Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Virtual Magic Kingdom Hits Million Player Mark

This sounds like the ultimate FDCMUCK. I wonder if there's room for FDC titles and TDC debates.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (PRNewswire) – Barely more than seven months after its official launch, Virtual Magic Kingdom, a free multiplayer gaming community inspired by Disney's theme parks, has acquired the one-millionth character in its virtual community. Quickly establishing itself as one of the coolest destinations online for gaming fans, the virtual theme park at vmk.com has grown to include several new lands, fun new games and more than 1.3 million personalized rooms created by its players. In December, VMK opened Frontierland, a Wild-West neighborhood. Players can create their own log flume ride or hunt ghosts in a new Haunted Mansion multiplayer game. Players can also enjoy tons of fun activities as they explore a virtual community inspired by Disney's famous theme parks and attractions.

· Adventureland offers players the chance to steer through treacherous rivers aboard the Jungle Cruise Photo Safari or battle other players in high-seas competition inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and movies.
· On VMK's Main Street, players can create funky music mixes and share them with other players.
· Fantasyland lets players compete against 100 other characters in an amazing fireworks display game.
· In a future phase set to launch later this year, Tomorrowland will add an exciting, outer-space dimension to the virtual theme park.

Throughout each land, shops offer creative items players can purchase to decorate their personal space – or trade with other characters. Gamers can visit VMK Central in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disneyland park at Disneyland Resort and participate in exciting real-world Quests. And, best of all, guests who successfully complete a VMK Quest in the real world will earn secret codes for game credits and other cool virtual rewards to enhance game play. In February, VMK added a new game where guests can build their own Expedition Everest ride in celebration of the Spring opening of Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom. When players enter VMK they can really express themselves. Each character is completely in charge of the universe he or she creates, right down to their "look." Blue spiky hair is "in" and your wardrobe is your own, with dozens of colorful clothing pieces to buy or trade. Plus, Virtual Magic Kingdom lets players create personalized guest rooms and decorate them any way they want to reflect their own style. The fun is just a 'mouse' click away.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Stock Futures Up on Apple, Disney Report

LONDON (AP) – US stock market futures tilted higher Monday, helped by a published report suggesting that Walt Disney & Co. may be snapped up by Apple Computer. Dow Jones futures were recently up 6 points, S&P 500 futures rose 0.1 point, and Nasdaq 100 futures contract rose 3 points. On Friday, US markets had a fairly uneventful session, with the Dow industrials falling 7.4 points at 11,061, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 7.7 points at 2,287 and the S&P 500 rose 1.6 points at 1,289. On Monday, Walt Disney & Co. was trading at $28.17 in Frankfurt from a Friday close of $27.98, as Barron's suggested that Apple Computer may buy the firm once Steve Jobs becomes Disney's leading shareholder.

Hong Kong Disneyland to Add 3 Attractions

HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong Disneyland announced Monday that it planned to add three new attractions to the theme park as part of its expansion plan. The additions are the "Autopia" electric car ride, the "Stitch Encounter," a theater show, and the UFO Zone – made up of water-squirting robot, rocket ship and flying saucer, said a Hong Kong Disney spokeswoman Esther Wong. The three attractions – located in the Tomorrowland section of the park – will be open to the public this summer, Wong said. Wong said the Hong Kong government is expected to finish reclaiming land by 2008 for the construction of the second phase of the park. At 126 hectares (310 acres), Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disney park in the world, but Bill Ernest, the park's managing director, said the company is "reviewing expansion plans for the park." "This is a long-term improvement measure designed to do two things: increase capacity by a steady program of expansion and enhance the guest experience with thrilling new attractions and features," Ernest told Hong Kong lawmakers during a legislative session. In response to admission problems that erupted during the Chinese New Year when the park was overwhelmed, Ernest said they planned to improve logistical measures for times when the company needs to restrict access to the park. The park is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government, which shouldered the bulk of its construction fee.

Disney Manager Hangs Up His Broom

LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Sentinel) – True story, insisted Wayne Culver: The day before the brand-new Haunted Mansion opened at Walt Disney World in 1971, the first custodial crew cleaned out all the cobwebs. "The Imagineers had to go back in and reapply all the cobwebs," recalled Culver, one of Disney World's original custodial managers, who just retired after 39 years in Orlando and Anaheim, Calif. In 1971, at age 21, he was one of two custodians brought east to train Florida custodians in the Disney ways. Since then Culver has mostly been in or helped manage Disney's armies of workers – the ones who sweep up cigarette butts, ascend scaffolding to wax monorails and rappel down Spaceship Earth to wash the 18-story-tall dome. Notwithstanding the mistake of the first Haunted Mansion crew, Culver said he leaves convinced that Disney World custodians upheld the squeaky-clean image set by company founder Walt Disney. In recent years critics have charged otherwise, including Walt's nephew, former Disney board member Roy E. Disney, who complained two years ago about maintenance standards slipping. Culver strongly disagreed, saying standards have gotten more stringent, adding that if people look for blemishes, they'll find them, but they're "clearly the exception, rather than the rule." These days, though, Disney custodians may be a little harder to find. In recent years, the company increasingly hired outside cleaning contractors, particularly for hotels. "Part of it is due to the fact that with this very, very tight labor market it always has been and remains difficult to attract and retain enough workers," Culver said. In one effort to address that, Culver recently helped develop new shifts for overnight cleaning crews who do most of the deep cleaning. He also created overnight training programs for third-shift custodial managers, bringing in top executives such as Lee Cockerell, Disney World's executive vice president for operations, to lecture at 2 a.m. "It's the only time I had to set my clock to get up," said Cockerell, famous for his dedication to time management. It was also, Cockerell said, a wake-up call in another way, and he credited Culver. "We don't get up very often at 1 o'clock in the morning to meet with them," Cockerell said. "It was: Why haven't we? It's now something we do pay attention to."

Friday, February 24, 2006

ABC Sellout : $1.7 mil per Oscar Spot

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – ABC has sold all the inventory for its March 5 Academy Awards telecast. Despite slightly lower ratings in 2005 compared to the year before, the three-hour Oscar telecast remains the second-biggest night on television after the Super Bowl with strong, upscale demos among people who don't watch much TV. ABC will continue to get a strong showing from advertisers for its 48 spots within the telecast, which begins at 8 p.m. ET. Sources said the network will receive an average of $1.7 million per 30-second spot, up from about $1.6 million a spot in 2005's telecast. In a list of advertisers released Thursday, a couple are new to the Oscars: Coca-Cola Co. and the Miller Brewing Co. The majority are returning to the telecast.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Ireland Honors Friel

DUBLIN (NY Times) – In ceremonies yesterday in Dublin, Brian Friel, the author of plays including "Philadelphia, Here I Come!" and "Dancing at Lughnasa," was awarded the Irish government's highest honor in the arts, becoming one of the five elder statesman of Aosdana, the state-financed artists' academy, when President Mary McAleese placed a ceremonial gold Celtic band around his neck. Mr. Friel, whose "Faith Healer" begins previews in April on Broadway, was first elected to Aosdana, the affiliation of creative artists, in 1982. This year, the organization elected 12 new members, bringing its number to 220 and including its first architect, Shelley McNamara, and first musician, Donal Lunny.

GE, Disney Among Most-Admired Companies

(Broadcasting & Cable) – NBC parent company General Electric tops Fortune magazine’s annual list of most-admired companies, while The Walt Disney Co. ranks first among pure entertainment companies. In the annual survey, GE beat out FedEx, Southwest Airlines and Procter & Gamble. Because NBC makes up such a small portion of the industrial conglomerate, it is not considered an entertainment company. In that category, Disney tops Univision, Time Warner and CBS.

