Sarah Litzsinger Returns to Beauty and the Beast May 30

NEW YORK (Broadway.com) – Sarah Litzsinger will be returning to the role of Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast on May 30. Current star Ashley Brown, who will play the title role in Mary Poppins on the Great White Way this fall, is set to have her final performance in Beauty on May 28. Most recently Litzsinger played Eva Peron in the 25th anniversary tour of Evita. The actress, who first played the role of Belle on tour, has previously done long stints with the Broadway company of Beauty and the Beast. She also starred as the Narrator alongside Donny Osmond's Joseph in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. (Osmond will be joining Beauty and the Beast for a nine-week limited engagement as Gaston on September 19, thus reuniting the actors.)

Sarah went to my high school in Carmel, IN.

Best Disney Theme Park photos Pool

Epcot during Flower Festival, originally uploaded by Yooper Born.

Flickr goodness

Dubailand Rivals Disneyland

UNITED ARAM EMIRATES (AME Info) – Dubailand's Chief Executive Officer, Salem Bin Dasmal, believes that Dubai's massive leisure zone will be able to challenge Disneyland for its share of Europe's tourism market within five years, reported Gulf News. Bin Dasmal feels that Dubailand has much more to offer, with attractions such as its Dinosaur Park and planetarium, not provided by Disneyland. Bin Dasmal went on to describe Dubailand as 'Disneyland on steroids'.

'Lost' Toys in the Works

(USA Today) – Soon after Lost's third season premieres this fall, fans will be able to concoct their own mysteries at home. Touchstone Television, which produces the ABC hit, has hired comics legend Todd McFarlane, famous for his lines of Spawn, Napoleon Dynamite and The Simpsons action figures, to turn the Lost characters into 6-inch plastic replicas. Series 1 will feature characters Jack, Kate, Hurley, Locke, Charlie and Shannon, which will talk and come with miniature props themed to the show's storylines. Stores including Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Hot Topic will sell the figures ($15-$20) and box sets with a hatch for them to play in ($25-$30).

Disney Characters Getting Raises in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AP) – Actors who dress up as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other characters to greet visitors at Hong Kong Disneyland are getting pay raises and longer breaks, the park said Sunday, following complaints of work-related injuries, low pay and quick turnarounds between shifts. Hong Kong Disneyland said in a statement that it would increase the monthly base pay of the character performers by 11% starting June 1. "This adjustment is the result of benchmarking efforts internally … with the external Hong Kong market and with other Disney parks," the statement said. The company added that break times for the actors have been increased from 30 minutes every hour to 40 minutes from April until September due to hot weather and that pregnant employees would be stationed at air-conditioned locations and be given lighter work loads if necessary. Character actors who greet visitors at the park had complained that night shifts would sometimes be followed by morning shifts and that their pay trailed the monthly salary earned by those who appear in shows. The performers also said they suffered from muscle pain and neck and waist injuries from wearing the costumes.

Disney's Hong Kong Headache

(Time Magazine) – Disneyland is supposed to be "The Happiest Place on Earth," but Liang Ning isn't too happy. The engineer brought his family to Disney's new theme park in Hong Kong from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou one Saturday in April with high hopes, but by day's end, he was less than spellbound. "I wanted to forget the world and feel like I was in a fairytale," he says. Instead, he complains, "it's just not big enough" and "not very different from the amusement parks we have" in China. His seven-year-old daughter Yaqin disagrees, calling the park "fantastic," but her father grumbles: "If she wants to come again, "I'll send her with somebody else." Hong Kong's Magic Kingdom has so far been a little short on magic. The $1.8 billion theme park, which opened last September, was touted by Disney executives as its biggest, boldest effort to build its brand in China, a potentially vast new market for its toys, dvds and movies. The Hong Kong government – which aggressively wooed Disney and is the park's majority owner, hoped Disneyland would help secure the city's reputation as one of Asia's top tourist destinations. However, the conservative approach of Disney and its partner has produced a park that so far hasn't matched visitors' lofty expectations. Hong Kong Disneyland has a mere 16 attractions – only one a classic Disney thrill ride, Space Mountain – compared to 52 at Disneyland Resort Paris. Meanwhile, management glitches involving everything from ticketing to employee relations have further tarnished the venture's image. In a recent survey conducted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 70% of the local residents polled said they had a more negative opinion of Disneyland since its opening. "Disney knows the theme-park business, but when it comes to understanding the Chinese guest, it's an entirely new ball game," says John Ap, an associate professor at the university's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. Nonetheless, Disney executives insist the park is on track. Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, says: "I feel great about how Hong Kong Disneyland is doing." Disney's own surveys of park visitors show an 80% satisfaction rate, among the highest of any of the company's parks, says Rasulo: "People feel this is a great experience."

