Roy E. Disney Statement Regarding The Walt Disney Company

BURBANK, Calif. (PRNewswire) – Roy E. Disney issued the following statement regarding the Walt Disney Company:

"Animation has always been the heart and soul of the Walt Disney Company and it is wonderful to see Bob Iger and the company embrace that heritage by bringing the outstanding animation talent of the Pixar team back into the fold. This clearly solidifies the Walt Disney Company's position as the dominant leader in motion picture animation and we applaud and support Bob Iger's vision."

Yeah. John Lasseter would be a great addition, except for the fact that Disney could have had the whole thing for $10 million in 1986:

A Disney BeginningIn 1982, the young artist was hired at the Disney studio as an animator. A dream job? Yes, but for Lasseter, something was missing. "I was always feeling that animation had reached a plateau with 101 Dalmatians," he says. "Somehow, I felt that the films after that, while they had wonderful moments and characters, overall, they were just the same old thing."

Lasseter knew that animation needed something to help it rise to another level. Then, he heard about a film that the Disney studio was producing using the nascent technology of computer animation. It was called Tron. Lasseter was able to get an early glimpse of the film's "light cycle" sequence and says, "It absolutely blew me away! A little door in my mind opened up. I looked at it and said, `This is it! This is the future!'"

Lasseter talked the Disney studio into letting him do a thirty-second test that combined hand drawn animation with computer backgrounds. "It was exciting," says Lasseter, "but at the time, Disney was only interested in computers if it could make what they were doing cheaper and faster. I said, `Look at the advancement in the art form. Look at the beauty of it.' But, they just weren't interested."

The Birth of Pixar

The studio may not have been interested, but Lasseter still had an incredible thirst for this burgeoning medium, which led him to Lucasfilm Ltd., where Edwin Catmull, now Pixar's vice president and chief technology officer, was starting up a computer division. In 1986, Steve Jobs, co-founder and chairman of Apple Computer, Inc., purchased the computer division of Lucasfilm and incorporated it as an independent company, under the name Pixar, where he now serves as chairman and chief executive officer.

I guess they're interested now.

Disney to Acquire Pixar for $7.4B in Stock

It's official.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Walt Disney Co.'s purchase of Pixar Animation Studios Inc. allows Disney to inject new creative life into its animation efforts, while Pixar can end its public run at the top of its game. However, it remains to be seen whether the $7.4 billion price tag is justified – not to mention the fate of Pixar's unique corporate culture once ensconced in a massive media conglomerate. Executives from both companies said preserving Pixar as a separate entity was a top priority, even as Disney hopes some of Pixar's creative power rubs off on its own animation efforts. "I think this is great for Disney, not only to have Pixar be part of the company, but to have Pixar influence the company," Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday after the deal was announced. "It's also possible we'll look at Pixar and see not only how well it's run but how well it lives and seek to overlay that influence on some of our other businesses." Disney is buying longtime partner Pixar for $7.4 billion in stock. The deal will put Pixar CEO Steve Jobs in a powerful new role at Disney and makes the billionaire its largest individual shareholder, with a stake of about 7 percent. Jobs, who owns more than half of Pixar's shares and heads Apple Computer Inc., will become a Disney director. Key to spreading Pixar's influence will be Pixar President Ed Catmull, who will serve as president of the new combined Pixar and Disney animation studios, and Pixar Executive Vice President John Lasseter, who becomes chief creative officer of the animation studios and principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering. Lasseter has been compared to Walt Disney by many, including Eisner. Lasseter began his career as a Disney anima-tor and is the creative force behind Pixar's films. One immediate sign of Lasseter's influence is that plans for Disney to make the long rumored sequel "Toy Story 3" on its own have been scrapped. If the film is made, it will be done by Lasseter and the other creators of the original film, the companies said.

The deal may make creative sense, but the company could face a hurdle convincing investors it makes financial sense. Under the deal, Disney said it will issue 2.3 shares for each share of Pixar stock. At Tuesday's closing price of $25.99 for Disney, Pixar shareholders would get stock worth $59.78, a 4 per-cent premium over Pixar's closing price of $57.57. Disney said the deal would lower earnings over the next two years, but that Pixar will help increase earnings by 2008.The companies still need to reveal what Pixar's next films will be and provide more detail on how the combined entity will function, said Richard Greenfield, an analyst at Pali Research. "The question remains whether the price/value relationship is going to bear fruit for Disney," Greenfield said Tuesday. With Jobs, Disney also tightens its link with Apple Computer, the innovative technology company behind music and video iPods. And Jobs is likely to press Iger to further his plans to marry films, TV shows, video games and other content to computers, iPods, handheld game consoles and even cell phones.

HK Theme Parks Get Ready for Chinese New Year

HONG KONG (People’s Daily) – Splendid decorations, exciting games, wonderful performances, all will be included in the two theme parks in Hong Kong to celebrate the forthcoming Chinese New Year with visitors.

