Mickey and Minnie climb the Matterhorn

Flickr Goodness

From Twister to Spider-Man, Universal Parks Deliver Fantasy

ORLANDO, Fla. (Columbus Dispatch) – I was waiting in line for the gates to open at Universal Studios Florida when I had my first exposure to Disney envy. The gate attendants, a couple of raspy-voiced retir-ees, started chatting up the crowd. They teased kids and asked grown-ups where they were from — the sort of things that keep people from getting restless and crabby. One of them approached the guy behind me and said, "Whater ya doin’ wearin’ that Mickey Mouse hat?" The guy, who was wearing an Australian-style safari hat, was understandably baffled. The gatekeeper made a quick recovery: "Oh, it’s not from Disney," and, with a nod toward the gates, "You’re good to go in." It was all said tongue-in-cheek and drew a few chuckles, but it left me with a bad feeling. A similar incident happened not four hours later at the "Universal Horror Make-Up Show." There, one member of the stand-up comedy duo, dripping fake blood, was looking for volunteers to come onstage. He singled out a little boy in the front row who looked to be 5 or 6 years old. The child didn’t want to participate and was peeping through his fingers at the gore, shaking his head no. After several taunts, the actor gave up — but not without a parting shot: "We’re not at Disney, so I don’t have to be nice to you." With two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Univer-sal’s Islands of Adventure), a club/restaurant-concert complex (CityWalk) and three upscale hotels (Porto-fino Bay, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific Resort) on the property, Universal Orlando Resort has a lot of en-tertainment to offer, including some of central Florida’s hottest rides. Although the place is spoiling for comparisons — a chart on its Web site pits Universal’s attractions against Disney’s — I am not taking the bait. Florida is plenty big enough for both empires, and an Orlando vacation needn’t be an either-or proposition.

That's what I'm talking about! That go get 'em and go keep 'em attitude.

Animated Film with Elton John Music Rescued by Disney Records

(Contact Music) – Executives of Walt Disney Records intervened on behalf of the Elton John animated film project Gnomeo and Juliet after it was canceled by Pixar execs John Lasseter and Ed Catmull – and their efforts resulted in reviving the project at Disney's Miramax unit, Disney watcher Jim Hill reported on his website Thursday. The music company executives pointed out that they had expected huge CD sales from the soundtrack, which was to have included new Elton John tunes with classic ones. Hill also ob-served that in order to assure Lasseter and Catmull that they were not being overridden, Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook told them that the Miramax film would be aimed principally at adults, would be edgier than Disney's usual cartoons, and would include songs like John's "The Bitch Is Back," which couldn't be included in a G-rated movie.

Rocklin Firm Hopes 'Cars' Drives Revenue

ROCKLIN, Calif. (Sacramento Business Journal) – A Rocklin direct mail company has landed a deal with Disney-Pixar's film "Cars" for a cross promotion with thousands of car dealers that could at least double its revenue. The "Cars" promotion could generate $30 million to $40 million in revenue for Intelligent Di-rect Marketing Inc., and will require adding 30 people to its staff of 103, president Jeff Garcia said. He figures this will be the largest promotion Intelligent Direct Marketing has handled since it formed a dozen years ago. More than 6,000 car dealers nationwide may participate in its exclusive cross promotion, with the computer-animated comedy opening in theaters June 9. That would mean up to 30 million people could receive one of Intelligent Direct Marketing's "Cars" marketing pieces. Intelligent Direct started talk-ing with Disney about seven months ago, with the goal of doing "business at a bigger level," Garcia said. It wanted to brand dealers with any Disney movie. "Cars" apparently was the right fit. The Rocklin com-pany had to promise it would encourage its 4,000 regular dealer customers to join the promotion. The average dealer will pay $8,000 to $10,000 to join the "Cars" promotion, depending on the number of pieces mailed. The support materials that will be used at the dealerships are more extensive than the marketer is used to producing, and will cost more. They'll include inflatables, window clings, balloons, posters and cardboard cut-outs on vehicles. Dealers will be able to air the movie trailers on TVs in the showroom and hold giveaway contests for the posters and inflatables. The hook to consumers will be the direct mail offer of two free tickets to "Cars" with a visit to the dealership. The promotion will be more at-tractive to dealers appealing to families for their minivans and sport-utility vehicles, Garcia said. He ex-pects about half of the company's approximately 100 local dealer customers will participate in the "Cars" promotion. A small company in Rocklin getting this opportunity, Garcia said, is "mind blowing." He added, "This is the biggest opportunity that we've ever seen at our company. I'm ecstatic."

Janlynn Introduces New Disney/Pixar Movie 'Cars' Character Products

CHICOPEE, Mass. (PRNewswire) – Hobby & craft product manufacturer Janlynn Corporation is proud to introduce its newest craft kit line of products featuring designs licensed from the new Disney/Pixar movie "Cars." The Company is introducing "Cars" themed products including paint by numbers kits and pillow-case art kits targeted to children ages 5 to 12. The line also includes "Cars" themed counted cross-stitch kits. "Cars" characters highlighted in the new designs include Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Red and Sheriff. Janlynn is a family owned business located in Chicopee, MA. The company's 2006 product line features 180 Disney licensed products.

Koo Koo Koo Choo du Soleil

With LOVE, Cirque du Soleil cele-brates the musical legacy of The Beatles Born from a personal friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque founder Guy Laliberté, LOVE brings the magic of Cirque du Soleil together with the spirit and passion behind the most beloved rock group of all time to create a vivid, intimate and powerful entertainment experience.

LOVE evokes the exuberant and irreverent spirit of The Beatles, as interpreted through the youthful, urban energy of a cast of 60 international artists. Using the master tapes at Abbey Road studios, Sir George Martin and Giles Martin have created a unique soundscape of The Beatles music for LOVE. The custom-built theatre at The Mirage features 360˚ seating, panoramic video projections and surround sound which will envelop the audience, who will experience The Beatles music like never before...

Youthful, Urban energy + Beatles pop/rock = Vega$ Gold?

This proves you can mash anything together.