The California-headquartered company knows what it is talking about; it welcomed its 2 billionth visitor last week. And it is no stranger to tempestuous beginnings at an international park. When Disneyland Paris opened in 1992, Disney famously banned wine from park restaurants, much to the dismay of European bons vivants. In Hong Kong, Disney went out of its way to tailor the park to local tastes. Ironically, Disney's most high-profile stumble resulted from being too local. When executives decided to serve shark-fin soup, a Hong Kong favorite, environmentalists howled and Disney ignominiously yanked it from the menu. Another embarrassment came over the Lunar New Year holiday beginning in January. Tourists with valid tickets got turned away at the front gates after the park quickly filled up; the jilted travelers screamed at park employees, while TV cameras filmed one family trying to pass a child over the fence. Disney has also strained its relationship with Chinese travel agencies, which play a crucial role in funneling tourists into the park. Victor Yu Limin, a general manager at China CYTS Outbound Travel Service in Beijing, complains that Disney originally demanded several weeks' notice when the agency wanted to reserve a guaranteed number of rooms, a nearly impossible deadline, he says, as Chinese travelers often don't finalize trips more than a few days in advance. "We're listening to everything they have to say and adjusting where we can," says Josh D'Amaro, Hong Kong Disneyland's vice president for sales and travel-trade marketing. But, Yu says, Disney is "still far from understanding the real market in China. They started off doing business the American way, so they have encountered problems."

Given the complexity of the Hong Kong operation, such "teething pains" are hardly surprising, says Rasulo. What may be tougher to solve, though, are the yawns the miniature park is generating among tourists. Rasulo says the park wasn't built on a grand scale because the Chinese didn't grow up with Disney and don't know the characters as well as Americans and Europeans do, which acts as a constraint on its potential audience. Ernest calls it a "great introductory park." They also point out that the company plans to keep adding new attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland, including an updated version of Disney's classic Autopia racing game, scheduled to open this summer. While Ernest concedes that attendance is "a little behind" expectations, Disney is sticking to its target of 5.6 million guests in its first year. To hit these numbers, Disney is running aggressive promotions. Last month, the park offered free tickets for 50,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers, says Susan Chan, Hong Kong Disneyland's director of publicity, so they "can experience the Disney magic themselves [and] better share it with their passengers." And even if attendance lags for a while, Disney says the park is already benefiting its other businesses in Asia. Andy Bird, president of Walt Disney International, says there's been "a noticeable lift in our brand and character awareness" in China since the park's opening – sales of Buzz Lightyear merchandise have jumped, in part because the character features in Disneyland's popular Astro Blasters ride. Indeed, Disney continues to bet that its long-range investment plans in China will pay off, regardless of the recent headaches in Hong Kong. The firm is still in talks with Chinese officials about opening a mainland theme park, possibly in Shanghai, says Rasulo. "Have we made some mistakes?" he asks. "Absolutely. We are in a brand-new market. We have to keep listening and keep learning."

Six Flags Offers Roller Coaster Workshop

VALENCIA, Calif. (LA Times) – Bearded and with brightly colored tattoos on both his calves, Jon Shiner looks tough, but he admits he has struggled with heights his whole life. "If I have to stand on a chair I get nervous, so anything up in the air pretty much freaks me out," the 29-year-old said. But on a recent Saturday morning, Shiner decided to face his phobia when he attended a free class at Six Flags Magic Mountain on conquering the fear of riding roller coasters. The amusement park was hosting the course in conjunction with its promotion of Tatsu, a new dragon-themed coaster that officially begins running Saturday. Riding Tatsu is supposed to simulate flight, the marketing materials say. Riders are strapped into a car standing up, with a shoulder harness and two calf harnesses. Once the car leaves the station, it tilts 90 degrees forward so that riders are "flying" around the track – arms stretched forward, feet trailing behind – Superman-style. No wonder the park turned to Linda Bortell – a cheerful clinical psychologist whose areas of expertise include "thrills and terror" – to facilitate the experimental three-week class held over consecutive Saturdays. Bortell introduced herself to the 10 adult participants, who were recruited by park employees, telling them she is a roller coaster enthusiast who sometimes drives to Magic Mountain for a quick ride on Viper before going to her office in South Pasadena. After everyone in the room had a chance to introduce themselves and state their specific fears, Bortell led the class outside to take a look at Tatsu itself, which the participants are to ride on their third and final class this Saturday. "If you ride coasters enough, you learn that there are different types of screams," Bortell said, as the group walked into the park. "There is the 'I'm here with my cute boyfriend and I'm screaming so I can hang onto him' scream, and then there are screams of fun, and some screams of fear. My husband starts screaming the second the coaster leaves the loading dock. He says it's part of the experience."

ABC Promises No 'Lost' Repeats Next Season

NEW YORK (UPI) – ABC executives say fans of its hit TV show, "Lost," will not be plagued by reruns during the 2006-07 season. The Alphabet Network announced Tuesday that viewers will see seven new episodes in a row next season before "Lost" takes a break. The series will return in late January or early February with fresh episodes through the end of the season. Although "Lost" remained one of TV's most popular shows during its second season, ratings dipped and fans were angered by frequent reruns that broke up the continuity of the serial. While "Lost" is on hiatus, ABC will air the Taye Diggs vehicle, "Day Break," about an innocent cop on the lam from a murder charge who keeps reliving the same day over again a la the Bill Murray film, "Groundhog Day."