• The Hong Kong Ocean Park announced here Monday that a Lunar Lucky Fiesta with 38 new lucky attractions will be launched on Jan. 29 to welcome the Chinese New Year. According to Chairman of the park Allan Zeman, the 15-day Fiesta will combine local and international elements including the highlight event – the spectacular Ice Mystique MegaShow and a string of other activities which help boost the traditional Chinese New Year spirit. The world-class cast of ice skaters and acrobats will bring the house down with breathtaking stunts and height-defying acts, on the dazzling stage or up in the air, right above the audience. Embodying the spirit of Chinese New Year will be the traditional fa-vorites of lion and dragon dances and kung-fu demonstrations at Fanfare Bazzar. A professional drum troupe from the Mainland will ensure visitors to feel high spirits and emotions of the drum beats. For good fortune, visitors can stop in at Checkpoints of Great New Year to be greeted by the Gods of Health and Lucky Stars of Wealth, Prosperity and Health. They can also try the luck by participating in the Fortune Bonaza lucky draw at the checkpoints for a chance to win prizes worth a total of three million HK dollars (about 400,000 US dollars). Visitors can enjoy making memories in the real-snow wonderland, featuring the red-hot backdrop of Chinese New Year decorations, and also be thrilled by the rides on the Snow Tube and play with family and friends in the Snow Playground. Zeman said that the Park's Lunar Lucky Fiesta last year attracted a total of 260,000 visitors and with more attrac-tions this year, he would be happy to have the number to reach 300,000.
• This will be the first time Hong Kong Disneyland will celebrate Chinese New Year. From Jan. 29 to Feb. 12, a series of special activities will take place throughout Hong Kong Disneyland to welcome the start of the New Year. Every day, the park will come alive to the sound of drum rolls, cymbals and gongs and a wave of bright color as dragons, lions, dancers and musicians dance their way around a specially designed stage in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Special guests will be chosen to bring the three lions to life in an eye dotting ceremony. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney friends will look elegant in their new Chinese outfits offering their Chinese New Year greetings to an excited crowd before welcoming one lucky family to receive a special gift. Adding to the Chinese New Year atmosphere, blossoming plants will welcome guests as they enter the park and stroll along Main Street USA. In Town Square, a delicate plum blossom tree will flower throughout the first 15 days of Chinese New Year. Inside the many stores at Disneyland there will be plenty of special Chinese New Year-inspired gifts available. Outdoor vendors will be dotted the Park selling an assortment of Chi-nese New Year snacks including savory turnip cake, corn in sweet honey butter sauce and deep fried fish skin chips. Traditional Chinese meals can be enjoyed at restaurants throughout the park.

Disney Headquarters Renamed Eisner

BURBANK (Orlando Sentinel) – Former Disney head Michael Eisner is leaving one more mark on the company. The Walt Disney Co. headquarters building in Burbank, Calif., was renamed Monday as "Team Disney – The Michael D. Eisner Building." Eisner was chief executive officer of the company for 21 years until he retired last fall, with a year left in his contract, after surviving a shareholder revolt that attempted to oust him in 2004. Disney Chairman George Mitchell said the board of directors voted unanimously to name the building for Eisner. "For 21 years, Michael was the leader of the team that reinvigorated this company and put the magic back in Disney, so it is appropriate that this building will now carry his name," Mitchell said.

Disney Board Okays Takeover Offer to Pixar

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The board of Walt Disney Co. has authorized Chief Executive Robert Iger to make an offer to buy Pixar Animation Studios Inc., and that is expected by Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said late on Monday. Pixar's board is expected to consider the offer on Tuesday as well, said the source, who did not disclose financial terms. Pixar shares closed at $58.27 on Monday on Nasdaq, putting its market value at just under $7 billion. The shares have risen about 12 percent in the last month, partly on speculation that Disney would buy the computer animation company. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Disney is considering an all-stock offer, which would make Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs its largest individual shareholder. The Journal reported late on Monday that the of-fer under consideration would give Jobs, who has a controlling stake in Pixar, a seat on the Disney board. A deal that gives Jobs a Disney board seat could also put him in a position to lead Hollywood's move onto the Web.

What's New or Under Construction at Top Theme Parks

(Theme Park Insider) – Here is what is new for 2006 and beyond at popular theme and amusement parks – roller coasters and other rides both rumored and under construction.

