Category: Disney

One focuses on the magic, the other on the machinations As the hordes of tourists recede with the dying summer, the theme parks suddenly remember those of us who actually live in Orlando. The next three months are by far the best time of year for locals to visit the attractions, with shorter waits and…

A giant book that stands 12 feet tall and 9.5 feet wide is making history this morning at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando.It's not one for reading, however — it's for photographs.Boasting a new Guinness World Record as the largest photo album, the book is being celebrated at the Scrappers Dream Vacation convention at the…

Calling all moms: Is a trip to Walt Disney World Resort your idea of the perfect family vacation? Do you know where to find the one and only campfire marshmallow roast at Walt Disney World Resort? Have you ever been to one of the resort's baby care centers to change and feed your little one?…

Walt Disney World and several produce and insurance companies have settled a lawsuit that emerged from a 2002 salmonella outbreak at the giant resort.Disney and the other companies did not disclose the terms. Likewise, Disney and the Boston woman who filed a suit against Disney and the produce companies in 2004 also settled last spring,…

ESPN, the cable television network that has driven profit growth at Walt Disney Co. much of this decade, may produce smaller gains in coming years, crimping the stock price of the second-largest media company. Professional football, baseball, basketball and auto racing contracts that take effect by October 2009 will boost expenses by $1.02 billion a…

Walt Disney World visitors could someday order line-skipping, "FastPass" ride tickets from their cell phones or home computers, and could receive preferential treatment based on the price of their Disney accommodations, using a new technology the resort's parent company is developing.The technology, which the Walt Disney Co. is seeking to patent, would use central computers…

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL star OLESYA RULIN has started taking piano lessons, after faking her musical skills in the Disney TV movies. The Russian beauty, 21, plays composer/pianist Kelsi Nielsen in both High School Musical movies and hopes to be able to play the instrument by the time they start filming the third movie next year…

Although Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille crossed the $200-million mark at the domestic box office over the weekend, some Pixar executives are blaming Disney's marketing staff for failing to create a promotional campaign for the movie that would have pushed it into the top-five for the year, asToy Story was in 1995 (No. 1); A Bug's Life was…

The Walt Disney company has had extraordinary success in imprinting its adapted fairy tales on the collective American consciousness. The marching dwarves in "Snow White" and the charming mice in "Cinderella" are reference points for generations of audiences who would find the original stories quaint and disturbing — if they even bothered to seek them…

Disney is in for a Bollywood flavour and as it gets ready to launch its Hollywood blockbusters in India, it is quickly sealing deals. The latest one being with the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio for its Hollywood chartbuster 'High School Musical'. "The creativity in India is great. We definitely wanted a Bollywood touch to 'High…

Animation Magazine reported a rumor that Disney is campaigning heavily to win broadcast rights to George Lucas' proposed computer-animated Star Wars series Clone Wars. The magazine, citing JimHillMedia, also reported that Disney wants to turn a portion of Tomorrowland in Disneyland over to Lucas so that new Star Wars-related attractions can be added to the…

It now costs more to park at Walt Disney World. Over the weekend, the company raised its parking rates by $1 per car. That means it now costs $11 dollars to park at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, or Animal Kingdom. Parking remains free at other Disney areas, including the water parks and Downtown Disney.  

Walt Disney World's Contemporary, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts were designated Tuesday by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as the 34th, 35th and 36th Florida hotels in its Florida Green Lodging Program. The program is a voluntary state initiative that provides the hotel industry with technical assistance and encourages it to adopt…

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 5 (UPI) — The seven space shuttle Endeavour astronauts who returned to Earth Aug. 21 will be honored this week during ceremonies at Florida's Walt Disney World.The Endeavour crew will meet with reporters, attend a plaque dedication atDisney World's Epcot theme park and answer questions submitted by park guests. The National Aeronautics…

Jeffrey Katzenberg is determined to show that 3D's time has arrived Early in his days as a Hollywood climber, Jeffrey Katzenberg was known around town for his tenacious pursuit of hot movie scripts. Thirty years later, the hyperkinetic mogul no longer confines his obsessions to screenplays. If you happen to be sitting at the corner…

In Part 1 of our set visit for Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, we gave an overview of our visit to the sets and exterior locations in and around Prague, briefly mentioning a few of the people we spoke to. We also ran a brief interview with the film's director Andrew Adamson, who was…

The original wholesome family-values company, Disney has long been a part of the videogames industry. With so many well-established character franchises in the TV and movie worlds, a transition to videogames was an obvious step. Still mainly known for content geared towards children, the ever-increasing average age of gamers – as well as the influx…

The story of Dorothy A. Miller is about her all-consuming promotion of "God's Story: From Creation to Eternity." The 80-minute DVD released in 1996 contains a script written by Miller and is narrated by actor Dean Jones, the star of many Disney movies. "He did it because he thought it was a great project," said…

Carlos Carballo blazed his way to a record-setting first-place finish at today's Disneyland Half Marathon.The American runner completed the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 10 minutes, 7 seconds – for a blistering 5:20-mile pace and a race record. Kevin Broady won the inaugural race last year in 1:11:29.Suzy Schumacher won the women's race in 1:24:07,…

One popular Disney attraction is set to reopen as another is set to go under a rehab. The Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom has been closed since June 6 while Imagineers update the 36-year-old ride and add new shots, audio and visual effects. It is tentatively set to reopen on September 13. The Rock…

Walt Disney Co. has broadened its strategy by offering more vacation opportunities of its own throughout the world. Adventures by Disney, the company's 2-year-old and rapidly expanding package-vacation program, will add eight more locations next year, including trips to Peru, China, Australia — and Southern California, the company announced last week.The trips include Disney-arranged stays,…

Having hit marketing paydirt years ago by repackaging several animated Disney heroines together under the joint label Disney Princesses, Disney continues to cater to their heretofore neglected market – young girls – with a series of DVDs promoting this incredibly lucrative line of products.Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreamsshouldn't ever be considered anything other…

Winner’s Dream Comes True After Race Through Disneyland Resort Parks and Streets of Anaheim ANAHEIM, Calif. (September 3, 2007) – Carlos Carballo, 24, of Cathedral City, Calif.,  posted a time of 1:10:07 to lead the field of more than 13,000 registered runners to victory in the Disneyland Half Marathon. The Half Marathon, affectionately dubbed “The…

Like most movie musicals, High School Musical 2 had a very happy ending — for Disney Channel this summer. The network, buoyed by the cable-record-shattering sequel to High School Musical, won the primetime summer ratings race, according to Nielsen Media Research data released Tuesday. Disney Channel averaged a 2.5 household rating this summer, up 9%…