ABC Draws with 'Brown'; NBC Wins Tuesday

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – ABC packed 'em in with the holiday classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on Tuesday but NBC won the night with "My Name Is Earl" and "Law & Order: SVU." "Charlie Brown," the animated special now marking its 40th anniversary, averaged 15.4 million viewers and 5.5 rating/15 share in the adults 18-49 demographic from 8-9 p.m., according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Last year's show averaged 13.6 million viewers, and a 4.8/13. NBC didn't do much business at 8 p.m. with the return of "Fear Factor" (8.3 million, 3.2/8), which was topped by CBS' repeat of "NCIS" (14.3 million, 3.4/9). NBC spiked at 9 p.m. with "Earl" (13.9 million, 5.8/14) and ebbed at 9:30 p.m. with "The Office" (9.8 million, 4.3/10). CBS' "The Amazing Race" (11.1 million, 4.1/10) was fairly lackluster despite lessened competition from a repeat of ABC's "Commander in Chief" (10.5 million, 2.9/7) and the absence of "House" on Fox. Fox was in ho-hum territory with its 8-10 p.m. telecast of the Bill-board Music Awards (6.5 million, 3.2/8, down from last year's 6.9 million, 4.5/7). Even the American Music Awards two weeks ago did better, despite hitting all-time lows (11.67 million, 4.4/11). At 10 p.m., "Law & Order: SVU" (16.3 million, 5.9/15) ranked as the most-watched program of the night, easily besting CBS' "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" (9.2 million, 3.8/10) special and ABC's "Boston Legal" (9.6 million, 2.6/7). NBC had no competition for the nightly bragging rights with an average of 12.1 million viewers and 4.7/12 in the key demo.


Holy crap! I watched the Charlie Brown special again this year and..WTF?! It was horrible! Almost unwatchable. It was so poorly put together I wanted to cry. I thought "Disney will pull the plug on this crap next year. It's just irrelevant next to today's more sophisticated animation and stories."

Bottom line: Don't hire me to program your December holiday shows. I am way out of touch.

Disney Lets Girl Into Winnie’s World

(USA Today) – Maybe it's just the impossibly cozy nature of the 'hood, but for 80 years there has been no change in the resident line-up of the Hundred Acre Wood. But as part of a barrel-full of Winnie the Pooh anniversary events, Disney is working on a new animated series that will replace Christopher Robin with a 6-year-old girl. To quote one loquacious Rabbit: "Oh my, oh my, oh my goodness!" Although the bear's party fare includes much Disney hoopla, the real bother is sure to be over tinkering with a classic. Details are sketchy on the as-yet-nameless new arrival, who will make her debut in the 2007 computer-generated series My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Disney execs say the idea is to bring an older audience to an iconic franchise born when British author A.A. Milne began musing about the imaginary world of his son, Chris-topher Robin. "We got raised eyebrows even in-house at first, but the feeling was these timeless charac-ters really needed a breath of fresh air that only the introduction of someone new could provide," says Nancy Kanter of the Disney Channel. The gamble could sweeten the pot of a company that already brings in $1 billion annually from Pooh merchandise, "more than all their core characters combined," says Thomas Ranese of marketing consultants Interbrand. There could be a side benefit to luring new kids to this idyllic forest. Because today's tykes often get introduced to literary characters through their cartoon counterparts, "the hope is this will bring more kids to (Pooh) books," says Rory Halperin, who covers en-tertainment for Child magazine. Disney's Kanter says the new cartoon represents not an abandonment of an old, familiar world, but rather an alternate universe for Pooh and his crew. "Christopher Robin is still out there in the woods, playing," she says. "We hope people will fall for this new tomboyish girl. The last thing we want to be is the ones who brought the franchise down."

Narnia Film Premieres, Aims to Match Potter, Rings

LONDON (Reuters) – Move over Pottermaniacs. Here come the Narniacs. In the battle of the fantasy film franchise, Disney's first Narnia installment aims to match the huge success of the four Harry Potter mov-ies and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" gets its royal world premiere at the Albert Hall in London on Wednesday, with Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla among those expected to grace the red carpet. No expense has been spared in one of the hottest box office battles in recent years. With an estimated production and marketing budget of $250 million, the first Narnia film is a must-win movie for the loss-making Disney Studios, and paves the way for up to six more films based on C.S. Lewis' seven-book series. A second film, based on "Prince Caspian," is expected to hit theatres as early as the summer of 2008. The parallels with the Potter and Rings mov-ies are clear. There will eventually be seven books in the best-selling J.K. Rowling saga, each of which is expected to be adapted to the screen. The four Potter films to date have grossed more than $3 billion in ticket sales worldwide. Peter Jackson's "Rings" trilogy has amassed $2.9 billion. Lewis knew J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings stories.

Is That Lion the King of Kings?

(USA Today) – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a beloved children's book about four British school-children who pass through the back of a wardrobe into an enchanted land where a witch has made it eternally winter. There they meet Aslan, the lion of the title, who offers his own life to the witch to atone for the treachery of one of the siblings. On Dec. 9, a $150 million movie version will open nationwide, reigniting an old debate: Is the world created by British author C.S. Lewis a rip-roaring piece of fantasy – or a fairy tale suffused with Christian imagery? The answer is both, and that raises a related question: Can Disney succeed by selling the movie on two tracks – as a sort of cross between The Lord of the Rings and The Passion of the Christ? If so, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe figures to be a holiday blockbuster. Walden Media made the movie, and Disney came in as a partner to distribute and sell it. A multi-tiered marketing cam-paign targets, among others, fantasy fans and churchgoers, groups not usually known for being on the same wavelength. "My reading of the situation is Disney came to realize, 'Goodness, we have a two-fer here,' " says Alan Jacobs, a professor at Wheaton College. "We can draw in those millions of people who want heroic fan-tasy, but then we can also tap into those thousands of churches that can sell out theaters." The cycle of seven Narnia books is approaching 100 million in sales since Wardrobe was published in 1950. The trick for the movie will be pleasing old fans, many of whom are drawn to the Christian imagery, while attracting new ones, some of whom could resent it. "I don't want to sound greedy or sound like a producer saying, 'We're for every-body,' " producer Mark Johnson says. "But we are. That's the genius of C.S. Lewis: The story works on so many levels."

The book has long charmed children of any or no religion. The movie is, in many ways, faithful to the book without sounding the horn of religious orthodoxy. Johnson says you will find Christian symbolism in the movie only if you found it in the book. But the book is no staid Sunday school lesson: It is a rousing adventure tale that stands on its own, with echoes of larger themes that reverberate in young minds even when children are unsure of the source of the echoes. Bruce Edwards, a professor of English at Bowling Green University, says, "With Lewis, the story is the thing. You ought to read the lines first. Then you can read between them."

The lion's share of the film's marketing budget – reputedly $80 million – has been spent on saturation TV ads, but lesser amounts have been spent on grass-roots marketing to schools, libraries and youth groups. Johnson says just 5% was spent wooing churchgoers, but the press coverage has centered on faith-based marketing. Motive Marketing, which promoted The Passion of the Christ to a $370.6 million box office take last year, is among the companies that have sold Wardrobe directly to churches as a sort of greatest children's story ever told, complete with Sunday school lesson plans. That spadework almost certainly ensures a big opening weekend. Plans are afoot for Prince Caspian, which will be the next Narnia movie if Wardrobe succeeds. The Christian symbolism becomes more obvious in some of the later books, particularly in the last one, The Last Battle, a retelling of Revelation. Near the end, Lewis makes it clear that in his cosmology heaven is open to the good of all faiths.Other surprises come near the end of The Last Battle – including perhaps the most auda-cious plot twist in children's literature. Bowling Green's Edwards, author of Not-a-Tame Lion, wishes moviego-ers could see the film as the books' original readers read them, with no prompting from marketers or preach-ers. "This movie deserves an audience that has an ability to have the characters and the themes sneak up on them – or, as in Lewis' phrase, sneak past their watchful dragons," Edwards says. "I think the dragons are way too watchful on this one." Andrew Adamson, the film's director, seconds that emotion. He read the books as a child in New Zealand and received no instruction on deeper meaning. He hopes American children will come to his movie similarly unencumbered. "I read the books before I even knew what allegory meant, and I enjoyed them purely as an adventure," he says. "That's how the film should be enjoyed, too."

Holiday Cruises are Pixie Dusted With Magic Aboard Disney Cruise Line

CELEBRATION, Fla. (PRNewswire) – A magical tree lighting ceremony with Disney characters, festive holiday decor, carolers, gingerbread house building and even "snow" that magically falls, await all those who board a Disney Cruise during the month of December. Just in time for the holiday season, both Dis-ney ships – Disney Magic and Disney Wonder – are decked with boughs of holly and filled with holiday themed entertainment and activities for the entire family. It all starts at Disney's private cruise terminal at Port Canaveral, Fla., where holiday decorations and Disney characters dressed in their season's best await all who board a Magical Holidays sailing. Onboard, guests find highlights including:

 A nearly three-deck-tall tree-lighting ceremony in the atrium lobby, where "snow" magically falls
 A Christmas Day visit from Santa Goofy, with surprises for all the kids
 International holiday caroling by crew members from around the globe
 Families joining together to design and decorate their own gingerbread houses
 A reading of T'was the Night Before Christmas by Mrs. Claus
 Traditional holiday feasts in Disney's three themed dining rooms
 Multiple faith and inter-denominational holiday services
 A ship-wide party to ring in 2006 and a New Year's Day tailgate party

The last stop for all Disney Cruises is the line's private island – Castaway Cay – where guests are treated to a "Magical Wonderland," a themed decor package that has transformed the sandy Bahamian island into a "snowy" holiday hideaway. In addition to "snow" flurries, guests enjoy seeing Christmas trees, Mr. and Mrs. Snowman (with shell noses and tropical shirts), carolers and a sleigh full of presents in the mid-dle of the Bahamas. Even the island's tram that transports guests across the 1,000-acre island has been decorated to resemble a reindeer, complete with antlers and tail. Rates for Magical Holiday sailings start at $429 (three-night), $499 (four-night) and $939 (seven-night) and are based on double occupancy.