• Cedar Point – Cedar Point has gone two years without a new roller coaster and won't get a new one in 2006, either. However, relief may be coming in 2007 in the form of a dueling B&M flyer. That’s the most logical rumor right now for the Sandusky, Ohio park, but between now and then, rumors evolve, and it’s really not wise to get your hopes up for a ride that won’t start construction until near the end of 2006. The park will be making some other changes for 2006, however. Whitewater Landing is sched-uled to close at the end of this season for “future expansion”, and Skyhawk, a $6 million S&S Screamin’ Swing is coming to Frontiertown.
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be adding what is hoped to be the mar-quis attraction for the “Nahtazoo.” Expedition Everest: The Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (or, Matterhorn East as many are already calling it), is Disney’s largest mountain, and possible the largest undertaking for a single attraction in the company’s history. The Vekoma coaster is advertised to have forward and backward sections and a 50 MPH top speed (lightning fast for a Disney ride), and an encounter with the legendary Yeti.
• Disneyland – The newly renovated Space Mountain will get a makeover in the evenings, starting dur-ing Grad Nights in May. Rockit Mountain, as it is being called, will be similar to a spin on Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, with a new soundtrack and special lighting effects. Space Mountain purists cannot be thrilled with Disney tinkering with a ride that just finished its first major overhaul this summer. How-ever, it does seem that Disney is trying to revitalize its classic attractions for the average guest by adding new features, and Rockit Mountain could be a big hit. Pirates of the Caribbean is another classic Disney attraction that is rumored to be receiving some “freshening” up in 2006, including a Jack Sparrow animatronic figure and “ghost” pirates. All of the fan sites have been buzzing about the updates to Pirates, but Disney has not released any official information. Finding Nemo: Submarine Voyage is an exciting new attraction that unfortunately will not open until probably 2007 - so guests will be taunted by this giant hole in the ground throughout 2006.
• Legoland California – Pirate Shores is a new themed land at the Carlsbad, Calif. park, anchored by Splash Battle, an interactive aquatic shoot-'em-up, where riders cruise through pirate-infested waters, in boats armed with their own water cannons. The area will also feature Treasure Falls, a 12-foot-drop mini-flume ride that shows "what pirates do on their vacation," according to Legoland President and General Manager John Jakobsen. Two water play areas will round out the new land. Squabbies Deck is aimed at younger visitors, while Soak-N-Sail will provide 60 water elements for older kids.
• Paramount’s Kings Dominion – Paramount’s Kings Dominion has made the most noise of all of the Paramount Parks as they finally announced the addition of Italian Job Stunt Coaster for 2006. This new coaster, the park’s 13th, will be a clone of the Italian Job coasters at Paramount’s Kings Island and Canada’s Wonderland.
• Paramount’s Kings Island – Paramount’s Kings Island has continued to increase attendance de-spite effort from Cedar Fair to steal Ohio park goers through the acquisition of Geauga Lake and con-tinual improvement of Cedar Point. The Cincinnati park will continue to go after families with its 2006 addition of Nickelodeon Universe. Kings Island has already been recognized as having the best kids area, but they will be improving it in 2006 with 6 new attractions, including a new family roller coaster, Avatar.
• SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego – The SeaWorld parks in Orlando and San Diego have both announced a new killer whale show for 2006. “Believe” will completely revamp the Shamu arenas with props and huge video monitors, and will bring what was becoming a tired and worn-out show into the 21st century. The Orlando park will also be adding three new attractions designed for kids near the Shamu Stadium. Busch is also in the process of increasing its presence in Orlando with its third park, a rumored “luxury” waterpark, which is scheduled to open in 2007. Sea World San An-tonio, which always seems to be a year or two behind the others will probably get an updated killer whale show near the end of the year, or maybe in 2007.
• Six Flags Great Adventure – The New Jersey park, which is already home to the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, will be adding El Toro. With a massive wooden structure and a record-breaking 76-degree first drop, El Toro will be amongst the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the U.S. El Toro has been designed by Intamin, and has already begun construction on the site where Viper once stood. In fact, Viper’s old mission-style station will also serve as El Toro’s station. While accelerating to a top speed of 70 MPH may sound tantalizing, it may turn out to be too fast for a wooden roller coaster. As Beast, Hercules, and Son of Beast have shown, bigger is not always better, but hopefully El Toro will not follow the trends of the massive wooden coasters that have come be-fore. In addition to El Toro, Great Adventure will also be adding a new children’s area, and a re-vamped Mexican themed area. Six Flags is also likely to begin construction on a resort hotel near Kingda Ka, once the location is no longer needed as a staging area for pieces of El Toro.
• Six Flags Magic Mountain – Tatsu, B&M Flying Coaster, will hug the terrain around Samurai Sum-mit at speeds up to 62 mph. The ride, to debut in Spring 2006, will feature four inversions, a 124-foot pretzel loop, a 103-foot flat spin, 96-foot-tall zero-G roll and a 360-degree inline roll over. With the ter-rain, the park promises 263 feet in elevation change over the course of the ride. It’s good to see Six Flags trying to create a coaster with a unique layout and a theme that fits well with its surroundings. Tatsu is liable to be the biggest theme park addition west of the Mississippi in 2006.
• Six Flags Over Georgia – The first big announcement for 2006 was Six Flags Over Georgia’s Goli-ath. As its name would suggest, Goliath is BIG, and the B&M hypercoaster will tower over just about everything in the park, including a couple of drops right over the Georgia Scorcher. With a 170-foot first drop, 175-foot second drop, and multitude of airtime turns and helixes, Goliath is bound to be a big hit. One feature that is absent in this coaster is a mid-course break run (MCBR), which means trains will hurdle non-stop through the 4,480 feet of track.
• Universal's Islands of Adventure – The summer of 2006 will see the long-awaited opening of the Seuss Landing monorail, the "Sneetches"-themed Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driv-ing Machines. This Mack Powered Coaster will become the park's longest track ride.
• Holiday World – This small independent park made the biggest splash at the end of the summer by announcing the addition of The Voyage and a new holiday themed land, Thanksgiving. The Voyage will be one of the largest wooden coasters in the world with a 6,442-foot track length and a number of pulse-pounding drops and underground tunnels. The coaster will also feature not one, but three 90-degree banked turns, a wooden roller coaster feature first introduced on Hades. The Voyage, Holiday World’s third wooden roller coaster, will almost certainly vault into top ten wooden coaster lists and continue the parks long tradition of building the best wooden roller coasters in the world. Thanksgiv-ing will also feature an interactive dark ride and a number of other attractions and gift shops.
• Hersheypark – Hersheypark has announced Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge, a dark ride shoot-'em-up arms riders with infrared guns with which they can take aim at the 158 targets throughout the ride.

