Disney and More: Goodbye Disneyland Paris Epcot

Disney and More has found the mythical artwork created at Walt Disney Imagineering showcasing a monorail system and an Epcot-style park for Disneyland Paris.

Meet Ace

Tom Fitzgerald, EVP & Senior Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, has started a series of posts for the official Disney Parks Blog on the development of the new Star Tours.

Today, after his presentation at the Destination D event, he posted an entry showcasing two new droids created for the redesigned Star Tours: a "spokesbot" voiced by actress Allison Janney and new tour pilot Ace.

Destination D Live Coverage

MiceChat is constantly updating with live coverage from today and tomorrow's Destination D event at the Disneyland Resort.

They're only updating with interesting things, like the Hatbox Ghost coming back.

Disney Interactive Chief Resigns

A tenure marked by a litany of tepid strategies in quick succession.

The Wall Street Journal (Subscription required):

[Disney Interactive Media Group]'s difficulty defining its mission had been a source of frustration for senior Disney executives, including Mr. Iger, who has frequently cited the need for media companies like his to embrace new technologies wholeheartedly. While some of Disney's efforts in new media have been robust, others have been fragmented.

One potential replacement being floated is John Pleasants, current EVP at Disney and prior CEO of recently acquired Playdom. Pleasants previously worked for gaming giant EA.

But...

he’s not the only possibility if Iger wants to promote from within a group that includes entrepreneurs and Disney execs. The EVP level includes Lane Merrifield, Disney Online Studios and Co-Founder and GM of Club Penguin; Disney vets Larry Shapiro, EVP-Business Development and Operations, and Paul Yanover, Disney Online. Bart Decrem and Andrew Lacey, who came along with the summer acquisition of Tapulous, have exec gigs; Decrem is SVP-GM of Disney Mobile, while Lacy is SVP & Head of Studios. 

But Iger also has shown a willingness to move execs from group to group—Rich Ross from Disney to head the studio, for instance—and going outside completely isn’t out of the realm if he really wants to shake things up.

Behind-the-Scenes Photos From Pirates of the Caribbean

Imagineering Disney with another set of behind-the-scenes photos, this time from the Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean.

Up close and personal with several audio-animatronics.

Paradise Pier Ice Cream Co.

New period appropriate name and logo for the ice cream location formerly known as Catch-A-Flav.

Too bad nothing can be done about the building itself, a sqaure, stucco storefront.

(Via Magic Eye)

Blockbuster Files For Bankruptcy, Disney Among New Creditors

It's been known to be happening for months, but Blockbuster made it official today and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The plan calls for more than $1 billion in debt to be written off and brought down to a much more manageable $100 million.

Blockbuster's new line of creditors include its movie studio suppliers, including Warner Brothers, Universal, Fox, Sony and Disney.

The movie studios have always had a cozy relationship with Blockbuster, dating back to the 1990's when Blockbuster was the premiere movie rental location. Even as the company's fortunes have waned, the studios have remained close. Hollywood believes it is in their interest to keep Blockbuster around, where the average rental costs more than four times those from competitors like Redbox.

But how long can Blockbuster hang around? The movie studios have seen what happened when the music industry was caught unprepared for the digital revolution, but Disney seems one of the few willing to put its content where it's mouth is.

Let The Memories Begin

Check out the comments.

Ad Age: Why Disney Pictures Could Soon Look A Lot Like Procter & Gamble

She's also trying to bring a more agency-like approach to marketing at Disney, which will soon release the first slate of films from new studio Chairman Rich Ross, who joined last October from the Disney Channel. She has appointed "brand leads" for each of the studio's releases across its Disney, Touchstone Pictures, Pixar and DreamWorks divisions. 

Disney Parks Press Conference Tomorrow

Disney Parks is holding a press conference in New York City tomorrow.

Don't get too excited, though. Pretty sure it's just to announce the new marketing campaign for 2011, "Let The Memories Begin."

But if you want to board the hype train anyway, they'll be live streaming it at 12:45 PM EDT on the Disney Parks Blog.