G-Forces On Theme Park Thrill Rides Evaluated

ORLANDO (Local6.com) – In a first-of-its-kind investigation, Local 6 News teamed up with news partner Florida Today to evaluate G-forces riders experience on Central Florida's most popular thrill rides. Offi-cials said G-forces produced by the thrill rides are harmless for healthy riders. However, most theme parks refuse to release information about the intensity of their rides. So, using scientific equipment that measures G-forces, Local 6 News measured the powerful sensations rider's experience.

 The report found that Disney's Space Mountain is still one of the more intense rides in the area – showing more than 3.5 Gs. "Surprisingly, that is about the same maximum force as Central Florida's newest thrill ride – Universal's Revenge of the Mummy," Local 6 reporter Mike DeForest said. "Nei-ther one are super tall," American Coaster Enthusiasts spokesman Chris Kraftchick said. "They're paced very well. In other words, they don't sock you with a bunch of elements and then you go through a lull."
 The report found Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to be the most tame steel roller coaster tested, registering at 2.5 Gs.
 Disney's Rock-N-Roller Coaster was found to launch riders to near 4.5 Gs in the first six seconds. "You can feel it, you can feel your body really being pulled back," Kraftchick said. "If you think about it, you're launching up what, 60 mph straight up into two inversions."
 The report found that The Hulk roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure quickly changed G-forces. Going down a hill, riders feel weightless and then are pushed hard into their seats at 4.5 Gs. The Hulk coaster had the highest gravitational forces measured in the Orlando area.
 Disney's Mission Space ride, which gives riders the sensation of blasting off to Mars, produced the most surprising G-force readings. Although the spinning of the centrifuge may make some people sick, the ride itself generates just over 2 Gs, which is about the same amount as the Test Track ride located next door. However, unlike roller coast G-forces, which rapidly spike up and down, Mission Space produces long, sustained G-forces.

Amusement ride safety consultant Bill Avery said that based on G-forces alone, coasters that register more than 4 Gs like Universal's Dueling Dragons and Sea World's Kraken are typically harmless as long as the Gs are momentary. "The body can withstand G's to the 'four' level," Avery said. It is when coasters combine those high Gs with sudden directional changes that the risk of injure increases.

Number 1 in Billboard

(Billboard) – The top performers on the Album, Singles and Airplay, and Home Video charts as they appear in the current issue of Billboard. Shown are title, artist, and album or video label:

Album Charts
 Billboard 200 – “Confessions on a Dance Floor”, Madonna (Warner Bros.)
 Bluegrass – “Lonely Runs Both Ways,” Alison Krauss + Union Station (Rounder)
 Christian – “Wherever You Are,” Third Day (Essential)
 Classical – “Opera Proibita,” Cecilia Bartoli (Decca)
 Compilations – “Now 20”, Various Artists (Sony BMG / Zomba / EMI)
 Comedy – “Retaliation,” Dane Cook (Comedy Central)
 Country – “Some Hearts”, Carrie Underwood (Arista)
 Electronic – “Confessions on a Dance Floor”, Madonna (Warner Bros.)
 Gospel – “Hero,” Kirk Franklin (Gospo Centric)
 Heatseekers – “Back to Bedlam,” James Blunt (Custard / Atlantic)
 Holiday – “The Christmas Collection,” Il Divo (Syco Music)
 Independent – “Money is Still a Major Issue,” Pitbull (Diaz Brothers)
 Internet – “Confessions on a Dance Floor”, Madonna (Warner Bros.)
 Jazz – “Christmas Songs,” Diana Krall feat. The Clayton / Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (Verve)
 Kid Audio – “Kidz Bop 8,” Kidz Bop Kids (Razor & Tie)
 Latin – “P’al Mundo,” Wisin & Yandel (Machete)
 New Age – “The Disney Songbook,” Jim Brickman (Disney)
 Pop Catalog – “NOW That’s What I Call Christmas,” Various Artists (EMI / Zomba / Sony / Universal)
 Rap – “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” Soundtrack (G-Unit / Interscope)
 R&B / Hip-Hop – “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” Soundtrack (G-Unit / Interscope)
 Soundtracks – “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” Soundtrack (G-Unit / Interscope)

Singles & Airplay
 The Hot 100 – “Run It!,” Chris Brown (Jive / Zomba)
 Adult Contemporary – “Lonely No More,” Rob Thomas (Melisma / Atlantic)
 Adult Top 40 – “Photograph,” Nickelback (Roadrunner)
 Christian – “Cry Out to Jesus,” Third Day (PLG / Essential)
 Christian Adult Contemporary – “Cry Out to Jesus,” Third Day (PLG / Essential)
 Country – “Come a Little Closer,” Dierks Bentley (Capitol)
 Dance / Club Play – “Hung Up,” Madonna (Warner Bros.)
 Dance / Radio Airplay – “Hung Up,” Madonna (Warner Bros.)
 Gospel – “Looking for You,” Kirk Franklin (Gospo Centric)
 Hot Digital Songs – “Hung Up,” Madonna (Warner Bros.)
 Hot Digital Tracks – “Hung Up,” Madonna (Warner Bros.)
 Hot Latin Songs – “La Tortura,” Shakira feat. Alejandro Sanz (Epic / Sony Discos)
 Pop 100 – “Run It!,” Chris Brown (Jive / Zomba)
 Pop 100 Airplay – “Because of You,” Kelly Clarkson (RCA)
 R&B / Hip-Hop – “I Think They Like Me,” Dem Franchize Boyz feat. Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat & Bow Wow (So So Def / Virgin)
 Rap – “Soul Survivor,” Young Jeezy feat. Akon (Corporate Thugz / Def Jam)
 Ring Tones – “My Humps,” Black-Eyed Peas (A&M / Interscope)
 Rock / Mainstream Rock Tracks – “Save Me,” Shinedown (Atlantic)
 Rock / Modern Rock Tracks – “DOA,” Foo Fighters (RCA)
 Videoclips – “Hung Up,” Madonna (Warner Bros.)


Video Charts

 Video Sales – “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (Warner Home Video)
 Video Rentals – “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (Warner Home Video)
 DVD Sales – “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (Warner Home Video)
 Kid Video – “Christmas!” (Nickelodeon Video)
 Video Game Rentals – PS2 : “Star Wars : Battlefront II” (LucasArts Entertainment)
 Music Video – “Bullet in a Bible” (Reprise Music Video)

Sanderson Out in Front; Disney's Pirates Pull Out

(The Independent) - World records fell as the Double Dutch marauders put pedal to the metal on the charge for home in the Volvo Race. Mike Sanderson's ABN Amro 1 went through 543 miles in 24 hours and was still climbing as he charged at full pelt south and eastwards, while his supposed junior partners on ABN 2, skip-pered by Sébastien Josse, hit 537 miles, both beating the record of 530 miles, set by Bouwe Bekking on an-other Volvo 70-footer, movistar. That is an average of over 22 knots for every one of the 24 hours, three times the speed of the average cruising yacht at its best. Grael was 114 miles adrift in third, Neal McDonald fourth, 139 mile astern in Ericsson, and Grant Wharington's Melbourne-based Brunel Sunergy fifth, 1,200 miles be-hind.

Meanwhile the Disney-backed boat, The Black Pearl, which is also a promotional tool for the launch next July of Pirates of the Caribbean 2, starring Johnny Depp, has imposed an almost total news blackout after re-tiring damaged from the leg after less than 24 hours. It was due to be shipped from Lisbon to Cape Town to complete major repairs last Friday.

Honor for Contemporary Resort

(Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort has been honored with a spot in Meetings & Conventions magazine's "Gold Awards Hall of Fame." The Hall of Fame recognizes meeting and convention hotel properties that have won the Gold Key Award 12 times, a distinction that ranks them among the finest properties in the world. In addition, Disney's five other convention resorts also received the Gold Key Award. Award winners are nominated and selected by the magazine's readers, who base their votes on the overall professionalism and quality of the property. Meeting planners selected their winning properties based on strict industry criteria from staff attitude to the range of recreational facilities.

Disney Fires Back at Hong Kong Disneyland Critics

HONG KONG (Los Angeles Business) – The Walt Disney Co. is shrugging off claims of low attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, saying that the park has attracted more than 1 million guests in its first 100 days. The figure was the first actual attendance number released by Burbank's Disney since the park opened on Sept. 12. Rumors had circulated that attendance had been less than expected at the company's first foray into the Chinese market. The South China Morning Post reported Monday reported that its staff reporter counted far less than the expected average of 15,342 per day during two days in November. Disney fired back at the allegations in a statement. "The bottom-line is this: attendance is ramping up well, which continues to give us confidence that we are on track to achieve our long-term attendance goals. Average daily attendance calculations by the media, especially over a short period of time, have resulted in misleading and faulty con-clusions, and paint an oversimplified picture that doesn't reflect either performance or guest enjoyment of the Disney entertainment experience," Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo said in the statement. The park's attendance has been spotlighted due to its unique investment structure, with the Hong Kong govern-ment chipping in roughly HK$25 billion, or US$3 billion, toward the park's construction. It has a 57 percent ownership stake in the park.

