THE MAGIC IS COMING TO NEW YORK: Disney Cruise Line takes Broadway to the high seas

They make it look so easy.

They sing. They dance. They recite their lines and hit their marks, even as hydraulic lifts rise up and down within inches of their feet and the boat occasionally sways ever so slightly to and fro, making for sometimes unsteady underpinnings.

And one lucky performer gets to do all this while wearing a 55-pound, Swarovski crystal-studded Cinderella gown.

On the Disney Magic’s eight-night Bahamian cruises out of New York next year, a talented cast of 30 singers and dancers will take part in four different stage productions in front of packed houses in the grand Walt Disney Theatre.  Read More...

Limited Broadway Run for Disney’s ‘Newsies’

In a break from its traditionally lavish approach to Broadway, Disney Theatrical Productions announced plans on Tuesday to mount a low-budget, three-month run of its new show “Newsies the Musical” in New York this spring, limiting its financial risk after two costly flops.



This new entry for the Broadway season, which so far has a thin lineup of original musicals, is a fast move by a company that usually prepares productions years in advance. Disney is known for planning and spending many millions of dollars on Broadway musicals, like its current hits “The Lion King” and “Mary Poppins,” and on major advertising campaigns aimed at laying the groundwork for long runs in New York and future national and international tours. Read More...

Apple Names Levinson Chairman, Disney’s Bob Iger to Board

Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. beefed up its board by appointing Art Levinson as chairman, filling a vacancy left by the death of Steve Jobs, and adding Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger as a director.




Levinson, on Apple’s board since 2000, becomes non- executive chairman, the Cupertino, California-based company said yesterday in a statement.



Adding Iger may cement ties to Disney, on whose board Jobs had a seat, and may ensure that Apple retains access to the entertainment company’s TV shows and movies, said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray Cos. Levinson’s appointment lets Tim Cook concentrate on being CEO without the added responsibility of being chairman, he said.  Read More...

Disney's John Carter adaptation goes back to the future of film

With suited-up actors playing 12-foot Martians in locations based on Earth's natural sights, this is a triumph for old-style film-making that could make its competitors look prehistoric


Every time I write about John Carter, I find myself wanting to sell it to you. Usually, writing this blog requires a careful suppression of my naturally benevolent attitude towards fantasy fare in the knowledge that most of these movies don't end up being half as great as we expect them to be. But Disney's adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars books is such a preposterous proposition – the opener to a mega-budget franchise, directed by a first-time live-action film-maker, set on a Mars that doesn't remotely resemble the real red planet and based on a series of books from a weird outdated genre which hardly anyone has read – that I can't help rooting for it.   Read More...

Disney Adds More Streaming

Rivals Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. unveiled separate deals with Walt Disney Co. to offer ABC and Disney Channel shows over the Internet.



The deals are the latest efforts by the streaming-video providers to build their libraries and attract subscribers. For content owners like Disney, the new deals are part of a gold rush as they look to cash in on what they see as a new marketplace for selling older TV shows and movies, even as other revenue sources like DVDs recede.



Amazon's subscription-based, unlimited streaming service has closed in on Netflix of late, adding more than 11,000 titles from companies such as CBS Corp. since February.  Read More...

Woman's body found in Walt Disney World employee parking lot

A body of a woman was found in a Walt Disney World employee parking lot early Tuesday morning. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the body was discovered around 1 a.m. by a security guard.




Police have not released the identity of the woman or how she died, but the Orange County Sheriff's Office said the death was not a homicide.  Read More...

Johnny Depp Banned From Talking 'The Rum Diary' With ABC Affiliates

Disney has apparently banned ABC affiliates from speaking with and videotaping Johnny Depp when it concerns his new film, The Rum Diary.




The actor arrived at the Austin Film Festival on Friday where The Rum Diary will be screened and he’s accepting an award from the festival’s organizers for his “Extraordinary Contribution to Film.” But, if you’re watching on an ABC affiliate, you won’t be hearing what Depp has to say on either topic.  More...

NYCC: The Disney/Marvel Kids Panel

If a panel starts out with a father explaining Doc Samson to his ten-year old son, then you know it's going to be mighty fun. That's exactly how the Disney/Marvel Kids panel kicked off, as the next generation of true believers filed into the presentation room with parents in tow. The attendees were greeted with cardboard Spider-Man masks and a guidebook to Disney's current line of Marvel storybooks that featured a foldout Avengers poster. Moderator Tomas Palacios then introduced the all-ages crowd to the panel, including Senior Editor of Disney Publishing Michael Siglain, Disney's Director of School & Library Marketing Dina Sherman, writer Rich Thomas, artists Val Semeiks and Craig Rousseau, Editor of Disney Publishing Nachie Castro and Senior Vice President of Marvel Ruwan Jayatilleke. Read More...