Imagineer John Mauro on the Disneyland Hotel Rebuild

"You have to understand that the Disneyland Hotel was built in bits and pieces over the past 50 years. Which is why - while this Resort has some great individual elements - it doesn't have great flow-thru. The Disneyland Hotel doesn't tell one cohesive story," Mauro explained. "That's why Imagineering is abandoning the piecemeal approach that we typically took when dealing with the Disneyland Hotel and are now facing all of these issues head on."

Back in the WestCOT days, the plan was to build The New Disneyland Hotel over by Harbor Blvd on the land now used as shuttle bus loading/unloading. When the Resort expansion plans were halved in the lead up to California Adventure, The New Disneyland Hotel was left on the drawing board.

When plans were being drawn up more recently for the current rebuild, one of the initial proposals was to level the existing Hotel and start from scratch.

I understand why they opted against it. Logistically, it wasn't feasible to keep portions of the old Hotel operating while trying to construct a new and very different hotel at the same time. But compare the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland or Tokyo Disneyland to Anaheim's relic and you can see how razing the towers would allow the land to be transformed.

But the Disneyland Hotel has needed a major rethink for over twenty years. It's nice to see it finally being tackled at large. Hopefully once completed it will be worth staying there again.

And maybe the dreadful Paradise Pier Hotel will get similar treatment next.

Disney Parks - Big Revenue, Even Bigger Expenses

Walt Disney Company stock analysis by Trefis.

A Trefis cash-flow analysis finds that the parks and resorts segment contributes about 30% of Disney’s revenues but only 10% to its estimated stock value, making it the company’s fourth-most important division.

Bob Iger: At Times We Feel Under-Appreciated

Highlights from Bob Iger's discussion at today's Goldman Sachs Communacopia.

If you missed it but wanted to listen in, there will be a replay 05 October 2010 at 4 PM PDT here.

WDI Testing in California Adventure This Week

MousePlanet:

If you're in DCA this week and run across some people running around with props and costumes, I may know what they're doing. WDI is apparently testing a new interactive experience at DCA this week: it was described to me as a Kim Possible-type scavenger hunt, but themed to the California Gold Rush. You might spot them on the West side of the park. I have no idea what the final iteration of this test might be (or if they'll even develop it into anything). 

There was a rumor this was going to be themed to Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb series.

Trailer For Gnomeo and Juliet

At one point a Walt Disney Feature Animation production, a Mirimax production and finally a Touchstone production, Gnomeo and Juliet has spent the last six years in development hell.

Anyone remember Disney's short lived brush with outsourced animation five years ago? You can't tell me Valiant  and The Wild aren't in constant rotation in your Blu-ray player...

Thomas the Tank Engine For Sale? Disney's Not Interested This Time

In 2005, Disney and Apax Partners were in negotiations for Disney to purchase the rights to Thomas the Tank Engine. Disney walked away from those talks when the two parties couldn't agree on a price.

Now Deadline.com is reporting that Apax is hoping to offload Thomas early next year and is eyeing Disney as a possible buyer. They've even cut the asking price by more than $300 million.

But my understanding is that right now Disney's just not interested. As Deadline's report notes, Disney's invested in the upstart Chuggington series and many in the industry view Thomas the Tank Engine as a dying brand.

Never say never but don't expect Disney to do more then due diligence.

Bob Iger Speaks Tuesday at Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference

He's scheduled to speak 21 September 2010 at 12:50 PM EDT. You can listen live here.

What to expect: a discussion on emerging medias.

What not to expect: any new products or initiatives.

Disneyland AP 20% Merchandise Discount Extended Through Holidays

I hear Walt Disney World will be announcing something similar soon.

Current merchandise sell-through must be weak and if they're extending it through the holiday season Disney must not be expect it to improve anytime soon.

Every earnings call, you get executives saying they're going to start weening visitors off of discounts. But the discounts remain and, in some cases, deepen.

But you can't blame them.