ABC Defends Cancellation of Graham Comedy

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – One minute, Heather Graham was the face of ABC. The next minute, she was gone. Her comedy series "Emily's Reasons Why Not" was promoted relentlessly by the network as the linchpin of its post-football Monday night schedule, but was only given one airing before being yanked earlier this month. ABC committed to the big promotional campaign before even seeing a script for the show, said ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson on Saturday. The series turned out to be a dog creatively, he indicated. "Once we saw it was not launching, we felt like unfortunately it was not going to get better and we had to make a change," McPherson said. A total of six episodes were filmed, and McPherson said no determination has been made about whether they would be burned off. The quick hook doesn't mean producers of other ABC series with middling ratings — "Invasion," for example — should be shaking in fear. "That's a great example for us of when to be patient and when to fold them," he said. "We believe in that show."

Monster-Size Premiere Heralds the Opening of Monsters, Inc. Attraction

ANAHEIM, Calif. (PRNewswire) – The Disneyland 50th anniversary celebration continues in full swing as the Disneyland Resort rolled-out the spotted, blue carpet in a gala Hollywood-style premiere for the grand opening of its all-new attraction "Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!" The new attraction, inspired by Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film, Monsters, Inc., is located in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot section of Disney's California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort. In the hit 2001 computer-animated film, the factory of Monsters, Inc. is the No. 1 scream-processing firm in the bustling metropolis of Monstropolis, generating the city's power supply by scaring children and transforming their screams into an energy source. The monster inhabitants of Monstropolis, however, are terribly afraid of being contaminated by kids. So, when an errant little girl nicknamed "Boo" accidentally enters the child-adverse world of Monstropolis, fun and mayhem ensues. The popular film has now been transformed into a fun-filled attraction where guests climb aboard waiting taxis and hit the streets of Monstropolis to follow the film's stars Mike and Sulley on their mission of safely returning "Boo" to her bedroom. As guests witness the chaos of a child-on-the loose in Monstropolis they encounter the super-sneaky Randall Boggs, the yellow-suited agents of the CDA (Child Detection Agency) and other characters from the film. Guests will even get to see the seemingly endless Monsters, Inc. door vault and receive a unique, personalized farewell from the slug-like, ever watchful factory dispatcher Roz! "Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!" has been created in the tradition of the classic Fantasyland-style "dark rides" by Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative force behind Walt Disney Parks and Resorts that imagines, designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts and attractions worldwide. The attraction features over 40 characters in 16 distinct scenes, plus incorporates the unique use of both black-light and white-light illuminated sets. Technical highlights of the attraction include seemingly personalized farewell remarks to passing guests from Roz and a multi-hued Randall Boggs who changes colors as little Boo "bonks" him on his head in the attraction's finale. Staying true to the film, the attraction features newly recorded performances by many of the film's original voice talents including Billy Crystal and John Goodman. Additionally, the musical soundtrack for the attraction is derived from the Academy Award nominated "Monsters, Inc." film score by noted Oscar winner Randy Newman.

