an overdose of pills, alcohol and cocaine," said Wesley Cordova, a lawyer for Williams. "This family is shredded. There is a human cost to this," Cordova said. Williams, 30, and her husband, Mike, are raising McGee's two children, along with two kids of their own. The suit seeks unspecified money damages for breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other offenses. "Deleese is so hurt and humiliated, she won't leave the house now. She grocery shops at midnight," Cordova says. ABC declined to comment on the allegations. The show announcing Williams' selection for a mega makeover had already aired on Jan. 7, 2004, when the producers abruptly dropped her because the dental surgeon told them her recovery time would be longer than expected, Cordova said. Williams was alone in a Los Angeles hotel room reading her pre-op instructions when a producer showed up and dashed her dream of a new life with a "pretty" face, the suit alleges. "You will not be getting an extreme makeover after all. . . . Nothing. It doesn't fit in our time frame. You will have to go back to Texas tomorrow," the suit alleges she was coldly told. Williams broke down sobbing: "How can I go back as ugly as I left? I was supposed to come home pretty," the suit says. The 31-page complaint begins with the line "Deleese Williams is considered ugly." It details a horrendous tale of pain and humiliation that began when she applied for the reality show in December 2003 and had to submit a "full body shot" video showing "all of the body parts that need help." For years, Williams' friends and family "didn't notice or pretended not to notice" her homely looks, but once she got picked for the show, they were coached to focus on nothing but her physical flaws, the suit says. In McGee's taped interview, she tried to play up her sister's good points. But the hard-nosed producers "peppered Kellie with questions about her childhood with the ugly Deleese . . . and repeatedly put words in her mouth," the suit says. To please the producers, Williams' mother-in-law also laid it on thick. "She said things like 'I never believed my son would marry such an ugly woman.' " Cordova says. The family's comments never aired on TV, but Williams, who was in an adjoining room, heard them all. The experience ruined her family life. "Now that she returned in the same condition in which she left, there were no secrets, no hidden feelings, no reward," the suit says. McGee's "guilt was overwhelming." She OD'd on May 25, 2004, four months after the show's producers sent her sister packing. "These programs are cheap to produce - there are no actors or screenwriters to pay. But there is a very high human cost," Cordova said. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney's
Hollywood Hotel Brings Vintage Hollywood to Hong Kong
Where there is a Disney theme park, there will be Disney hotels. The whole concept is to house, feed and entertain the guests so they don't want to leave. Disney's Hollywood Hotel, one of two located at the newly opened Hong Kong Disneyland, offers elegant accommodations at a budget-friendly price. Inspired by 1930s-1940s Hollywood, the hotel merges whimsical Mickey Mouse-inspired motifs with an Art Deco style of architecture into what designers call a "Disney Deco" ambience. This is reflected in everything from the light fixtures and carpets to the bedding in the guest rooms. The eight-story hotel features 600 guest rooms in a U-shaped building arranged around a central courtyard. The hotel has only one suite, with the rest of the rooms divided into Sea View (225 rooms), Park View (116 rooms) and Garden View (258 rooms). Twelve of the rooms, spread amongst the categories, have been designed to be disability accessible. Disney's Hollywood Hotel offers three restaurants and two lounges for dining and cocktails. Chef Mickey is the hotel's buffet restaurant, which features an international cuisine in a casual setting. Lighting is supplied by oversized film reels set in Disney's signature mouse ear pattern and there are a series of show kitchens where guests can watch the Disney chefs at work. For quick counter-service meals, Hollywood and Dine offers sandwiches, dim sum, noodles and European-style pastries. Outside, the Sunset Terrace offers Asian cuisine with a barbeque flair and a breathtaking view of the sea. Those looking to just quench their thirst can visit the indoor Studio Lounge or the outdoor Piano Pool Bar. The Piano Pool itself features a grand piano shaped-design with a keyboard pattern at the bottom and a waterslide built into a rock with "hidden mickey's" (Disney designers often hide Mickey Mouse ear patterns as a sort of treasure hunt for Disney fans to find). The nearby Garden Plaza unfolds like a map of Los Angeles, with popular and well-known Hollywood streets, landmarks and icons, including the legendary Hollywood sign. The hotel also has its version of the Avenue of Stars, with handprints and footprints of international celebrities. And if that isn't enough, there is a children's playground and twenty acres of landscaped gardens overlooking the South China Sea. Guest rooms at the hotel offer a choice of one king-sized bed or two double beds, a flat-screen LCD TV, in-room high speed internet access, an in-room safe and daily newspaper delivery. Cribs are available upon request, as are non-smoking and disabled-accessible rooms. For an additional fee, babysitting and laundry valet service are available to guests. Nightly rates for Disney's Hollywood Hotel depend on the room type and the season, of which Disney has three:
