Disney Theatrical Productions Announces Plans for 2007

Disney has really embraced the Great White Way. Looking over this list, that's a lot of success and no failures.

NEW YORK (PRNewswire) – Following an historic 2006 marked by tremendous growth and unparalleled success on Broadway, in touring markets, and internationally, Disney Theatrical Productions is preparing for a 2007 which promises the addition of The Little Mermaid to the canon of Disney Theatrical's titles and an expanded slate of productions across the globe. Thomas Schumacher, producer said, "2006 was a year of spectacular growth for Disney Theatricals. In addition to new productions, our long- running shows saw continued success in New York and across the globe."

• Tarzan – Disney Theatrical Productions started 2006 with the world premiere of Tarzan, one of the most artistically innovative shows to come to Broadway in recent memory. The show has proven to be a hit, having set the box office record at the Richard Rodgers Theatre an impressive five times in 2006.
• Mary Poppins – Fall 2006 saw the Broadway premiere of Mary Poppins, the most eagerly anticipated show of the season, which quickly proved to be a hit with audience members and critics alike. The Broadway production was heralded by New York critics as, "a roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza" (The Daily News) and led one critic to exclaim, "I loved the movie, but I have to confess I love the Broadway musical even more" (WABC-TV). Mary Poppins, produced in partnership with Cameron Mackintosh, has become the biggest hit to open during the 2006-2007 season. The London production continues its record-setting run as it enters its third year at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End.
• The Lion King – The Lion King set new box office records six times in 2006, positioning it to become the longest running show in the Minskoff Theatre's history. On the road, The Lion King's two national touring productions have experienced unprecedented success in cities across the country including a recent return engagement to Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre. Internationally, The Lion King celebrated continued success as an English-language production made its premiere in Shanghai, China. In addition, The Lion King had record-setting runs in Amsterdam and Australia. The Lion King has become a global phenomenon with a total of seven productions currently running worldwide: New York, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Seoul, and two US national tours.
• Beauty & The Beast – After enchanting audiences for more than 13 years, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the inaugural Broadway musical from Disney Theatrical Productions, will take its final bow at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Sunday, July 29. The production will have played 46 previews and 5,464 regular performances. Disney's Beauty and the Beast is the longest-running American musical currently on Broadway and the sixth longest running show of all time. Around the world, Beauty and the Beast has played in a total of 13 countries and 115 cities, making it one of the most successful musicals of all time.
• The Little Mermaid – Led by director Francesca Zambello, some of the theater's most innovative artists will gather this summer in Denver to create The Little Mermaid, based on the beloved Disney film and the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Casting is nearly complete with rehearsals set to begin May 2007. Then, beginning Thursday, July 26, 2007, the process continues with seven weeks of previews and performances at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Following Denver, the team moves back to New York where Broadway previews are set to begin Saturday, November 3, 2007 ahead of a planned Thursday, December 6, 2007 opening at the Lunt- Fontanne Theatre.
• International Expansion – The Lion King is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Broadway with an historic Johannesburg, South Africa production to launch in June 2007. The production will feature a local South African cast, many of whom have been in other productions of The Lion King around the world and are now coming home to perform in their native country. In October 2007, a French-language production of The Lion King will premiere in Paris, marking the 11th country the show will have played during its first decade. Disney's first international production of Tarzan is currently in rehearsals and will open April 15, 2007 at the Circustheatre near Amsterdam. The production is a continuation of a long-standing partnership between Disney Theatrical Productions and Stage Entertainment, the collaboration that has mounted six Disney musicals in Europe, grossing over $400 million in ticket sales. Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida continues its success globally with productions currently running in Fukuoka, Japan and a national tour continuing through Germany.
• The Next Generation – Disney Theatricals also continues its unparalleled success in the nation's schools and amateur theatrical groups through its relationship with Musical Theatre International (MTI). In fall 2006, MTI introduced a version of the popular Disney Channel movie High School Musical. The MTI version of High School Musical is one of the most popular titles in MTI's history, receiving an unprecedented number of license requests since the show became available.