Disney's "Chicken Little" Sparks 3-D "Robinsons"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Pictures on Thursday said it will release an upcoming computer animated movie, "Meet the Robinsons," in a three-dimensional version following the success of current 3-D hit "Chicken Little." The 3-D "Chicken Little" is being closely watched in Hollywood as an early test of alternative types of movies made for new digital cinema systems. The industry is in a very early, tentative stage of a transition to digital projection from old celluloid filmstrip. The 3-D computer animated "Chicken Little" raked in an average $26,000 per theater in its opening weekend this month in 79 venues equipped with new digital projectors. Ticket sales in over 3,600 theaters showing a traditional film averaged $10,961, Disney said in a statement. Disney expects to be able to release the 3-D "Robinsons" in 750 to 1000 screens as a digital cinema transition expands. "Robinsons" is based on a book by William Joyce in which a young boy travels into the future and meets an eccentric family, the Robinsons, who will change his life.

Orlando Tourism Impact Increasing

ORLANDO (Orlando Business Journal) – New research on the economic impact of tourism released Nov. 14 by the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau shows that Orlando had 47.7 million visitors in 2004 who spent $28.2 billion, a 13 percent increase over the previous year's $24.9 billion. The research, which covers the 2004 calendar year, was compiled and reported by Waltham, Mass.-based Global Insight Inc. While 95 percent of all 2004 visitors were domestic, they only spent 84 percent of the total – $23.5 billion. The other 5 percent of international visitors, who stay longer and spend more lavishly, spent 16 percent, or $4.7 billion, of the total. Tourism also accounted for nearly 220,000 jobs, a number that accounts for 24.2 percent of the three-county region's total employment. Another 152,000 jobs were indirectly related to tourism. The bureau notes that tourism also lowers taxes. A study by Fishkind & Associates indicates tourism generated $84.2 million in surplus revenue for Orange County and the city of Orlando in 2004. A fiscal surplus represents the degree to which tourism pays for its fair share of government expenses and subsidizes the community, keeping tax rates lower.

Prime-Time Nielsen Ratings: ABC 8 out of 20

(AP) – Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Nov. 7-13. 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. (1) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 29.5 million viewers.
2. (2) "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 25.9 million viewers.
3. (8) "NFL Monday Night Football: Indianapolis at New England," ABC, 21.9 million viewers.
4. (3) "Without a Trace," CBS, 20.8 million viewers.
5. (6) "Lost," ABC, 20 million viewers.
6. (4) "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 19.7 million viewers.
7. (12) "CSI: NY," CBS, 19.2 million viewers.
8. (9) "Survivor: Guatemala," CBS, 19 million viewers.
9. (5) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 18.4 million viewers.
10. (7) "NCIS," CBS, 17.8 million viewers.
11. (13) "Cold Case," CBS, 17.4 million viewers.
12. (16) "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC, 16.7 million viewers.
13. (20) "NFL Monday Showcase," ABC, 16.3 million viewers.
14. (14) "Two And a Half Men," CBS, 16.2 million viewers.
15. (11) "Law & Order: SVU," NBC, 15.8 million viewers.
16. (17) "ER," NBC, 15.4 million viewers.
17. (19) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 15.1 million viewers.
18. (10) "Commander in Chief," ABC, 14.8 million viewers.
19. (15) "60 Minutes," CBS, 14.5 million viewers.
20. (21) "House," Fox, 14.2 million viewers.

'Desperate Housewives' Actor Denies Rumors

DETROIT (AP) – Former "Desperate Housewives" actor Page Kennedy says he wasn't fired from the hit show because of any improper behavior. The Detroit native and former Western Michigan University stu-dent said officials merely wanted to recast his role. "There are a lot of stories that have been told, but the truth of the matter is that Touchstone (the show's producer) decided to go in a new direction, and they bought out my contract," Kennedy told the Detroit Free Press for a story published Wednesday. Publicists for the series have said Kennedy, who joined the show this season, was let go earlier this month after a "thorough investigation by the studio" of allegations of improper conduct made against him. Kennedy, 28, said he's concerned about the damage the allegations could do to his image, at least in the short term. "I feel that my life will be looked at under a microscope now," he told The Detroit News. "Anything that I do or am perceived to do will make news." Kennedy played Caleb, a character shrouded in mystery and seen only briefly as he was held captive in the basement of Wisteria Lane newcomer Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard). In the Oct. 23 episode, it was revealed that Caleb may be responsible for a teenager's murder in Chicago. The role of Caleb has been recast, and Kennedy's final appearance on the ABC se-ries aired Sunday.

Disney Exit Threatens Survival Of Australian Animation Industry

SYDNEY (Asia Pulse) – The head of Walt Disney Co's local operations says the company's withdrawal from Australia could be the death knell of the nation's animation industry. But DisneyToon Studios Austra-lia (DTSA) general manager Philip Oakes said he had faith in the local industry and he would set up a new animation business in Sydney. US entertainment giant Walt Disney Co announced its decision to close the DTSA in July, cutting about 250 jobs when the studio closed its doors mid next year. The de-mise of the Australian studio followed Disney's closure of other international facilities in recent years. "But we are still hoping to get something out of this and have the animation industry still continue in Sydney," Oakes said. Oakes, who was continuing with the studio until it closed, wouldn't give too much away about his new animation venture. "It is a world market these days so if a project comes along, we can definitely get it and that is really what I am hoping will happen in the future," he said. Outsourced work from the Walt Disney Co would be an option, he said. The DTSA began operations in Australia in 1988, starting with mostly two dimensional (2D) television cartoons, such as Winnie the Pooh, Darkwing Duck, Goof Troop and Aladdin. As technologies advanced and Australian animation staff became more skilled, the studio began working on higher profile projects. The studio's feature films included The Return of Jafar, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and Return to Neverland. This year, the DTSA produced animated movies Tarzan 2, Lilo and Stitch 2 and Bambi 2 and animators were currently working on Brother Bear 2. The studio was due to close after production on Cinderella III. "Frankly we are the best 2D studio in the world without question," Oakes said.

Disney World Executive Promoted

LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Sentinel) – Longtime Walt Disney World President Al Weiss was promoted Monday to a new position overseeing park operations worldwide – part of a sweeping change in the way the Walt Disney Co. operates its Parks and Resorts division. Weiss, who has headed the Orlando-area theme parks since 1994, will continue to oversee Walt Disney World on an interim basis until a successor is appointed, the company said. He will remain in Orlando, home of the company's largest resort. Weiss' promotion to president, Worldwide Operations, comes at a challenging time for Disney's parks as they search for ways to remain fresh amid increasing competition from entertainment options from iPods to other theme parks. Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said Weiss and six other executives on a new executive committee will report directly to him and will help integrate business func-tions from the far-flung parks into the global division. Rasulo said in a statement that the new structure will "streamline the decision-making process" and help the company develop consistent business practices for its 11 parks and resorts, which stretch from Orlando and Anaheim, Calif., to Hong Kong, Paris and Tokyo. Weiss said the new global emphasis from a business and operating standpoint does not mean that the parks around the world will become uniform. "They're going to continue to stay very unique," he said. Weiss said he will work with Rasulo to find a successor at Walt Disney World, a process that could take a year or more. In addition to Weiss, the only other executive whose job title is changing is Leslie Goodman, a company spokeswoman in California. She becomes senior vice president of public affairs, in charge of internal and external communication, community and governmental affairs for all the parks worldwide. Her title previously was senior vice president of strategic communications.

Leftover 'Chicken' Still Tempting

(Hollywood Reporter) – Sony Pictures' "Zathura," Paramount Pictures' "Get Rich or Die Tryin' " and the Weinstein Co.'s debut release "Derailed" will try to knock Walt Disney Studios' "Chicken Little" off its perch this weekend, but it looks as if the CG-animated hit will join the illustrious group of such Pixar animated films as "The Incredibles" and "Monsters, Inc." that each opened in November and held on to the top spot for two con-secutive weeks. After bowing to $40 million last weekend, the first homegrown film from Disney's animators should drop less than 50% its second week in theaters, giving it a $22 million-$23 million weekend gross and the top spot for its sophomore session. The G-rated film also might take a bite out of Sony's highly regarded family film "Zathura," from director Jon Favreau.

‘Not Disney but culture is India’s USP’

HANGZHOU, NOVEMBER 11: India should not depend on Disney and other foreign brands to woo foreign tourists to the country but use its splendid culture as its Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and build adequate infrastructure to boost tourist arrivals, a leading global tourism expert said here.
"I would hope that India would not rely on the Disney co for example, however successful they are in many places. People would want to go to India to see India," Director of 2006 world leisure expo, Dr Gerald s Kenyon said.

"Indian domestic tourists, like the Chinese may like to see Disney. But in my view, attracting international tourists to India will depend upon Indian culture at its best. Indian culture is so rich and so varied.

That is India's USP. "India has a good opportunity to attract more international tourists to the country," Kenyon in the eastern Chinese city which was one of the seven ancient capitals of the country. he noted that the number of visitors to both India and China has been going up very rapidly. "this has major implications, including the economic gains for both countries," he said on the sidelines of the just-concluded 'third globalisation forum on world cultural diversity' organised by the people's daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling communist party of China.

According to latest figures from the department of tourism, foreign tourist arrivals in India till October this year has registered an increase of 14.2 per cent.

Foreign exchange earnings, in Rupees term, also recorded the growth of 20.4 per cent during January-October, 2005. Total earnings during the period was Rs. 20512.68 crore.