1st rooms in new Disney hotel to open May 31

By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
10:45 PM EDT, October 10, 2011
The first phase of Walt Disney World's newest hotel will open May 31, the company said Monday.
The giant resort began taking reservations several months ago for Disney's Art of Animation Resort, though company officials said it is too early to glean anything from the pace of bookings.

"But, certainly there is a passion that's out there," said Kevin Myers, vice president of resort operations for Disney World.
The first of the hotel's four phases to open will be a Finding Nemo-themed wing of family suites. It will include a pool that, at roughly 12,000 square feet, will be the largest swimming pool at any of Disney World's two-dozen hotels and time shares.  Read more...

AVATAR comes to the Animal Kingdom

Today at a press conference at Walt Disney Imagineering, Bob Iger and Tom Staggs announced a long-term creative partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the fantasy world of AVATAR to life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort.


James Cameron and his producing partner Jon Landau and their team at Lightstorm Entertainment will serve as creative consultants on the project and will work side-by-side with Walt Disney Imagineers as they dream up experiences that will take guests deep into worlds of AVATAR like never before. There are also two sequels to the record setting first film in the works, which will offer more fascinating stories, characters and locations to explore in the AVATAR universe. Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort is planned as the site of the first AVATAR-themed land with construction expected to begin by 2013.

Disney to close Grand Floridian spa for 18 months

According to the Orlando Sentinel  Walt Disney World is closing the spa at its most-expensive resort for 18 months as the company embarks on an expansion project at the hotel.


The spa the Grand Floridian hotel — one of only two full-service spas in Disney World — will shut down Sept. 19.

"We are in the early stages of an expansion project at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa," Disney spokesman Bryan Malenius said Friday. The spa will "temporarily close this fall as part of a planned renovation."


The Grand Floridian is considered one of the top spots to stay on Disney property. With nearly 900 rooms, the Victorian-themed hotel has standard room rates that begin at $440 a night.  More....

Select Disney Cruise Line merchandise for sale off ships

From the Orlando Sentinel... For the first time, current Disney Cruise Line merchandise is available at a location other than onboard the Dream, Wonder and Magic ships. DisneyStore.com has begun stocking DCL items, StitchKingdom.com first reported.


Beginning Monday, Aug. 1 — the official launch date of the program — customers will be able to search disneycruise.com/store to find a variety of goods, a DCL spokesperson confirmed. The current line includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and mouse ears for children and adults; a photo album, frames and a scrapbooking kit; a tote bags and a compact umbrella; a Christmas ornament; a couple of plush characters; and more.  Read More...

Disney Memories For Charity Shared By Stars

Stars including Sir Michael Caine, Ashley Jensen and Thandie Newton have shared their favourite memories of Walt Disney tales to raise money for a U.K. children's charity.


Former Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Melanie Chisholm, and Harry Potter stars Jason Isaacs and Julie Walters, have also revealed their beloved moments from the films as part of Great Ormond Street Hospital's Million Disney Memories drive, which aims to raise $1.6 million (£1 million).  Read More...

Disney Gives Princesses The Boot

At the end of last year, just before the holidays, Disney announced that they would cease making princess movies. Women around the world took in a collective gasp, some of relief and others of horror. The era of the Disney princess was drawing to a close.

The actual statement made by Disney executives says fairy tale movies, but since the majority of Disney’s fairy tale movies have revolved around princesses, it means practically the same thing. Especially when you read further and learn the reason they are putting princesses aside: Boys won’t see movies with icky girls in them, and Disney does not want to risk alienating any boys.

I don't understand this move at all.  Disney has been Princess centered for years, they have been to some extent alienating boys for years, and they have made billions of dollars.  Why stop making princess movies?  Did I miss something, wasn't Tangled a box office hit?

Instead, why doesn't  Disney just add more boy centered movies and shows.  Disney should be able to make girl movies and boy movies at the same time. 

Disney, Pirates and Legos.... Awesome

Some things are just awesome - pirates and LEGO are two such beasts. And when their powers combine, they make the awesomest news we've heard all week.




Traveller's Tales, the developers of the much-loved LEGO series of games, which combine relatively simple platforming, adorable LEGO characters and a good dose of slapstick humour for great measure, have yesterday announced that the next franchise to get the LEGO treatment (following in the footsteps of Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Harry Potter) would be Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, in a partnership we're sure no-one saw coming.