Disney's $100 Million Gamble

LAKE BUENA VISTA (Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney World called it nahtazu in its TV ads – striving to define its Animal Kingdom as anything but a plain old zoo. But now, Disney is about to try a shot of steel-railed adrenaline to drive home that message in an attempt to attract more – and younger – visitors who want a little more of a rush along with the lions, tigers, shows and themed rides. It's called Expedition Everest, Disney's first large outdoor roller coaster that opens to annual- and seasonal-pass holders late this week and other guests intermittently for the next month. With a reported price tag of up to $100 million, Everest needs to be more than just a must-ride new attraction. It must be enough to entice visitors to tack an extra day onto their Disney stays. And by staying longer at Disney – a key strategy for the company – those visitors may opt to skip a trip or shorten a visit to crosstown rivals SeaWorld Orlando or Universal Orlando, each of which has added new attractions or rides in recent years. "It's the whole function of how you get your money back. You don't just get it from the gate," said Orlando-based consultant Steve Baker, president of Baker Leisure Group. "You get it through extended stays in hotel rooms. People who plan to come when something is new, they'll get them. Now it'll take an extra half-day to see everything, and they'll get that extra night in the hotel." And right now Animal Kingdom – Disney World's most passive and least popular park since it opened in 1998 – may be the one that vacationers most likely try to squeeze into a few hours, or simply skip on a tight schedule. While agreeing that Everest should extend visitors' stays at Animal Kingdom, Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak dismissed the idea that the park now is often a quick visit that people fit in around the other parks. "Animal Kingdom, in and of itself, is a full-day experience. It doesn't have the nighttime appeal the other parks have. It typically closes around 5 o'clock," she said. "But it certainly . . . offers an experience that the other theme parks don't have here at Walt Disney World." Animal Kingdom's attendance of 8.2 million last year still was far ahead of all non-Disney theme parks in North America, according to data published by Amusement Business magazine. But that gate was bolstered by the major celebration tied to Disneyland's 50th anniversary – and the trick is staying popular, Baker said. "It's critical," Baker said of Everest. "You can't maintain your market share . . . without new inclusions every so often, maybe every 18 months or every two years." Yet big new attractions don't guarantee more customers.

• Last year, Universal Studios Orlando opened its Fear Factor Live show but saw a 6 percent drop in attendance compared with a big 2004, when its Revenge of the Mummy ride opened.
• Likewise, attendance fell at Kings Island in Ohio and Knott's Berry Farm in California despite new coasters.
• On the other hand, Mission: Space, which also reportedly cost $100 million, helped turn around Epcot's falling attendance in 2003.
• The last time a major new roller coaster was added to an existing Central Florida park was 2000 with Kraken. SeaWorld saw an 11 percent increase in attendance that year.
  

At Animal Kingdom, Everest also may be key to capturing the attention of teens and young adults who can grow tired of animal safaris, shows and slower rides, industry observers said. "I think they're trying to open the demographic that would be interested in that park," said Jerry Aldrich, president of Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando. Spokeswoman Polak and other Disney officials insisted the ride's main appeal would be familywide, driven not by the physical thrills but by the story line and an adventure conveyed through details and special effects. In fact, Disney officials normally don't even refer to Expedition Everest as a "roller coaster," and the words don't appear in promotional materials, other than with a promise of "coaster-like thrills." It's a "runaway train adventure." The story has riders traveling into the Himalayas, where the mythological yeti – as the Abominable Snowman is called there – protects the region. Disney says the Everest train tops out at about 50 mph with a maximum drop of 80 feet and that at one point it rushes backward. A database on roller coasters, rcdb.com, reports that the ride will be 4,400 feet long, with a maximum height of 112 feet, figures Disney did not confirm. Disney is setting the minimum-height limit for riders at 44 inches. None of those features would place Everest among the top 10 coasters in the United States for speed, drop, length or height. But American Coaster Enthusiasts' Steve Gzesh, who watched test runs in November, declared Everest "a very respectable ride." "And it goes forward and backwards," Gzesh said. "That ought to be pretty cool."

FBI Sent Suspect to Disney World

(IndyStar.com) – When Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban's conspiracy trial ends, the cash-strapped defendant probably won't be going to Disney World. He's already been there once, courtesy of the US government. During Thursday's testimony in Shaaban's federal trial, an FBI agent and one of Shaaban's former trucking company bosses testified about how federal agents helped send his family to Florida in October 2004 so the FBI could surreptitiously search his Greenfield home. Shaaban could call himself today as the final witness in a trial that began Jan. 9 in US District Court. He's accused of trying to sell names of US covert operatives in Iraq to Saddam Hussein's government before the spring 2003 military invasion that toppled his regime.

Pixar, Disney Deal Could Change Digital Landscape

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A possible merger of the Walt Disney Co. and Pixar Animation Studios Inc., if successful, could give Pixar chief Steve Jobs the power to break down barriers that have long existed between online content, computer hardware and digital distribution. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Disney was in talks to buy Pixar for $6.7 billion in stock, making Jobs – who is chief of both Apple Computer Inc. and Pixar – Disney's largest individual shareholder and possibly winning him a place on its board of directors. Jobs could conceivably exert his new-found influence at one of America's biggest content companies, which is home to ESPN, ABC-TV and Walt Disney Studios, to feed Apple's digital music and video download service iTunes. Media companies have been wary about Internet-based delivery of content because of problems with piracy, while personal computer makers have been eager to obtain more content to spur their own sales. Analysts were divided over whether a close association with Apple and its cutting-edge digital delivery system would juice up the value of Disney's extensive film and television library. Jupiter Research analyst David Card liked the idea of a Disney-Pixar tie-up, but said Disney does not need to buy Pixar to continue to expand its online relationship with Apple. "It's not as if Iger and Jobs don't return each other's calls now," Card said. "Jobs would bring a great addition to the Disney board that is not very tech savvy ... but the Disney guys are thinking about this (digital distribution) already."

