WDWMagic.com: Panoramic Photo of Fantasyland Construction Work

Massive.

That's the Little Mermaid show building rising back on the right by the indestructible Toontown Fair tents. The Beast's castle and the Be Our Guest restaurant are rising on the left.

The plans have been significantly improved since the original "color with the Princesses" announcement, but it's still no Harry Potter-killer.

(56k internet connections will weep.)

Disney and More: Disneyland Paris - The 20th Anniversary Projects

Updated effects for Big Thunder Mountain, finally adding the movie tie-in to Pirates of the Caribbean and updated effects (and story changes?) for Phantom Manor.

And if I were a betting man, I'd put money on Star Tours 2.

On the Set of Star Tours 2 With C-3PO

New post from Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald on the official Disney Parks Blog.

Al Lutz on Cars Land Master Planning

Over at MiceAge, Al Lutz gives a detailed rundown of the shops and restaurants coming to Cars Land. A few of the finer points are still in flux, but for the most part you can count on what he details.

But what I found the most informative was what he has to say about master planning the mix of offerings in the new land:

The huge mistake that DCA's original planners and executives made (most of whom have since left Disney and are not on the invite list for any of the DCA grand opening ceremonies in 2011 and 2012) back when the park was in final design and construction in 1998-2001 are still fresh in people's minds. After TDA took a second look at the plans, WDI purposely scaled back the dining and merchandise from Phase One of Cars Land. Sarge's Surplus Hut, for instance, will sit empty on opening day, and the walkways leading in and out of Cars Land are designed to lead to future park expansion pads.

There's a lot more and it's well worth reading.

Meet the People Behind the Pixels

Not your typical behind-the-scenes look at the making of Tangled. Made by the animation department for the animation department.

Seems like a fun place to work.

Michael Giacchino Scoring Cars 2

Variety (Subscription required):

He's already begun work on "Cars 2" for Pixar founder John Lasseter; he will finish in the spring. Abrams' "Super 8," "Mission: Impossible IV" and the sci-fi epic "John Carter of Mars" (directed by another Pixar vet, Andrew Stanton) will follow.

In the meantime, he is adapting John Williams' themes for the refreshed "Star Tours" ride at Disneyland and has a commission for an original piece for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for next fall.

He's the new Randy Newman!

I Come To Bury Mulholland Madness, Not To Praise It

Today is the last day to ride Mulholland Madness. Tomorrow the ride will be shuttered and await its transformation into Goofy's Flight School.

Goofy's Flight School is not going to be highly themed or immersive. But it will be considerably more attractive than Mulholland Madness.

Tim Delaney was the lead Imagineer overseeing the design of Paradise Pier. An immensely talented designer responsible for Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris among others, his expertise was completely wasted on the California Adventure project.

The Imagineers working on Paradise Pier pulled no punches. They knew what a disappointment it was. But they did the best they could with the extremely limited resources available to them and a creative mandate that stifled their best work.

Disney Announces Tron Night, Revs Up Marketing Machine

NYTimes.com:

Borrowing a marketing ploy from 20th Century Fox and “Avatar,” the Walt Disney Company said it would preview more than 20 minutes of its forthcoming “Tron: Legacy”free at Imax theaters around the world. Fox and Imax created this model by showing about 15 minutes of “Avatar” a few months before that movie’s release.

The screenings will take place Thursday, 28 October. Tickets will be available on a first-come basis starting tomorrow. You can find more information at facebook.com/tron.

Secretariat Opens #3 For the Weekend

Why can't Disney get a film to open?

Deadline.com:

All weekend, rival studio execs snarked to me about how the Secretariat marketing campaign was "horrid," in the words of one. "The only audience interested was old females, but the print and the spots made it look like an action movie. Where was The Blind Side's spunky female empowerment, the comedy, the romance?" Criticized another, "I think when you take the beautiful Diane Lane and turn her into a frumpy aged-up woman, you're flirting with danger. Then there's the whole horse thing, which is probably second only to boxing in moviegoing 'who cares?'.

Another miss for the Studios' embattled marketing department.

TheWrap has an interview with marketing chief MT Carney. She's candid, but what happens if Tangled underperforms?

Disney's California Adventure - Pun Central

Outsourcing various creative elements in theme park design is not a new development, but the extent to which it was utilized in creating Disney's California Adventure was unprecedented in Disney history.

Yesterland.com:

The captions and the names of most of the games were outsourced by Disney to Karma Creative (now World Creative Supply), a company whose business is to “name products, create slogans, write tag lines, and proofread text.” Karma Creative was responsible for many the original attraction, restaurant, and shop names at Disney’s California Adventure—their specialty was puns.

MaliBOOMer, Malibu-Ritos, Baker's Field Bakery, Taste Pilot's Grill and on and on.

Of course, Shanghai Disneyland is being designed almost wholly by outside creative companies. Their work is being overseen by WDI. It's similar to the way Universal Creative operates and, if successful in Shanghai, will be the new operating procedure at Imagineering moving forward.

Disney Research Developing TeslaTouch

CNN:

"It's kind of like a buzzing or a vibration. It has the same effect as a buzz," said Chris Harrison, one of the Disney researchers and a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University. "But if you carefully tune the frequency and the vibration of the panel you can actually create things that feel like sandpaper or rubber or a wall."