Washing up on the Wii, DS and Xbox 360 in May 2011, to coincide with the release of the new film, 'On Stranger Tides', the game won't just contain levels from the new film, with the three previous films 'Curse of the Black Pearl', 'Dead Man's Chest' and 'At World's End' all getting a digital plastic recreation in the 20+ levels in the game, along with more than 70 different playable characters (I want that angry little monkey). The LEGO standard 2 player co-op is still intact with this game too, which is good news.  Read more here...

The First "Prom" Trailer

"Prom" portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite. For Nova Prescott, it's a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei and Tyler harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school's most seminal events.






The movie has cast ensemble consisting of young stars like "Friday Night Lights" actress Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Yin Chang, De'Vaughn Nixon and many others. Directed by Joe Nussbaum ("Sleepover", "Sydney White") and written by Katie Wech ("The Dead Zone"), the drama comedy is slated for April 29, 2011 release in the U.S.

Will Disney take Gowalla to the Top?

Disney on Thursday announced a geolocation partnership with Gowalla and may take the whole sector mainstream.


The companies announced a deal where Disney will use Gowalla--a social network where you share places you visit with pass port stamps--in its resorts. In a nutshell, visitors to Disney World and Disneyland can connect with family and friends through custom Disney Gowalla pages. When guests visit a park or ride they can use Gowalla's Passport Stamps to allow others to track their experience.



Read more of "Can Disney take geolocation, Gowalla mainstream?" at ZDNet.

Mickey Mouse and the rest of the Disney world are a big part of the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara

It’s Canada’s largest illuminated lights festival, with more than three million tree and ground lights twinkling in the Winter Wonderland. It features not only the world’s largest Canadian-American flag but also Canada’s largest illuminated menorah. This year, the more than 120 illuminated and animated light displays that make up Niagara Falls CAA Winter Festival of Lights are expected to draw as many as one million visitors.
Shouldn’t you be one of them?
More than just a display of glitter, the Winter Festival of Lights is live music performances, family events, celebrity appearances and fun for kids of all ages. Disney Canada, a partner of the festival since 1992, is always a big part of the show. Fans of Disney will love such displays as Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantasia. Be sure to look for the eight gorgeous Disney princesses: Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Snow White and Pocahontas.
From the lights at Niagara Falls, the popular displays that fill the Winter Wonderland along a five-kilometre stretch of the Niagara Parkway to the regular fireworks displays and the transformation of Lundy’s Lane into Candy Cane Lane, the Winter Festival of Lights has been a Niagara mainstay since 1983.
This year, you’ll be able to enjoy the spectacle from November 6 to January 31.
The switch will be flipped to begin this year’s celebration on November 6 at 5:45 p.m. and visitors will be treated to an extravaganza of sound and light featuring the music of the Festival of Lights Choir, the showmanship of Magician Greg Frewin and the sparkle of three million lights blazing into the night, illuminating Queen Victoria Park and the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland.
Admission is free (although roving Festival of Lights ambassadors will willingly accept any donations to help offset the cost of the event), and parking lots are nearby. If you want to be sure of a seat, BYOLC (bring your own lawn chair.)

'Tron: Uprising' Animated Series to Debut in 2012 With All-Star Voice Cast

Confirming television rumors that have persisted since the film was first put into production, Disney has announced Tron: Uprising, a new animated series based on the new movie, Tron: Legacy. The series will debut in 2012 on action adventure channel Disney XD courtesy of some of the minds behind Samurai Jack and Tron: Legacy itself, and feature the voices of Elijah Wood, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Mandy Moore, Paul Reubens and Lance Henriksen. Bruce Boxleitner will also reprise his role as Tron.




Executive Produced by Samurai Jack's Charlie Bean, Tron: Uprising will also staff Legacy writers Edward Kitis and Adam Horowitz as well as Legacy co-producer Justin Springer. Created under the auspices of Disney TV Animation, Disney Channels Worldwide entertainment prexy Gary Marsh told Variety that the new show is "a culmination of an extraordinary collaboration between Disney Television Animation and our feature film studio."

Keith Richards may be out of Pirates 4 due to new book

According to the Drudge report, Disney may be rethinking having Keith Richards continue his role in the Pirates franchise.

In his just released tell all book "Life", Richards reportedly speaks openly about his drug use and appears to still be a proponent of illegal substances. 

Not shocking to anyone, this image doesn't mesh with the Disney image.  Disney executives are reportedly deciding on if they should remove Richards from his role as Jack Sparrow's father and re-shoot or just cut all of his scenes.