Donny Osmond to Return to Broadway in Beauty and the Beast

NEW YORK (Broadway.com) – Famed performer Donny Osmond will be play Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. He is set to begin a nine-week limited engagement in the musical on September 19. Osmond actually has a long history with the Disney family – it was while performing on the Disney After Dark television series in 1961 that Andy Williams spotted his brothers and hired them as regulars on The Andy Williams Show. He was also the singing voice of Captain Shang in Disney's hit animated feature Mulan. Osmond made his Broadway debut in 1982 in the short-lived revival of Little Johnny Jones. His other theatrical credits include many years of touring as the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Disney's 'Narnia' Top DVD Title of '06

BURBANK (LA Daily News) – The Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" has become the top-selling DVD title released so far in 2006. "Narnia," which hit store shelves April 5, has sold more than 11 million units to date. The movie is being sold both as a single-disc DVD and a two-disc Collector's Edition DVD. Its DVD success is good news for Disney, which has positioned "Narnia" to be a franchise in the vein of Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter" series and New Line Cinema's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. "Narnia" grossed an impressive $291.7 million at the domestic box office, making it the second-highest 2005 release behind only "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith." Disney said Tuesday that it now has five of the year's top 10 best-selling titles with the others being "Chicken Little," "Lady and the Tramp," "Flightplan" and "Bambi II." "We are very fortunate to have such a strong lineup of titles that appeals to every demographic," said Bob Chapek, president of Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment division. "It is the backbone of what this studio has always been known for."

Disney Trash Can Exhibit in Edinburgh

EDINBURGH (Art Daily) – Heriot-Watt University presents an exhibit of trash cans from Disney World. Visitors to Disney World in Florida are usually invited to buy Disney Pins to mark each park and venue they’ve visited. Fashion design specialist Mark Timmins was more taken with Disney’s rubbish bins, and has now put together a photographic exhibition featuring the range of rubbish receptacles featured around the site. “The bins are all a standard shape and size,” said Mark, Fashion and Textiles Director at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design, “but each one is decorated differently to fit in with its surroundings, from the bins in the Magic Kingdom, decorated with Tinkerbell, to the Animal Kingdom, which are brown and feature the words ‘Waste please Maholo’. My personal favorite is the twin-bins from ToonTown, also part of the Magic Kingdom, which are decorated with the mops from the Sorcerer’s apprentice section of Fantasia, and the message ‘keep it clean.’” And, he insists, the exhibition isn’t rubbish, it is art, or at least an important facet of design in the 21st century. “It’s all to do with repeated images and the concept of mass customization. In a way it’s the complete opposite of Ford’s idea of ‘any color as long as it’s black, while at the same time paying homage to his seminal ideas on mass production.“ The Timmins’ family holiday was far from being all rubbish as his six and a half year old daughter was chosen as the day’s ‘Princess’, picked from the crowd to ride in Cinderella’s magic coach at the head of the daily parade. “Sixteen million people a year visit Disney World,” said Mark, “and only three hundred and sixty five of them get a chance to lead the procession. How great is that?” The ‘Disney Bins’ exhibition will be on display at The Create Centre, an environmental and recycling centre in Bristol, from 16th to 30th of May. It can also be simultaneously viewed at Heriot-Watt University’s new Energy Academy at the Edinburgh Campus from the 16th to the 30th of May.

ABC May Elect to Shoot 'Chief' Telefilm

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – “Commander in Chief" wasn't picked up for next season but ABC may give it a brief revival in the form of a two-hour movie. The one-hour drama about the nation's first female president (Geena Davis) didn't catch on in the ratings, having been pulled off Tuesdays earlier in the season and failing to get traction Thursdays at 10 p.m. It was yanked off the schedule weeks ago and wasn't on the ABC 2006-07 primetime schedule announced early Tuesday. But ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson said at a meeting with reporters that "Commander in Chief" wasn't completely retired yet. McPherson said he had been pitched an idea for a two-hour movie by creator and former executive producer Rod Lurie, and was considering it.

Disney Shares on Wall Street’s Spring Hit Parade

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – While the Dow ended a five-week winning streak last week, shares of the Walt Disney Co. hit a 52-week high of $30.19 on Wednesday after the firm delivered a well-received quarterly financial report. Its stock closed Monday at $29.99, up nine cents on the day, and up 21.6% so far this year. "We believe the company should continue to experience better operating performance and momentum than many of the other large entertainment conglomerates," Prudential Equity Group analyst Katherine Styponias said.