Mick Jagger Targeted for ABC Comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Mick Jagger is in negotiations to appear in an untitled ABC com-edy pilot about a group of blue-collar guys in New York who decide to rob a celebrity. The Rolling Stones frontman would play the target. Originally, the project was shopped around with the cheeky title "I Want to Rob Jeff Goldblum," but Goldblum, who has his own pilot at NBC, was never attached. After the script was picked up to pilot in December, the show's creators, Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman, zeroed in on Jagger as the celebrity at the center of the show. Jagger would appear in only a few scenes, and his name is not expected to be in the title of the project, sources said. But he is crucial to the plot line as the target of the planned robbery and is mentioned numerous times in the scenes that already have been filmed. DVDs with the taped pilot sans Jagger's scenes already have started floating around. If the pilot is picked up to series, Jagger would continue to appear as the plot to rob him develops. With the deal for the Burnett/Beckerman project, Jagger is poised to join another British rock star, Elton John, in the ABC comedy fold this season. John executive produces the pilot "Him and Us."

Disney Channel Musical Debuts on Disney DVD May 23

BURBANK, Calif. (PRNewswire) – “High School Musical," the contemporary movie musical that has cap-tivated kids, tweens and families as part of the blockbuster Disney Channel Original Movie franchise, and is the highest-rated original programming in the history of the network, will debut on Disney DVD, May 23, 2006. The comedic "High School Musical" follows two teens, Troy and Gabriella, who must learn to be-lieve in themselves and follow their dreams, despite the polarization of high school cliques. The DVD will include two versions of the film – the original telecast version and a sing-along version which displays lyrics on screen during all musical numbers, so audiences can learn the words of the film's chart-topping songs. The debut DVD release also contains bonus features including a "Learning the Moves" feature led by Emmy Award-winning director and choreographer Kenny Ortega, a never-before-seen music video, "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," the rousing music video "We're All In This Together," and a Behind-The-Scenes feature providing viewers a glimpse at the making of the movie. "High School Musical" is avail-able on DVD May 23, 2006, from Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Unofficial Top 10 Disney jobs

#7 Cast Members on the Great Movie Ride
This job is on my list for a different reason. I think that driving one of those trams through that attraction looks like a lot of fun.

However, that fun is very much based upon how well the cast members do their job on that attraction. The guests feed off the cast members, and the cast members do not always hit a home run.

It could be the monotony of the ride, but have you ever ridden that attraction and said to yourself, “Gee, this could be so better if this cast member was into it more.” Or “I think I could do a better job than this cast member.”

That's how I feel. The job looks like fun and carries a lot of responsibility. You get to act, crack jokes, kid around with the guests and your effort really goes a long way towards making the attraction special for the guests.

I'd like a shot.

Well looky here, 3 years of life not wasted after all. I'd like to add that the Cowboy/Gangster roles trump the tour guide roles for sheer rarity. Operations roles with no name tags and you get to act and carry a gun? What's not to like? (except the $$$)

Disney vs. Team America World Police

Disney 'Castmember' Buys Woman's 15 Minutes of Fame on eBay

ORLANDO, Fla. (PRNewswire) – The late pop artist Andy Warhol predicted that in the future, everyone would be famous for 15 minutes. David J.P. Ortiz now has 30 minutes coming. It was Ortiz who placed the winning online bid in an eBay auction for another person's 15 minutes of fame. Three weeks ago, an unidentified woman placed her fame up for bid, saying, "I'm not going to be using my fame so I might as well sell it to someone who could use it." It turns out Ortiz is that person. He paid $510 for the fame. David Ortiz is a quiet, shy bachelor who spends most of his free time working as a castmember for Disney. "I work at the Disney Vacation Club during the week, and then on days off I moonlight at Walt Disney World," said Ortiz. "Everything from audience control to food service." When he's not working, he likes to collect celebrity autographs, attend fan conventions and travel. "My biggest thrill was a few years ago in Burbank at the Nick at Nite fan convention – I finally met Dawn Wells (Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island)," gushed Ortiz. "It was terrific!" Now that he has all this fame coming his way, Ortiz would like to rub elbows with other famous types, wishing to meet Carole King, Jake Gyllenhaal and Elizabeth Taylor – and of course, get their autographs. "I'm pretty shy and I don't have the right clothes to wear and don't get much time off," sighed Ortiz. "But hey, it's time for me to have a little fun."

Drowsy in Disneyland

HONG KONG (The Philippine Star) – "Don’t expect too much," Hong Kong veteran Maryanne Chua, who was acting as tour guide for her relatives also spending the Holy Week in the former Crown Colony, told our group on the express train to Disneyland. "Just enjoy what is there." Happily, "what is there" didn’t and wouldn’t disappoint a newcomer to Disneyland, whether in Hong Kong or at Anaheim in California, including the kids and kids-at-heart in our group who were, yes, expecting too much and got it to their brimming hearts’ content during the whole-day adventure. But if, like yours truly, you’ve been in and out of the "original" Disneyland, you’d get drowsy especially if, in preparation for the four-day Hong Kong trip, you had to do three advance columns and put to bed dozens of pages. The Maundy Thursday we were there, the place was crawling with tourists, a good number of them Filipinos who must have put Disneyland No. 1 on their must-see itinerary, conveniently downgrading the Ocean Park as an alternative, you know, in case there was time to spare. A friend kept texting me, asking if our group had visited Disneyland and how I found it compared to "the one at Anaheim." I texted back, "Not as huge as ‘the one at Anaheim’ but good enough." That is, even if more attractions have yet to be completed.

If you’re traveling on very limited budget (like our group) and cannot afford to stay overnight at the Disneyland Hotel, you must wake up at the crack of dawn, take a quick breakfast at your hotel’s coffee shop, rush to the Ocean Terminal to take the Star Ferry from Tsim Tsa Tsui (Kowloon side) to Central (Hong Kong side) and walk a few blocks to the Express Train Station to catch the first trip to Disneyland, armed with tickets bought by a cousin in advance (HK$295 each for adults and HK$210 for children, on ordinary days). The Hong Kong Disneyland is, just like "the one at Anaheim," from the welcome arc to the tree-lined sidewalks to the colorful buildings straight out of a fairy-tale book to the souvenir shops. Guests are welcomed with songs from Disney movies blared out from loud speakers. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy are there, ready to pose for souvenir shots, and the various rides attract queues of eager-beavers. A cable car (with limited seats) goes around for a quick tour of the wonderland. Two parades are scheduled, one a little after lunch and another at dusk, featuring such favorite Disney characters as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, etc. Cap the day by watching fabulous fireworks.