Give me a [break]

So, there's "editorial content" and then there's "crossing the line". I was recently reading an article outlining a guest letter to [the] Walt Disney World [Resort] and I couldn't help but notice the ridiculous extreme to which the editors went to get the correct nomenclature out there. This is one of the main reasons I get turned off to the internal company paper. In fact, I was only reading this to see an artist rendering of the new full service restaurant in Asia at [Disney's] Animal Kingdom (TM), since I had no idea Disney was even building one until I saw the construction site this morning. I guess product ignorance is the price I pay by avoiding the corporate propaganda.

A positive guest letter turns into yet another chance to indoctrinate the minimum wage masses. Honestly, I thought edits like these were supposed to be used when the intent of the author may not be clear. As in..."Ohhhhh, you mean [the] [Resort]!? I thought you meant the OTHER Walt Disney World."

How long before we see Disney changing all the internal signage and database abbreviations from WDW to [t]WDW[R]?

Gap CEO Paul Pressler Steps Down

It's good to see his ability to take flagship products (Disneyland) and run them into the ground remains in tact. I may not be the right person to judge, since I have no retail experience either, but he was unpopular at Disney for cheapening the entire experience and now it seems he's unpopular at Gap, Inc. I wonder where a guy with such high profile status will land next? How do you know which initiatives to trust from a guy who seems to be so hit or miss?

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Gap Inc. Chief Executive Paul Pressler resigned from the retailer on Monday after more than two years of weak sales and a failed attempt to revive the struggling clothing brand. The move sent its flagging shares up 2.5 percent after hours. Investors and analysts said the largest apparel retailer in the world could sell itself to another company or unload some pieces. Non-executive chairman Robert Fisher, 52, the son of the company's founder, will serve as interim CEO. Earlier this month, the company, which popularized the T-shirt and khakis look, said its executive team and board would review brand strategies at its two largest divisions – Gap and family-oriented Old Navy – which have lost market share and foot traffic to rival retailers. San Francisco-based Gap also recently hired investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc., increasing speculation that the company could be for sale. Pressler, 50, was hired in late 2002 after 15 years at Walt Disney Co. He was charged with turning around a three-year string of mostly negative sales at established stores. Same-store sales at Gap turned positive in 2003, but were negative for six months of 2004. Since 2005, same-store sales have dropped in all but two months. Many retail watchers have questioned whether Pressler was the right person to lead the company since he lacked extensive retail and merchandising experience. Gap said Monday the board would prefer a new CEO with "deep retailing and merchandising experience ideally in apparel." During his tenure, Pressler reduced debt, improved inventory controls, closed underperforming stores and added technology to back up operations at its more than 3,000 worldwide stores. While Pressler oversaw a successful turnaround at Gap's upscale Banana Republic chain, he was criticized for a new online shoe Web site, Piperlime, and a chain of stores for women above 35 called Forth & Towne, as store traffic fell at Gap and Old Navy. Pressler, who will also leave the board, is eligible for up to $14 million in severance, assuming a stock price of $20 per share, Gap said.

Moody's Considers Disney Ratings Upgrade

NEW YORK (AP) – Moody's Investors Service placed several of Walt Disney Co's ratings on review for possible upgrades Thursday, citing strengthening operations and strong credit. The ratings include Walt Disney Co.'s multiple seniority shelf, senior unsecured conversion/exchange bond/debenture, senior unsecured medium-term note program and senior unsecured regular bond/debenture. Each of those items has a "A3" rating. Also on review for possible upgrade is the "P-2" rating for senior unsecured commercial paper. ABC's "A2" rating for senior unsecured regular bond/debenture is also under review. Shares of Disney rose 56 cents to $35.82 on the New York Stock Exchange in afternoon trading.