Last according to the latest Chinese tourism statistics, the country reported a record foreign exchange earning of $22 billion in the first nine months this year, up 18.2 per cent year-on-year. China received 89.63 million tourists from outside the mainland during January-September, up 12.2 per cent year-on-year.

In 2004, the number of tourists from outside the mainland reached 109 million, including 41.76 million who stayed over night; and foreign exchange earnings from tourism reached 25.7 billion dollars. "in the long-term, our concern is to provide quality experience for the visitors," Kenyon, whose world leisure organisation is going to host the 2006 world leisure expo in Hangzhou, said. "you want people to come back again.

The visitors would come back if they have good experience. So it is very important for the governments to get tourism and leisure policies right. If you get these things right, people will definitely come back," he said.

"It starts with policy, commitment, adequate infrastructure and programming," Kenyon added.

The world leisure expo is first of three mega-events to be hosted by China in this decade. The other two being the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the Shanghai World Exposition in 2010.

Philbin Gets New 'Life' with ABC

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Regis Philbin is returning to ABC primetime next year, this time as host of the network's revival of "This Is Your Life." "This Is Your Life" was a prototypical reality show that began on radio in the late 1940s and was a staple of television's infancy. The show details the life story of its guests, complete with surprise walk-on appearances by long-lost relatives or other influential people in their lives. The original series, which featured a mix of celebrities and everyday people as its testimonial subjects, was hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards. "The show is a roller-coaster of emo-tions – there's comedy, anticipation, tears of joy – and no one can take an audience on that ride better than Regis," said ABC executive vp alternative programming Andrea Wong. Philbin's long association with ABC most recently included his stint as host of the wildly popular primetime game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" from 1999-2002. He co-hosts the syndicated morning show "Live With Regis & Kelly," which has been carried by most ABC-owned stations since 1989.

REVIEW : “Chicken Little”

(Chicago Tribune) – Feathers fly in Disney's "Chicken Little," a new spin on an old fable with a big promo-tional budget and high expectations. It's Disney's first 3-D animation production without Pixar, and Pixar's possible departure from the Disney family next year means the Mouse House has a lot riding on "Chicken Little." With this one film, Disney hopes to establish itself at the top of the animation pecking order and perhaps prove it doesn't need Pixar after all. That's a lot of pressure on one little clucker. The results are mixed, though there are signs of promise.

When Chicken Little (voiced spot-on by "Scrubs" star Zach Braff) is conked on the noggin by an octagonal "piece of the sky," no one believes him, including his dad (voiced by Garry Marshall). His bell-ringing warning sends the town into a panicked frenzy and he's made a laughingstock. As it turns out, that piece of the sky may be the harbinger of an alien invasion--which, again, no one believes. So, it's up to Chicken Little and his friends Abby Mallard (Joan Cusack), Runt (Steve Zahn) and Fish (gurgled by Dan Molina) to save the Earth. Director Mark Dindal ("The Emperor's New Groove") stretches the form, using all manner of camera acrobatics to expand the notion of what 3-D animation can do. He borrows a few live-action tricks (notably the 360-degree "bullet time" visual style of "The Matrix") and bends perspective to show Chicken Little scrambling through town after missing the school bus. Lightning-quick zooms also accom-pany more detail and close-ups (watch as Chicken Little sings Queen's "We Are the Champions" into a shiny spoon). For all the whiz-bang visuals, however, "Little" could use a little consistency in tone. The comic-relief character – an obese, whiny piglet obsessed with Barbra Streisand – just isn't that funny. (Fish, in a role without dialogue, steals the show with a King Kong pantomime, complete with a paper re-production of the Empire State Building.) Dindal's animated cast has plenty of kiddie appeal, and the movie's pacing is on par with hummingbird-quick editing of Saturday morning cartoons. Older adults might be put off by the whiplash eye-candy, but a few vintage songs (the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and Carole King's "It's Too Late") are cast out to reel them back in. But in trying to be all things to all popcorn-buyers, "Chicken Little" comes off as a manic scramble to please everyone. The odd bodily function joke gets thrown in to cover all the bases. There are other signs of strain, too, notably the saturation of music cues. When characters don't have anything to say, in comes the music montage. At one point, Dindal gives us two of them back to back, as Chicken Little feels dejected (to the tune of Five For Fighting's "All I Know"), then goes through baseball training (Patti LaBelle's "Stir It Up"). To top it off, the filmmakers stop a full-on alien attack so Chicken Little and his dad can have a heart-to-heart that goes on way, way too long.

Pixar reigns supreme because its formula strikes a balance between visual wizardry and characters who inspire a strong emotional tug. Like Motown at its height, Pixar's process and talent pool have turned it into a hit factory that's unrivaled. With "Chicken Little," it's still unrivaled. Disney proves that, yes, it can compete and merchandise the heck out of its properties. But Pixar-quality, it is not. Though entertaining and occasionally innovative, "Chicken Little" and its future siblings might take a tumble or two out of the nest before they can fly as high.

Desperate Housewives Bets on Edie for November Sweeps

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The ABC network is letting trampy, vampy Edie Britt out to play this month on "Desperate Housewives," betting that the popular supporting character will give the top-rated show an added boost for Nielsen's November "sweeps" survey. The bad girl of Wisteria Lane, played by actress Nicollette Sheridan, was never meant to be central player on the darkly comic prime-time soap, which centers on the intrigues of four women who live on a seemingly quiet suburban cul-de-sac. Sheridan began the show's first season last fall as a mere plot device to keep klutzy Susan, played by Teri Hatcher, from snagging hunky plumber Mike. "I had to cast someone who was sexy and gorgeous that would make Susan feel uncomfort-able," the show's creator, Marc Cherry, told Reuters on Friday. "I never intended for Edie Britt to be one of the regular characters." But Sheridan was so good as serial-divorcee Edie, and the storyline about two forty-something women competing for the neighborhood's only single man was so compelling, that ABC executives insisted she be written into the show as a regular, albeit subordinate to the four starring "Housewives." Her role will be expanded more this month as ABC and rival networks go all out to attract bigger audiences for "sweeps," the special Nielsen survey used by local TV stations to set future advertising rates. A sweeps sub-plot involving Edie's 6-year-old son and her romance with Susan's ex-husband, Karl, will take center stage on the show starting on Sunday.

Disney World Gone Wild

HARTFORD, Conn. (Hartford Advocate) – In hindsight, I realized the shirt was a mistake. I showed up to the Oct. 21 Disney character audition in Glastonbury, wearing the beat-up, faded EuroDisney T-shirt. I thought the shirt, which had a picture of Mickey Mouse that through wear had become distended into a Ralph Steadman-esque parody, would earn me some brownie points from the judges. When I walked into the Greater Hartford Dance Academy, where the auditions were held, I was met with a modest smack of laughter from the group of Disney character hopefuls and their parents. Most of the 30-odd auditoners sitting in the main room were young women who looked to be in their senior year of high school or fresh-man year of college. They wore dancers' clothes and looked for the most part like they competed in re-gional beauty pageants. I was one of four males trying out and was at least 10 years older than the me-dian auditioning age. When I sat down among the Disney character hopefuls, indulgent stage parents and framed paintings of young children in ballet gear, I almost immediately zipped up my jacket, covering the shirt. The Disney people brought the candidates into the main room five people at a time to check them in. I couldn't figure out the cattle call order, so I ended up going in last. Once inside, I signed my name to a document, got measured and had my photo taken. Then I was given a sticker with my assigned number written on it.

The advertisement for the audition, which ran for two successive weeks in the Advocate, didn't include a couple of pertinent details. The ad featured a picture of Snow White smiling with one of the seven dwarfs (Dopey?), and a little girl looking up toward the dwarf, perched to kiss his bulbous nose. Stars, no doubt for wishing upon, were littered through the background. The ad said "Disney animated character look-alikes" must have a "positive attitude," a "good speaking voice" and should "resemble the character." Qualified candidates would be asked to "demonstrate effective non-verbal communication skills." It ad-vised interested parties to wear tennis shoes and comfortable attire and to arrive a half-hour before the audition began. What it neglected to mention was that a) there would be no costumes involved and b) dancing would be required. I was shocked and mortified when the casting director told me that we'd be performing a "fun, simple dance routine." In my defense, I was definitely not the only one surprised by the expectation of dancing. One girl complained loudly that while she was fully prepared to sing, dancing was another matter altogether.

At a little after 10, the toxically perky dance instructor herded the group into the studio dance floor space. She showed us a multi-step dance routine that we were expected to follow. It started simply, with march-ing in place, then moved on to hand claps, spinning, kicking and a dramatic, cartoonish flourish called "present to your neighbor." I was lost after about the fifth move. My commitment to participatory journal-ism had reached its limit. I ripped my sticker off, and sulked back into the waiting room to watch the rest of the audition process on the television monitor. The next stage looked easier, but far stranger, than the first. It was an animation exercise, and basically amounted to a bunch of sloppy miming. The candidates were supposed to mimic an action of their choice, in big, humorous gestures. I couldn't tell what a single one of them was trying to do.

After a break, the prospective employees were called back into the studio two at a time for a second wave of auditions. The curtains on the windows into the room were pulled shut, and the television monitor which had been broadcasting a feed from the room was changed to Dr. Phil . Several candidates prac-ticed the dance routine inside the first room, as well as outside in the packed parking lot. There was a lot of nervous energy, but people seemed upbeat and positive. I left, assuming that there was nothing more to see. That turned out to be a mistake. Apparently the organizers hadn't notice that I had taken myself out of the competition and called my name. I regret not being around for that. It could have been fun. But, apparently, even if I had not been totally inept, I would have blown my chances anyway. They were look-ing for a specific height range; I would have missed the cut by three inches.