Disney 'Returning to Hand-Drawn Animation'

(Guardian Unlimited) – Having officially abandoned hand-drawn cell animation, Disney is reportedly re-turning to the art form on their forthcoming feature, Enchanted. The film features the voices of Susan Sarandon and Amy Adams and tells the story of a fairytale princess who finds herself banished to New York City. It will reportedly showcase a mix of live action with old-style cell animation. According to Disney expert Jim Hill, a rough sequence for the film has already been completed by the veteran animator James Baxter, who is best known for his work on 1991's Beauty and the Beast. "Those who have seen this par-ticular piece of rough animation say that it is 'simply stunning'. A wonderful throwback to the sort of films Disney used to make," Hill said on his website, jimhillmedia.com. Stung by the poor performance of home-grown features such as Treasure Planet and Atlantis, Disney has become increasingly reliant on its partnership with Pixar, creators of the hit computer-animated films Toy Story, Monsters Inc and The In-credibles. Disney released its last hand-drawn animated feature, Home On the Range, in 2004. At the time the company admitted that there were no plans to make any more. Ironically, Disney's rumored re-turn to cell animation may be partly down to the influence of Pixar front-man John Lasseter, who recently took over the role of chief creative affairs officer at Disney Feature Animation. Despite making his reputa-tion as a champion of CGI, Lasseter is a long-time fan of the older Disney films. "I can't wait until I can get Disney back to the traditional animation business again," he said recently. Enchanted is scheduled for release in 2007.

Holy cow!

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

ABC Block Re-Named 'Peter Jennings Way'

NEW YORK (Broadcasting & Cable) – New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Tuesday took the wraps off a street sign denoting "Peter Jennings Way," the renamed block housing ABC's West 66th Street headquar-ters. ABC said it would be an ongoing memorial to the late World News Tonight anchor, who died of lung cancer in August 2005. Joining Bloomberg and ABC News President David Westin at the unveiling cere-monies were Good Morning America anchors Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibosn, This Week's George Stephanopoulos, and World News Tonight anchor Elizabeth Vargas.

Tourists Mull Suing Disney

BEIJING (Shenzhen Daily) – Some angry Shenzhen tourists who aren't satisfied with Hong Kong Disney-land's offer of compensation are now seeking legal means to force the park to make amends for shutting out throngs of tourists during the Spring Festival. The Shenzhen Lawyers’ Association revealed Sunday that it had received numerous queries from upset tourists seeking adequate compensation from the park. The association said that from a legal perspective, Disney had violated its side of the contract by refusing entry to tourists who held valid tickets. Although the park stated that it closed its gates to ensure safety and a quality experience for its tourists, the association held that it should be liable for failing to fulfill the contract, and thereby needed to provide compensation, which included the cost of transport and accom-modation. The current compensation plan offered by Disney will only refund the cost of tickets, but will not cover other expenses linked to the tour.

Disney Hong Kong Allegedly Made Dying Visitor Wait for Help

HONG KONG (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) – Disney is being sued by a Singaporean woman who claims her dying mother was made to wait nearly three hours for an ambulance at the Hong Kong theme park, a news report said Monday. Nge Yoi Chan , 82, fell ill at the new Hong Kong theme park in its first month of opening last September. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital. Her daughter Joanna Boey told the South China Morning Post Disney did not offer first aid when she fell ill and made her wait half an hour for a bus to the Disney hotel. Hotel staff allegedly refused to make an emergency call on her behalf and an ambulance was turned away at the front entrance, Boey claims. Boey, whose mother died of con-gested arteries, said it was nearly three hours from the time her mother fell ill to the arrival of an ambu-lance to take her to hospital. She told the newspaper she would file law suits in Hong Kong and the US. A Disney spokeswoman told the newspaper an internal investigation found staff had “handled the case in the most appropriate manner, taken care of the situation and given immediate attention.” While not refer-ring to the ambulance being allegedly turned away, she said first aid personnel attended to the woman immediately and that hotel staff called an ambulance straight away. The incident is the latest in a string of public relations hiccups at the Hong Kong theme park which opened last September.

Disney to Mount 'Lion King' in China

BEIJING (UPI) – The Walt Disney Co. announced it would produce the Broadway musical "The Lion King" in Shanghai, its first live show to play in China. The Tony Award-winning musical is scheduled to open July 18, The Hollywood Reporter said. "We think that the story will resonate with everybody, anywhere in the world," Stanley Cheung, Disney's managing director for China, told The Reporter. Disney said three Boeing 747s will transport the set from Melbourne, Australia. Cheung declined to reveal how much the show will cost to mount in China, but said the stage crew alone will comprise 136 people per show.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Nintendo to Launch Pokemon Theme Park

TOKYO (IOL) – Japan's Nintendo will launch a traveling amusement park later this year with rides based on Pokemon characters, starting in Taiwan, a report said Saturday. The Pokemon theme park will open in Taipei for a three-month run from June, aiming to draw a total of one million visitors, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said in its evening edition. The Nintendo group is considering moving the park later to the United States, Europe and Shanghai, the economic daily added. The ubiquitous Pokemon characters, originally developed by Nintendo for its "Game Boy" machine, have been made into a television animation series aired in 70 countries and regions. The Pokemon park was temporarily built last year in the central Japa-nese city of Nagoya to coincide with the World Exposition held for six months to September. It drew 4.5 million visitors during its half-year run. Nintendo officials could not be reached to confirm the report.

Disney Presents $100,000 to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity

GLENDALE, Calif. (Business Wire) – As a gift to the City of Glendale as it embarks on its 2006 Centen-nial Celebration, Disney donated $100,000 to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity to help the organi-zation continue building houses in the "Jewel City." Disney's donation will go toward funding three new homes for three deserving families – titled the Palmer Project – which will be built at 900 and 904 East Palmer and 1201 Cottage Grove in Glendale. Since 1990, Habitat has built 36 homes in the San Gabriel Valley with the help of financial donations from businesses, individuals and churches, as well as dedi-cated volunteers, including those from Disney. During the Centennial Celebration kickoff event at the Glendale Civic Auditorium today, Glendale Mayor Rafi Manoukian welcomed those in attendance and then Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney Imagineering President and Habitat for Humanity Board Member Don Goodman and Joan McCarthy, Disney's manager of Greater Los Angeles Community Relations who also serves as president of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, presented the check to Yates. San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity began its relationship with Glendale in 1995 when four homes on Allen Ave-nue were constructed. Since then, four homes on Orange Street in 2002, three homes on Gardena Ave-nue in 2003 and four homes on Pacific Avenue in 2005 have been built in Glendale. The completion of these projects meant new homes for 79 individuals and, when the Palmer Project is complete, that num-ber will reach 95. Habitat families invest 500 hours of "sweat equity" building their own home, side by side with volunteers. Qualifying families have incomes less than 80% of the county median income and must demonstrate adequate income to meet estimated monthly housing payments and expenses. Disney Vol-untEARS have helped build homes with San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity since its inception in 1995. In addition to Walt Disney Imagineering, ABC7 has also been a part of the Glendale Community since 2000. Disney is developing the Grand Central Creative Campus, with 250,000 square feet of office and amenity space, on Flower Street which is slated to open in the coming year. Glendale, which incorpo-rated on February 16, 1906, will be hosting events throughout the year to mark its 100th birthday. For more information on the 2006 Centennial Celebration, visit www.ci.glendale.ca.us.

By Sacrificing Its Catalog, Will Disney Spoil Its Internet Business?