· Analysts seemed in agreement that most impressive were the results in television, driven by high ratings at ABC and ESPN, and theme parks also performed well, despite a surge in gas prices that has some pundits predicting economic gloom. Revenues at Disney's media networks unit in its fiscal second quarter "were an eye-popping $3.55 billion, up 18% year-over-year and measurably ahead of our projection of $3.21 billion," Sanders Morris Harris analyst David Miller said.
· Miller was also bullish on Disney's plan to sell radio assets to Citadel Broadcasting, which will leave Disney with almost no distribution presence beyond 10 TV stations, "which are not stock-moving assets," he said. Selling to Citadel "has allowed Disney a higher multiple relative to its peers as all forms of distribution become marginalized over time," he said, raising his price target a dollar to $33.
· Analysts were so taken by Disney's earnings report that even the company's weaknesses – the movie studio and consumer products – were hailed successes because not much was expected from those units. Disney will benefit this year, said Goldman Sachs analyst Anthony Noto, from "the most optimistic film slate since 2003," singling out the DVD releases of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Chicken Little," as well as theatrical releases "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

ABC Halts Invasion

(ComingSoon.net / Hollywood Reporter) – ABC is halting its Invasion, reports Variety. The series was a personal favorite of ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson. But despite a huge promotional push behind the show, viewers simply never warmed to the concept. There had been talk of "Invasion" being rerouted to the CW Network – which is co-owned by the parent company of "Invasion" producer Warner Bros. Television – if it got the ax from ABC, but there were no indications of such a move being under way during the weekend.

Finally!

REVIEW RECAP : Disney's "Tarzan" musical wins mixed reviews in NY

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Disney's latest mega-musical "Tarzan" swung into town with a spectacular ship-wreck scene and bungee-jumping apes but the critics were lukewarm and several resorted to phrases such as "bungle in the jungle." "Tarzan," which opened on Wednesday night, is among the most expen-sive musicals on Broadway with a budget reported at between $15 million and $20 million. It is Disney's latest effort to match the success of hit movie-based musicals such as "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast."

• "Almost everybody and everything swings in 'Tarzan.' Which is odd, since the show itself, to borrow from Duke Ellington's famous credo, definitely ain't got that swing," was Ben Brantley's verdict in The New York Times. "'Tarzan' feels as fidgety and attention-deficient as the toddlers who kept straying from their seats during the performance I saw," Brantley said.

Several critics had warm words for the special effects, particularly the opening scene, which uses aerial acrobatics to create an eerie underwater shipwreck scene in which the baby Tarzan and his parents end up washed up on an African shore.

• "The opening minutes of 'Tarzan' ... are among the most exciting and inventive I have ever witnessed in the theater," Charles Spencer wrote in London's Daily Telegraph newspaper. But he added that despite some other fine effects – “most notably a trippy hallucinogenic sequence involving huge jun-gle plants with human actors nestling amid their petals" – the show "almost invariably looks much bet-ter than it sounds."
• The Star Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, and the New York Post both settled on the headline "Bun-gle in the Jungle," and
• NY Post critic Clive Barnes opened his review with the words: "You, 'Tarzan,' Me, Agonized."
• Washington Post critic Peter Marks also praised the opening sequence but his review was summed up in the headline "Fumble in the Jungle: Disney's Tame 'Tarzan."' "The show ... has gorillas in mid-air, a potential teeny-bopper idol in loincloth and Phil Collins as show-tune guy," Marks wrote. "What it doesn't have much of is drama."

While there was plenty of criticism for the show, Disney appeared to have emerged a clear winner against rival Hollywood studio Warner Bros., whose vampire musical "Lestat" was almost universally trashed by the critics two weeks ago. "Lestat" had a budget estimated between $10 million and $12 million. USA To-day's Elysa Gardner gave "Tarzan" three stars out of four, praising the "lush, fanciful scenic and costume design," the "sprightly libretto" and its "good-natured exuberance." The Philadelphia Inquirer's Howard Shapiro also was impressed, describing the show as "an eye-popping treat of lighting, streamers and fab-rics." "Some people will inevitably call the shimmering stars, massive fluttering fabrics, and huge strutting fauna downright corny. I call them master stagecraft," he wrote.

Ferrari Theme Park on Track

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AME Info) – A Ferrari concept theme park in Abu Dhabi should open sometime in 2008, according to Gulf News. Ferrari has granted a licence to operate the centre but will not be investing in the project. It will have a racetrack, rides and attractions, including a history of Ferrari.

New Mickey Mouse Series Delivers Record Ratings for Playhouse Disney

BURBANK (World Screen) – The premiere of the new CGI series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Channel US on Friday delivered the highest ratings ever for a Playhouse Disney series premiere among Kids 2-5 (6.2/767,000), Girls 2-5 (6.0/375,000), Households (2.2/1,960,000) and Total Viewers (1.2/2,777,000). The series premiered in its regular Playhouse Disney weekend timeslot on Disney Chan-nels and Playhouse Disney channels around the world on Saturday. The preschool series starring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy is designed to entertain preschoolers while helping them develop early math skills. Among all basic cable networks in the US, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was num-ber 1 in its time period (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) with Kids 2-5 (6.2/767,000), Boys 2-5 (6.4/393,000) and Girls 2-5 (6.0/375,000). In Households, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse improved the time period by 22 percent (2.2 vs. 1.8). In Total Viewers, it was up 38 percent (2,777,000 vs. 2,011,000).