Disney Greeters Moved Out of Sight

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World's airport greeters, whose job was to direct tourists to the resort's free shuttle, were removed from their controversial station on Orlando International's main floor this week and assigned to a place where they are out of travelers' sight. The relocation from the third to the first floor of the airport was the latest blow to Disney's Magical Express, the free shuttle that began in May and now daily carries as many as 8,000 tourists from the airport to the resort. Disney had ex-pected to be stationed on the second floor near baggage claim. Airport attorney Douglas Starcher notified Disney Senior Vice President Jerry Montgomery and attorney Jim Stockton that Disney would not be al-lowed to station employees on the second level where other taxi, limo and shuttle drivers often wait for passengers. Only Mears Transportation Group, which contracts with Disney to operate Magical Express, would be allowed there and Mears workers "may not be dressed in Disney uniforms or wear the white Disney hands." Airport officials ordered Disney in September to remove its greeters, who wore oversized white Mickey Mouse gloves, from the third level after other transportation companies complained that the location gave Disney an unfair competitive edge. The other companies were prohibited from the third floor, where passengers disembark. Disney moved its greeters to the second-floor baggage claim area on Tuesday, the date they agreed upon, only to be told they weren't welcome there. "We were surprised and disappointed that the airport asked us to remove Disney's Magical Express greeters from the airport's second level – the location where all other transportation providers and destination management compa-nies meet their guests," said Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty. Taxi and luxury car drivers staged strikes and protests in recent weeks over the free Disney service, which they say dug deep into their businesses, in part, because the airport allowed Disney to advertise the service on the third level. Disney has said only 2% of the customers who rode Magical Express did not already have reservations to do so when they stepped off their airplanes. Prunty said the greeters played a "critical function" in improving the air-port's efficiency and keeping passengers from getting lost.

Walt Disney Sees Options Costing $160M

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Walt Disney Co. said Thursday that it expects its new option expensing plan to reduce earnings for the just-ended fiscal year by $160 million, or 8 cents a share. Disney is expected to report earn-ings for its fourth quarter, which ended Sept. 30, on Nov. 17. Disney previously reported a stock-expense charge of 12 cents for fiscal 2004.

ABC Hit 'Lost' to Spin Off Cross-Promotional Novel

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The ABC television network and sister publishing label Hyperion Books are taking the concept of product placement into a new direction – by turning an imaginary product into a real one. Producers of ABC's mega-hit castaway thriller "Lost" plan to introduce a new storyline centering on the discovery of a fictitious manuscript that will become the basis for a real-life novel that Hyperion will publish this spring. The book will then be promoted as the work of an author, named Gary Troup, who supposedly delivered the manuscript to Hyperion days before perishing in the show's stage-setting event, a plane crash that maroons a group of survivors on a spooky island. Advertisers have increasingly ex-plored novel product-placement schemes in the face of new technologies that allow TV viewers to skip over conventional commercials when watching their favorite shows. But the "Lost" book tie-in may be the first to use imaginary TV events and characters as the basis for a real-life marketing campaign. As part of the plan, Hyperion said it has commissioned a "well-known" mystery writer to anonymously adapt the ficti-tious manuscript into an actual, printed book it hopes will automatically appeal to the show's large and loyal following. "Fans of the show are obsessive. We think a lot of them will be buying the book just to look for clues" to the series, Hyperion President Bob Miller told Variety. The "Lost" novel, titled "Bad Twin," is described as a private eye mystery about a wealthy heir's search for his evil sibling. "Lost," one of the several surprise hits that helped ABC bounce back from a lengthy ratings slump last season, cur-rently ranks as the fourth most-watched show on US television, averaging over 20 million viewers a week.

El Capitan Theatre Adds a New Dimension to Disney's 'Chicken Little'

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (PRNewswire) – Hollywood's legendary El Capitan Theatre will offer moviegoers a glimpse into the future of theatrical exhibition from November 4th through December 4th, with the debut of Walt Disney Pictures' "Chicken Little" in Disney Digital 3D, a brand new state-of-the-art technology provid-ing the first true three-dimensional digital experience in movie theatres. The film is also playing in 3D in 84 other theatres across the country, where Dolby Laboratories (in collaboration with Disney) is installing its Dolby Digital Cinema systems. Visual effects giant Industrial Light & Magic rendered the movie in 3D so it could be played on Dolby Digital Cinema servers at these theatres. The El Capitan's special 3D en-gagement of "Chicken Little" will feature the characters from the movie in a special live appearance be-fore each show. Also, an innovative art exhibit called "Chickinterpretations," in which modern art pioneers from across America have created a series of 200 masterpieces based on Disney's newest hero, Chicken Little, will be showcased throughout the run of the entire engagement.

Hong Kong Gov’t May Sell Controlling Stake in Local Disneyland

HONG KONG (AFX) – The government may sell its controlling stake in the territory's recently opened Disneyland theme park, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Fred Ma told legislators. Ma said the government's 57-pct stake in the resort could be sold off in keeping with the administration's belief that the private sector is best suited to run major businesses. "In the long run, the government may con-sider in the light of the 'Big Market, Small Government' principle to divest its shareholdings in the com-pany at an appropriate time when it is in the overall economic interests of Hong Kong to do so," Ma told legislators. The territory's leaders were criticized in 1999 when they decided to foot most of the bill for Walt Disney Co's first resort in China. Disney hopes the park, which opened in September, will help it promote its brand in China's growing lucrative market. Similarly, the government here hopes it will attract more mainland tourists to the former British colony.

Hong Kong Disneyland Seeks Loan

HONG KONG (AFX) – Hong Kong Disneyland is seeking a syndicated loan of about 3.2 bln hkd (US$412.8 mil) to refinance a similar-sized loan taken out in 2000 to partially fund construction of the theme park, the Standard reported citing an unnamed source. The new loan will be arranged through Hong Kong International Theme Parks, the joint venture of US-based Disneyland and the Hong Kong government, which owns a majority 57 pct stake, according to the daily. Chase Manhattan Asia stitched together the old loan, bringing in more than 20 other banks to fund construction of the park, including Bank of China, BNP Paribas and HSBC.

Devoted Fan Rides Haunted Mansion for 999th Time

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Orlando Sentinel) – He did it. Early Monday afternoon – on Halloween, Gary Estrada hit his mark, riding Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion ride for the 999th time. "Whenever you reach your goal it's just a relief," Estrada told a Disney employee. Estrada rode 999 times because that's how many "ghosts" are in the attraction. He's the first person – to Disney's knowledge, anyway – to hit that goal in just 10 months. Estrada began his marathon riding in January.

Disney and Pixar Waiting for Chicken to Restart Talks

(Cinematical) - Considering how loudly most studio business is carried out nowadays, it's somewhat surprising that we haven't heard more about the supposedly ongoing renegotiation talks between Pixar and Disney. According to Laura M. Holson of the NY Times, that's because they're not really ongoing at all. Apparently, both sides are waiting to see how Chicken Little (opening this weekend at a theater, presumably, near you) performs before any new deal is made. Chicken will be the first major non-Pixar film from Disney Animation in quite awhile. If it does well, it bodes doubly well for Disney, who will be able to return to the table safe in the knowledge that they don't need Steve Jobs to produce an animated hit. However, if Chicken Little fails to catch on with critics and/or audiences, many feel that Disney would move to out-and-out acquire Pixar, even if it costs them $5 billion or more. There's also the fact that Steve Jobs just seems to get along a lot better with new Disney head Bob Iger than he did with ousted CEO Michael Eisner. But those in the know warn that Jobs' apparent friendliness with Iger means approximately nothing. "Mr. Jobs," Holson writes, "would evaluate any Pixar partnership based on where he could get the best deal for the studio."

After Three Years, Cowen Reverses Disney View

LOS ANGELES (AFX) – What a difference, um, three years makes? OK, so maybe it took a while, but broker-age SG Cowen finally found a reason to get excited about Walt Disney Co. again. Cowen analyst Lowell Singer on Thursday upped his rating on the entertainment giant to buy after staying neutral on the Burbank, Calif.-based company for more than three years. "Our bullish view is driven by an expected significant year-over-year improvement in studio entertainment operating income in [fiscal 2006] and a still nascent recovery at ABC," Singer wrote in a note to clients. "We expect at least 15% out-performance versus the market over the next 12 months." The ratings upgrade, though it had little effect on slightly down Disney shares Thursday, con-tinues the string of good news the company has had since changing chief executives at the beginning of the month. The company appears to be patching up strained relations with animation partner Pixar and is embark-ing on new strategies to spread its content across a number of platforms. Disney also recently took complete control of Miramax, and plan far fewer releases under the label now that its principals, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, have left and started their own studio. Singer also said ratings at the ABC Television Network will continue to improve as the network still is in the early stages of its recovery. Further, concerns about pro-gramming costs at ESPN and operating margins at its parks already are priced into the company's stock. Singer estimates that the company's fiscal 2006 earnings per share will be $1.53. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expect earnings will reach $1.48 for the year, which will end Sept. 30.

Hall of Presidents Sign

Hall of Presidents Sign, originally uploaded by yojayy.

You can never have enough pictures of the awesome Disney signage.

Pirates Warning

Pirates Warning, originally uploaded by yojayy.

Pirates of the Caribbean
Sail With the Tide

A Thrilling Adventure through dark and mysterious caverns where "Dead Mean Tell No Tales"

SEE Fun loving Pirates sack and burn a Caribbean seaport

Caribbean Plaza
Walt Disney World

Cinderella Castle 1

Cinderella Castle 1, originally uploaded by yojayy.