NEW YORK (NY Times) – Mickey Mouse’s next big role: e-commerce renegade. The Walt Disney Com-pany, an icon of mainstream America, will move against the grain of conventional business strategy this spring when it stops distributing a catalog that has filled the mailboxes of tens of millions of households for the last decade, and instead embarks on a Web-only initiative. "Customers almost dictated this to us," said Paul Gainer, vice president of Disney Shopping, a division of Disney Consumer Products. "Once they go online we just don't see them going back to the phone." The move bucks a trend that has practi-cally become gospel in online commerce in the past several years — namely, that retailers who sell through the combined channels of catalogs, Web sites and physical stores engender more customer loy-alty and bigger profits than those that do not. Why catalogs? Simple, executives say: they're pretty. Unlike most other advertising media, catalogs are something customers want to cozy up with on the couch and browse. But useful as they may be, Mr. Gainer said, catalogs were simply not ringing the registers as loudly. Disney spent $18 million to mail 30 million catalogs last year — half of them sent in the holiday season. The holiday mailing went to similar groups as the previous year's did, yet Disney had a 45% drop in phone orders. The number of customers who responded to e-mail and other online marketing mes-sages, meanwhile, skyrocketed. "I think it's time to focus just on e-commerce, and see how great we can be," Mr. Gainer said. Disney isn't the first cataloger to cut back radically on its mailings in an effort to shift more business to the Internet. In 1999, Lands' End cut its catalog circulation by 9%; its revenue soon fell by nearly twice that percentage, in an experiment that many online executives still point to as evidence that catalogs are more critical to driving Internet sales than they may appear. But Mr. Gainer says 2006 is a much different selling environment online. Not only have high-speed Internet connections led to more aggressive online buying by mainstream customers, but search engines are considerably more effective in helping attract those customers than they were in 1999. More than 80% of Disney Shopping's sales now come online. In fiscal 2005, Disney's consumer products division, which includes stores, product li-censing, catalog and the Internet, sold nearly $21 billion globally. The $18 million that went into the cata-log division will instead be used to buy search-engine advertisements, improve the company's e-mail marketing campaigns and develop a more extensive roster of third-party sites, known in industry parlance as affiliates, to help refer buyers to Disney.com.

Mcgarrybowen Joins Disney Roster

NEW YORK (AdWeek) – Independent mcgarrybowen has parlayed a project into a slot on Walt Disney Parks & Resorts' US roster of agencies, alongside longtime lead shop Leo Burnett. Disney spends about $200 million in measured media annually to advertise its theme parks and resorts, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Mcgarrybowen's previous project was a 2005 spot celebrating Disney's 50 years in the theme park business. The New York agency will now handle brand initiatives and special projects for the Burbank, Calif., client. The hiring of mcgarrybowen illustrates the client's move away from a single lead agency – Leo Burnett – and toward a multi-shop setup. Disney considers Burnett and mcgarrybowen to be "equal" agency partners and uses Omnicom Group's TBWA\Chiat\Day in San Francisco for projects, said Michael Mendenhall, evp of global marketing at the client. And Disney is thinking about adding TBWA\C\D to the roster as well, Mendenhall said. In explaining the hiring of mcgarrybowen, Mendenhall cited the agency's "incredibly quick" grasp of the Disney brand and its consumers as well as some "very good work." He added: "We've been incredibly pleased with them. They are a very talented agency."

Disney Settles Lion Song Dispute

(BBC News) – The family of the composer of The Lion Sleeps Tonight have dropped a case against Dis-ney after accepting an undisclosed settlement. The relatives of South African Solomon Linda, who wrote the original Zulu tune, settled with the US owners of the copyright who had loaned it to Disney. The dis-pute over royalties arose when the song was used in The Lion King. Linda, who died in poverty in 1962, composed the song in 1939 and recorded it with The Evening Birds. His family contested that Disney was liable to pay almost £1m for using the song, which was used in The Lion King film and stage musical. Mr Linda sold the copyright to a local firm in 1939, but his lawyers said it should have reverted to his heirs 25 years after his death in 1962. It has been recorded by at least 150 artists around the world, and became one of the most popular tunes in Africa. The settlement involves back payment of royalties to the family and the right to participate in future payments on a worldwide basis.

Top Disney Theme Park Designer to Leave

One of Walt Disney's top theme park designers is stepping down after decades of service, signaling the end of an era for the Magic Kingdom.

Marty Sklar is one of the last remaining employees who once worked closely with the company's co-founder, Walt Disney.

The 72-year-old said he would leave his executive job at Walt Disney Imagineering to serve as its "ambassador," according to a memo to colleagues Thursday.

He helped to design such park attractions as "The Enchanted Tiki Room," "It's a Small World" and "Space Mountain."

"He understands the Disney way because he learned it at Walt's knee," said Jim Cora, a former chairman of Disneyland International. "He is the keeper of the keys, the conscience, the Jiminy Cricket for the organization."

Sklar said he had long planned to step down after reaching two milestones — the 50th anniversary of Disneyland and his own half-century at the company. Last year he reached the first mark, and this June he will hit the other.

The move follows Disney's recent announcement that after its planned acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios this summer, Pixar's creative chief, John Lasseter, will help design rides for Disney's theme parks. Lasseter also will become chief creative officer of both animation studios.

The timing of Sklar's decision was unrelated to Lasseter's pending arrival, Disney officials said.

Low-key and unimposing, Sklar is revered by a generation of designers he trained, dubbed "Imagineers," for his mentoring and his links to the company's heritage. Sklar condensed Walt Disney's ideas into a widely circulated creed called "Mickey's Ten Commandments."

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Walt Disney World Moves Mountains to Celebrate New Attraction

NEW YORK (PRNewswire) – New York City's famed Times Square was transformed into the legendary Mount Everest on Feb. 15 by Walt Disney World Resort. A 57-story spectacular brought the Himalayas to life, with dazzling special effects and the ferocious roar of the yeti, plus world-renowned aerialist acrobats performing a never-seen-before display of vertical acrobatics. The show, "Everest in the City," took place hundreds of feet above Times Square to celebrate the launch of the thrilling new Walt Disney World at-traction Expedition Everest, grand opening in April at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Project Bandaloop, fea-turing the world's most creative aerial acrobats, flew through the sky as they performed off a pair of tower-ing billboards spanning two skyscrapers at Broadway and 47th Street. Serving as the dramatic backdrop, the billboards featured a runaway train racing through snow-covered mountains, just narrowly escaping the wrath of the fearsome red-eyed yeti, legendary protector of the Himalayas. To broaden "Everest in the City" beyond a traditional billboard, Walt Disney World Resort partnered with industry leaders including Sylvania, Hip Cricket and AOL CityGuide. Sylvania gave the yeti his glowing red eyes using the new OS-RAM LED-powered light technology. While Sylvania is responsible for giving the yeti his eyes, Hip Cricket is controlling their stare. Visitors to Times Square can use their wireless phones to interact directly and in real time with the yeti by texting the word DISNEY to the short code "4YETI", which will make the yeti's eyes flash at a specific time. For anyone not able to view the show in person, AOL CityGuide will feature exclusive video of the event. Visitors on aolcityguide.com also can enter an online contest that will award 25 lucky visitors to the site a trip for four to Walt Disney World Resort to experience an exclusive tour of Expedition Everest.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Do Not Go to Disney Land

DUBAI (The Jordan Times) – Very soon, you can go to "Dubai Land" instead. The biggest amusement and theme park in the world will be right next door, with double the size and hopefully the magic of Disney World. This should be welcomed in a region that lacks in children entertainment. Mediocre amusement parks are the most one hopes for, unless willing to make a long trip either to Paris Disney or to Hong Kong. This is all about to change. Dubai land is being created to appeal to the widest audience of tourists, covering all age groups, nationalities, and activities. The park will cater to the entertainment of the fifteen million tourists Dubai is targeting by 2010. The work at Dubailand consists of forty five mega-projects and two hundred subprojects, and will be built on two billion square feet of land. The scope of the project con-tains a multitude of attractions including a space exploration exhibition, full-size dinosaur enclosure, an equestrian centre, aviation display, modern art gallery, water amusement park, multi-cultural garden com-plex, and the largest zoo in the Middle East. It will even have replicas of the Pyramids and an ecological dome and host the biggest shopping mall in the world, The Mall of Arabia. The attractions will be grouped into six themed areas which are: Attractions & Experience World, Sports & Outdoor World, Eco-Tourism World, Themed Leisure & Vacation World, Retail & Entertainment World and Downtown. To accommo-date the 200,000 daily visitors, the project will construct fifty new world class hotels and resorts. The pro-ject, which underwent two years of intensive studies and research, will take between 10 and 15 years to complete. However, some of the attractions will be operational as early as 2008.