Disney Adds Shops, Restaurants to Complex

LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Sentinel) – No matter what Walt Disney does with its bar scene, shopping is driving most of the changes at Downtown Disney. And Disney's not limiting changes to Pleasure Island. The idea is to seduce people into spending extra time – and more money – at Downtown Disney by creat-ing more things for them to do, making it easier for them to get around and adding restaurants that keep them there longer. "Shopping is still our No. 1," said Djuan Rivers, vice president for Downtown Disney. "The majority of people here still come to shop."

• To enliven the shopping experience, Pleasure Island has been opened up to shorten the walk between the main shopping districts – Marketplace and West Side – on either end of Downtown Dis-ney. Disney also will add more water taxis and a dock at Pleasure Island, so people can travel by ferry. Yet, even with foot traffic going through Pleasure Island instead of around it, Downtown Disney is a long walk, more than a half-mile from end to end – all outdoors.
• A broader mix of goods and activities is being rolled out, including the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, aimed at transforming little girls into fantasy princesses, and a new T-Rex restaurant – both at Mar-ketplace. "The more of an experience you create for a guest, the more time they will spend," Down-town Disney brand manager Richard Gregorie said.
• Shopping still focuses on Disney-brand merchandise, Gregorie said, but selections are growing for non-Disney items from outlets such as Team Mickey, the Virgin Megastore and Orlando Harley-Davidson.

Garry and Elaine Thompson, who were visiting recently from Gloucestershire, England, with their 15-year-old daughter and her friend, loved Downtown Disney but found the shopping thin. "The only thing was, we had to leave Disney to do any clothing shopping for the girls," Elaine Thompson said. "If you don't want something with Mickey Mouse on it, there's really not much here for them to choose."

Disney/Pixar's ‘Cars’ Premiere Is a Complete Sell-Out

BURBANK, Calif. (PRNewswire) -- The World Premiere of Disney/Pixar's new computer-animated fea-ture, "Cars," on Friday, May 26th at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte, is a complete sell-out nearly one month before the event, with more than 30,000 fans racing to buy tickets, it was announced today. Pro-ceeds from the Premiere, which is sponsored by Kodak, will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, and Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. Disney CEO Bob Iger, Paul Newman (voice of Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet), "Cars" director John Lasseter, and racing legend Richard Petty (who voices a 1970 Plymouth Superbird called "The King" in the film), will be on hand for a special presentation to the two charities. Other voice talent from "Cars," including Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, and Larry the Cable Guy, along with some of the greatest names in racing history will also join in the festivities. "Cars" will be shown on four giant custom-built outdoor movie screens (115-feet wide and 50-feet tall) at Turn #2 of the famed superspeedway. With the first-ever multi-screen outdoor digital projection, utilizing twelve DLP Cinema projectors from Barco, Christie and NEC, and state-of-the-art sound, the film will look and sound its very best. The Disney/Pixar film "Cars" is set to open at theatres everywhere on June 9th.

Disney Earnings Rise 19 Percent

BURBANK (AP) – Strong television ratings and increased theme park attendance helped profit at The Walt Disney Co. rise 12 percent in the second quarter, although the media conglomerate did report a drop in earnings at its film studio. The Burbank-based company on Tuesday reported net income of $733 mil-lion, or 37 cents per share, for the three months that ended April 1, compared with income of $657 million, or 31 cents per share, in the same period last year. Revenue grew to $8 billion from $7.8 billion in the same period last year. The results beat estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial who had been expecting earnings of 31 cents per share.

• Operating income fell 39 percent at Disney's film studio while revenue decreased 22 percent to $1.8 billion. This year's DVD releases have not sold as well as the DVD of the Pixar Animation Studios hit "The Incredibles" in the same period last year. Studio performance should pick up in the second half of the year with the release of the latest Pixar film, "Cars" next month and the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean" in July, the company said.
• Home video revenue from the DVD release of "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" will also be seen in the third quarter.
• The company's media networks division, which includes ABC and cable channels such as ESPN, delivered the best performance with a 20 percent jump in operating income and an 18 percent rise in revenue to $3.6 billion. Results were helped by higher subscriber fees at ESPN and rising advertising revenue at ABC, which continues its ratings comeback. That trend should continue as the network gets ready to negotiate new deals with advertisers for the fall schedule. ABC will present its lineup next week and expects strong increases in ad rates over last year, the company said.
• Attendance at Disneyland in California grew 15 percent in the quarter as the theme park's 50th anni-versary celebration winds down. Attendance at Walt Disney World in Florida rose a more modest 3 percent, Disney said. The company said it does not expect rising gas prices to lower attendance at its domestic parks. Attendance at Disney's latest park in Hong Kong has been lower than anticipated, but company executives said they still expect to hit their one-year goal of 5.6 million visitors.