Disney Cruise Line Returns to West Coast for 2008

CELEBRATION, Fla. (PRNewswire) – Disney Cruise Line announced today that the Disney Magic cruise ship will return to the West Coast for the summer of 2008 to once again offer its highly popular seven-night Mexican Riviera sailings. Disney Cruise Line developed this special itinerary in response to overwhelmingly positive feedback about its original 2005 West Coast sailings and requests from guests who want to see the ship once again departing from the Port of Los Angeles. Beginning May 25, 2008, the Disney Magic is scheduled to sail 12 consecutive seven-night cruise vacations from the Port of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin said, "We have a significant Disney Cruise Line fan base on the West Coast, and we look forward to taking the Disney Magic back to the Port of Los Angeles in 2008." Significant enhancements have been made to the Disney Magic since its original West Coast sailings in 2005. Today, guests can enjoy poolside movies on a 24-by-14 foot jumbo LED screen, an expanded spa and fitness center exclusively for adults and a new youth activities space designed for children ages 10-14. In addition to the 12 Mexican Riviera cruises, Disney Cruise Line will offer two 15-night cruises through the Panama Canal. The Disney Magic will depart Port Canaveral and head west on May 10, 2008, with the return cruise to Florida scheduled for Aug. 17, 2008.

Clues Say Toy Story is Next Big Ride at Disney-MGM Studios

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Toy Story Mania, Midway Mania, Toy Story's Midway Mania – whatever the name of Disney-MGM Studios' next big ride, Walt Disney World may be having trouble containing details long enough to hold a big announcement scheduled for next week. Even Disney World's parent company, the Walt Disney Co., may be leaking details. Wednesday night the corporation posted the glossy version of its annual report on the Internet, and it included an unidentified artist's rendering of a ride called "Toy Story Mania." At Disney-MGM Studios, a new ride is under construction that unofficial Disney sources have described as having a similar name and look to the one in the picture. The sources told the Sentinel a ride called "Midway Mania" is going into the building that housed the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It!" game. It is supposed to be similar in concept to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom and Men in Black at Universal Studios. Those rides take people in tracked cars through a maze of indoor scenes with robotic characters and special effects, and let them interact with weapons and other features. For months, independent, Disney-oriented Internet blogs and message boards have weighed in, saying the ride would be based on the Toy Story movies. The annual report's "Toy Story Mania" picture shows cars with pairs of seats facing in opposite directions, moving through a Toy Story scene, while riders wearing what appear to be 3-D glasses drive and shoot. But the Disney-MGM Studios ride under construction has been a secret venture that Disney officials have never publicly acknowledged, and on Thursday no one at Disney was willing to confirm or deny the picture's relevance. They pointed to Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger's letter to shareholders in the annual report. He wrote, "What you are about to see is conceptual artwork of projects we are building, developing or still just dreaming about. Some will be open soon, some may never be built." Other pictures in the report included renderings of a possible theme park and possible rides in other parks. "And if any of the blue-sky concepts that are shown in the annual report do become reality," said California-based spokesman Donn Walker, "we will let you know at the appropriate time."

Disney/Pixar's WALL• E Revealed

(comingsoon.net) – In a letter to shareholders, Disney's Robert Iger has revealed this first photo from Pixar's WALL• E, opening in theaters in June of 2008. The letter stated: We're also excited about Pixar's next animated movie, Ratatouille, which will be released this summer. And I'm pleased to give you an exclusive first look at the title character of their next movie, WALL• E (pictured here), which will be released the following year. Oscar-winning director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) helms the animated film.

'Little Mermaid' Swims to Broadway

I wonder if they will be considering any of the dozens of women who have portrayed the singing and swimming teen at Walt Disney World over the years.