Among the benefits of staying at Disney's Hollywood Hotel are guaranteed admittance to the park with purchase of theme park tickets (even if it is close to full capacity), complimentary shuttle service to the park, complimentary parking (valet and self-parking) and complimentary bottled water in all guestrooms (wish the US theme parks did that!). For more information on Disney's Hollywood Hotel, or to make reservations, call 852 183 0830 or visit http://www.hongkongdisneyland.com/. Next up in my mini-series on the new Hong Kong Disneyland is a look at the park's other hotel, the Victorian-themed Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. |
||
|
|
||
|
A
feast for eyes and taste buds
The 126-hectare Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Park has two themed hotels, the art-deco Disney Hollywood Hotel and the Victorian-style Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which have a total capacity of 1,000 family-size rooms. The Hollywood Hotel is all about down-to-earth fun, with Mickey Mouse in every shape hidden all over the room. Don't forget to try the Chef Mickey restaurant, which offers buffet or a la carte dining for mouseketeers, including chocolate-dipped marshmallows and mango pudding shaped like Mickey's famous silhouette. The more grandiose Disneyland Hotel is elegant and cozy, designed for newlyweds or visitor groups appropriately called MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events). The hotel also has a variety of wedding packages on offer. Oh, and you can order your favorite Disney characters to give you a wake-up call. In the hotel's Enchanted Garden restaurant, children can have their breakfast with Disney characters, which is a good way to start the day. The Crystal Lotus Chinese restaurant, however, has all the soothing elements of feng shui, with a virtual koi pond on the floor that follows your steps and 2,238 crystal lotus flowers at the entrance. |
||
|
|
||
|
Disney
magic missing?
The happiest place on earth was not quite so when it opened to some criticism from the public on Monday. Besides complaints that the queues were too long, the attractions were so-so, and the park was trying to cram too many people inside, brickbats also came from disgruntled VIPs Daniel Wu and Kelly Chen. The two celebrities were so upset by the less-than-polite service they received from some American staff, they expressed their unhappiness to the media and on the Internet. Hong Kong Disneyland is also finding its cleaning bills going up after a few unruly tourists from mainland China took it upon themselves to fertilise the park's flower beds. Mickey's whiskers must be twitching at this less-than-magical start. But that hasn't stopped the entertainment giant from planning a second theme park next to its new baby. Reclamation work for the second plot of land on Lantau, Hong Kong's biggest island, has already begun. Disney has also said that it is in talks with the Chinese authorities to build a Disneyland in Shanghai. |
||
|
|
||
|
Saturday September 17, 2005 |
||
|
|
||
|
The first batch of tourists who went to the
Hong Kong Disneyland on the day of its opening not only had a
wonderful experience in playing but also had a shopping spree.
Income from ticket selling and souvenirs reached more than 100 million Hong Kong dollars on the first day and tourist boom is expected to continue on Tuesday. The service hour started at one o`clock in the afternoon. Yet before that, many tourists had already made up a good plan as what to buy. As soon as the door opened, hundreds tourists rushed to the shops in the American small town for all those lovable gifts. People working at the shopping site said among all souvenirs, the magician Mickey Mouse wearing blue hat and red robe and sold at a price of between 85 to 450 Hong Kong dollars, was in high demand. A set of commemorative badges that consisted of ten kinds and were sold with limited numbers, were also selling well. A tourist working at the Disneyland in the United States, Mr. Chen said the souvenirs sold at Hong Kong were very "unique." For Mr. Huang, cost was not a piece of cake at all for his family of four, yet he said that the Disneyland in California and Orlando did not have souvenirs in similar kinds. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Disneyland aimed to do more publicizing in the mainland market. Statistics from the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Hong Kong Disneyland Park showed that at present, Hong Kong travelers made up one-third of the tourists in the park, with foreign visitors and mainland visitors sharing the rest. The theme park planned to spend 30 to 40 percent of its publicizing expenditure in future to raise the proportion of mainland visitors up to 40 percent and Guangzhou in south China became the first stop. |
||
|
|
||
|
Miramax Films announced its first acquisition
under its new president Thursday, as the Walt Disney Co.'s
specialty films unit took up "The Heart of the
Game," a chronicle of girls' basketball. Shortly
thereafter, ThinkFilm said it has picked up "a/k/a Tommy
Chong," an account of how the comedian was jailed for
making bongs.