Talk-Show Mettle : Mr. Eisner Builds Dream TV Backdrop

(Wall Street Journal) – In his 21 years as Walt Disney Co.'s chief executive, Michael Eisner was known for attending to the smallest details of the sprawling entertainment empire. Four months after stepping down, he's working on a much smaller stage: the set of his new CNBC talk show, "Conversations with Michael Eisner." A table, a couple of chairs, a bookcase, a potted plant? No. For his show, slated to run once every other month, Mr. Eisner says he wanted a backdrop that spoke to "high quality and sophistication and simplicity and elegance." And he wanted it designed by Frank Gehry. The architect agreed to do it – gratis. "I told him I'd do the set if he promised not to wear a tie," says Mr. Gehry (a promise Mr. Eisner hasn't kept). The result was a set of silvery, titanium panels that echo many of Mr. Gehry's most famous buildings, along with a custom-made wooden table and a set of luxurious red leather chairs designed in Italy. When CNBC executives reached an agreement for Mr. Eisner to host a talk show, which is scheduled to launch in March, they didn't appreciate how accustomed he was to what is known in Hollywood as "creative control." The practical-minded operations department at CNBC, was skeptical. For one, NBC worried that the metal would make the set difficult to light and would be distracting to viewers. Within a few days, however, the project was set in motion. CNBC President Mark Hoffman says it was a "slam dunk" to approve Mr. Gehry's design. The cable channel paid for the materials, which cost just under $25,000. "It's not the most expensive set I've ever been associated with," Mr. Hoffman says. Gehry’s team produced tall, interlocking strips of titanium that curved like Mr. Gehry's buildings and resembled a drunk, metallic garden fence. In late January, three 10-foot walls containing a total of 44 panels were shipped to Rockefeller Center in New York. They were temporarily set up in Studio 8-H, directly in front of the main stage of NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Every item in the 450-pound pallet was labeled, including the individual panels, which were made with metal provided by Titanium Metals Corp., the Denver-based company Mr. Gehry uses for his buildings. Mr. Eisner didn't get just one Gehry set, but two. CNBC plans to build a smaller version in NBC's Burbank, Calif., studios allowing Mr. Eisner to conduct interviews in Los Angeles. Mr. Gehry has yet to see the actual set. But this week it was already in use. As Mr. Eisner was preparing to interview actress Goldie Hawn on Tuesday, having taped Regis Philbin a few hours before, he voiced his approval. "It felt original, which is what I wanted. And it felt warm," he said.

Sharpie Helping to Make Memories Permanent at Walt Disney World Resort

OAK BROOK, Ill. (PRNewswire) – Walt Disney World Co. and Sharpie, a division of Sanford LP, a Newell Rubbermaid company, announced a strategic alliance that joins Sharpie markers with the magic of the Walt Disney World Resort. Sharpie's agreement with Walt Disney World Co. includes marketing and pro-motional rights, sponsorship of several popular Walt Disney World Resort events and experiences, and on-site promotional presence for the Sharpie marker brand at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. "Sharpie is a natural fit for Walt Disney World Resort given the millions of autograph seekers who frequent the resort each year," said Rory Leyden, president of Sanford North America, Sharpie's parent company. As part of the agreement, Sharpie will become the title sponsor of the resort's Kidcot Fun Stops at Epcot theme park, where craftspeople from around the world teach children how to create one-of-a-kind face masks and enjoy arts and crafts. Sharpie also becomes the title sponsor for Walt Disney World Resort's annual art event, "Festival of the Masters." In addition, Sharpie joins as a participating sponsor for well-known, annual events such as the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, ESPN The Weekend, ABC Super Soap Weekend, the FUNAI Golf Classic on the PGA TOUR, Grad Nite, and Disney's Magic Music Days. Sharpie markers also will enjoy greater visibility with key branding and displays at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Consumer promotions in connection with the partnership are in development and will include the chance to win a Walt Disney World Resort vacation package and a full complement of Sharpie products.

Disney Bringing Back MovieBeam Set-Top Box

(AP) – The Walt Disney Co.'s MovieBeam set-top box is coming back in an upgraded version that clearly aims to be a Blockbuster in a box. The box receives movies through over-the-air broadcasts and stores them on a hard drive. Disney started testing the service in three cities in 2003, then put it on hiatus in April. This time, Disney is relaunching the box as a separate company, MovieBeam Inc., with several new new financial backers, including Cisco Systems Inc. and Intel Corp., and is expanding the service with plans to eventually make it available on laptop computers and other devices. The new set-top box can show movies in high definition and display DVD extras such as directors' commentaries. Unlike cable TV video-on-demand services that keep movie files on a central computer and send them to an individual consumer when ordered, MovieBeam boxes come preloaded with 100 films. About 10 new movies are sent each week over an unused part of the broadcast TV signal using a technology called datacasting. Consumers will pay $199 for the box after a rebate, and a $29 activation fee. After that, they pay video store prices for the movies they watch. A rental is good for a 24-hour period. The service will launch in 29 large markets with plans to take it nationwide by the end of next year.

Disney Channel's "High School Musical" Sequel Developing

(Playbill) – Disney Channel's popular original movie, "High School Musical," will revel in the news that a DVD release is in the works and the network is planning a sequel. Producer Bill Borden has previously stated "High School Musical" was planned as a three-part series. No timeline has been announced for either the sequel or release on DVD, according to a Disney spokesperson. The "High School Musical" soundtrack has done well by the company released on Jan. 10, the album entered the Top 10 on The Billboard 200 in its third week, bolstered by its download popularity. At press time, the album was No. 6 on Apple iTunes' "Today's Top Albums." The singles "Breaking Free" and "Get'cha Head in the Game" continue to place in and out of the top 10 of "Today's Top Songs."

Hahn Tapped Interim Chief of Disney Animation

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Don Hahn, a producer at Walt Disney Feature Animation, will assume the role of interim head of WDFA until Disney's acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios is complete. Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook informed studio employees of Hahn's assignment late Thursday in a company-wide e-mail. Hahn will take over many of the duties of outgoing president David Stainton, who is expected to take another position within the Disney organization. Hahn stood beside Ed Catmull and John Lasseter last month when the newly appointed president and chief creative officer of the Pixar and Disney animation studios toured WDFA a day after Disney announced its plan to buy Pixar. Hahn and Lasseter have a history dating back almost two decades. The two first worked together at Disney on the 1981 production of "The Fox and the Hound," the crew of which is a veritable who's who of power players in today's animation community. Hahn was an early and ardent champion of Pixar inside Disney when the fledgling computer animation boutique first began producing "Toy Story" in the early '90s. When Disney's first deal with an as-yet-unproven Pixar was challenged by doubters, Hahn was quoted as saying, "Pixar has the ability to be small and naughty, to be fleet of foot." Hahn is known to be an advocate of the many styles and techniques of animation, from 3-D to hand-drawn 2-D and stop-motion as well as integration of 2-D and live action. He was an associate producer on 1988's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and a producer on 1991's "Beauty and the Beast," 1994's "The Lion King" and 1996's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

Friday, February 10, 2006

Disney Redesigns Uniforms for Park Staff

ANAHEIM, Calif. (UPI) – It may be a small world after all, as the Disneyland song goes, but costumes worn by "cast members" at Disney theme parks are getting larger. A mass redesign is under way for uniforms worn by the theme park's ride operators, shop clerks, waitresses and other staff, the Orlando Sentinel reported Thursday. The strict and conservative weight rules set down 50 years ago governing Disney staff just don't hold water any more, the newspaper noted. A clause in employee contracts that requires medical leave for those "unable to maintain their physical proportions" is no longer enforced. Low wages and job demands have forced Disney to lower its standards considerably, experts said. "Disneyland can't be as picky as it used to be," said Jamie O'Boyle, a theme-park scholar at the Center for Cultural Studies & Analysis in Philadelphia. "Obesity is the issue du jour," Bill O'Brien, a Minneapolis-based employment attorney, told the newspaper. "It's everywhere you turn." So, come this summer, look for longer skirts and looser jackets, the Sentinel said.