More Everest theming

everest_1-20-06_036, originally uploaded by Prof Pema Dorje PhD.

From flickr.com

Grrrr...scary Yeti

everest_1-20-06_099, originally uploaded by Prof Pema Dorje PhD.

Expedition Everest opens soon at WDW. Here is a great photo stream from Flickr of the entire attraction, from beginning to end.

Disney, Pixar Permanently Pals?

Are Disney (NYSE: DIS) and Pixar (Nasdaq: PIXR) ready to make amends? If so, will the renewed friendship last? Rumors have been circulating for some time -- intensifying this week after reports in major publications including The Wall Street Journal and Business Week -- that Disney is bidding to purchase Pixar outright. Earlier versions of the speculative whispers had Disney simply buying a portion of the shares held by Pixar majority shareholder Steve Jobs, with the Apple Computer (Nasdaq: AAPL) chieftain being tapped as chairman at Disney; now the rumors have Jobs snaring a seat on Disney's board.
If this seems familiar to Pixar fans, it's probably because the plotline is starting to resemble that of the original Toy Story movie. Old-fashioned cowboy doll Woody once ruled Andy's room. Then spaceman Buzz Lightyear steps in with his fancy lights and lasers, and it wasn't long before Andy had a new favorite toy. Woody and Buzz prove to be fierce rivals, until Woody sets aside his jealousy to realize that he and Buzz can work things out and save the day together.
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It's not a stretch to cast Michael Eisner and Disney as Woody, Jobs and Pixar as Buzz, and the animation industry as Andy. Just as Andy's bedsheets and wallpaper went from a Western theme to a spacey motif, the landscape has changed for Disney. The public wanted Pixar's computer-rendered fare, not Disney's formulaic theatrical animation.
If it was as simple as firing up a fleet of workstations, that would be fine, but it was never just about the technology. When Disney tried its hand at computer animation, it produced the forgettable Dinosaur. When it tried to team up with other third-party computer-animation studios to try to bottle the next Pixar, it got the lamentable Valiant. Disney's own Chicken Little fared respectably well recently, but it fell far short of what Pixar's hit machine had been generating at the box office.
The real-life version of Toy Story might have had a rocky ending if new Disney CEO Bob Iger hadn't taken over for Eisner in the role of Woody last year. At that point, Woody became reconciliatory. When Jobs was looking to establish Apple's video-enabled iPod as an attractive vehicle for content producers, Iger rushed to his aid in offering the best shows on the ABC slate. It was undeniable: Woody and Buzz were becoming the best of friends.
Given the warming trend between the two companies, it won't be surprising if Disney and Pixar strike a deal. With their current production partnership ending after May's release of Cars, it was pretty clear that Disney didn't want to be simply a low-priced distributor for Pixar. By the same token, Pixar had little incentive to yield more than that, unless Disney relinquished ownership rights to the properties that Pixar had created for the House of Mouse.
A buyout ends even the coldest of stalemates. It also would come at a time -- and a price -- that is probably agreeable to Pixar. Its shares are at an all-time high, despite a cloudy future. The studio faces a glut of competition, including rival DreamWorksAnimation's (NYSE: DWA) plans to ramp up its release calendar. Disney and Pixar would be worth more as a combined entity than as bitter foes; a deal would ensure that Pixar continues to release outstanding original titles while maintaining its level of quality in any Disney sequels to Pixar's earlier franchises.
Computer animation, done right, is a booming industry. It's why both Pixar and DreamWorks Animation have been winning recommendations for Motley Fool Stock Advisor subscribers. It's why Woody has every reason to pay the right price to keep Buzz around. Andy's room has proved to be too big for Woody to navigate on his own.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns all of the Pixar releases, and he'll doubtlessly be at the multiplex in four months for Cars. He owns shares in Disney and Pixar.The Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of theRule Breakersnewsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.

Copyright 2006 Motley Fool

Disney in Talks to Buy Animator Pixar

NEW YORK (Reuters / CNN) – Walt Disney Co. is in serious talks about an acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The newspaper report said terms under discussion would have Disney pay a small premium to Pixar's current stock market value of $6.7 billion. The deal would be a stock transaction and make Pixar's chief executive Steve Jobs the biggest individual shareholder in Disney, the newspaper reported. The talks are at a sensitive stage and other options are possible, including an agreement for Disney to distribute Pixar movies, the report said, citing people familiar with the situation. The companies have been partners since Pixar began making feature films with "Toy Story." Currently Pixar and Disney split costs, and Disney effectively has sequel rights to Pixar films. Representatives for Disney and Pixar could not immediately be reached for comment.