Looking ahead, Staggs said the acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios Inc., which closed last week, will reduce earnings per share for the year by 10 cents, spread evenly over the next two quarters. Disney is-sued new shares to pay for the purchase. Iger confirmed that work on a sequel to Pixar's "Toy Story" franchise has begun, although no release date has been set. Iger also said he was pleased with the re-sponse to the free, advertising-supported streaming of TV shows on ABC.com. He said that option, which is in addition to the sale of ABC shows on Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes store, will continue past the original trial date of June 30. Disney may also join Warner Bros. in distributing its shows via a peer-to-peer computer network, Iger said. For the six months that ended April 1, Disney reported net income of $1.5 billion, or 74 cents per share, compared with $1.3 billion in the same period last year. Revenue in-creased to $16.9 billion from $16.5 billion in the first six months of 2005.

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 May 5-7 weekend, according to studio estimates collected by Reuters. NOTE: Last weekend's position in pa-renthesis. (*) indicates new release.

1. (*) Mission : Impossible III (Paramount) ………………………………………$48.0 million.
2. (1) RV (Sony) …………………………………………………………………$11.1 million.
3. (*) An American Haunting (Freestyle) …………………………………………$6.4 million.
4. (3) Stick It (Touchstone) ………………………………………………………$5.5 million.
5. (2) United 93 (Universal) ………………………………………………………$5.2 million.
6. (7) Ice Age : The Meltdown (20th Century Fox) …………………………......$4.0 million.
7. (4) Silent Hill (Sony) ……………………………………………………………$3.9 million.
8. (5) Scary Movie 4 (Dimension) …………………………………………………$3.8 million.
9. (*) Hoot (New Line) …………………………………………………………………$3.4 million.
10. (8) Akeelah and the Bee (Lions Gate) ………………………………………$3.4 million.

This is a good thing for my girl Vanessa Lengies, who starred (alongside my 2 lines) in Waiting... last year.

Moving Day

NEW YORK (NY Times) – The long-running Disney musical "The Lion King" will move out of the New Amsterdam Theater on June 4 and begin performances at the Minskoff Theater on June 13.

Mike Metzger Follows Record-Setting Jump With Appearance at Disneyland

ANAHEIM, Calif. (PRNewswire) – Having just successfully completed his record-setting 125-foot jump and backflip over the fountains at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Xtreme sports star Mike Metzger rode down Main Street, U.S.A., May 5 in a special cavalcade through Disneyland. On Thursday, May 4, Metzger was officially recognized by Guinness World Records after completing the longest recorded jump – 125 feet – over the Caesars Palace fountains before an audience of more than 15,500. He also became the first to perform a backflip during the jump, which was televised live on ESPN and ESPN HD. With five X Games medals to his name, three of which are gold, Metzger has been riding motorcycles for more than 25 years. The Menifee, Calif. resident is known for his legendary performance at X Games Eight when he won double gold in Moto X Best Trick and Freestyle, and became the first rider to land back-to-back flips in the history of the sport. Metzger's Disneyland appearance was an added attraction to the daily entertainment during the Disneyland 50th Anniversary "Happiest Celebration on Earth," which is be-ing observed by Disney theme parks worldwide. In addition to honoring Metzger's achievement, the Fri-day cavalcade marked Metzger's second major appearance at the Disneyland Resort. On July 1, 2003, he kicked off the "X Games Xperience at Disney's California Adventure" with four freestyle jumps over the replica of the Golden Gate Bridge inside Disney's California Adventure park.

Disney's Promotion Agreement with McDonald’s Ends

(LA Times) – For 10 years, Walt Disney Co. and McDonald's appeared to have the perfect marriage. Happy Meals bore little figurines of Nemo, Mr. Incredible, and 101 Dalmatians. But no more. This is one relationship that's ending because of the children. Disney is not renewing its cross-promotional pact with the fast-food giant, which comes to a close with this summer's release of ''Cars" and ''Pirates of the Car-ibbean: Dead Man's Chest." The reason in part, say multiple high-ranking sources within Disney, is that the company that prides itself on being family friendly wants to distance itself from fast food – and its links to the epidemic of childhood obesity. Disney's not the only studio that thinks french fries loaded with trans fats may be too hot to handle. DreamWorks is working with McDonald's to promote ''Shrek 3," due out in 2007. But according to one top-level source inside the studio, there is internal debate about whether the lovable green ogre should steer clear of Chicken McNuggets and Big Macs in favor of the healthier fare on McDonald's menu, such as salads. The end of the Happy Meal partnership comes at a time when the processed- and fast-food industries are under fire on a number of fronts because of growing concerns about expanding waistlines, particularly among youngsters. One of the industry's most prominent critics, ''Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser, said it will be ''hugely significant" if Hollywood walks away from Happy Meals. ''It will put more pressure on McDonald's to change what they sell in Happy Meals. The obesity issue would be irrelevant if the food in the Happy Meals was healthy." Sources on both sides of the agreement say the parting of the ways was mutual. And it's not a complete divorce, either. McDon-ald's fare will continue to be a staple in Disney's theme parks. Disney also is leaving open the possibility of McDonald's promotions geared toward adults.