Raglan Road Rocks

Last Friday we went to Raglan Road, the new Irish Pub at Downtown Disney's Pleasure Island. I took these snaps of its clean, appealing design. The food was great and the service was top notch. This place should be a huge draw and a welcome addition to the P.I. landscape.

ABC's Latest Hit : 'Freddie'

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) – ABC's "Freddie," the last new series in the door for the fall TV season, debuted in style against competition that included major league baseball playoff games. The Freddie Prinze Jr. comedy, airing at 8:30 p.m. EDT last Wednesday, was the most-watched show among all view-ers in its time period (9.4 million) and among the advertiser-favored adults aged 18 to 49 (5.4 million). It was helped by lead-in "George Lopez," which has been resurgent in its new 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday home, winning in viewers and adults. But "Freddie" did even better than fourth-season "George Lopez," which drew 8.8 million in total viewers and 4.5 million in young adults, according to Nielsen Media Re-search figures released yesterday. For Fox, the baseball postseason has averaged 10.3 million prime-time viewers through last week, down 6 percent compared to 2004. As it has for all of the young TV sea-son, CBS retained its position as the most-watched network for the week ending Sunday and also was No. 1 among 18-to-49 adults, snapping ABC's three-week winning streak with those viewers. CBS aver-aged 13.4 million viewers for the week (8.7 rating, 14 share), ABC had 10.7 million (6.9, 11), Fox 10.5 million (6.9, 11), NBC 9.6 million (6.4, 10), WB 3.8 million (2.5, 4), UPN 3.7 million (2.4, 4) and Pax TV 550,000 (0.4, 1).

'The Sky is Falling ... The Sky is Falling ... The Sky is Falling'

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (PRNewswire) – Join Zach Braff (voice ofChicken Little) and Starz Kids & Family to celebrate the theatrical release ofWalt Disney Pictures' new computer animated film Chicken Little on No-vember 4.The 24-hour "Starz Kids & Family Animation Celebration" begins on the same dayat 6:00 a.m. (ET/PT) and features Braff introducing exclusive content from"Chicken Little," plus animated hits including "The Incredibles" and "Home onthe Range." The "Starz Kids & Family Animation Celebration" includes the following programs (all times are ET/PT):

 "Chicken Little" exclusives – Braff introduces an exclusive clip and trailers from "Chicken Little" throughout the marathon, and is featured with Joan Cusack (voice of Abby Mallard a.k.a. "The Ugly Duckling") in "On the Set: Chicken Little," a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the animated film.
 "Disney's Teacher's Pet" (Nov 4 at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and Nov 5 at 1:45 a.m.) – This is the story of Spot (voice by Nathan Lane), a dog who is so curious about the world that he sneaks to school with his master, Leonard (voice of Shaun Fleming), where he poses as a human.
 "On the Set: 'The Incredibles'" (Nov 4 at 7:40 a.m. and 1:40 p.m) – A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the animated film "The Incredibles."
 "The Incredibles" (Nov 4 at 8:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) – In the Oscar-winning feature, a dysfunctional family headed by two former superhero crimefighters (voices of Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter) finds itself called back into action after struggling to live an undercover suburban life.
 "Home on the Range" (Nov 4 at 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) – In the Old West, a band of ranch animals, led by newly arrived Maggie the cow (voice of Roseanne), discovers their owner (voice of Judi Dench) can't make the mortgage, so they do everything they can to save their home.
 "Brother Bear" (Nov 4 at 6:00 p.m. and November 5 at 12:15 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.) – A young Native American hunter (voice of Joaquin Phoenix) seeks vengeance against a bear who killed his brother (voice of Jeremy Suarez), but seeks life from the other side when he is magically changed into a bear himself.
 "The Triplets of Belleville" (Nov 4 at 10:50 p.m. and November 5 at 3:05 a.m.) – When her grand-son is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved dog Bruno team up with the Belleville sisters, three elderly singers, to rescue him.

Film Opens Another Door for 'Narnia' Sales

(USA Today) – The movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe won't be out until Dec. 9, but dozens of books already are spilling out of the cupboard. "Sales since the Wardrobe movie trailer was released in May are three to four times more than last year at this time," says Beth Bingham of Borders bookstores. She expects the movie's release date to drive holiday sales even more. Borders and other stores nationwide are prominently displaying the books. Amazon.com and Ba-rnesandnoble.com have set up special Narnia stores on their sites. Wardrobe, written by theologian C.S. Lewis and first published in 1950, is part of the seven-book Chroniclesof Narnia series and tells the story of four children who help the lion Aslan release the frozen, other-worldly land of Narnia from the White Witch's spell. HarperCollins Children's Books has 25 movie tie-in products, including books, audiobooks and coloring and activity books. HarperCollins publishes 170 titles by or about Lewis; 140 are on or about Narnia. Other publishers are hoping to take advantage of Lewis' growing popularity by releasing biogra-phies, guides and analytical works. "Certain movies, like Lord of the Rings, do send people back to the books," says Charlotte Abbott of Publishers Weekly "For a lot of people, this is a touchstone for a genera-tion. I imagine many people in their 30s will buy the books, especially box sets, as gifts for their children."

Religion sells!

That’s a Lot of Spam

NEW YORK (NY Times) – The producers of "Monty Python's Spamalot" announced yesterday that the Broadway production of the musical had recouped its $12 million investment, six and a half months after opening at the Shubert Theater.



Not so-much a Disney article, but Disney is in the Broadway business.

A Chance to Own a Bit of Real Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo . . .

BURBANK, Calif. (PRNewswire) – Destined to be collector's items, a one-of-a-kind modern interpretation of Cinderella's gown by Monique Lhuillier and a one-of-a-kind modern interpretation of Cinderella's shoes by Jimmy Choo will be auctioned off to the general public on DisneyAuctions.com from October 17 - 27. Each designer created the fashions in honor of Cinderella's October 4 DVD debut. Kelly Monaco, favorite in TV's "Dancing With The Stars" and "General Hospital," wore the fashions down the red carpet at the October 2 New York DVD Premiere for Walt Disney's original "Cinderella," in order to raise awareness for the auction. The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, Kelly Monaco's charity of choice, will receive proceeds from the sale of the unique designer creations.

Disney Launches Vintage Bling for Grown Ups

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The marketing of Mickey Mouse and his friends is getting curiouser and curi-ouser. The Walt Disney Co. is taking consumers down the rabbit hole to a land where crystal-studded Mickey Mouse T-shirts cost $1,400, Tinkerbell earrings run $630, and a Cheshire Cat wrap sells for $500 – and consumers are gladly paying. Disney's consumer division, better known for peddling kid-oriented fashions at Wal-Mart, has been cashing in on a hot trend in haute couture for vintage art. The company has sold $200 million in high-end and adult apparel featuring classic images of Mickey Mouse and his cartoon friends since 2003, and says it sees no sign that interest is flagging. This year, Disney positioned itself for the first time as a fashion player, hosting previews of its "Alice In Wonderland"-inspired lines of clothing, home decor and accessories at two star-studded events during Fashion Week in Los Angeles. Andy Mooney, chairman of consumer products, started Disney couture about five years ago after walking through the company's archives with Disney historian Dave Smith and finding a treasure trove of images. He offered licenses for the classic studio art to fashion designers in hopes of adding vogue to the middle-class brand. The key to Disney's success as a luxury brand comes mainly from its association with brands that already have cachet, said Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute, a research group that focuses on America's wealthy. "I think it's just a pendulum swinging back to the classics, and Disney is a true American and global classic," Pedraza said. "To the extent they license to other luxury brands they can be successful. Disney alone would not be as powerful."

Designer Jackie Brander was among the first to license vintage Mickey drawings for her chic boutique in the trendy Fred Segal store in Santa Monica, California. Dolce & Gabbana followed with a crystal-studded Mickey T-shirt, which retailed for $1,400 and flew off shelves. Disney moved into home decor and acces-sories this year after seeing references to its 1951 animated classic, "Alice In Wonderland," appear in the pages of fashion magazines and on TV – notably in a Gwen Stefani music video in spring 2005. The tar-gets of the new campaign, said Dennis Green, senior vice president of marketing for consumer products, are luxury-loving teen-agers and young adults in New York, Los Angeles, London and Tokyo who "are driving the fashion industry all over the world." Disney has licensed Alice and other Wonderland charac-ters from studio art done by Mary Blair and David Hall for lines of fabric, tableware, carpet tiles, decorative pillows and throws, jewelry and clothing. It has hired Kidada Jones, daughter of music legend Quincy Jones to design a line of jewelry, cashmere throws and pillows, and to dress her celebrity friends in the posh items. The Alice line will appear in high-end stores such as Fred Segal, Drexel Heritage, Zelen, and specialty retailers starting next spring.

Disney-ABC Realigns Communications Division

(TV Week) – The Disney-ABC communications division has been reorganized along functional roles into six areas reporting to Communications Sr VP Kevin Brockman. The changes include the promotions of:

 Nicole Nichols, former VP of media relations for ABC Family, to senior VP of entertainment communi-cations for the Disney-ABC Television Group. She will oversee communications for ABC Entertain-ment, Touchstone Television, ABC Daytime, ABC Family and SoapNet.
 Sharon Williams, former VP of media relations for ABC Television Network, to senior VP for commu-nications resources for the Disney-ABC Television Group, overseeing photography and new commu-nications media, broadcast and ratings publicity, editorial services, talent relations and business management.
 Patti McTeague, former VP of media relations for the Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group, to VP of kids communications for the Disney-ABC Television Group, including Disney Channel Worldwide, Toon Disney, Jetix, Playhouse Disney, ABC Kids and Walt Disney TV Animation.