ABC's Reasons for Axing "Emily"

(E! OnLine) – ABC has its reasons why not to continue production on Heather Graham's new sitcom. Despite the network's massive promotional effort behind Emily's Reasons Why Not, just 6.2 million viewers tuned in for the Jan. 9 debut of the female-friendly series. Based on its audience's apparent lack of interest in Emily, the Alphabet net elected to preempt the second episode of the sitcom with a rerun of the season premiere of The Bachelor Monday night. Though Graham and friends were slated to return to the lineup next Monday, the network shut down production on the show Friday, following the taping of the sixth episode and a decision by ABC to reduce its original order. Depending on how the Parisian exploits of this season's Bachelor fare with viewers, there's a good chance ABC may decide to pull the plug on Emily for good. "It is a shame," Gavin Polone, the show's executive producer, told Daily Variety. "A lot of people were working really hard and the show kept improving. Sony spent a huge amount of money and were very supportive. I can't fault ABC, though: they promoted it like crazy and when the audience stays away, in this supercompetitive environment, quick decisions are made. That's the television business."

It's funny, but Heather Graham's appearance on Letterman a few weeks ago was so horrible I thought Dave was going to retire when it was over. He was clearly bored out of his mind, and Heather's idea of what made an interesting late night anecdote was like listening to a third grader talk about a mud pie he made earlier that day. Bottom line, this move doesn't surpriseme at all, and I didn't even know when the show was airing (er..aired..one time..ever).

Judge Blasts Bogus Proof, Rejects Claim Against Disney

(NY Law Journal) – If only the PalmPilot had existed in 1995, writers Ronnie Niederman and Judith Shangold might still have a federal case that their idea was swiped by the Walt Disney Co. But the product with that name did not hit the market until 1997 – almost two years after the two plaintiffs claimed they had given Disney a treatment, or basic story line, for a children's animated theatrical feature that contained several references to the hand-held personal organizer. That was too much for Southern District of New York Judge William H. Pauley, who called the purported 1995 treatment "irrefutable evidence" that the two plaintiffs fabricated evidence. Pauley took the rare step of punishing the plaintiffs by dismissing their case. And for good measure, after citing the "substantial burdens" imposed on the defendants, "for more than two years," the judge ordered that the plaintiffs pay the other side's attorney fees in an amount to be determined later. The judge was particularly upset that the plaintiffs stuck to their story after being caught red-handed. "Their egregious conduct was prolonged and calculated to advance their claims," he said in Shangold v. The Walt Disney Co., 03 Civ. 9522. "Even now, in the face of indisputable evidence, Plaintiffs do not relent."

The pair wrote their first treatment of the series "Starmond the Wizard," or "Starmond," in 1989. Referred to in the litigation as T1, it was rejected by Disney in 1994 as "an unexciting, confusing and mostly listless fairy tale ... that does little to merit further consideration." The pair claimed they revised the T1 in 1995 to add a baseball story line in five pages of handwritten notes. This alleged revision, called T1a, made several references to the term "Palm Pilot." "However, handheld devices with that name did not exist at the time Plaintiffs claim they created T1a," Pauley said. In fact, it was not until November 1995, about five months after the T1a was supposedly submitted to Disney, that Palm Computing Inc. learned through a trademark search that it could not call its promising handheld idea "Taxi" and elected instead to call it the "Pilot." This did not stop the plaintiffs from ultimately suing Disney and its subsidiary, Miramax Books in 2003 for stealing their idea by publishing "Summerland," a novel by author Michael Chabon that used a baseball theme.

D'oh.

Expedition Everest Set for Disney's Animal Kingdom

NEW YORK (AP) – A new ride called Expedition Everest is opening at Disney World's Animal Kingdom in Orlando in April, but New Yorkers will get a peek at the excitement when Disney brings a preview to Times Square next month. Disney plans to transform the exteriors of the W Hotel and the adjacent Argent building at Broadway and 47th Street into a gigantic backdrop of Mount Everest. An aerial acrobatic troupe will perform there Feb. 15 and 16 on a stage 57 stories high, rappelling down the mountain and coming face to face with a Himalayan yeti – the legendary abominable snowman. An animatronic beast will also be part of the thrill when the ride opens at the Florida theme park. The attraction is designed to resemble an old mountain railway, taking guests to the foot of Mount Everest through bamboo forests, past thundering waterfalls and into snowcapped peaks before plunging through canyons to an encounter with the angry yeti. Expedition Everest will be surrounded by a mythical village at Animal Kingdom called Serka Zong. Based on research by a Disney team that traveled to Nepal, the village will be decorated with prayer flags and carvings and will include buildings, plants and trees designed to look like the real thing. On their way to boarding the train, riders can see artifacts from Nepalese culture and learn about the yeti, the Himalayas and the mountaineers who've climbed Everest. Disney researchers were accompanied on their trips to Asia by teams from Conservation International and the Discovery Networks. Discovery plans to air a series of cable specials in April about the journey and the creation of the Disney ride. Although the ride officially opens April 7, Disney will start informal test runs on Expedition Everest next month, so you might have a chance to check it out if you're visiting Orlando in February or March. Children must be at least 44 inches tall to ride.

