Category: Disney
From cfnews13.com:
If you are a member of the American Association of Retired Persons, Walt Disney World is in the process of offering you exclusive discounts and benefits.
The AARP has announced it will work with Walt Disney World during the next few months to find ways to attract older adults.
News 13 asked a few local seniors in Lake Mary what might get them out to Disney World.
“If Disney wants to get the locals out, I guess you all might have to consider some lower cost opportunities for us,” said Sandra Ogrean, of College Park.
“Maybe put together a day for the seniors where — you know, we’re already on Social Security — if we could go over there and be able to spend a day, or maybe a half day at Disney,” suggested Angelica Velilla, of Sanford.
Here is what might happen for AARP members:
* You could get discounts on merchandise from disneyshopping.com.
* Unique experiences at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, and Flower and Garden Festival.
* Special initiatives for grandparents.
The only thing that has been confirmed is this new relationship between AARP and Walt Disney World.
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Posted by Dr. Disney on September 23, 2008 at 5:05 pm · Permalink
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Category: Disney, Movies, Universal Studios
From bloggingstocks.com:
Since General Electric (NYSE: GE) is reeling from the financial crisis that’s currently gripping Wall Street, there’s no doubt that a little Hollywood magic might be in order, something to take its corporate mind off reality for at least a little while.
Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, that might happen. Steven Spielberg needs to move his DreamWorks company over to a new studio, and it looks like NBC Universal is at the front of the pack in the race to secure his business.
The pairing of Spielberg and Universal would be logically sound. He certainly had a better time over at that lot than he did at Viacom’s (NYSE: VIA) Paramount. There is, however, one other studio that is in the running. The article seems to imply that Disney (NYSE: DIS) has a shot with Spielberg as well, although the way I read it, the Mouse is a distant second in the contest. Disney wouldn’t be a good fit. As much as CEO Bob Iger would love to hold meetings with the most famous director in Hollywood (and the world, for that matter), a DreamWorks distribution deal just doesn’t make sense since the company is really into getting a lot of bang for its capital buck. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Dr. Disney on September 23, 2008 at 5:02 pm · Permalink
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Category: Disney, Collectibles
From patriotledger.com:
California native and miniaturist extraordinaire Dale Varner of Milwaukie, Ore., arrived in Marceline, Mo., on Wednesday to begin arranging, touching up and making minor repairs to the scale version of Disneyland that he has been working on for more than 40 years.
The miniature is on permanent public display at the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in the Missouri town.
Varner, who suffered a somewhat debilitating case of rheumatic fever as a child, became interested in creating miniatures with the encouragement of his parents.
His brother made model cars and planes, which did not appeal to him; however, he was interested in creating miniatures. So, the budding artist turned his love of Disneyland into a serious lifelong hobby of recreating the buildings, rides, and scenery back in the early ‘60s.
To date, he has visited Disneyland no less than 50 times. He has also been to Disney World, but feels that Disneyland is the place that truly brings Walt Disney’s dream to life.
The miniaturist contacted Walt Disney by letter in 1964, asking if he could obtain photos of the park. Disney forwarded the letter to the publicity department, and Varner has since collected literally hundreds of publicity photos. He has also taken a vast number of photos himself when at the park studying the particular architecture of the different buildings. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Dr. Disney on September 22, 2008 at 12:49 pm · Permalink
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Category: Disney
www.dallasnews.com
Poor Miss Piggy. Like most aging stars in Hollywood, that prima donna pig, along with most of her Muppet pals, has struggled to find substantial roles. Almost nobody under the age of 30 remembers “Pigs in Space.” What’s a down-on-her-luck puppet to do?
Walt Disney Co. feels her pain. Since it bought Miss Piggy, Kermit and crew in 2004, executives have struggled to figure out how to put them to work. Efforts in 2005 to rejuvenate the furry creatures created by Jim Henson sputtered as the Muppets got lobbed between corporate divisions.
Now Disney is giving it another go. This time the Muppets are getting the Hannah Montana treatment, being blasted into every pop-culture nook and cranny that the company owns.
“We think there is a Muppet gene in everybody,” said Lylle Breier, a Disney executive who is the new general manager of Muppets Studio. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Dr. Disney on September 22, 2008 at 9:07 am · Permalink
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Category: Disney
From wftv.com:
A man convicted of molesting a young girl at a Disney hotel will spend the next 30 years behind bars. William Bishop, 58, molested the child in the bushes at the Swan Hotel in April of 2007. He was sentenced Friday morning in an Orange County courtroom.
Neither the little girl nor her parents were present Friday, but their presence was certainly felt when the prosecutor read their emotional letter.
Moments after convicted child molester William Bishop entered the courtroom, he, along with everyone else, heard prosecutor Linda Drain read a letter written by the victim’s parents urging the judge to lock him up for life.
“She’s a brave little girl who should be thinking about playing soccer and having fun with friends, not this,” Drain read. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Dr. Disney on September 19, 2008 at 12:41 pm · Permalink
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Category: Disney, Theme Parks
From attractionsmagazine.com:
The Walt Disney Company held an event in New York City this afternoon to announce 2009’s follow-up to the Year of a Million Dreams which they’re calling, What will you celebrate?