NEW YORK (AP) – Broadway is trading one spirited Disney heroine for another. Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" will close July 29 on Broadway, making way for "The Little Mermaid," a stage version of its acclaimed 1989 animated film, which will arrive in December. "There is an enormous affection for this show ('Beauty and the Beast')," Tom Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical, said Wednesday. "I want to give audiences a chance to play that out. In an ideal world, you should give as much care and consideration to the closing of a show as to its opening." By the time it ends its run this summer at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, "Beauty and the Beast" will have played 5,464 performances and 46 previews, surpassing the runs of such musicals as "42nd Street," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Hello, Dolly!" The musical opened in April 1994 at the Palace Theatre and transferred to the Lunt-Fontanne in November 1999. It holds the long-run record at both theaters. "Beauty and the Beast" currently stars Deborah Lew as Belle, the young woman who transforms a morose creature (portrayed by Steve Blanchard) with the power of her love. Among the actresses who have played Belle during its 13-year run are Susan Egan (the original), Toni Braxton, Deborah Gibson, Andrea McArdle, Christy Carlson Romano, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Ashley Brown (Broadway's Mary Poppins). No word yet if Disney will bring in some big names during the show's final six months, but Schumacher said, "There might be a few surprises before the end."

"The Little Mermaid," which will open Dec. 6 at the Lunt-Fontanne, tells the story of Ariel, a young mermaid who yearns to live on land. Preview performances begin Nov. 3. The show, directed by Francesca Zambello, will play an out-of-town tryout in Colorado at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, which is part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Preview performances begin July 26 with an opening set for Aug. 23. Schumacher said casting will be announced later. "The Little Mermaid" has a book by Doug Wright, author of the Tony Award-winning "I Am My Own Wife." The score will feature songs from the movie by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who died in 1991, as well as new material by Menken and lyricist Glen Slater. The show will be the third Disney musical to open on Broadway in 18 months. "Tarzan," on view at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, arrived last May, while "Mary Poppins" opened in November. And a fourth, "The Lion King" has been playing on Broadway since November 1997.

Eisner Strikes Internet TV Deal

I wonder if Disney will end up buying it?

LOS ANGELES (Financial Times) – Michael Eisner, the former Walt Disney chief executive, is taking Hollywood into the world of internet television after brokering a deal to create an online channel with one of the entertainment industry’s leading talent agencies. The deal was struck between Veoh, the internet TV operator in which Mr Eisner holds a significant stake, and United Talent Agency, which represents actors such as Johnny Depp, Ben Stiller and Harrison Ford. The channel, which will be supported by advertising, will showcase new talent in an effort to discover the next Hollywood star. It will be open and available to all Veoh users to submit, view and share content. The project also brings Hollywood together with the amateur film-making talent producing online video on user-generated content websites such as Google’s YouTube. The deal was negotiated by Mr Eisner and Jerry Zimmer, a board member of UTA. Dimitry Shapiro, chief executive of Veoh, said the deal with UTA would become “the new gateway for talent discovery in Hollywood”, adding the channel would bring the “newest and brightest creative minds to the new, more flexible medium of internet TV”.

Pirate and Princess Party

I may have tickets to this on Friday. I will post a review if I make it over there.

(Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World's new after-hours children's program combining the appeal of its princesses and pirates characters begins tonight with the first Pirate & Princess Party. The party, at Magic Kingdom for 13 select nights starting tonight, from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., features themed parades, fireworks, character meet-and-greets and some ad-hoc attractions, such as a princess pavilion at Mickey's Toontown Fair, and pirate stories told on the haunted river boat at Liberty Square. Tickets run $42.95 for ages 10 and over and $35.95 for ages 3-9 the day of the show, or $36.95 and $29.95 in advance. Parties will be held this month, in February and in March.

Disney Movie Skips to Another Record

My 18 month old daughter watches a lot of the Disney Channel. Her tv usually stays there since I watch the HD big screen in the next room. I happened to flip on her little tv during her nap and caught the premiere of Jump In. I wasn't sure what I was watching, i.e. I didn't know it was a new movie/premiere. I just recognized the kid from High School Musical and thought "What is my company doing now?" Turns out, the pieces I caught were pretty well put together. I wasn't sure exactly how they justified the over-the-top dance routine at the end of the jump rope competition, but the double-dutch patrons didn't seem to flinch at all, so I guess it's all part of the pseudo-musical style.