The Brain Says Disney Super Bowl Ads the Best

(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) – The ventromedial prefrontal cortex has spoken: The top Super Bowl ad this year was the Disney World spot featuring several Steelers and Seahawks players practicing the famous line: "I'm going to Disney World." This may come as a surprise to people who follow the annual pilgrimage to the heights of the advertising stratosphere, where a 30-second spot cost an average of $2.4 million this year. USA Today's poll showed that the Bud Light "secret fridge" ad was the audience favorite, while a survey by The Wall Street Journal named the FedEx caveman ad. But neither of those polls had the ventromedial prefrontal cortex going for them, let alone the orbitofrontal cortex or the amygdala. These multisyllabic terms all refer to parts of the brain, and that's what differentiated the Super Bowl ad measurements done by FKF Applied Research and UCLA's Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center. To mimic the Super Bowl viewing audience, researchers took three men and two women between the ages of 23 and 37 and conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging of their brains while they watched the Super Bowl ads. They focused on three areas of the brain associated with desire, reward and positive connections to others, and three areas that signal conflict, fear and trying to repress negative reactions, said Dr. Joshua Freedman, a UCLA psychiatrist. Based on those scans, the Disney World ad was the hands down winner in the intensity of positive brain signals. A close and somewhat surprising second went to the Sierra Mist ad, in which an airport security crew swipes a Sierra Mist from a passenger by pretending it is setting off their detector. Surprising flops in the brain scans: The sensitive Dove ad, featuring a heartwarming message of support for young girls; and the sentimental Budweiser Clydesdale ad, showing how a colt was able to pull a heavy beer wagon out of the barn.

Al Michaels Deal Reunites Disney with Original Animated Character

NEW YORK (AP) – Al Michaels was traded from ABC to NBC for a cartoon bunny, four rounds of golf and Olympic highlights. The rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a bunny created by Walt Disney in the 1920s before he invented Mickey Mouse, were transferred from NBC Universal to The Walt Disney Co. as part of the agreement to release the broadcaster from his contract with ABC and ESPN. "As the forerunner to Mickey Mouse and an important part of Walt Disney's creative legacy, the fun and mischievous Oswald is back where he belongs, at the home of his creator and among the stable of beloved characters created by Walt himself," Disney president Robert Iger said after Thursday's announcement. Michaels had been with ABC for three decades and had been the play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football for the past 20 years. "Oswald is definitely worth more than a fourth-round draft choice," Michaels said, referring to what the Kansas City Chiefs gave the New York Jets as compensation for releasing coach Herm Edwards from his contract. "I'm going to be a trivia answer someday." A four-time Emmy Award winner, Michaels agreed last July to stay with ABC/ESPN as the Monday game switched to the cable network next fall, but he asked to back out and instead will broadcast Sunday night NFL games on NBC with John Madden, his partner on ABC during the past four seasons. As part of the deal, NBC sold ESPN cable rights to Friday coverage of the next four Ryder Cups through 2014, and granted ESPN increased usage of Olympic highlights through 2012 and other NBC properties through 2011. NBC, in turn, gets expanded highlight rights to ABC and ESPN events.

NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said ABC Sports and ESPN president George Bodenheimer called last month to initiate talks, which culminated in an agreement Tuesday. "He told me this incredible story that Walt's first really big production as a cartoonist for the cinema had been a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which was before Mickey," Ebersol said. "And for reasons that aren't still totally clear to me, Walt lost those rights. He didn't have the money to hold onto them." Disney and his partner, Ub Iwerks, created the rabbit in 1927 at the request of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Pictures, and made 26 silent cartoons. After Disney learned that Universal held the rights, he created a new character, eventually named Mickey Mouse, who resembled Oswald, but with shorter ears. Universal continued to make Oswald films from 1929-38 – Mickey Rooney was one of his voices – and appeared in a comic book from 1943-62. "We earn nothing from those rights; they've had no value in the United States," Ebersol said. The Walt Disney Co. had been trying to reacquire the rabbit for some time. "When Bob was named CEO, he told me he wanted to bring Oswald back to Disney, and I appreciate that he is a man of his word," Walt Disney's daughter Diane Disney Miller said in a statement. "Having Oswald around again is going to be a lot of fun."

Thursday, February 09, 2006

The Upside of Ego

(Newsweek) – Michael Eisner transformed the Walt Disney Co. from a studio with a couple of theme parks to a global entertainment behemoth worth more than $50 billion, in his 21-year reign that ended last year. Under Eisner's leadership, the company became a major player in everything from television to baseball, book publishing, retailing and Broadway shows. How did he transform Disney? Simply, by making decisions. During the 18 years between Walt Disney's death in 1966 and Eisner's ascension to Disney's top job, a simple question would arise with every possible move: "What would Walt do?" It was not a recipe for strong decision making. Eisner took over a moribund company in the shadow of its once-towering reputation. Its biggest problem was that Disney executives had no idea what "Walt" would do. Eisner set about changing the "old media dinosaur," at that point capitalized at just $2.8 billion. The year before he joined, it had made just three films. So Eisner brought in Jeffrey Katzenberg to run movies, and soon they were making 40 films a year culminating in animated classics like "The Lion King". It led to one of the most sustained share price runs in US corporate history, with annualized returns in excess of 25 percent. But Eisner’s iron grip on Disney made him enemies. In 2003, Walt's nephew, Roy Disney, resigned from the Disney board, accusing Eisner of turning Disney into a "rapacious, soulless" company. At various points, Eisner also fell out with Katzenberg and the legendary one-time Disney president, Michael Ovitz. Disney's campaign culminated in a shareholder revolt, and after initially resigning the chairmanship, Eisner severed all ties with the company in September 2005. Nick Tabakoff of NEWSWEEK's partner publication in Australia, "The Bulletin," spoke with Michael Eisner about life after Disney, new media and old-fashioned Hollywood politics. Excerpts:

THE BULLETIN: Web-distribution companies like Google are making hundreds of millions of dollars on the content of entertainment companies like Disney. Does the emergence of new media pose a threat to the established media and entertainment groups?

Michael Eisner: Well, I think every platform is going to need content. As long as Disney, Warner Brothers and Paramount concentrate on creating great content, they will be the ultimate survivors. It's always been that way. The distribution chains come on, get a lot of power, press, money, and go away 20 or 30 years later and end up not being the winners. The winners are the content companies.

Your name is still synonymous with Disney. What do you see as your greatest achievement there, and your greatest regret?

I can't really give you a greatest achievement. We did everything from winning a baseball World Series to creating a whole new era of animation to many movies, Academy Award-winning movies; new theme parks in Florida, California, Japan, China and Europe; 30,000 hotel rooms; 80 new buildings; sports networks; broadcast networks. All these things feel like pretty good achievements. Setting up Broadway shows, watching the "Lion King." We had a good run on Broadway, we still do. But they're all part of the whole — which is to try to make really quality products to play around the world where there is an audience.

What about a greatest regret?

That it all goes so quickly. I think I was in grade school about 10 minutes ago.

How important are egos in Hollywood? And is there an upside of ego?

I think ego is important in Hollywood only to the degree that you write about it in the press. There is as much ego on a farm in Kansas as there is on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It's just the media puts the spotlight on the process of making content because everyone's so interested in it. And that's a very big positive, it's a compliment. No one would be interested in our movies if everybody in the world was ego-less, passionless and completely and totally discreet.

I saw an article that commented on your relationships with some of the men you once clashed with as the head of Disney — (Michael) Ovitz and (Jeffrey) Katzenberg and Roy Disney. It said you're now friends with some of these guys. Are these clashes part of the rough and tumble of Hollywood politics? Is it like a soccer game — where at the end of it, you're mates again?

I'm still friendly with the guy in high school who stole my girlfriend. It's life. I mean, people are competitive, and people say and do stupid things, and life goes on. And if you're not a person that holds grudges, you move on.

On the Disney takeover of Pixar, it seems you weren't really keen to go ahead with it when you were Disney CEO.

I don't think there's anything about this acquisition that you can find me being quoted about. I really feel that it would be inappropriate. Bob Iger is CEO of the company, the board chose to make that deal, and I support it.

What about Rupert Murdoch? Do you think there's more he can do to secure his seat in the big time, or is he already there?