The two low-budget documentaries, both from two first-time feature directors, sold for about $1.5 million each. Roadside Attractions also joined the day's flurry of acquisition activity by taking North American rights to Richard E. Grant's directorial debut, "Wah-Wah." Miramax acquired all North American rights, including home video, to Ward Serrill's "Heart," a production shot digitally over seven years in the $500,000 range, a large portion of which came from Serrill's own pocket. "Among the many wonderful things about the film are the quite extraordinary events in it, which make it so entertaining and moving," Miramax president Daniel Battsek said. "It shows triumph over adversity and has great heart. The things that affect you in a drama are also the things that affect you in real life, and that's what makes this film so appealing. "I can't pretend to be a basketball aficionado, but this film got to me, and if a film like that also can get to you from a business aspect, you feel you can go with it." Battsek is planning a grass-roots campaign for "Heart," including screenings at sports clubs and educational events. He has no set release date. "We have the opportunity to take our time setting one," he said. But he speculated that a release could happen in the spring or possibly a bit later. On the other end of the documentary spectrum, ThinkFilm bought worldwide rights to "Chong." "It was our No. 1-targeted film of the festival," said ThinkFilm president Jeff Sackman, who described it as "the perfect blend of important issues, combined with nostalgia" for the legendary half of the Cheech & Chong comedy team. Sackman's target audience is "college kids and 60-year-olds and everyone in between," who will be lured by its humor as well as its account of how Chong "got railroaded by the U.S. government" for selling drug paraphernalia. ThinkFilm is planning a March or April release, with Chong tentatively planning to go on the lecture circuit to support the film. The $200,000 project began when Chong was approached by his writing partner, Josh Gilbert, who said, "Man, we've got to document this," Chong said. "The court told me I can't profit from the crime, but Josh can." Chong found the presence of Gilbert's constant camera "therapeutic," but he also credited his wife, Shelby, for "keeping Josh under control" when things got too heavy. "Josh is such a bulldog," said Chong, but he eventually forgot he was even being filmed. Chong said the picture's suitors included Fox Searchlight and, to his amusement, Miramax. "I told them straight, 'I'm definitely not Disney material,"' Chong said, laughingingly recalling that he got kicked out of Disneyland once for wearing a t-shirt depicting Mickey Mouse in a compromising position with Pluto. Roadside Attractions picked up North American distribution rights to Grant's "Wah-Wah," a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story set during the last gasp of the British Empire in Swaziland. The ensemble cast includes Gabriel Byrne, Julie Walters, Miranda Richardson and Nicholas Hoult. It plans to release the film in mid-2006. |
||
|
|
||
|
Walt
Disney World Triathlon
September 23-25, 2005 Exhilarate your body and mind as you swim, bike, and run through the spectacular Walt Disney World® Resort in this USA Triathlon sanctioned event. You'll endure the International Distances of a swim, bike, and run through the most unique triathlon course in the world. Plus leading up to the race you'll have the opportunity to see the latest state-of-the-art products, talk to experts, and enjoy the Walt Disney World Triathlon Expo at Disney's Contemporary Resort on Friday and Saturday. Entry Fees and Deadlines Before September 1 After September 1 Course Description This event will be a point to point triathlon, with a dual transition. The course consists of a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride, and a 10K run. The race will start at Disney's Contemporary Resort (North Beach) with the swim to bike transition staged under the monorail beams. Triathletes will embark on a 40K bike ride that will end at Epcot®, the site of the bike to run transition. The entire 10K run will take place in and around Epcot®, culminating with a lap around the World Showcase Lagoon, past Spaceship Earth, to finish just outside the main entrance. Eligibility Athletes must be 15 years of age or older on event day to participate. Athletes must have a USA Triathlon card number to participate. There will be an opportunity to purchase a USAT membership card at the expo. Cut-Off Times There are four (4) designated cut-off times that athletes must meet in order to continue the race. The swim cut-off is one hour after the start of the last swim wave (approximately 9:30am). Swimmers who do not meet this cut-off time will not be allowed to start the bike segment. Additionally, athletes will not be allowed to start the bike after 9:30am. The bike cut-off is at 10:45am and is at the intersection of CR 535 and Vista Blvd (approximately the 21 mile mark). Cyclists who do not meet this cut-off will not be allowed to continue and will be transported back to the finish line. The last runner will be allowed out of Transition 2 for the run at 11:15am. Runners will need to have started their second loop of the run by 12:15pm or they will be directed to the Finish Line. The run course officially closes at 1:00pm. At that time all athletes still on the course will be transported to the finish line area. Expo The expo will be held on Friday and Saturday at the Disney's Contemporary Resort. If you are interested in being an exhibitor at the Triathlon please contact Donna Rowe at 407-938-3524. Volunteer Information Are your friends and family looking for a