It looks like Disney is locked in on their target demo for the moment. I'll take it, especially since the stock is up near a 52-week high these days.

(Multichannel News) – High School Musical? That’s so yesterday for Disney Channel viewers. The spec-tacle of the moment is Jump In. That fast-paced, high-stepping movie involving a Double Dutch rope-skipping competition is now Disney’s most-watched telefilm ever, drawing a record 8.2 million viewers in its Jan. 12 debut. That beats last year’s debut at this time of the multimedia phenomenon High School Musical by a half-million viewers. Musical drew a then-record audience of 7.7 million. That, in turn, leads to the question of the moment: Just how hot is Disney with young viewers? The Jan. 20, 2006 premiere of High School Musical is now only the fourth-most watched film on the network in the past year. Besides Jump In!, it trails last August’s girl-powered musical Cheetah Girls 2 (8.1 million viewers) and this past October’s Return to Halloweentown (7.8 million), the fourth installment of the fright-fest franchise. If that wasn’t enough, the soundtrack of Jump In! debuted at number five on the Jan. 10 Billboard Music Charts, with 48,840 copies sold. By comparison, the High School Musical soundtrack took seven weeks to break the top five, on its way to No. 1. It eventually finished as the country’s top-selling album last year, with more than 2 million units sold. “We’ve gone from strength to strength,” said Disney Channel Worldwide president of entertainment Gary Marsh. “We all thought High School Musical was the top of the ladder, but it was only a bridge to the next level,” he said. Marsh attributed Jump In!’s success to the network’s now tried-and-true game plan: Blitz kids with previews of the movie on both the channel and on disney-channel.com weeks prior to its premiere to build up anticipation. Then, sit back and let tweens and their parents tune into the movie’s debut in record numbers. Given the incredible success of Jump In!, you’d figure Disney has finally reached its ratings pinnacle, right? Not necessarily, says Marsh. “The answer is to keep making great movies that inspire kids with positive messages and positive music, and if we keep doing that, there is no limit,” he said. Marsh can hedge his bets on how high is up for its original movies because he knows he has one major wild card left in his hand: the sequel to High School Musical is scheduled for August.

Splurging on Mickey

An article that almost sounds like it is promoting the Disney pricing strategy. Interesting...

ORLANDO (Detroit Free Press) – Darn it, isn't anyone scrimping on their Disney World vacation? I'm here to look for families who can give cost-cutting tips. Instead, I get, oh, gee, let's see ... the Sodrel family. They've dropped $4,000 in a week visiting with their four daughters, staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in a deluxe room. It's their sixth year vacationing at Disney World. They love Disney World. They're crazy about Disney World. In fact, those are their daughters and niece over there in the red-and-black polka-dot $60 Minnie Mouse dresses and $18 white mouse ears with bridal veils, hopping the bus to Epcot. "We're Disney veterans," says Noah Sodrel of Greenwood, Ind. "Yes, it's an expensive place. But for us, having fun is the issue. When we've tried to save money, it's not the same."

The most popular amusement park in the world, Disney World is a money machine. Every year, it relent-lessly raises ticket prices. Single-day tickets are up 72% for children in the last four years (to $56). It now costs nearly $1,000 for a family of four who want four-day Park Hopper tickets that allow them to attend all four Disney World parks. "The only thing in the same category with Disney price increases is gasoline price increases," says Bob Sehlinger, author of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2007. "It's an incredibly aggressive pricing strategy." But here's the weird part: Ticket prices don't seem to deter visitors. In the 2006, park attendance rose by 5% percent over the previous year. People spent 4% more at the parks, and they even spent 5% more at Disney World hotels, whose occupancy rates rose to 83%. "We reward longer stays," says Rick Sylvain, Disney spokesman. "Focus groups continually tell us they feel they get a lot of value for the money. Compared to an NBA ticket or a night on Broadway, it's a value." At the same time, Disney has figured out how to entice families to get better deals by a) staying longer and b) staying on the Disney World property.