· In the Adventureland, you can watch the Festival of the Lion King (featuring Filipino talents like Anna Fegi and Ralion Alonso), a colorful pageant of music and dance; Rafts to Tarzan’s Treehouse; Tarzan’s Treehouse (brace yourselves for what you will find inside); the Jungle River Cruise (very popular with the kids); and the Liki Tikis (the guidemap says, "Sway to the beat of jungle rhythms pounded out by ‘leaky’ tiki poles").
· After a quick lunch, rush to the Fantasyland for a quick visit to the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Cinderella’s Carousel, Fantasy Gardens, Snow White Grotto and other attractions like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, The Golden Mickeys, The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh and the Mad Hatter Tea Cups.

Now, did our group get to see all these? The kids and kids-at-heart did, but drowsy as I was (and having seen "the one at Anaheim" several times), I simply took a quick look-see of a few attractions and passed the rest of the day tourist-watching from a nook at the fast-food joint facing the Orbitron. Yes, we caught the grand parade but purposely missed the fireworks, no thanks to the intermittent drizzle. The rest of the group bought all sorts of souvenirs. All I brought home were my train ticket to Disneyland, the entrance ticket and a copy of the guidemap and brochure. Oh, well. Been there, done that.

'Idol' a Winner; ‘Lost’ the Loser

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – Fox's "American Idol" results installment was the most-watched show in primetime Wednesday, while ABC's "Lost" posted its lowest rating for an original episode this season, according to preliminary ratings estimates from Nielsen Media Research. The half-hour "Idol" averaged 25.4 million viewers and a 10.5 rating/26 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. The reality show "Unan1mous" followed at 9:30 p.m. with 13.7 million viewers and a 6.1/15 in adults 18-49, boosting Fox to the nightly win. "Lost" came in with 15.7 million viewers and a 6.6/16 at 9 p.m. It was not only the lowest-rated original show of the season but also down 28% from its season average. At 10 p.m., none of the Big Three's shows could break out. ABC's "Evidence," "Law & Order" and a repeat of "CSI: NY" each averaged 3.5/9 in the demo although "CSI: NY" eked out a win among total viewers with 11.2 million pairs of eyeballs. At 8 p.m., it was "Deal or No Deal." NBC's Howie Mandel-hosted game show averaged 13.8 million viewers and a 4.2/12 in the demo. Fox's "Bones" was second with 9.9 million viewers and a 3.6/11 to take a solid second place while CBS's "The Amazing Race" averaged 8.1 million viewers and a 3.0/9.

Do these ratings count all the people who record these shows using TiVO or their DVR? I watch all the LOST episodes, but I don't think I have watched a single one during its original time slot.

ABC at the Upfront : Lots of Holes to Fill

(Media Life Magazine) – ABC has had the biggest ratings bumps and the most-buzzed-about shows the past two seasons, and so you might think that it is in the best shape heading into next month’s upfront. That’s not the case. In fact, ABC may have more hours to fill than any other broadcast network, and it has more pilots in development, 34, than any other network. There are three major problems ABC must address when it unveils its new schedule May 16.

· First, it must come up with a strong Monday strategy to take the place of “Monday Night Football,” which moves to ESPN. “MNF” was a top-20 staple, and ABC’s ratings will suffer without it.
· Second, the network has to fix its comedies. Only one has averaged better than a 2.8 this season, the quickly yanked “Crumbs.” ABC has by far the weakest comedy lineup of any Big Four network, and just one of this year’s launches, “Freddie,” has a shot at a second season.
· Finally, it must use hit shows “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” to better advantage. It did not launch a new hit show out of any of them this year, and they all rank in the top 10 among adults 18-49. The network must make smart scheduling decisions to leverage these shows into a stronger overall schedule, instead of concentrating its strength on just Sunday and Wednesday.

"ABC, in a sense, has some of the same problems NBC faced when it was the No. 1 network – strong success in a few time periods masking problems on other nights,” says a report issued by Magna Global US this week. “The network is relatively weak during two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and without football, needs something solid on Monday.”

· Season-to-date numbers – ABC is the only network that’s grown among adults 18-49 this season, up 8% from a 3.8 rating to a 4.1, but some of that can be attributed to the Super Bowl. It’s averaging a 3.3 among 18-34s, up 6% over last season’s 3.1, and a 4.7 among 25-54s, up 7% over last year’s 4.4.
· Safely returning – “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Boston Legal,” “20/20”
· On the bubble – “Commander in Chief,” “Hope & Faith,” “According to Jim,” “George Lopez,” “Invasion”
· In development – MediaVest, in a report issued this week, estimates that ABC has only seven solid returning hours of programming out of 22 total. Some bubble shows will make it, but there’s the potential for four new dramas and perhaps five or six comedies. Drama “Secrets of a Small Town” sounds a lot like “Housewives,” centering around a quirky local mystery. ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson has singled out drama “Brothers and Sisters,” with Calista Flockhart and “Six Feet Under’s” Rachel Griffiths. The network is also high on "Men in Trees" with Anne Heche. As for comedies, “In Case of Emergency” with David Arquette already has a six-episode commitment. An untitled Patricia Heaton project looked promising until rumors surfaced that she was going to daytime. A project with Heather Locklear entitled “Women of a Certain Age” is also getting strong buzz, and the network has yet another Bonnie Hunt show in development.

Disney Unlikely to Offer Free Online Streams of ESPN Shows

(TV Week) – Walt Disney Co. President and CEO Robert Iger said Tuesday that the chances were slim that the media giant would ever stream ESPN shows on the Web for free. Offering its shows online for no charge could jeopardize ESPN's subscriber-fee revenue, Mr. Iger said during an investor call Tuesday. "We are paid handsomely by distributors, and the sub fees we get from that are guaranteed for a fairly long period of time," Mr. Iger said. "That's almost an annuity for us. It's an incredible source of revenue." Disney's ABC broadcast network said Monday that it would begin streaming episodes of four prime-time series for free on ABC.com in May as part of a two-month experiment to determine the viability of stream-ing ad-supported TV shows online. ABC has signed Ford Motor Co., Cingular, AT&T and others as adver-tisers.

He also went on to say "We keep that revenue in the second drawer of our bedside table".