Theme Parks Put on Party Hats for Convention Goers

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – By day, an estimated 100,000 building industry professionals roamed the Orange County Convention Center this week looking for new customers and products. But at night, large crowds moved to the theme parks, where corporations tried to impress clients by outdoing each other with private, themed dinners with price tags in excess of $90,000 for just a few hours of exclusive access to attractions. Orlando's theme parks are often a major lure for the nation's most-attended and biggest-spending conventions and, in turn, reap the rewards of deep-pocketed corporations trying to top competi-tors. Last year Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando became Gold Key Members to the convention center, a distinction that gives them an inside track to attendees and their expense accounts. Universal has held that status for about four years. In exchange for $125,000 a year in cash and products, the parks are included from the beginning stages of negotiating and planning a convention, giving them more ac-cess and time to market their private parties to each show's decision makers. "They're looking for ways to differentiate themselves from their competition at the show," said George Aguel, a senior vice president of Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts. "You can't really duplicate that anywhere else in the country."

• On Friday night, Disney planned to host a nearly 400-person party and dinner at Animal Kingdom's African village with a private showing of the park's Festival of the Lion King for Window Classics, a window and door company in town for the International Builders' Show. In addition to the exclusive access to the park, the company also arranged for buses to pick up its clients who are attending. "It's the hot ticket," said Joel Garcia, the Florida-based president of Window Classics. "Everybody wants to try to get invited." The company is spending about $90,000 on the party, about $20,000 more than it dropped last year on an event at Epcot.
• Universal hosted several private events, including a party at CityWalk on Thursday night for 4,000 members of the National Association of Home Builders. Other events at Universal include Revenge of the Mummy themed parties with food, entertainment and ride access.
• SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said the park hosted several events this week. Typically, par-ties range from luaus on the beaches of Discovery Cove to cocktails at the Shark Encounter. Prices, she said, can vary just as much. "It is a lucrative business for us," Bides said.

The parks, which also host conventions at their facilities, have for years offered event-planning services, but are now realizing the benefits of Orlando's growing convention business. Kathie Canning, deputy general manager of the convention center, said the theme parks are helpful when Orlando is competing with other cities such as Las Vegas for big conventions. "We're putting forward a united effort and the cli-ents feel wanted," Canning said. "We're showing our clients that the theme parks are not just for the tour-ists, but they can do major entertainment events with groups."

'Narnia' Crosses $580 Million at Global Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – With its fourth consecutive weekend atop the foreign box office, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" crossed the $580 million mark glob-ally, and is increasingly inspiring talk of a new film franchise. Disney's adaptation of the C.S. Lewis classic earned an estimated $20.1 million overseas last weekend, pushing its international tally to $319 million (the domestic total stands at $261.4 million). Since the film covers material from just two of the seven vol-umes of C.S. Lewis "The Chronicles of Narnia" books, there is plenty of material for future "Narnia" screen adaptations, according to David Kornblum, vp international theatrical sales and distribution at Dis-ney's Buena Vista Intl. unit.

• The film had its opening weekend in Turkey – which, along with Poland and Russia, is becoming an increasingly strong market for the Hollywood majors – grossing $890,000.
• In its sixth weekend in the UK, "Narnia" pulled $2.4 million, taking its local total to a robust $70.7 mil-lion.
• In Poland, "Narnia" drew a strong $1 million, No. 1 for a second weekend; its total there is $3.1 million.
• In Australia, the fourth weekend drew $1.8 million, for a total of $21.6 million.
• In its third weekend in South Korea, a market that largely prefers action titles, "Narnia" drew $1.6 million for a local tally of $12 million. Disney expects that within a week, the film will pass "Pirates of the Caribbean" as the company's biggest live action grosser in South Korea.

The international arena's second biggest grosser this weekend was "King Kong, which yielded an esti-mated $15 million from 57 territories, for a 32-day international total of $296 million. The Peter Jackson remake had a strong opening in China, $3.1 million (surpassing "War Of The Worlds" as Universal's big-gest China opening), and rebounded two places to No. 3 in Britain with $2.3 million. While "Kong" slipped in Spain and Germany and is tailing off in Brazil, it maintained its No. 1 spot in Jackson's native New Zea-land with a 33-day total of $5.3 million. "Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire" wound down its international run with a weekend tally of $6.6 million in 56 markets. The foreign total now stands at $582.5 million.