In addition, Siobhan Kenny, VP of branded television communications for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will assume the role of acting head of international communications. Continuing in their roles are ABC News Communications VP Jeffrey Schneider and Corporate Communications VP Julie Hoover.

Disney World, Universal Theme Parks Close

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort theme parks are among the businesses that will close today as Wilma threatened to bring tropical-force winds to the Or-lando area. Other major theme parks, including SeaWorld and Discovery Cove, expected to open but were keeping an eye on the storm. Kim Prunty, spokeswoman for Walt Disney World Resort, said the theme parks will open today if weather conditions improve. "We'll re-evaluate after the storm passes," Prunty said. Disney's resort hotels will stay open, but guests at the Fort Wilderness Resort & Camp-ground were relocated to hotels at the resort, the company said in a statement. Universal's CityWalk will open at 6 p.m., a spokeswoman said. Walt Disney World, along with Universal Orlando and SeaWorld, closed for the three hurricanes that hit the area last year.

Disney Backs Anti-Piracy Technology for Oscar DVDs

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Disney on Monday plans to become the first major Hollywood film distributor to back an anti-piracy DVD technology that stirred controversy last year in advance of the important Oscar race. Disney said it would release DVD "screeners" – copies of movies sent to groups that vote on awards – only for DVD players made exclusively by a Dolby Laboratories unit, Cinea, and engineered to thwart illegal copying. "We feel like this is a really strong first step in addition to all the other things we do to combat piracy," said Dennis Rice, who heads Disney's Oscar publicity campaign, which will include films such as "Shopgirl" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Holly-wood's awards season is of major importance to the studios because awards help lure moviegoers to theaters, but increasingly screeners have been copied illegally and posted on the Internet or sold in street markets before a film hits theaters. Cinea plans to distribute 12,000 players to members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The DVD players are encoded with recipients' names, and screeners sent to those peo-ple are specifically encrypted so they can be seen only on those particular DVD players. Rice said he hoped other studios would follow Disney's lead, but representatives for Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures Enter-tainment and General Electric Co.-controlled Universal Pictures said those two studios would not. Others were still considering their options.

"Chicken Little" Critical for Disney Reputation

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Next month Walt Disney hopes to prove the sky is no longer falling. The adorably round-headed star of its computer-animated movie, "Chicken Little," will make the case that the storied studio has moved into the next generation of animation and can produce the type of hit films that once were its signature – and an important profit center. In the works for five years, "Chicken Little" is the first computer-generated feature film created by Disney animators and follows a string of traditionally animated films that failed to perform as well as many computer-made competitors. Disney's new effort follows Chicken Little's travails in middle school a year after his disastrously incorrect observation that the sky was falling. It debuts November 4 in the midst of Disney's talks with Pixar Animation Studios Inc over whether Disney will continue to distribute and share profits from Pixar's computer-generated, or CG, films and could prove an important factor if a deal is struck, analysts said. Disney's studio has had a number of golden ages with hand-drawn animated features centering around hits such as the 1937 film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and in 1994 "The Lion King." Partner Pixar has had animated hits since 1995. Ryan Ball, a senior writer for the online Animation magazine said the studio, known for its "Disney Look" and classic story lines, may have to sacrifice both to tap into a more sophisticated audience that now includes young adults.

Analysts said the film must open big and perform well overseas for Disney to be considered a player in the new world of animation, where DreamWorks Animation SKG's "Antz" was not considered a success despite $170 million in worldwide ticket sales. "My gut instinct is they need to do something in the $350 million range to be seen as 'Disney's on its way back in animation,"' Rich Greenfield, an analyst at Fulcrum Global Partners, said. "If it does $200 million or $250 million worldwide, it will not be seen as the way to replace Pixar." Although about 150 animators had to be trained in CG to make "Chicken Little," the studio says it has closed the gap and is on track to release one CG animated film for each of the next three years: "Meet the Robinsons" in 2006, "American Dog" in 2007 and "Rapunzel Unbraided" in 2008. Time magazine writer Richard Corliss, one of the first critics to review the film, praised it as "a genuine Disney cartoon" and "one of the funniest, most charming and most exhilarating movie in years." "Chicken Little" director Mark Dindal, who watched the transition from hand-drawn to CG animation at Disney during the making of his film, said studio founder Walt Disney, who championed new technology, would have been proud. "It was like horses at the starting gate waiting to get their chance," Dindal said of the animators. "We just caught a wave of all this pent up excitement of people saying, 'We'll show you what we can do."'

Disneyland Thanks Australia for Support

(AAP) – He claims to have the best job in the corporate world and the president of America's Disneyland Re-sort said it's Australians who have helped make his theme park a global success. Matt Ouimet is in Australia to meet with various local travel companies to discuss deals for Australians wanting to visit Disneyland during its current 50th birthday celebrations. It is his first visit here and he is quick to boast how no other job in the world stacks up to his. "I have one of the best jobs in the world, there is no doubt about it," he told AAP. "From my office I can see Space Mountain, I can see the Matterhorn and I can see Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, what kid in American wouldn't want that," he said. Mr Ouimet said it was important for him to visit Australia as it had long been a lucrative market for his theme park. "North American markets are our biggest markets, but other than that, Australia is right on top." But despite the popularity of the brand in markets like Australia and New Zealand, Mr Ouimet cannot see a time where there would be a Disney-theme park on every continent. "No I wouldn't think it would be an immediate thing," he said. "(But we do) have a group that continues to study where we belong internationally and what the products should look like internationally."

Eisner to Helm 'Lagoon' Redo for Universal

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – “Creature From the Black Lagoon" will surface again, this time with Breck Eisner at the helm for Universal Pictures. Part of Universal's rich legacy of black-and-white monster movies, the original "Lagoon" followed a scientific expedition searching for fossils in the Amazon that discovers a prehistoric creature able to breathe underwater. The creature, named Gill-Man, terrorizes the group and falls in love with the fiance of a member of the expedition. The studio began developing updates of its creature features after the success of 1999's "The Mummy." Gary Ross, whose father, Arthur Ross, was a writer on the 1954 original, is producing the remake via his Larger Than Life banner. Ross – writer-director of "Seabiscuit" and "Pleasantville" – wrote the current draft of the "Creature" screenplay. Eisner, son of longtime Disney CEO Michael Eisner, met Ross at a dinner party. After some conversations, Ross sent Eisner the script to "Lagoon," and he wanted in. "I've always been a fan of the original, but for this I would love to just update and modernize the film," Eisner said in an interview. "We see it as an aggressive sci-fi horror film in the vein of 'Alien' or like John Carpenter's 'The Thing.' We want to elevate the source material." The studio will use a combination of CGI and practical effects for the monster. Design of the creature is under way.

Parents Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows

NEW YORK (AP) – Four Fox network programs, led by the comedies "The War at Home," "Family Guy" and "American Dad," topped a parents group's annual listing of the worst prime-time shows for family viewing. The Parents Television Council rated two aspirational reality shows, ABC's "Extreme Make-over: Home Edition" and NBC's new "Three Wishes," as the best programs for family viewing. The group's president, L. Brent Bozell, said he was alarmed that the three Fox Sunday night comedies are being marketed as family friendly. "Families should not be deceived," he said. "The top three worst shows all contain crude and raunchy dialogue with sex-themed jokes and foul language. Even worse is the fact that Hollywood is peddling its filth to families with cartoons." The Fox drama "The O.C." was fourth on the PTC's list of worst prime-time shows for families. Television's two most popular programs – CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and ABC's "Desperate Housewives – are also cited as bad family viewing. So were "Two and a Half Men" and "Cold Case" on CBS. The group said it makes its determinations based on the amount of bad language and sexual and violent content, giving more weight to shows that appear earlier in the evening when children are likely to be awake, said Melissa Caldwell, its research director. Fox's "American Idol," which returns in January, made the group's list of best family viewing ex-periences. Two new shows, CBS' "The Ghost Whisperer" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," also made it. Bozell said the group couldn't even come up with 10 prime-time shows it would recommend for family viewing. Its list stops at nine.


The "Parents Television Council"? Interesting. I'm a parent and, well, Family Guy rocks. How self-righteous does a 'group' need to be to label their narrow-minded views with a sweeping generalization? I hereby declare myself the 'Parents Television Council 2' and endorse every show in this article!

ABC Losing Interest in Alias?

(TV Squad) – Seems that ABC sends out a press release every week, talking about which shows are do-ing well, which shows have buzz, which shows they want to plug, etc. And this past week they talked about Supernanny, they talked about Commander-in-Chief, and they talked about Freddie (!), but they didn't mention Alias at all. Alias was ranked 70th last week, and in its time slot was beaten by Joey. Yikes.


Go Ben Affleck!

Former Employee Threatens Suicide Atop Space Mountain

HONG KONG (AP) – A former Disney worker climbed to the roof of the Hong Kong park's most popular attraction and threatened to kill himself to protest his dismissal, a Disney spokeswoman and newspaper reports said Wednesday. The 48-year-old man, a former security guard at the theme park, climbed to the top of the building housing the Space Mountain roller coaster on Tuesday and remained there for two hours, Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Esther Wong said. Photographs published in the Apple Daily newspaper showed the man sporting a white T-shirt with the words "reveal the truth" and "SOS" written in red paint. The man was unhappy that he was fired three months ago for allegedly violating park rules, including using obscene language during working hours, the paper said. He climbed down unhurt after a two-hour negotiation with police and fire fighters, Wong confirmed.