Pixar, Disney Integration "Terrific" says Disney Exec

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The integration of Pixar Animation Studios Inc into Walt Disney Co. "is hap-pening better than we had ever dreamed it would," Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook said. Disney, which is in the process of acquiring Pixar in an all-stock deal worth $7.4 billion when it was announced in January, plans to make two animated films per year after the merger is completed late this month or in May, Cook told an A.G. Edwards conference on Tuesday. "That's where we would like to be," Cook said. Integration has been "terrific" he said. Cook also said he expected the glut of animated films released this year – about one each month – to ease in the next year or two. He said the current slate of films, which is heavy with sequels to popular franchises and animated films, should show whether box office attendance dropped 9 percent worldwide in 2005 on the quality of films "or if ... people are obtaining their entertain-ment in some other way." Cook said that the DVD market, which also saw a slowdown last year in sales, has been relatively firm in the last few months.

Winnie The Pooh Receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (PR Newswire) – On Tuesday, April 11, Winnie the Pooh will receive a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony will be attended by Honorary Mayor of Hollywood and Chairman of the Walk of Fame Committee Johnny Grant. Leron Gubler, President of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will preside over the event. Other esteemed guests will include Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, and Pooh's pals from the 100 Acre Woods – Tigger, Eeyore and Rabbit. Also being celebrated will be Winnie the Pooh’s 80th Anniversary and the release of his fully re-mastered movie, Pooh’s Grand Adventure – The Search for Christopher Robin, available on Disney DVD April 11th from Walt Disney Home Entertainment. The ceremony will take place at 11:00AM at the El Capitan Thea-tre, to be followed at 11:30AM with a special screening of the film.

Talking with Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Robert Iger, 55, president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Co. Iger was interviewed by Scott Powers.

Question: This company has so much reverence for its founder. Do you ever ask yourself, when you have a tough decision: What would Walt do?

Answer: It's interesting because a lot of people allegedly ask just that question. I don't really ask myself that per se. I spend a lot of time studying him, and I'm intensely curious about him. ..... And interestingly enough, I was given something a few weeks back that Walt wrote for a time capsule in 1956, and he was asked basically to project what the world of entertainment would look like in 2006, 50 years hence. I devoured it and have already quoted him. So I wouldn't say that I necessarily ask what he would do. He would probably be the first to admit, if he could, that while there are a lot of similarities to what was in his writings in 1956, the world also is very different. One of the things he said that was interesting, he said no matter what the world looked like people would want to be entertained and refreshed. This was the first time I'd actually heard that. He was obviously encompassing his theme park business at the time. Disneyland was then a year old. He was thinking about it as entertainment and refreshment.

Q: In all the parks, what's your favorite attraction?

A: I love the traditional. Pirates [of the Caribbean] is probably my favorite in that regard, because it's still a great experience. I think it was built in the mid-60s. So you're talking about 40 years old. Forty years later it's still a great experience. But I also love the new, what I would call "highly engineered," attractions. Soarin' is probably the one that is at the top of my list there because of the many senses it combines.

Q: As you discuss globalization you seem to suggest that the domestic theme park market may have limited growth potential right now. Is it saturating?

A: Well, I don't really mean to suggest that. At the moment, we don't have plans on the drawing boards to build what I would call new parks in the United States. We certainly have plans, and the desire, and the ability to expand what we currently have. Today [with the grand opening of Expedition Everest] is a good example of that. The building going on for our vacation club is another great example of that. There is a list of concepts either in the dreaming phase or on the drawing board that will fuel both this facility and the one in California for many years to come. So growth is far from over.

Q: Would Adventures by Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney Cruise Line, is this the area domestically that we're going to see a lot of growth?

A: Yes. When you think about it, we obviously occupy a great space in terms of the family vacation market. But in reality, from a percentage basis, it's relatively small. The family vacation business is huge, and we capture only a small part of it. I think we all believe there's an opportunity to use our creativity and the service that we provide to extend the Disney vacation experience and to grow into the market.

Q: You talked a lot about all the developments you've got going on right now with the explosion of digital media platforms. In addition to opportunities those platforms provide you, does that affect what's going to be happening with cinema and TV in coming years?

A: It's a changing world, no question about it. And there is much more competition for people's time. But what's also interesting is people's ability to access media is growing enormously. So I believe people will spend more time consuming what I call media. That's everything from video games to TV to motion pictures. The key to all of this, in terms of how people interact with it, is creativity and quality. So that's our primary focus. I don't believe you'll see any of the traditional businesses going away at all. In fact, I think they have an opportunity to continue to flourish. But it'll definitely be more challenging. Our goal is to continue to generate great films for large screens and great television shows for TV in the home. But also transferring those experiences onto multiple platforms, because that's what consumers today want.

Q: You've got two young children. What do you learn from them about what Disney needs to do?

A: It comes down to one thing: great experiences. Quality entertainment. Whether you're watching High School Musical on the Disney Channel, that's a great example. Something that came out of nowhere, that no one expected. It's not overly expensive to make. A lot of talent in there. And becoming memorable for my son. I watched his eyes. He was awestruck last night when he met the cast. It's all about making great things. It's more than anything else what's behind Pixar. The incredible value that we've created over the years when we made great animated films that transcend one medium, motion pictures that spread across all of our business. It's incredible. We have to continue to do that. I want to do more of that.

No Disney movie in the top 10 this week.

Top Movies at the North American Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Following are the top 10 movies at the North American box office for the April 7-9 weekend, according to studio estimates collected by Reuters. NOTE: Last weekend's position in parenthesis. (*) indicates new release.

1. (1) Ice Age : The Meltdown (20th Century Fox) ………………………….$34.5 million.
2. (*) The Benchwarmers (Sony Republic) ………………………………………$20.5 million.
3. (*) Take the Lead (New Line) ………………………………………………$12.8 million.
4. (2) Inside Man (Universal)…………………………………………………$9.2 million.
5. (*) Lucky Number Slevin (MGM) ……………………………………………$7.1 million.
6. (4) Failure to Launch (Paramount) ………………………………………$4.1 million.
7. (3) ATL (Warner Bros.) ………………………………………………………$3.75 million.
8. (5) V for Vendetta (Warner Bros.) …………………………………… $3.4 million.
9. (*) Phat Girlz (Fox Searchlight) …………………………………………$3.1 million.
10. (13) Thank You for Smoking (Fox Searchlight) ……………………………$2.4 million.