way to be a part of the excitement. Volunteers are needed on
behalf of the Florida Hospital Foundation and PE4Life. |
||
|
|
||
|
Shabby
behavior at Hong Kong Disneyland
Even before the Hong Kong Disney theme park was officially opened with great fanfare on Tuesday, media coverage of the Magic Kingdom was already hot on the mainland. It was only natural to expect domestic media coverage of its formal opening to be even more frenzied. It was. But this time, the media's focus
seemed misplaced. They did cover the grand opening ceremony
heavily and forecast its economic implications for Hong Kong,
but their focus this time around was on our fellow
countrymen's behaviour on their maiden trip to this fun land,
the third outside its homeland, America. Media reports said mainland visitors disregarded the theme park's rules and behaved improperly in the park, triggering a nationwide debate on manners and etiquette, a discussion that is still raging in the media. But regrettably, some visitors from the mainland, according to media exposure, failed those requirements. Photographs of a child urinating near one of the park's restaurants and four mainland Chinese women resting on the ground barefoot were plastered in the newspapers. And some male tourists pulled up their shirts or their long pants to cool down, according to reports by Hong Kong newspapers. Tourists smoking in non-smoking areas were also frequently spotted. Those who behaved indecently deserve to be reprimanded. But at the same time, the theme park should also take some blame. Some visitors complained that it was hot on the day the park opened formally to the public, but the park lacked shaded areas. And the lack of adequate resting places forced some tourists to squat on the ground because long hours of queuing had already exhausted them. Actually, reports of our fellow countrymen not behaving properly on overseas trips are nothing new. Such reports have surfaced in domestic media intermittently ever since Chinese people began to take overseas trips in groups since the late 1990s. And usually a heated discussion ensued, lamenting our compatriots' lack of etiquette or indecent behaviour when abroad. Indeed, we are embarrassed to see some signs exclusively written in Chinese at airport lobbies in some countries, reminding Chinese not to talk loudly. Spitting, talking loudly and littering are singled out by the media and tour guides as the three most frequent misdemeanours by Chinese tourists abroad. Those reprehensible acts, though committed by a small bunch of people, have seriously tainted the image of Chinese and the nation as a whole. As a country long reputed for its courtesy and etiquette, some of our compatriot's disgraceful deeds abroad will undoubtedly do our nation a disservice. Compared with just a few years ago, more and more people can now afford outbound tours. A total of 28.85 million Chinese took trips abroad last year, a whopping 43 per cent jump from 2003, although this accounts for only 2 per cent of the country's total population. With the country becoming more affluent, overseas travel will not remain, as at present, a privileged luxury for a small number of people. And with the expected number of Chinese traveling abroad increasing dramatically, this issue of manners should be dealt with properly and promptly. As public awareness about manners improves and attention paid to their conduct grows, Chinese visitors' behavior will improve markedly. But as the latest episode in Hong Kong Disneyland shows, some less conscious people still need to mind their manners and curb their diehard bad habits. At the same time, it is a reminder that public campaigns to educate people about good manners is still required. As our pockets swell, one hopes our behavior as tourists will also improve. |
||
|
|
||
|
ABC,
ESPN Team for Katrina Aid
With the Katrina-displaced New Orleans Saints scheduled to play a game Monday night, the two networks televising the game will join with the National Football League to raise money for those affected by the hurricane. ABC and ESPN (both owned by Disney) will air a telethon throughout the two Monday night games, featuring the Saints playing the New York Giants in one and the Dallas Cowboys playing the Washington Redskins in the other. ESPN's Chris Berman and "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts will host the event, which will raise money for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, which will provide money for long-term recovery in the Gulf Coast region. "This telethon, the NFL, our people, our media assets across Disney -- are all coming together to rebuild for those who have lost so much," says George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports. "It's great football, and more important, it's helping people."
The Saints-Giants game was originally set to
be New Orleans' first home game of the season. But the
devastation wrought by the hurricane forced the game out of
the city; it will be played at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
ABC will broadcast that game beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET
Monday (Sept. 19), then switch to its regularly scheduled
"Monday Night Football" telecast of the
Dallas-Washington game at 9 p.m. The Saints game will then
switch to ESPN for its conclusion (except in the New York
and New Orleans markets).