Pixar Shareholders Approve Takeover by Disney

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shareholders of Pixar Animation Studios Inc. Friday voted to approve the com-pany's acquisition by The Walt Disney Co. for $7.4 billion in stock. The vote makes Pixar a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney and makes former Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs Disney's single largest share-holder with about a 7 percent stake. The deal is squarely aimed at restoring Disney's luster as a leader in the animated film business. Disney's own efforts have faltered over the past 10 years while Pixar's films have been huge successes. Jobs was named to Disney's board as a non-independent member. He had already said he would cast his Pixar shares, which represents 40 percent of the company's outstanding stock, in favor of the merger. Shareholders met briefly in San Francisco to ratify the deal. The acquisition closed quickly after the vote. Regulators had previously signed off on the deal. As part of the deal, key Pixar figures will take executive positions at Disney's animation and theme parks units. Pixar will keep its brand name and continue to be headquartered in Emeryville as part of an effort to preserve the creative culture that has fueled its success. John Lasseter, who was Pixar's executive vice president, becomes chief creative officer of the animation studios and principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs and builds the company's theme parks. Ed Catmull, who was Pixar's president, will now serve as president of the combined Pixar and Disney animation studios. The deal comes just a month before the partnership between the two companies was set to expire.

Former Disney Dancer Named Playmate of the Year

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A former Walt Disney World dancer who used to dress up as Cinderella and Snow White was named Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Year on Thursday. Kara Monaco, 23, an aspiring actress from Lakeland, Florida, received a check for $100,000, a car and a sports motorbike from Playboy Enterprises Inc., company founder Hugh Hefner announced at the Playboy Mansion. Monaco hopes to leverage her new role to boost her modeling and acting career. She was Miss June in 2005.

Book by Phantom 'Lost' Author

(AP) – Gary Troup, a name known to fans of the hit TV drama "Lost," has joined a special club that includes the likes of Ellen Rimbauer and Marcie Walsh: "authors" of books by television characters. In Wednesday night's episode of the ABC hit show about plane crash survivors on a remote island, the con man Sawyer, played by Josh Holloway, is seen reading an advance copy of fellow passenger Gary Troup's "Bad Twin." Sawyer, an odd bookworm, describes it as a whodunit he's anxious to finish. Troup has been missing since the plane went down, but a copy of his book just happened to land a while back in the offices of Hyperion Books, which, like ABC, is owned by the Walt Disney Company. "Bad Twin," billed as Troup's "final novel before dis-appearing Oceanic Flight 815," was published this week. "We got this manuscript from this guy and we could-n't reach him. He apparently got on this plane in Australia and has been lost at sea," says Hyperion president Bob Miller, trying his best to play it straight. "Gary Troup" is a true mystery man, his name an anagram for "Purgatory." But someone claiming to be the author shows up in a promotional video linked to the "Bad Twin" page on Amazon.com. ABC and Hyperion have had other joint projects.

• "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer," a prequel to the 2002 miniseries "Red Rose," recorded the thoughts of a magnate's wife trapped in a spooky Seattle mansion. "Ellen Rimbauer" was a best seller written by novelist Ridley Pearson, a good friend of the character's inventor, Stephen King. Pearson also is rumored to have written "Bad Twin."
• Marcie Walsh is a recurring character on "One Life to Live" who on the show was writing a police thriller, "The Killing Club," that actually ended up in stores, in 2005. The program's former head writer, Michael Malone, is listed as co-author.

With "Lost" attracting millions of viewers, Hyperion has big expectations for "Bad Twin," announcing a first printing of 365,000. Wednesday's night show gave the book a strong but unspectaular bump, from 311 to 67 on Amazon.com's best seller list. "We're hoping to see it grow from that as the show goes on," Miller said.


And the LOST originality keeps on comin'

Fun Ad Stuff from Alias and Lost

(AdJab) – There were a couple of interesting things that ABC did with the ads during two of its popular Wednesday night shows. First, Bob at TV Squad points out in his recap of Alias the strange juxtaposition of a promo for ABC's upcoming bird flu panic miniseries coming just before – wait for it – a spot for Perdue Chicken. That's fantastic. Second, there was a fake ad that ran during Lost for the Hanso Foundation. That's the mysterious company that's supposed to be connected to the island in some way. The website and hotline named in the ad have been receiving hits and calls constantly.

Bleeding the show into the ads. Brilliant.