Disney to Make TV Shows Available Free on Web

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Walt Disney's ABC Television will offer some of its most popular shows, such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," for free on the Internet in a two-month trial, the company said Monday. Advertising revenue will support the trial run on ABC.com, with advertisers AT&T, Ford, Procter & Gamble and Universal Pictures already signed up. "Commander in Chief" and "Alias" along with "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" will be available on the Web in May and June, starting the day after they are first broadcast. Viewers will be able to pause and move between "chapters" in an episode but will not be able to skip ads that are technically embedded. Disney is also launching a high-speed Internet channel for soap opera fans, called Soapnetic on April 17 for subscribers to Verizon Communications' Internet services. Leading media companies are experimenting with ways to deliver programs via new technologies and still maintain revenue as viewership for their prime-time schedules slowly erodes. ABC sells digital downloads of its highest-rated TV shows for the popular iPod music and video player, while other networks have been testing online and video-on-demand formats for airing shows soon after they first appear on broadcast TV. "In the future, consumers will rely more and more on strong brands to help them navigate the digital world, and we have some of the strongest brands in entertainment," said Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC television group. "Stay tuned ... this is just the beginning."

Crackdown at Disney

LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Sentinel) – There's a new thrill ride at Walt Disney World that visitors will want to avoid: one in which a police car pursues you. At Disney's request, Orange County deputy sheriffs have been hitting the streets there hard, sometimes writing dozens of traffic tickets a day for violations ranging from speeding to loud stereos, a Sentinel analysis has found. The crackdown marks a dramatic change at Disney World. For a long time, uniformed traffic officers in marked patrol cars were hard to find on Disney roads. Not anymore. Disney's attitude of keeping uniformed police barely visible to tourists changed after 9-11 when it began encouraging deputies to have a higher profile on the property. Then last year – after increased concerns about speeding and traffic violations – the two towns that make up the Disney resort signed landmark contracts with the Orange County Sheriff's Office to double the number of deputies assigned to the area. During their first few months on the job, deputies wrote an average of 26 tickets a day at Disney World – compared with an average of three per day during the first few months of 2004, according to the Sheriff's Office. The pace slowed down by last fall, and the Sheriff's Office said that is partly because traffic has slowed down. But deputies still frequently wrote more than 20 tickets a day during a three-month period examined by the Sentinel. The number of tickets does not surprise Dis-ney officials. "Any day of the week, we have 200,000 people on our property . . . and the more than 100 lane miles of public roads supporting Walt Disney World," said spokeswoman Kim Prunty. "This all goes back to the safety of our guests and cast. Traffic safety is important to us." To get a closer look at the ef-fort, the Sentinel reviewed data on 1,212 tickets that deputies wrote in August, September and October of last year. The Sentinel then randomly selected 10 percent of those tickets (122) and obtained copies of the actual citations. Among the patterns:

• Locals are getting nabbed much more than tourists.
• Out of 122 tickets examined, 105 drivers were written citations (some got more than one citation).
• Of those, 81 lived in Central Florida, according to the drivers license noted on the ticket. Just seven lived out of state. The rest lived in other parts of Florida.
• Deputies focused mostly on Buena Vista Drive and World Drive.
• However, deputies aren't ignoring other roads; they wrote tickets on 26 different Disney streets in those three months.
• Deputies are far more likely to write tickets at Disney for insurance, registration or vehicle violations than they would in other parts of Orange County.

Disney spokeswoman Prunty said the company wanted a more aggressive approach to traffic, and gave the sheriff no restrictions. "There has not been a directive, go easy on guests, go easy on cast members, go easy on executives," she said. "Nothing like that." Ted Brown of the Sheriff's Office concurred. But Brown acknowledged that some deputies might give tourists a break. "I think your odds are pretty good when you pull somebody over that you're going to pull over a tourist," he said. "Do we really want to get into writing all kinds of tourists tickets versus can the problem be solved by a courtesy notice?"

What a load of coal! Of course they write more tickets to local drivers. If you have a quota to fill and you pull over X number of drivers, you are going to write as many tickets as you think will make money for the county. This means that if you are letting the tourists go, you MUST issue citiations to the locals to keep the quota up! This unfairly targets locals for high fines vs. courtesy notices.

Disney Offers Jedi Training

(Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World is testing a new Jedi Academy training attraction mixing face characters and young visitors outdoors at Disney-MGM Studios. On select days, several times a day, ac-tors depicting Star Wars characters invite up to a dozen children to take part in Jedi training exercises in the Star Tours ride. With padawan robes and training light sabers, the children are taught moves and how to use "The Force." Actors playing Darth Vader or Darth Maul then enter the area and try to use the "Dark Side." Disney spokesman Gary Buchanan said the sidewalk attraction is being tested to see if it should be added daily and full time during the park's annual Star Wars weekends in May and June.

Hong Kong Disney Stung by New Staff Complaints

HONG KONG (AFP) – Mickey Mouse and friends are not happy – at least the staff who wear the cartoon characters' costumes in Hong Kong's Disneyland aren't. The city's Disney theme park has been stung by yet more complaints when a staff union accused management of setting unfair pay scales and overwork-ing crew. The Hong Kong Disneyland Cast Members Union said the resort, which is majority owned by the Hong Kong government, was also being stingy on contracts and holiday entitlements. The union said staff employed to dress as Mickey and other famous characters and perform in the park's stage shows were paid up to 22 percent more than those who donned the same costumes in other parts of the park. "Although character performers in the parade section and meet-and-greet ... have similar roles and quali-fications as those of the show cast, their salaries differ unreasonably," the union said in a statement Sun-day. It also said the company had begun hiring staff on short-term contracts to avoid paying health and other benefits. Disney management were unavailable for comment. Staff formed the union late last year after many crew members complained of being exploited.

Italy's Cartoon Fest Fetes Roy Disney

POSITANO, Italy (Hollywood Reporter) – Roy Disney was given a lifetime achievement award at the 10th Car-toons on the Bay Festival on Thursday, which also featured the world premiere of the latest Asterix and Obelix film and the Italian premiere of the controversial Danish cartoon film "Terkel." The 76-year-old Disney was given the award for a career that started in 1954 as an assistant film editor. Disney, who produced "Fantasia 2000," the sequel to his uncle Walt Disney's 1940 classic, remains the company's director emeritus. Before receiving the award, Disney participated in a public showcase that included a rare screening of "Destino," an unlikely 1946 collaboration between Spanish surrealist painter Salvatore Dali and Walt Disney that was not completed until 2003. Disney announced that the eight-minute film, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2004, will be released along with documentary footage as a DVD later this year.