Happy Hallo-Wishes

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Reuters) – Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World gets into the seasonal spirit with a brand-new fireworks display called 'Happy HalloWishes,' a Halloween-themed show featuring music from Disney attractions like The Haunted Mansion and films like 'The Nightmare Before Christmas,' in this photo taken on October 6, 2005. The new fireworks show is presented dur-ing a separate admission special event in the theme park called 'Mickey's Not-So-Scary Hallow-een Party,' which is held select nights through Oc-tober 31, 2005.

'Lost' in Sales

(NY Post) – Forget Oprah Winfrey – ABC's "Lost" could be the new minter of best-selling books. On last week's episode, Flann O'Brien's book, "The Third Policeman," was flashed on-screen for an instant. Well, that instant, seen by 21 million viewers, translated into immediate sales on amazon.com – with the book climbing 420 percent on Amazon from the time "Lost" ended Wednesday to Thursday morning.

Disney's Magical Express Positively Impacts

New service creates 600 jobs and reduces airport wait times, traffic congestion

(LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005) - After only five months of operation, Disney's Magical Express has set new travel industry service standards, created more than 600 new jobs in Central Florida, reduced crowding and wait times throughout Orlando International Airport (OIA) and cut down on area roadway congestion by efficiently transporting up to 21,000 passengers per day.

Disney's Magical Express reduces overall congestion for everyone at the airport by moving 15 to 20 percent of OIA's arriving passengers. Less than 10 percent of all ground transportation curb space is needed, leaving the remaining 90 percent for other transportation services.

Prior to the introduction of Disney's Magical Express, all passengers waited an average of 25 to 30 minutes for luggage at the baggage claim area before seeking ground transportation. Today, Disney's Magical Express guests bypass baggage claim, thereby reducing the wait time for other passengers.

"Disney's Magical Express is a 100 percent privately-funded, industry-leading and innovative program that has injected tens of millions of dollars into the local economy while significantly increasing the capacity of our airport and improving the airport experience for all passengers," said Jerry Montgomery, Walt Disney World senior vice president of public affairs.

The benefits of Disney's Magical Express include:

Ø More than 600 new jobs in Central Florida
Ø Reduced roadway congestion, specifically along the I-4 tourism corridor
Ø Efficient transport of 15-20 percent of all OIA arriving passengers, while utilizing less than 10 percent of OIA's ground transportation curb space
Ø Enhanced airline efficiency - check-in and luggage handling
Ø Improved TSA security screening process (off-terminal)
Ø Increased food and beverage, retail and transportation concession income to OIA

Additionally, Disney's Magical Express already has received numerous accolades:

Ø Congressman John Mica (FL-7), chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Aviation, recently applauded Disney's Magical Express, which enables departing guests on certain airlines to check their luggage and receive a boarding pass before ever leaving their Disney hotel. "Not only does resort airline check-in provide a convenience for travelers, it also helps to expedite and improve security checks by reducing congestion during the busiest times. A new industry model has been established," Mica said.

Ø Airline partners of Disney's Magical Express also have expressed their support for the service. "Delta's Disney customers can now enjoy more convenient flight and baggage check-in right from their resort. As the largest air carrier of passengers into Orlando International Airport, making this service available to customers is right in line with Delta's focus on making travel simple, convenient and reliable," Josh Weiss, Delta Air Line's director of customer-service operations and strategy, said.

Ø Arthur Frommer's widely read Budget Travel magazine recently honored Disney's Magical Express with its 2005 "Extra Mile Award," which recognizes "forward-looking companies that have demonstrated real innovation" and made "travel easier, more affordable or simply more enjoyable."

Raglan Road is now confirmed to officially open on October 21st 2005.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Irish hospitality and a bit of blarney come to Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort when Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant officially opens Oct. 21. Raglan Road delivers an experience immersed in genuine Irish atmosphere -- from food and drink to live music and entertainment.

Traditional and contemporary Irish music, storytelling and dance help create a spirited social ambience and the friendly pub staff brings Emerald Isle charm to Downtown Disney. Irish musicians entertain nightly and guests are encouraged to sing, clap and dance along to the lively performances.

The Raglan Road menu blends traditional Irish fare and fresh ingredients, all with a modern flair. Natural tastes, flavor and quality prevail in dishes such as Raglan Rack (rack of lamb on a delicate Irish stew consommé), Sea Leek (oven-baked fillet of sea bass served on a fondue of leeks) and Kevin's Kudos (oven-roasted loin of bacon served with braised cabbage and creamed potato).

With capacity for 600 guests, Raglan Road is warm and welcoming with custom furnishings, lighting and wall coverings -- all designed and built in Ireland by Irish craftspeople. Irish antiques, ornamentation and bric-a-brac complete the authentic décor.

Raglan Road is owned and operated by Great Irish Pubs Florida, Inc., the Irish-owned company that previously created Nine Fine Irishmen at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Pleasure Island club admission will not be required for entrance to Raglan Road.

Big City Mouse - Kelly Ripa

Big City Mouse - Kelly Ripa, originally uploaded by Christopher Proudlove.

From the Sotheby's auction.

Love All - Andre Agassi

Love All - Andre Agassi, originally uploaded by Christopher Proudlove.

From the Sotheby's auction

Music Royalty - Sir Elton John

Music Royalty - Sir Elton John, originally uploaded by Christopher Proudlove.

From the Sotheby's auction.

Space Mouse - Tom Hanks

Space Mouse - Tom Hanks, originally uploaded by Christopher Proudlove.

From the Sotheby's auction.

Tuxedo - Lenox

Tuxedo - Lenox, originally uploaded by Christopher Proudlove.

From the Sotheby's auction.

Home Run Hero - Ben Affleck

Home Run Hero - Ben Affleck, originally uploaded by Christopher Proudlove.

From the Sotheby's auction.

Now listen up boy

Now listen up boy, originally uploaded by Brave Heart.

From Flickr Disneyland group

Hey Kid, over here

Hey Kid, over here, originally uploaded by Brave Heart.

HOPPER.

From the Disneyland Flickr group

Great Make-up

Great Make-up, originally uploaded by Brave Heart.

From the Disneyland Flickr group

I can live with movie fame

I can live with movie fame, originally uploaded by Brave Heart.

Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton

What, Yellow Teeth

What, Yellow Teeth, originally uploaded by Brave Heart.

Sad Indian

Sad Indian, originally uploaded by Brave Heart.

From the Disneyland Flickr group

Disney's Auction of Mickey Statues at Sotheby's Raises Money for Charity

NEW YORK (Business Wire) -- Tuesday afternoon at Sotheby's, Disney raised $614,500 when 75 unique Mickey Mouse statues, designed by artists, athletes and celebrities for the celebration of Mickey's 75th anniversary, were sold at auction. A total of 50 charities will benefit from the sale, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, James Birrell Neuroblastoma Research Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. Artists whose statues brought premium prices for the charities they selected included Sir Elton John ($52,000 for "Music Royalty"), Michelle Kwan ($20,000 for "Peace & Love") and Tom Hanks ($15,000 for "Space Mouse"). A number of statues designed by Disney legends were also favorites, including those created by Al Konetzni ($45,000 for "Back to School"), Lori Tyminski of Disney Publishing ($29,000 for "Funny Pages") and Tuck Morgan of Disney Consumer Products ($21,000 for "Mickey Through the Years"). Since Mickey Mouse's 75th Anniversary on November 18, 2003, the 6-feet-tall, 700 pound statues have traveled 700,000 miles across the country as the "Celebrate Mickey: 75 InspEARations" tour. The one-of-a-kind tributes to Mickey visited 14 cities and brought smiles to over 20 million people during the celebration

I spent a lot of time with these statues. I even made a video of them when I stumbled across them in Washington, D.C. this spring. I wonder how much the

Disney Donates African Art

WASHINGTON (LA Times) – In a move to close his leadership of the Walt Disney Co. with a philanthropic flourish, Chief Executive Michael Eisner announced Thursday that the company would donate its African art collection, hailed by experts as one of the most important such collections in private hands in the United States, to the Smithsonian Institution. In making the gift – 525 objects, spanning five centuries and valued at $20 million to $40 million – Disney turned away suitors including the French government and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and solved a quandary that Eisner said had vexed him for 20 years. "A lot of museums contacted me," said Eisner, noting that French President Jacques Chirac "made several calls . . . and became increasingly aggressive." But Eisner said he wanted to place the collection with a museum that charged no admission fee, and "there's only one Smithsonian, only one museum for all Americans." The gift will become part of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art, which plans a debut exhibition in 2007. Eisner's wife, Jane, has served on the Smithsonian National Board since 1998 and is currently vice chair. Under terms of the gift, said Sharon F. Patton, director of the National Museum of African Art, at least 60 items from the collection are to be labeled the Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection and be displayed in the institution for at least the next three decades. The list of items includes Nigerian masks made of wood and antelope skin, a carved ivory-and-metal hunting horn from the area now known as Sierra Leone, intricately carved ivory armlets made for Yoruban kings and Shona stone carvings from the area now known as Zimbabwe. Dozens of wooden carvings range from delicate mother-and-child figures to rough-hewn ceremonial swords. The pieces were first collected by New York real-estate developer Paul Tishman and his wife, Ruth, beginning in the 1960s. Paul Tishman, whose company served as contractor in the construction of Epcot, had been courted by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, which staged a special exhibition of Tishman holdings in the early 1980s. Instead, the Tishmans sold the collection to Disney in 1984 for an undisclosed amount.