 Its value family package starts at $1,699 for a family of four per week, including park tickets. (Airfare is additional.)
 Disney also offers a meal plan (about $39 per day for adults and $11 for children) to make food costs more controllable. At Disney resorts, where a bottle of water can cost $2, breakfast buffets cost $14 and dinner can cost $40 per person, it is a deal.
 Also, Disney instituted "Magic Your Way" ticketing in 2005 so people could have more choice about which parks to visit and how long to stay.

So there must be people out there craving the deals. But where are they? I head over to Downtown Dis-ney, the shopping area of Disney World. On this Saturday night, throngs are shopping their heads off, buying everything from $89 Cinderella castles to fine cigars. No scrimping there that I can see. On a Monday morning, I return to visit the new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Salon inside the Disney store. It gives princess and little cool dude makeovers to boys and girls. The value is, you can get a $35 hairdo and sparkly makeup. But there I meet up with Craig and Suzanne Vear of Yorkshire, England, who instead are treating their daughters Jessica, 10 and Emily, 7, to the ultimate princess makeovers – $175 per girl – including costume, shoes, updo hairstyle, makeup and princess magic wand. Emily is in silver. Jessica is in pink. The money? It's not the issue, the parents say. "I wish I could have done this when I was a little girl," says Suzanne Vear, looking proudly at her dolled-up daughters. Then I run into Michael Wolverton of Milwaukee (formerly of Flint), whose daughter, Chastity, 5, is getting the same treatment, right down to gold sparkly shoes.

OK, so maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Admission ticket prices, can't do much about them. Kids, I guess parents will spend anything for their little princesses. And food – you're not going to save much on food unless you eat Fig Newtons in your room for breakfast and maybe make peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. That leaves accommodations. Still scouting for bargains, I'm starting to feel like the miserly skinflint who saves dryer lint for pillow stuffing. Then I meet Bill Schaper, guest services manager at All-Star Music Resort. For families who want to stay on Disney property to take advantage of free shuttles, parking and proximity to all four Disney parks, this is the place. Disney has 6,000 All-Star Resort rooms that start at $79. They even have 214 brand new two-room family suites that look pretty family-friendly to me, with a queen bed in one room and a double and two single pullouts in the other. Depending on the season, suites run $179-$265 a night. They look worth it. With just a food court, "We don't have all the amenities, but we have the Disney service," says Schaper. The All-Star Resorts rooms contribute 30% of the hotel revenue at Disney. So someone must want cheap (actually, never use the word "cheap" at Dis-ney. Use "value.") I just never met anyone. I tried. I really tried. Then all of a sudden I meet three girls from Chicago near Downtown Disney. The college students are trying to sneak onto a free bus to the Magic Kingdom. "Are you doing anything to save money?" I ask pitifully, hopefully. They laugh. "We searched the Internet and paid $226.38 for our plane tickets," says one of the girls. They hope their total cost of the vacation is no more than $500. Whoa. $500? Where are they staying? "My uncle's timeshare." Good tip. Have an uncle with a timeshare. Then over at the Magic Kingdom, I spot a friendly family posing in front of Cinderella's castle. It's the Tomkulak family from 100 Mile House, British Columbia, here for a week with their son and daughter. "Anything you're doing to cut corners?" I ask. "We brought sand-wiches," says Deana Tomkulak, showing inside the backpack where lunch is stuffed inside. They eat breakfast and dinner in their rooms and bring sandwiches to the parks. They are staying free at his mother's timeshare. Before they left home, they bought some kind of fishy-sounding three-day Park Hop-per tickets online that were upgraded to five-day tickets. "How much will you spend on the whole trip?" I ask. "From the beginning, we planned to be careful," they say, restoring my faith in the budget-conscious traveler. "I'm thinking about $2,500." For Disney, that's a deal.