Conservation International & Disney Discover New Species

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (PRNewswire) – Scientists from Conservation International (CI) and Disney's Ani-mal Kingdom found a vast array of exotic wildlife – including plant and animal species previously unknown to science – during a two-month expedition to little-known regions in the shadow of Mount Everest. The discover-ies and observations announced today, coincident with opening of the Expedition Everest attraction at Walt Disney World Resort, included:

• a giant hornet so deadly, locals call it the 'Yak Killer';
• a beetle that buries birds and small rodents in subterranean crypts to feed its offspring;
• an endangered jumping mouse;
• and several new species of amphibians, insects and ants.

The scientific journey into the mountains of Southwest China and Nepal also included Walt Disney Imagineer-ing representatives who researched cultural beliefs related to the legend of the Yeti, a creature whose tradi-tional role as "protector of the sacred" has been integral to conservation in the region. Those beliefs inspired the story of Expedition Everest – which includes selected findings from the two-month expedition as part of the experience. Additionally, Jeff Corwin, host of Corwin's Quest, documented the Nepal expedition for broadcast on a special edition of his show "Corwin's Quest: Realm of the Yeti," premiering Saturday, April 15, from 8-10 PM (ET/PT) on Discovery's Animal Planet. The team of international and local scientists also documented a significant number of new, rare and endangered species – lending further proof to the importance of Tibetan 'Sacred Lands' as a source of environmental protection in the face of increasing population pressures. A select team from the mission also had the thrill of observing the world's only fully habituated troop of golden monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana), which is the region's largest living primate and the country's No. 2 flagship species after the giant panda. The full results from the expedition will be shared with numerous entities, such as the Chinese government, environmental organizations and scientists to develop conservation strategies to protect the unique species of the region. Joining CI, Disney, and Discovery were a number of local partners including the Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Sichuan Regional Forestry Department, and The Mountain Institute in Nepal. Funding for the expedition was generously provided by Disney Wildlife Con-servation Fund (DWCF) and the Walt Disney Company.

Buzz Enters Disneyland Paris

PARIS (World Leisure News) – Disneyland Paris in France will launch its newest attraction, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, this weekend. The interactive dark ride features a number of two-seater space cruisers fitted with dual laser pistols which riders can use to shoot targets and collect points. The ride is located in the park’s Dis-coveryland and is part of the park’s FastPass system, allowing guests to pre-book their place on the attraction for a specific time. Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast is the second in a series of new additions planned for Disney-land Paris, following the announcement last year that Disney is to invest 240m euro (£168m, US$315m) in new attractions over the next three years. As part of the investment program, Walt Disney Studios Park will see the opening of Toon Studios in 2007 and the Tower of Terror – a white-knuckle ride in a mysterious Holly-wood hotel – in 2008. “The launch of this ride is part of the multi-year expansion of our resort offering,” said Andre Lacroix, chief executive officer of Disneyland Paris. “Each year until 2008 we will be bringing more rides and attractions to our resort. These investments, combined with an innovative marketing and sales strategy should set the foundation for sustained and profitable growth.”

Walt Disney Ranks No. 63 on the 2006 FORTUNE 500

NEW YORK (FORTUNE Magazine) – Walt Disney Co. ranks no. 63 on this year's list of the FORTUNE 500, with $31,944 million in revenues, up 3.9% from the previous year. The Burbank, Calif.-based company was ranked no. 54 last year. This year, FORTUNE 500 companies overall brought in a record $9.1 trillion in revenues and $610 billion in profits. And while the economy as a whole grew 3.5% last year, FORTUNE 500 companies did much better, increasing their revenues by a healthy 15.4%. The FORTUNE 500 list is an annual ranking of America's largest corporations by revenues. Its companies employ more than 24 million people, about 16% of working Americans. The top 5 companies on this year's list are: Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart Stores, General Motors, Chevron, and Ford Motor. The full list can be found here: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/full_list/

Tarzan Replaces Lottery with Student Rush Program

Cool.

NEW YORK (Playbill) – Disney Theatrical Productions has decided to cancel its previously announced lottery ticket program for Broadway's Tarzan in favor of a Student Rush Program, which will begin April 6. Student Rush tickets, priced at $20, will be available two hours prior to each performance of Tarzan at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. A student ID (any student up to and including the undergraduate level is eligible) is required, and there will be a limit of two tickets per person. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. About the new policy, Disney's Thomas Schumacher said in a statement, "After witnessing the success of the Lottery Program these past two weeks, I realized that I want to make affordable tickets to Tarzan available to as many students as possible. As someone who grew up wanting to see as much live theatre as I could, it is such a pleasure to be able to make these reduced price tickets available to students for Tarzan." Tarzan will officially open at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 West 46th Street, on May 10.

Disney Honors Conservationists

LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Sentinel) – A Nobel Peace Prize winner, a Monty Python founder, an actress and two well-known biologists will receive $100,000 conservation awards today at Walt Disney World. In awarding the $500,000 in grants at ceremonies tonight at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund will reach the $10 million mark in total contributions, according to Disney. The latest awards go to 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement in East Africa; comedian John Cleese, founder of Conservation Matters; actress Isabella Rossellini, active with the Andean Cat Alliance and other groups; elephant researcher Ian Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants; and primatologist Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute. "Animals have been a part of Disney history since Walt's first sketch of Bambi," Beth Stevens, vice president of Disney's Animal Kingdom, said in a written statement. "We selected these special individuals because each brings a personal passion to studying and saving endangered species and lands."

How do I keep missing stuff like this? It's like I live in Idaho. That's because nothing happens in Idaho, so I'm making an assertion that I may as well be there since I never take advantage of being here. Basically I'm saying that Idaho sucks.

I've never been to Idaho..because it sucks.

(John Cleese makes this cool).

Notch Novelty Announces Disney License for "Cars" Products

REDLANDS, CA (Market Wire) – Notch Novelty Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of unique sign products and novelty items, is pleased to announce the first orders of their successful Fuzzy Fun product line with designs from the new Disney/Pixar movie "Cars." Notch Novelty produces several Disney licensed products through a cooperative agreement with National Design Corporation of San Diego. The agreement currently allows production and distribution of Notch's Fuzzy artboard product line under several Disney brands. These brands include Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, the Princess Series, Tinkerbell, and now the much-anticipated Disney/Pixar movie, "Cars." Notch sales have been growing rapidly, partly fueled by the multiple Disney products now being produced. Revenue growth is expected to continue over the coming year as new products are currently in development.