Everyone who visits a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park on their birthday in 2009 can get in free. Locals and regulars, before you ask, this new offer does not entitle Passholders or multi-day ticket holders to cash refund or credit, but you can choose from other birthday treats instead. To register for the birthday ticket, guests will be required to visit disneyparks.com.
The goal of the new promotion is to bring people together at Disney theme parks for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, reunions, and more. In-park decorations will read “Celebrate Today!”, inviting Cast Members and guests alike to join in on any ongoing celebrations. For many years, Disney has provided a wide selection of free buttons to guests if they are celebrating a special event. Now, these buttons will signify that guests are taking part in the larger celebration at-hand.
Additional special amenities can be purchased in advance to add to the celebration experience, including custom cakes & desserts, family portraits, personalized souvenirs, guest room decorations, behind-the-scenes tours, and more.
There will be also celebratory street parties in Magic Kingdom and a Tomorrowland video dance party.
So if you’re planning a Disney vacation, make it a birthday vacation and you’ll at least get one free day in the parks. However, according to one survey, October 5th is the day in which the most birthdays are celebrated, so you might want to avoid the parks on that day. Likewise, according to the same survey, May 22nd is the day with the least birthdays, which will make for a great day to short lines for rides!
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Posted by Ricky on September 18, 2008 at 1:14 pm · Permalink
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Category: Disney, Movies, Theme Parks
From variety.com:
After turning the theme park ride “Pirates of the Caribbean” into a blockbuster film trilogy, Disney is circling an entire segment of its theme park — Tomorrowland — as inspiration for a space movie that will star Dwayne Johnson.
The studio has set scribes Jon Lucas and Scott Moore to draft an epic-sized action adventure set in space. The film is being designed as a vehicle for Johnson, who starred for the studio in family hit “The Game Plan” and most recently completed “Race to Witch Mountain.”
Disney denies the film has been titled “Tomorrowland” or is dedicated to the park’s section, a futuristic area of the Magic Kingdom that includes such attractions as Space Mountain. The studio called the nascent project an original script.
The film would be produced by Mayhem Pictures partners Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, who produced “The Game Plan.”
The scribes most recently wrote the upcoming Matthew McConaughey-Jennifer Garner starrer “The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” from New Line, as well as comedy “The Hangover,” which Todd Phillips will direct for Warner Bros.
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Posted by Ricky on September 18, 2008 at 10:21 am · Permalink
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Category: Disney
From orlandosentinel.com:
More bad luck for baseball in Central Florida.
The Tampa Bay Rays finally have developed into a good team, but they may not be able to return next season for regular-season games at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
Major League Baseball released its tentative 2009 master schedule today, and unless that schedule undergoes some unforeseen alterations, the Rays could be locked out of Disney.
The reason is this: The tentative schedule provides no good windows that the club has preferred traditionally.
The Rays want to play at Disney only in April or May because afternoon and evening rainstorms are less likely during those months than in the summertime. In addition, the Rays prefer to play weekday games in Orlando and keep their weekend home games in St. Petersburg so they can generate more revenue.The Rays also have wanted an off-day either before or after a series in the Orlando area. This is particularly important because the team has to secure permission from the Major League Baseball Players Association to play home games away from Tropicana Field.
Given all those factors, the 2009 schedule Major League Baseball released Wednesday doesn’t look good for the Rays returning to Central Florida next year.
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Posted by Dr. Disney on September 17, 2008 at 6:23 pm · Permalink
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Category: Disney, Movies
www.allheadlinenews.com
Disney star Miley Cyrus will be starring in a still untitled film for her mother studio. The new movie will be tailor-made especially for her by “The Notebook” author Nicholas Sparks.
Sparks - author of top-selling novels that were turned to films such as “Message in a Bottle” and “A Walk to Remember” - is simultaneously writing the untitled novel and its screenplay adaptation.
As per Variety, the idea for the project came after Disney executive Jason Reed met with the 15-year-old singer/actress, who expressed her desire to evolve from a teen star to a young adult actress.
The author then came back with an idea for a novel that caught Cyrus’ attention. They are keeping the storyline a secret.
The novel will be published in the fall next year by Grand Central Publishing.
Posted by Dr. Disney on September 17, 2008 at 6:21 pm · Permalink
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Category: Disney
disney vacations
Now’s the perfect time to save when you set sail on a 3- or 4-night Disney dream cruise to The Bahamas! Imagine a voyage filled with different kinds of enchantment for everyone of every age.
Experience Disney’s world-class entertainment…
including original Disney Cruise Line productions like the all-new Toy Story—The Musical stage show, inspired by Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story” films.
Enjoy legendary Disney service. And discover a world of tropical wonders on the sugar-white sands of the most magical island ever discovered—Disney’s private paradise, Castaway Cay.
3-Night Cruise $469 / 4-Night Cruise $539 (with restrictions and limitations)
CALL 1-800-951-2647 (book on-line with disneycruise.disney.go.com and get $25 on-board credit)
Posted by Dr. Disney on September 16, 2008 at 8:50 am · Permalink
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