Everyone Plays for the Kids' Price at the Disneyland

A little Disney PR...

ANAHEIM, Calif. (PRNewswire) – During the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration at the Disneyland Resort, guests can dream and play like kids with two special vacation offers.

w For a limited time, kids can fly free to the Disneyland Resort from major US cities. Each child (ages 2-11) flies free with the corresponding purchase of one adult ticket on either Alaska or United Airlines, as part of a Walt Disney Travel Company package.
w From January 3 - April 26, 2007, adult guests who purchase a Walt Disney Travel Company package, including a Disneyland Resort Park Hopper ticket of three days or longer, pay the kids' price for the tickets. A package including a two-night stay at one of the surrounding-area Good Neighbor hotels starts at $229 (airfare not included) and a package including a two-night stay at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels begins at $359 (airfare not included). Guests who stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel for four nights or more also receive a $150 Disney Gift Card that can be used throughout the Resort's theme parks and hotels.

"Year of a Million Dreams," which began on October 1, is being celebrated at Disney Parks in the United States. For 15 months, the Resorts are celebrating dreams coming true, making literally millions of dreams, large and small, come true for eligible guests. Many money-can't-buy experiences – from exclusive Dream Fastpasses for popular Disney attractions to around-the-world vacations or a stay in the special Mickey Mouse Penthouse at the Disneyland Hotel – are being awarded at random to guests. The "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration lasts through 2007.

Nielsens: Last Week's Top-20 List

(AP) – Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Dec. 25-31. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.

1. (X) "Deal or No Deal," NBC, 16.33 million viewers.
2. (4) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 13.84 million viewers.
3. (7) "NBC Sunday Night Football: Green Bay at Chicago," NBC, 13.36 million viewers.
4. (16) "NCIS," CBS, 11.88 million viewers.
5. (X) "1 Vs. 100," NBC, 11.76 million viewers.
6. (34) "NFL Postgame Show," Fox, 11.06 million viewers.
7. (9) "CSI: NY," CBS, 10.57 million viewers.
8. (9) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 10.03 million viewers.
9. (X) "Kennedy Center Honors," CBS, 9.94 million viewers.
10. (21) "Shark" CBS, 9.72 million.
11. (X) Criminal Minds" (Thursday, 8 p.m.), CBS, 9.68 million viewers.
12. (18) "House," Fox, 9.13 million viewers.
13. (21) "Law & Order: SVU," NBC, 9.11 million viewers.
14. (19) "NFL Postgame Show," CBS, 8.91 million viewers.
15. (X) "Cold Case," CBS, 8.72 million viewers.
16. (X) Movie: "Pirates of the Caribbean," ABC, 8.6 million viewers.
17. (30) "Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick," NBC, 8.52 million viewers.
18. (X) "Without a Trace," CBS, 8.43 million viewers.
19. (X) "New Year's Rockin Eve," ABC, 8.25 million viewers.
20. (34) "60 Minutes," CBS, 8.17 million viewers.

Dictator with Love of Disney

AWJA, Iraq (UK Mirror) – I visited Awja back in April 2003 while Saddam and his two boys were still on the run – before Uday and Qusay were killed near the settlement that July and their father was arrested in December six miles away. Awja's grand homes were signs of the prosperity it enjoyed during the rule of its most infamous son, born there in poverty in 1937. Photographer Julian Andrews and I discovered a beautiful six bedroom house that the tyrant – now buried nearby – had built. It provided evidence of Saddam the family man. In the back garden was a brick barbecue and a wooden gazebo overlooking an almost Biblical valley of olive groves and woodland to the east. Though the inside of the white-domed, four storey home had been gutted by a US bomb a month earlier, the mosaic swimming pool was untouched. And the lawned gardens held the biggest surprise of all – 8ft plastic models of Disney's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.