Themed Camp for Scouts Built on Old Disney Site

HAYMARKET, Va. (AP) – A new camp for the Boy Scouts of America opens next month on the site near Haymarket where Disney tried to build a theme park 12 years ago. The $17 million project on 350 acres is one of the most expensive scouting construction projects in the nation. The National Capital Council will operate the camp for both Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts living in DC and 16 counties in Maryland and Vir-ginia. Officials say they wanted a camp closer to Washington so younger scouts can have an overnight camping experience. The council's next closest camp is three hours away. Disney sold the site in 1994 after scrapping plans for a US history theme park because of protests from residents and preservation-ists. The camp will preserve much of the site's natural state, but officials say it offers much more than the traditional rustic experience. It includes themed areas, including a Space Port with a Mars simulation.

Interesting.

Mickey meets Mickey

Flickr Goodness from .SANCHEZ.


Flickr goodness from newsr

Disney train to Vegas?

Washington Outlook
Edited by Mike McNamee

This Train Is Really Defying Gravity

If Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has his way, someday a superfast hovering train will whisk tourists from family-friendly Disneyland to the what-happens-here-stays-here city, Las Vegas. But so far, the Nevada senator's fascination with magnetic levitation -- the futuristic technology that would power the train across the desert at 300 mph -- has managed only to levitate a steady stream of money out of the federal budget: $54 million and counting.

Few others are climbing aboard. The Transportation Dept. rejects MagLev for its steep price tag, which a 2005 study says eclipses the cost of current high-speed rail by "fourfold to ninefold." Even Nevada's other senator, Republican John Ensign, questions the value of spending an estimated $12 billion or more on a 269-mile Anaheim-to-Vegas train line.

But Reid has pressed ahead, earmarking $9 million between 2000 and 2004 and winning a $45 million authorization in last year's federal transportation bill. It's just one small example of how congressional leaders can keep projects alive and how difficult it will be for reformers to stamp out earmarks -- the hidden pots of cash that lawmakers tuck into spending bills for favorite projects or constituents.

MagLev, which uses the attraction and repulsion of powerful magnets to power a train hovering inches off the track, enjoyed a brief burst of federal support in the 1990s. Clintonites praised it as a new and efficient option for short-range travel. But since 2001 the Bush Administration has not sought funding for MagLev projects. "The Administration believes that the money could be better spent on other transportation needs," says Steven Kulm, a Federal Railroad Administration spokesman.

But with Reid's help, MagLev boosters have kept hope alive. So far, they've spent $7 million on preconstruction engineering studies, and they're pushing for Congress to appropriate the $45 million it O.K.'d last year. The California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission wants to leverage federal dollars with tax-exempt bonds and private equity. It has partnered with American Magline Group, many of whose corporate members -- General Atomics, Hirschfeld Steel, and Parsons Transportation Group, among others -- would help build the high-speed train.

Backers argue that the project is crucial for the future of transportation. "I don't know if anyone accused President Eisenhower of pork when he created the interstate highway system," says Neil Cummings, president of American Magline. Jim Manley, a spokesman for Reid, says a high-speed train would ease congestion at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. "It's a good project," says Manley.

Nonsense, says Keith Ashdown, vice-president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that tries to limit federal spending. MagLev is "a train to nowhere," says Ashdown. "We're wasting tens of millions of dollars on a project that nobody believes will be built except Harry Reid."

But Reid's faith in MagLev has been a plus for him: Companies and individuals tied to the project have given him $28,749 in campaign funds since 1999, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And with Ensign facing his first reelection campaign, MagLev fans are opening their checkbooks for him, to the tune of $23,248. For now, MagLev keeps hovering along.

By Eamon Javers

This looks cool.

More Yeti goodness...

A Yeti Welcoming

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Disney chief Bob Iger will be in town this week for the official opening of Expedition Everest at the Animal Kingdom. I'm told he's ridden the fancy coaster, but no word on how many times. Michael Eisner, his predecessor, was a big fan of thrill rides and rode Mission: Space at Epcot 20 times when it was still in development. We'll see if Iger takes another Everest spin during this visit. Seems like he'd want to try out the merchandise: Disney spent a reported $100 million to get the Everest ride opened. Also in town for the Everest grand opening this week: Famed primatologist Jane Goodall; actress Isabella Rossellini and British comedian John Cleese. (Can't say whether the Monty Python funnyman will silly-walk his way through the Animal Kingdom.) The three will be honored for their commitment to wildlife conservation.

Ahahahahaha! That part in red is really funny. Give me a minute to wipe the tears. Is this an Op-ed piece? Informational, yet hardly supportive of the compnay that pays most of the bills in Orlando. Once again, the Sentinel reminds us that if you can't be anti-Disney without good reason, you can at least be 'non-Disney'.

God, I hate the Sentinel. The only cool thing is watching the printing press.

Yeti Goodness...

Yeti Officially Joins Animal Kingdom

(ABC News) – The Yeti — better-known as the Abominable Snowman — is getting a boost that Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster can only dream about – status as the first legendary creature among the real-life menagerie at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Disney's biggest ride yet, "Expedition Everest," a 20-story, white-knuckle roller coaster spin officially opens April 7 — and those who ardently believe in the possibility of unicorns and other mythic creatures are happy to announce that the $100 million attraction won't be located in Fantasyland, but in a spot that Disney World created to honor lions, tigers and other exotic animals. While Disney isn't officially endorsing the existence of the Yeti, the fabled beast has an honored spot that goes back centuries as a protector of the Himalayas against unwelcome intruders, and that fits Animal Kingdom's spirit as a sanctuary, said Joe Rohde, Walt Disney Imagineering executive designer. Rohde's team created what is now Florida's tallest peak, sculpted from 1,800 tons of steel, covering more than six acres. More than 8,000 authentic artifacts that document the ancient culture were imported for a museum that tracks the Yeti through ancient tapestries and modern works. And the team planted more than 900 bamboo plants and 10 species of trees to enhance the massive ride. Still, "Expedition Everest" is first and foremost a thrill ride. Disney guests board a runaway train from Serka Zong village that pushes through the mountains issuing faint warnings about a great, apelike beast as it plunges through an 80-foot fall. But unlike any other roller coaster, tracks ripped to shreds force the ride to an abrupt halt. Then, backward you plunge along a new course as the great Yeti, a mere shadow at first, takes over the ride. And before you step off, you'll whiz by a mammoth-size replica of the beast.