Well he's clearly in the big time, and the only fight he's going to have is his own age, because he's brilliant. I would say he is amongst the best, maybe the best, in the top two or three in the world.

Since leaving Disney, you've been keeping busy. You're said to be scouting the world for a variety of opportunities in content production. Can you tell me more?

There is no more. Scouting the world is a good way to put it, and I'm enjoying the opportunity of looking at every possible thing. And I have no idea where it ends up.

I read that you have a $630 million fortune, so what's the motivation for you now?

Well I have no idea if any of that is true. My motivation never has been about money, from the day I was an usher at NBC in New York. ... I don't care about the money. I care about the work. I like the creative process. I like the fun of it. It's like being at a party all the time. There are a lot of people who crash the party, and are too drunk at the party, but the party is still fun to be at. I want to be in the party. I want to be in the sober part.

I saw that you grew up going to Broadway shows. Given what you later achieved at Disney — and with Disney helping to transform Broadway — did that give you the impetus to become perhaps America's most successful showman?

Not that I was aware of. Growing up in New York, the thing you did every birthday — at least in my home environment — every birthday, every anniversary, every event, you went to a Broadway show. So I saw probably every show from the time I was five years old till when I went away to school. However, I was a pre-med — I was going to medical school — what did I know about Broadway? So I guess when I got to college, and this girl in the theater department wouldn't date me, I wrote a play with her as the star, [so] she would date me and thought that would be an effective way to impress her. So I did, I wrote the play. I impressed her, she was in the play, the play did very well — and she still wouldn't date me. So that's how I got going.

What was the play called?

"To Stop a River." I don't know what happened to it. Forget it.

Was entertainment in your blood at that point?

I wasn't worried about my blood. I was worried about dating her. Actually, I haven't thought of her name — Barbara Eberhart — for I would say about four years.

So wanting to date Barbara Eberhart was ultimately what led you on a path to becoming head of Disney?

By the way, I can give you about a thousand other examples about how that part of one's life does drive a certain amount of momentum. If she had been less attractive, maybe I'd have been a doctor today. And not a good one, because I didn't like the sight of blood.

Disney Denies Theme Park Deal With Shanghai

BEIJING (Asia Pulse) – Walt Disney Co yesterday moved to quell speculation that it is on the verge of reaching a deal with the government over a proposal for a Disneyland theme park in Shanghai. Rumors of an impending agreement reached fever pitch on Tuesday after Robert Iger, Disney's president and CEO, was quoted on Hong Kong Cable TV as saying talks with the Chinese Government were "ongoing." On Wall Street, Disney stock climbed almost 7 per cent by the market's close on Tuesday, its highest price in six months, but company spokeswoman Allanah Goss was quick to dispel any ideas that an agreement was imminent. "There is nothing new to report on the progress of Shanghai discussions," she said. "The Walt Disney Co has not reached an agreement with Shanghai to build a second theme park in China. If we were to reach an agreement for a second park in China, it would not open before 2010. China is a priority for the entire company and we have a continuing dialogue about a variety of Disney initiatives, including television, motion pictures and consumer products, of which theme parks are only a part." The Shanghai municipal government yesterday refused to comment on whether negotiations were taking place.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Prime-Time Nielsen Ratings

(AP) – Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Jan. 30 to Feb. 5. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.

1. (X) "Super Bowl XL: Seattle vs. Pittsburgh," ABC, 90.7 million viewers.
2. (X) "Super Bowl Post Game" (10:05-10:10), ABC, 74 million viewers.
3. (X) "Super Bowl Post Game" (10:11-10:27), ABC, 59.8 million viewers.
4. (6) "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 37.9 million viewers.
5. (2) "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 30.4 million viewers.
6. (1) "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 30.2 million viewers.
7. (3) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 28.4 million viewers.
8. (5) "Without a Trace," CBS, 20.8 million viewers.
9. (7) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 20.4 million viewers.
10. (10) "Survivor: Panama-Exile Island," CBS, 19.2 million viewers.
11. (8) "Dancing With the Stars" (Thursday), ABC, 18.8 million viewers.
12. (18) "CSI: N.Y.," CBS, 16.4 million viewers.
13. (19) "Dancing With the Stars" (Friday), ABC, 18.8 million viewers.
14. (12) "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 15 million viewers.
15. (26) "24," Fox, 13.8 million viewers.
16. (27) "ER," NBC, 13.8 million viewers.
17. (33) "Numb3rs," CBS, 13.3 million viewers.
18. (21) "Courting Alex," CBS, 13.3 million viewers.
19. (24) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 13.1 million viewers.
20. (82) "Bones," Fox, 12.6 million viewers.

Disney Planning Theme Park in Shanghai

HONG KONG (AFP) – The Disney company is reportedly in talks with Chinese officials to build a new theme park in Shanghai. "We have ongoing discussions – ongoing and ongoing and ongoing – with the Chinese government about a park in Shanghai," Disney chief executive Robert Iger told The Standard. Disney officials were unavailable for comment on the report. The company has previously hinted at a Shanghai resort but has said no new park would be opened in mainland China before 2010. Hong Kong Disneyland opened in September last year. According to the report in the English-language daily, tourism chiefs in Hong Kong are unconcerned by the prospects of a new theme park. "A Disney theme park in Shanghai would not present a significant threat to the success of Hong Kong Disneyland," said Tourism Board spokeswoman Lucinda Wong. "China is a huge market that can easily support more than one Disneyland."

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Hong Kong Disneyland to Adjust Ticketing

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong Disneyland will adjust its admission system after hundreds of ticket holders from mainland China were turned away and tried to storm the park, a Disney executive said Saturday. The problem stemmed from a system in which most tickets sold are valid for six months, but do not guarantee entry on any given day. Hundreds of Chinese New Year holiday-makers who held such tickets, many from the mainland or Taiwan, were barred from the park Wednesday and Thursday because it was already full. Television footage showed crowds rebuffed trying to push through the entrance gate, while others clambered over the iron fence. Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest said the park will not scrap flexible-time tickets, which the tourism industry had demanded. But the park may set aside peak days for date-specific ticket holders only, Ernest told a news conference. Turned-away holders of flexible tickets can ask for refunds, he said. "I personally apologize to the people of Hong Kong, as well as the people of mainland China, for the experience," Ernest said. "We are still learning in this market. This is our very first Chinese New Year, frankly." Ernest said visitor numbers during the holidays have been "unprecedented," but declined to provide an attendance figure. Ernest said keeping crowding under control in the park is important for public safety.

Get in the Game - Yeti Vision

(Orlando Sentinel) – To promote both the new Expedition Everest ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney's Internet offerings, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online has created a game called "Yeti Vision" that can be downloaded from the ride's official Web page, disneyeverest.com. The game is aimed at children ages 8 to 14, particularly those already familiar with Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom, a multiplayer online game for children. Yeti Vision is being rolled out in three parts, with the first episode now online. Paul Yanover, senior vice president and general manager of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online, said the Everest game is similar to, but more advanced than, efforts launched for previous park attractions such as Mission: Space and Tower of Terror.

Monday, February 06, 2006

REVIEW : “Bambi II”

(Variety) – Expect boffoboffo bizbiz for "Bambi II," even though the made-formade-for-vidvid sequel is conspicuously short on the visual splendor and gentle enchantment that have made the original 1942 animated feature such an enduring classic. New pic is bound to please the target audaud of tykes who want to spend additional time with the beloved toontoon characters. Kid-centric appeal and iconographic brand name should be enough to generate record sales to parents seeking squeaky-clean entertainment for their young offspring. Action may intensify as potential buyers learn Disney will enforce a sales moratorium on "Bambi II" 70 days after its Feb. 7 street date.