Disney Launches ''High School Musical'' Products

BURBANK, Calif. (Business Wire) – Disney Consumer Products will launch a new line of ‘tween merchandise inspired by the smash-hit "High School Musical." The line will launch this month exclusively at over 500 Limited Too stores nationwide and at 100 of the retailer's Justice Stores. "High School Musical" merchandise will combine the fun and spirited themes of the movie with catchy phrases from the original soundtrack and the likenesses of the movie's cast. Both stores will carry a selection of unique tee shirts and other merchandise that will enhance customer connection with this movie phenomenon. Limited Too will support the new line with in-store signage, window displays and a gift-with-purchase promotion that will include an autographed poster signed by the "High School Musical" cast. Limited Too and Justice will also carry the Encore Edition of "High School Musical" on Disney DVD, from Walt Disney Home Entertainment, with two versions of the movie (original and the Sing-Along version) and never-before-seen bonus material, as well as the second music CD, a "High School Musical Special Edition" soundtrack from Walt Disney Records and the "High School Musical Junior Novel" from Disney Press – each scheduled to arrive in stores on May 23rd. Future plans for "High School Musical" merchandise include an expansion into a full line of apparel, accessories, home decor and stationery. The majority of the products will be ready just in time for the back-to-school season and will continue to grow through spring 2007. The success of "High School Musical" continues as the movie will begin premiering around the world in June on Disney Channel Australia, followed by Disney Channel France; Disney Channel Spain; Disney Channel United Kingdom; Disney Channel Japan; and Disney Channel India, among others. Additionally in May, Disney Studios will release key song mastertones and mobile phone ringtones in North America.

Walt Disney World's Top 10 Attractions

PUEBLO, Colo. (Pueblo Chieftain) – Trying to rank the best attractions at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., is like trying to rank which one of your kids you like best. Here are the 10 best attractions, at least according to one average Joe:

1. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, MGM Studios: Great first burst of speed, a loop-to-loop and corkscrew turn, all in the dark, all with Aerosmith tunes blaring in your ears. It rocks the senses. One tip: Wait the extra time in line and get a front seat in the 12-seat limo.
2. Expedition Everest, Animal Kingdom: Newest thrill ride pays extremely close attention to detail. You feel like you are climbing Mount Everest – until the thing takes your breath away going backward. This packs some serious Gs, and the legendary yeti comes closer to your head than you think.
3. Soarin', Epcot: An exact replica of the attraction in Disneyland, Soarin' allows riders the thrill of cruising a hang glider through California. You can smell the orange citrus and travel through the fireworks at night in Los Angeles. A wonderfully pleasant surprise.
4. Tower of Terror, MGM-Studios: If your stomach churns when cruising down Newman Hill, imagine that sensation times 1,000. Sudden dips in a broken-down elevator make what you have for lunch important. Eat bananas – they taste the same coming up as they did going down.
5. Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom: Tried-and-true roller-coaster. Thrilling enough for coaster fans, mellow enough for kids willing to test their bravery. There are two tracks – the Alpha and the Omega – but they are hard to tell apart in the dark.
6. Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Kingdom: Not physically demanding, yet this boat ride with pirates is pure Disney. The attraction is being refurbished in Florida and California, but should be open later this year at both locations.
7. Kilimanjaro Safari, Animal Kingdom: OK, so the animals are so clean, they almost look fake. Almost. Think real-life "Madagascar." It's a convenient way to see exotic animals without having to travel to Africa. And it's slightly less expensive. And no immunizations.
8. Splash Mountain, Magic Kingdom: A nice, leisurely log ride with the potential to get soaked. Make sure to ride it late in the day to avoid chafing from wet shorts.
9. Test Track, Epcot: Even though you drive faster on the highway, or down Northern Avenue, this is one of the few must-rides at Epcot.
10. Fantasmic, MGM Studios: Again, pure Disney. Think a parade, a cartoon, pyrotechnics and a rock concert, all in one. Whatever you do, this is a must-see.

Euro Disney Net Loss Widens Threefold

PARIS (AP) – French theme-park operator Euro Disney SCA said Thursday its net loss more than tripled in its fiscal first half because of one-time restructuring gains a year earlier. Euro Disney's net loss rose to 102 million euros ($126 million) in the six months ending March 31 from 29.8 million euros a year earlier. The company, which operates the Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios parks in the Paris region, said

• its operating loss increased to 61.1 million euros ($75.9 million) from 51.2 million euros ($63.6 million) a year earlier, as revenue fell.
• First-half revenue decreased 1.4 percent to 467 million euros ($581 million) from 474 million euros last year, as both theme park attendance and hotel occupancy were lower.
• Spending per hotel room decreased due to the discounting of room rates for certain vacation pack-ages, Euro Disney said.
• Real estate revenue grew 60 percent from the prior year to 15.5 million euros ($19.3 million) because of increased land sales of residential property.

The group said it plans new attractions in the Walt Disney Studios Park from the beginning of the 2007 fiscal year to add to the appeal and capacity of Disneyland Resort Paris.

D'oh.