While hardly a month goes by without a Bigfoot sighting in North America — and the Loch Ness Monster still draws tourists to Scotland — the Yeti is much more engrained in Nepalese legend. Tales of the Abominable Snowman first appeared in the West as far back as 1925, when Greek photographer N.A. Tombazi snapped some shots of a creature on the lower slopes of the Himalayas. Curious tracks were later found by British expeditions lead by Eric Shipton and Michael Ward in the early 1950s. Each track was 13 inches wide and some 18 inches long, and could not be identified by scientists. Even on Sir Edmund Hillary's trek up Mount Everest in 1953, some giant footprints were found along the way. Though in his travels, Hillary reported no convincing proof of the Yeti's existence. While Disney's Animal Kingdom has long claimed to honor an array of beasts "from dinos to rhinos," the Yeti will be the first creature that — up to now, at least — exists more in cultural history than reality. Back in 1978, Disneyland added a yellow-eyed, 7-foot Abominable Snowman to its Matterhorn Bobsled trip in California. But seeing the creature in the Animal Kingdom, alongside real wildlife, is a major boost to those who one day hope to prove its existence.

Epcot is Rolling Out 2nd Segway Tour

(Orlando Sentinel) – More Disney visitors soon will be scooting around Epcot on Segway transporters in the morning before the park gate opens to the general public. For a couple of years, Walt Disney World has given Epcot visitors two options to ride Segways – the two-wheeled, electric scooters that people stand on as they ride. The big ride is a two-hour spin, including an hour of training indoors and an hour-long guided tour of Epcot's World Showcase. That tour, which costs $80 a person, proved popular enough that Disney is adding a second, starting Friday. Disney also offers a $45 one-hour version that's all indoors, during midday. To accommodate the additional Segway traffic, Disney has built a new, larger indoor riding and training area, in the Innoventions West building. It replaces the old Segway station at Club Cool.

This is a cool idea. I got to ride one before park opening in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom once and it was a really unique experience.

Walt's Dream come true?

IMGP0640, originally uploaded by David__x@Hotmail.com.

Flickr goodness...

"We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together."

AP Wire | 03/21/2006 | Mickey Mouse gets ready for Disney's European cruise vacation

AP Wire 03/21/2006 Mickey Mouse gets ready for Disney's European cruise vacation: "Mickey Mouse gets ready for Disney's European cruise vacation
KELLI KENNEDY
Associated Press
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Mickey Mouse is going on a European vacation in the summer of 2007.
The Disney Cruise Line will sail to Italy, France and Spain from May to August 2007 as part of a larger strategy to 'chart new waters,' company officials announced Tuesday.
The Disney Magic will offer eight alternating 10-night and 11-night Mediterranean cruises, departing from Barcelona, Spain, and stopping in eight European cities.
Traveling through Europe can be daunting, especially with small children, company President Tom McAlpin said. A Disney cruise takes the guesswork out of what cities to hit, where to eat and what shows to see, he said.
'The cruise takes care of all of that and people trust Disney. At the end of the day you know you're coming back to the ship and having five-star dining, great entertainment and you know your kids are going to have a good time,' he said.
Disney is considering expanding beyond its two ships, which have been successful since they began operating Caribbean voyages in 1998. But 'it's not the right time now,' McAlpin said.
But the European expansion will have little impact on the cruise industry overall, an analyst said. Major players such as Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. already operate in Europe with cruise lines that cater specifically to European vacationers.
Even if the unit of The Walt Disney Co. decided to add a few new ships, it would pale in comparison to the 16 ships industry leader Carnival will add in the next four years on top of its 80 ship fleet, said Craig Parmelee, a credit analyst for Standar"....

Sure it's old news, but it's still fun to read about.

Mickey U : Lifelong Fan Studies at Disney

ATHENS, Ohio (The Ironton Tribune) – One of the clearest childhood memories Ohio University Southern student Susanna Harding has is leaving Disneyland in her native California. “I remember walking out of the park every day saying ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if I could work here … if I could live here?’” Harding said. “Nobody could have told me that when I would go to college someday I would get my chance to work at not Disneyland but a bigger park: Walt Disney World. It’s been my life’s dream to work for Disney.” The early childhood development major is one of the thousands of students who have participated in the Disney College program, where students can not only work at the happiest place on earth, but they can also pick up a couple of hours of college credit. The park will be interviewing its latest round of potential “cast members” April 10 and 11 at Ohio University’s main campus in Athens. For Harding, a lifelong Disney fanatic, the experience of a summer working in Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Café – one of the Magic Kingdom’s busiest restaurants – is hard to put in to words. “It was so wonderful, it truly is where magic lives,” Harding said. “The magic that we created for every guest every day was totally what I needed. It made me happy, and I learned so much from it.” Harding spent most of her 100-degree-weather days serving up Kit Carson Chicken Salad and Slue Foot Sue’s Sweetheart of a Deal in her floor-length blue skirt, floral apron, and frilly white shirt. “I looked like I took yodeling classes in the afternoon,” Harding said. In between her shifts as a server, Harding was also educating herself with a class in experiential learning – a study in the way that different sorts of people process information – for which she earned three college credits. Harding said that she loved her summer so much, she plans to head back. She’ll be trying out for an alumni program later this year.

Chicken Little Makers Quit Disney

(ContactMusic) – Randy Fullmer, who produced Disney's Chicken Little, and Mark Dindal, who directed it, have quietly quit the company, the animation website O-meon.com reported. In an interview, both Fullmer and Dindal denied that the takeover of Disney's animation business by Pixar execs played any part in their decision to leave. Fullmer said that he just wanted to "do my own things for awhile," adding: "It was great to work with 400 people in that sort of collaborative thing but it would just be nice to go back and be an individual artist for awhile." Dindal said that he was interested in making a film combining live action with animation. "I started to save up some money so that I could strike out for about a year and see what I could do as far as trying to get a film along those lines." He did not indicate whether he had approached Disney about such a project.

Sure. Voluntarily leaving what is now the most powerful animation studio on the planet makes a lot of sense.