Yet another product of the Mouse Factory's DisneyToons Studios, the lightly amusing but unremarkable sequel kicked off a limited theatrical run Feb. 1 in key overseas markets, beginning with France, Germany and Benelux countries. But "Bambi II" appears much better suited for home-screen consumption, given the stark contrast between the still-stunning 1942 original – arguably the very best of its kind ever shepherded by Uncle Walt himself – and the follow-up which has the brightly bland look common to Disney's second-tier vidpic sequels. Plotwise, new toon isn't so much a follow-up as an add-on. Working from a story by Jeanne Rosenberg and helmer Brian Pimental, scripterscripter Alicia Kirk begins with the dramatic highpoint of the '42 classic – the jolting off-screen death of young Bambi's mother – and details misadventures that could have earned the vidpic an alternative title: "Bambi: The Lost Years." The Great Prince (voiced by Patrick StewartPatrick Stewart), Bambi's father, initially chafes at the burden of bringing up his son. He doesn't feel it's proper that his royal duties include being a nurturing parent. Indeed, as far as he's concerned, Bambi (an effective Alexander Gould) would be better off in the care of a foster doe – because, hey, raising children is a woman's job, right? Gradually, however, the Great Prince warms to the idea of personally teaching the callow fawn how take command, "feel the forest" and behave like a true heir apparent. Bambi eagerly strives to follow in his father's hoofprints, even as he struggles to overcome timidity, clumsiness – and the occasional flash of paralyzing panic. (Insert joke about "deer in the headlights" here.) But it's hard for a dear deer like Bambi to transform himself into a truly princely figure. And it's even harder when his best efforts are cruelly jeered by Ronno (Anthony Ghannam), a belligerent fawn who talks trash: "Bambi? Isn't that a girl's name?" Thumper (Brendon Baerg), a playful rabbit, and Flower (Nicky Jones), a dreamy skunk, are among the familiar characters making welcome returns. (Bambi's late mom, voiced by Carolyn Hennesy, appears in fantasy sequence to offer advice that sounds suspiciously like "The Circle of Life" from "The Lion King.") Except for Bambi himself, however, the most appealing character on view is the Great Prince, who's given much more to do here than in the original. Stewart's ace vocal performance neatly balances gravitas and melancholy, paternal love and demanding authority.

Unlike the first "Bambi," a model of leisurely classicism, "Bambi II" strives for a brisker pace and, occasionally, a more contemporary rambunctiousness. Pre-schoolers may giggle, but their parents may be miffed when vidpic intros flatulence jokes involving Flower. Soundtrack includes original tunes pleasingly performed by country music stars Martina McBride ("Show Me How the World Looks Through Your Eyes") and Alison Krauss ("There Is Life").

Super Bowl Commercial Controversy – Did ABC Censor Their Own Ad?

(Reality TV Magazine) – One of the sexiest and perhaps most controversial commercials during the entire Super Bowl XL was an ABC promo spot for the reality TV show Dancing With the Stars. When the Dancing with the Stars promo spot aired early in the Super Bowl, it showed close-ups of scantily clad female dancers from Dancing with the Stars. One shot featured Stacy Keibler running her hands provocatively along her body. Another shot showed Lisa Rinna wearing a tight red dress that exposed her cleavage. Lisa ran her hands over her breasts. After showing the close-ups, the question “Wardrobe Malfunction?” was flashed on the screen. A couple seconds later the reply “You Wish” appeared. While this commercial might seem fairly innocent, it is surprising that ABC would run this ad considering that some advertisers had difficulty getting sexy ads approved. It took web domain name registrar GoDaddy.com fourteen attempts before they created a commercial non-controversial enough for ABC to air. When another Dancing with the Stars promo spot aired again later in the Super Bowl, there was a noticeable change to the commercial. The commercial still had close-ups of scantily clad female dancers, but the “Wardrobe Malfunction?” joke had been removed. Instead the question “Wanna Watch?” flashed on the screen. A couple seconds later the reply “Who Wouldn’t” appeared. It’s possible that ABC had planned to run two different versions of the promo spot for Dancing with the Stars all along. However, last year, after a GoDaddy.com commercial ran making fun of the Super Bowl’s infamous wardrobe malfunction, the NFL called Fox and the network decided to pull the second airing of the commercial. Did someone take offense to the first promo for Dancing with the Stars leading ABC to run a different version of the promo in the second half?

Long-Running Commercial Marks 20th Year

DETROIT (PRNewswire) – Wide receiver Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night became the latest sports hero to pause in the afterglow of triumph and shout the famous phrase "I'm going to Disney World!" as part of the production for one of TV's most enduring and celebrated commercials. But this time, there was more: Veteran Pittsburgh running back Jerome "The Bus" Bettis joined in the commercial as Super Bowl MVP Ward added, "And I'm taking The Bus." The pronouncement, captured on tape at Detroit's Ford Field just moments after Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, became the latest episode of the "I'm going to Disney World" commercial produced over a 20-year span. This latest installment – the 36th in the long-running series – will air Feb. 6, the day after Super Bowl XL. Also on Monday, Ward and Bettis were scheduled to go to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for a celebratory parade down Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom. The procession, also including football stars of the future from NFL Youth Football hosted by Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, was to cap Disney's most visible "I'm going to Disney World" presence in two decades of the TV spot. Disney this year worked with the NFL to create a retrospective of the game's heroes and 20 years of the "I'm going to Disney World" campaign, then projected the presentation onto a downtown Detroit skyscraper during evening hours of the days leading up to the Super Bowl. Next came a 60-second commercial that aired during the pregame broadcast and at halftime of the game featuring players from both Super Bowl teams – including Ward and Bettis – practicing to deliver the iconic catchphrase "I'm going to Disney World." Then, for the first time ever, Disney did a post-game reveal of a player to be featured in the "I'm going to Disney World" spot, projecting the image of Ward XL – extra large – onto the side of a building in Campus Martius Park Sunday night after the game. Ward and Bettis join a lineup of sports heroes such as Tom Brady, Emmitt Smith, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Joe Montana, John Elway, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Doug Williams, Magic Johnson and Patrick Roy who have been featured during the two decades of "I'm going to Disney World" commercials.

Disney to Announce Sale of ABC Radio Next Week

(World Net Daily) – ABC Radio, the home of Sean Hannity and other popular talk hosts and some of the biggest and most well-known radio stations in the country, will be cut loose by parent Disney Corp. as early as next week. Disney has been in serious talks with Citadel Broadcasting to sell its ABC Radio division as a way of improving its bottom line. Industry analysts say the deal will be close to a $3 billion transaction and involved the assumption of significant debt and operating losses currently experienced by the radio division. The deal may not include ESPN Radio and some Disney-branded stations that are part of the ABC Radio division now. It would also not include the ABC News radio franchise. The transaction, however, would include most of the 72 stations currently operating under the ABD Radio banner.

Super MVP Isn't the Big Cheese at Disneyland

DETROIT (LA Times) – So, do they really go to Disneyland? Steve Young did in 1995 after passing for a record six touchdowns in the San Francisco 49ers' 49-26 Super Bowl victory over the San Diego Chargers and being named the game's most valuable player. "You get your $1,500 and you say, 'I'm going to Disneyland,' " Young said this week. "The thing about the fine print that you don't realize is, you're going, and you're going tomorrow.” "I brought Jerry Rice along and split the $1,500 with him, and took him to Anaheim. They had a big parade, and it was really kind of cool. On top of the float was myself, Jerry Rice and Mickey Mouse, of course, and in front was the band, going down Main Street in Disneyland. It was a huge deal; people were screaming. On the side of the float, it said, 'Steve Young, Super Bowl MVP,' and I thought, 'This is the greatest moment of my life.' People are screaming, 'Steve, you're the man, you're the man,' and I remember thinking for a brief moment, 'I am the man.'” "And so we finish the parade and the band stops playing … and everything got quiet. Now I'm just standing there with Jerry and Mickey Mouse. And there were these two little boys – I remember this so vividly – they were sitting there dressed the same, the same shirt, like 6- and 8-year-old brothers. They're sitting there waiting for the stupid thing to go so they can get on to the fun. And the younger one looks up and sees Mickey Mouse … and starts to charge the float. And I'm thinking to myself, 'Watch out, the kid's going to get run over.' And his older brother pulls him back and says, 'You can't get near him; the two big guys won't let you.' "

Disney, Pixar Extend Deal for 2007 Film

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Walt Disney Co. and Pixar Animation Studios Inc. have agreed to extend their current distribution agreement to include Pixar's 2007 release, "Ratatouille," a deal that will be moot if Disney's proposed acquisition of Pixar closes this summer as expected. The two companies negotiated what amounts to a one-picture extension as a fail-safe measure in case the acquisition doesn't happen. "This is a deal that Disney and Pixar negotiated independent of the proposed merger to handle the distribution of 'Ratatouille' until such time as the transaction closes," Pixar said Thursday in a statement. Pixar would finance all the production costs of "Ratatouille" and pay Disney a straight distribution fee under the new deal, according to a regulatory filing. Pixar would also own the film. The extension differs from the current arrangement, where Disney and Pixar split the production costs and the profits, and share ownership of the copyright. The animated movie is about a rat named Ratatouille who lives in an upscale Parisian restaurant run by an eccentric chef.