A number of current and former players have agreed to take part in the telethon, which will cap a weekend of fund-raising efforts at NFL stadiums across the country. |
||
|
|
||
|
The
Henry Ford and the University of Michigan Assemble Scholars
for Day-Long Conference on Walt Disney and Disneyland
The Henry Ford and the Museum Studies Program at the University of Michigan are collaborating on a unique day-long conference dedicated to the influence of Disneyland on American society. "Behind the Magic: The Influence and Impact of Walt Disney and Disneyland," will be held at Henry Ford Museum on Friday, November 11, 2005 and will bring together for the first time scholars, curators, and leadership from Walt Disney Imagineering to discuss Walt Disney and his contribution to the American landscape. "Behind the Magic: The Influence and Impact of Walt Disney and Disneyland" will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Henry Ford Museum's Anderson Theater. The registration fee is $35 for members of The Henry Ford and University of Michigan faculty and staff and $42 for non-members. Student tickets are $19. The conference coincides with Behind the Magic: 50 Years of Disneyland, an exhibit at Henry Ford Museum opening to the public September 23. The appearance of Marty Sklar, vice-chairman and principal creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, will be a highlight of the conference. Sklar began his career at Disneyland one month before the park opened in 1955 and is the only active employee who has participated in the opening of all 11 Disney parks. Those attending the "Behind the Magic" conference will also have the opportunity to hear from Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president and senior creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering. Fitzgerald leads the day-to-day Imagineering teams who create all the lands and attractions for Walt Disney Parks. These appearances will be complemented by members of The Henry Ford's own experience design team and two leading figures from the scholarly community. Donna Braden of The Henry Ford will investigate the influences that shaped Walt Disney's vision for Disneyland. Karal Ann Marling of the University of Minnesota, a well-known Disney authority, will speak on the significance of Disneyland and Linda N. Groat from the University of Michigan will address the impact of Disneyland on America's urban landscapes. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to engage with presenters during question and answer sessions and to meet individually with the featured speakers at scheduled book signings and during informal sessions throughout the day. The registration fee for "Behind the Magic: The Influence and Impact of Walt Disney and Disneyland" includes Henry Ford Museum admission and access to the special Behind the Magic exhibit. Box lunches can be ordered for $11 with registration. For a complete schedule of events and registration information, please visit conference website at http://thehenryford.org/research/Disney University of Michigan Ann Arbor students and faculty are encouraged to register for the conference online at the Arts at Michigan homepage, http://www.arts.umich.edu (follow the link to Culture Bus). A discounted registration rate is available for students who register at this site; registration through Arts at Michigan also includes transportation to The Henry Ford for members of the university community. |
||
|
|
||
|
Jamie
& Jim's Kids Enjoy Disney World
More than a dozen chronically ill kids are back from Disney World. The annual Jamie and Jim's Kids trip to Orlando was a complete success, thanks to the contributions from the Cedar Valley. Families boarded buses for a character breakfast. They're going to meet the mouse that started it all. Two tables full of families, all from eastern Iowa, all share a common bond. Each has a child who is chronically ill. Cindee Pollow is a Jamie and Jim's Kids participant and says, "The people on this trip has just meant the world to us and the kids have really interacted and made life-long friends already." Sarah Pollow has cerebral palsy. She's had three surgeries and spent a lot of time in the hospital. "All those bills come in, all the time off of work. It's very difficult to save money to be able to take young children on trips like this, plus all the special arrangements that need to be made," says Gary Pollow. A doctor and nurse are also on the trip, helping to provide the families everything they need. For Tobias Rohrig, that meant getting pricked with a needle this morning. He has hemophila, a severe blood disorder. Katina Rohrig is his mom and says, "He might have a joint bleed or internal bleeding, something we may not see, he could possibly bleed to death." No contact sports for Tobias, just a little rough-housing with his younger brother. Ricky Rohrig says, "To be honest with you, we didn't really think that we were going to get it, so we were surprised and shocked and consider it a blessing that we were chosen for the trip." Brock's pediatrician recommended the Steele family apply for the trip. They were one of 16 families selected. Andrea Steele is a program participant and says, "I said I don't know how you're going to do this. He has a C-Pap that we use as a back-up and oxygen for back-up and the stroller and they took care of everything." Brock spent the first year of his life in the hospital...the entire first year. He was born without two vertebrae. He usually has to stay home with |