Captain Jack Sparrow to Join Crew of Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction

ANAHEIM, Calif. and ORLANDO, Fla. (PRNewswire) – First the theme park attraction inspired the movie – now the movie is inspiring the attraction. Pirates of the Caribbean, the classic Disney theme park adventure brought to the big screen in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," is adding new characters and features from the blockbuster entertainment franchise and debuting when the next adventure begins in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." Both the Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will close the attraction in March to complete the updates in time for the opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" on July 7. The attraction will re-open at Disneyland on June 24 and in Florida's Magic Kingdom on July 7. The attraction will feature the addition of two of Hollywood's most infamous buccaneers, Captain Jack Sparrow and his nemesis Barbossa. Joining the wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main, Captain Jack and Barbossa add an exciting new twist to the attraction's original storyline as they race to be the first to claim a cache of plundered treasure. Woven into some of the attraction's most memorable scenes, the swashbucklers will be seen interacting with some of the more familiar Audio-Animatronics buccaneers found inside the ride-thru adventure. Also making a guest appearance is the ghostly Davy Jones from the second movie in the series, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." But new characters are only the beginning. New special effects will also be added to enhance the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme park experience. The original incarnation of Pirates of the Caribbean premiered on March 18, 1967, in New Orleans Square at Disneyland in California. Featuring more than 120 Audio-Animatronics performers, lavishly decorated sets and special effects, it's considered to be one of the most spectacular and enduring attractions ever created for a theme park. With its setting revised slightly to fit a Caribbean Plaza location in Adventureland, the attraction opened to guests at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on December 15, 1973. More than 500 million people have experienced the rollicking fun of Pirates of the Caribbean in California and Florida over the past 39 years.

Angry Crowds Storm Disneyland Over Ticket Row

HONG KONG (AFP) – Angry scenes shattered the holiday mood at Hong Kong Disneyland as hundreds of ticket-holders rushed the gates after being told the park was full, according to officials and TV reports. Scores of visitors, many of them mainland Chinese visiting the resort during the Lunar New Year holiday week, scaled the sharp railings of the locked gates to get to rides while others scuffled with staff. Cable television showed security guards looking on helplessly as the irate crowd, most of whom had paid HK 300 dollars (US$38) for their tickets, surged towards the amusement park. The scenes of mayhem followed heated arguments the day before between Disney officials and visitors after the new ticketing scheme left hundreds stranded outside. The "flexible" ticket system allows customers to visit any time within a six-month period but doesn't guarantee entry on days when the park is full. A Disneyland spokeswoman played down the incident. "It was brought under control very early on after we sorted out the problem and let the people in," she told AFP. The company refuses to reveal attendance figures for the park, which has a daily capacity of 30,000. Since opening it has only publicly declared itself sold out on eight days.

Disney to Make Narnia 'Prince Caspian' for 2007

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co and Walden Media have started pre-production on a second film based on C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" children's books. The second film, "Prince Caspian," starring the same four child actors as "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," is expected to be released in 2007. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," released December 9, has earned $634.4 million at box offices worldwide, according to online box office tracking site Box Office Mojo. By domestic box office results, it is the 28th most-viewed film ever.

Oscar Shuns CGI Toons

(Hollywood Reporter) – Last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated three CGI-animated movies for best animated feature, and the pundits proclaimed the death of traditional animation. But those death notices were premature: This year, digital ones and zeros took a back seat to clay, models and hand-drawn characters. The Academy's animation branch ignored such CGI boxoffice heavies as "Madagascar," "Chicken Little" and "Robots" in favor of Hayao Miyazaki's hand-drawn "Howl's Moving Castle," Tim Burton and Mike Johnson's stop-motion "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" and Nick Park and Steve Box's clay-animated "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

Puck Caters to Hollywood Theme Park

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Amusement Business) – Wolfgang Puck has been named primary caterer for Universal Studios Hollywood's special events. The famed Austrian-born chef will unveil a signature dessert for the park called Star-Bites. Each year, Universal Studios Hollywood entertains millions of visitors and caters events for guests ranging from 50 to 30,000, including high-profile movie premieres and Fortune 500 corporate events. It uses the 9,600-square-foot Globe Theatre, its European-themed streets and the entire park to entertain. “The addition of Wolfgang Puck's famous cuisine to our service will enhance our ability to create truly memorable special events,” Universal Studios Hollywood president and COO Larry Kurzweil said in a statement. “It's a great marriage of two of Hollywood's most venerable brands."

I wonder if this will affect Puck's deals with WDW, where he operates 3 restaurants (full service and quick service at Downtown Disney West Side and a quick service at Disney's Village Markeplace).

ABC Turns to Sawyer, Gibson

NEW YORK (Washington Post) – ABC News is drafting two of its biggest stars to fill in on "World News Tonight" while Bob Woodruff recovers from the severe injuries he suffered from a roadside bomb in Iraq. Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson, the co-anchors of "Good Morning America," will take turns sharing the broadcast with Elizabeth Vargas for the next month or two and possibly longer, a network executive said. Under the tentative plan, Sawyer and Gibson might each co-anchor two nights a week, with Vargas flying solo one night. Sawyer and Gibson would also try to maintain their schedules at "Good Morning America," which is trying to catch NBC's "Today" in the ratings, but might take off occasional mornings now that Robin Roberts has been made a co-anchor. The plan brings Gibson back to "World News Tonight," where he and Vargas originally filled in after the illness and death of Peter Jennings last year. Gibson was in Washington last night to share anchor duties with Vargas at President Bush's State of the Union address. It is not clear how long Sawyer and Gibson would remain part of the evening news, just as it is not clear how long Woodruff will be sidelined by his injuries or whether he can return to an on-air role at all.

ABC Journalists Hospitalized in Md.

(AP) – ABC anchorman Bob Woodruff, seriously injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq, was slowly being brought out of sedation Wednesday at a Navy hospital in Maryland where he was flown for treatment the night before. Military doctors and Woodruff's brother David said the 44-year-old journalist's condition was improving by the day. "He moved his legs and his arms again when they got him into the Bethesda hospital. He attempted to open his eyes, and that can't be anything but good," David Woodruff said on ABC's "Good Morning America." He said his brother was coming out of "a really bad place" but showing signs of recovery. Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were filming a report on the Iraqi military and standing in the hatch of an Iraqi military vehicle when the bomb exploded Sunday. They were treated in Iraq, then taken to a U.S. military base in Germany and finally airlifted Tuesday to the United States along with 15 other patients aboard a C-17 military plane.

Golden Globes to Add Animation Category

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Animated movies will finally have a Golden Globe to call their own. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will add a category to its awards program – best animated feature film – beginning with the 64th annual Golden Globe Awards in 2007, HFPA President Philip Berk announced Monday. "Animated features have become an important component of the studio lineup," Berk said in a statement, "so there was an overwhelming consensus that this new category be added." Animated films have been recognized with Golden Globe nominations in the best picture, musical or comedy category. "The Incredibles" was nominated in 2004 and "Finding Nemo" in 2003. Neither won best picture. The new category is open to feature-length animated films 70 minutes or longer. If fewer than eight films qualify in a given year, the award will not be given, Berk said.