In the case of a touch screen keyboard -- like those on the Apple iPhone, for example -- users would be able to feel the location of the keys, and could learn to "touch type" without looking at their hands, he said. 

Sounds interesting, but what's the application for Disney? Another patent that reaps large licensing fees.

1956 Guide to Disneyland, Compliments of Bank of America

Via Twitter user otisney.

A 56k connection will weep.

Lost Disneylandia

Art and commentary from last month's Destination D event, presented by Progress City, U.S.A.

Some amazing art for never-realized attractions like a Fantasyland boat ride for The Black Cauldron or an interactive dark ride for The Black Hole.

The Life of Walt Disney

BBC Radio 4 program "Great Lives" discusses the life of Walt Disney.

Guests include cartoonist Gerald Scarfe and Richard Williams, creator of Roger Rabbit.

Major Restructuring at Disney Theatrical Group

How does Group head Thomas Schumacher still have a job?

Deadline.com:

The Disney Theatrical Group has always and still does report to the Walt Disney Studios chairman who is Rich Ross of course. Yet Schumacher likes to think he's running a boutique business that's not under Ross's direction. (Hmm.) So here is what's really going on: Word is that Schumacher's contract is up for renewal. And [David] Schrader, a former finance manager for American Airlines whose rapid ascension at Disney has caused some raised eyebrows, is positioning himself as the new executive leader with studio brass. Meanwhile, Schumacher recently had his personal deal to produce live-action features for Walt Disney Studios, with a focus on movie musicals, cancelled by Ross.

Mary Poppins is a steady performer but DTG has failed to replicate its early success. The division relies almost entirely on the ridiculous amounts of cash generated by The Lion King.

Sam Raimi Commits to Disney Oz Take

Deadline.com:

The studio has received a commitment from director Sam Raimi to Oz: The Great And Powerful as his next film. Raimi had become attached to Oz in June, with the hope of landing Robert Downey Jr to play the title character.

Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire is rewriting the script. He previously worked with Raimi on the now-canned Spider Man 4.

Interactive Graveyard Coming to WDW Haunted Mansion

Inside The Magic:

Though Disney has not officially announced what is coming to the graveyard, reports suggest that the recent interactive play-test that took place in April is a sign of what’s in the works for this location. In addition to rerouting the attraction’s queue to better accommodate handicapped/wheelchair access (guests needing assistance currently enter via the exit), a new graveyard is reportedly being installed that will replace the former (at least in part), adding a level of interactivity to the area.

The entire queue is being reworked and will wind its way closer to the waterfront. The graveyard is going to be a much more central part of it.

The entire attraction is going down for refurbishment in January. I've heard rumors that they are looking to add more of a New Orleans flair to the mansion (and a hatbox ghost?). It doesn't make any sense but they've done weirder things.

Beautiful New Silly Symphony Swings Attraction Poster

Via Twitter user Fiyero88.

"It Was Actually, Frankly Too Crowded"

The Orange County Register:

Some Disney fans, especially annual passholders, were angered by the company’s decision to limit the Halloween fireworks show to after-hours parties. But Disney officials said they had a good reason: The viewing areas were too packed.

Is anyone buying that?

Former Yahoo! VP & John Pleasants Named Disney Interactive Co-Presidents

Deadline.com:

Yahoo VP of Media Jimmy Pitaro will Co-President the Disney Interactive Media Group with John Pleasants who also continues as CEO of Playdom, the fast-growing social games publishing company recently acquired by Disney earlier this year for up to $763 million. 

Donald Duck Meets Glenn Beck

Via Roger Ebert.

Goofy Trooper

Former Disney animator Michael Peraza writes about his time developing the series that would eventually be known as Goof Troop.

Oriental Land Company Set to Continue Spending Spree Until 2016

Tokyo Disneyland is set to receive 200 billion yen ($2.4 billion) worth of new additions between now and 2016. That's an astounding amount of infrastructure investment.

Theme Park Tourist:

2011 will see the opening of Mickey's Philharmagic, and Cinderella's Fairytale Hall at Tokyo Disneyland, along with the addition of the $22 million Jasmine's Flying Carpets and a version of the Fantasmic show at Tokyo DisneySea. This will be followed in 2012 by the opening of Toy Story Mania at Tokyo DisneySea. Further new attractions are likely to be installed in the next few years, if the company's spending plans are carried out as stated.

Walt Disney Explains His Plans for EPCOT

"The most exciting, by far the most important part of our Florida project - in fact the heart of everything we'll be doing at Disney World is our experimental prototype community of tomorrow. We call it EPCOT."

Disney Considering Just Making a Film About the Whole Damn Magic Kingdom

Sean O'Neal writing for the AV Club:

But to the studio’s credit, it seems to be taking that possible exploitation of its own properties very seriously, with executives reportedly very mindful of the fact that it could end up damaging the entire Disney brand if the film—which is being described as Disney’s own Justice League or The Avengers—ends up feeling like a feature-length commercial that trades entirely on past successes. (Of course, the fact that even studio executives are thinking in those terms pretty much confirms that it would be, right?)

Construction Crews Begin Dismantling Maliboomer

I have heard that the ride has been sold to another, not Disney amusement park.

Fake Tickets, Scorching Heat

Marty Sklar and Dick Nunis reminisce on Disneyland's disastrous opening day.

Disneyland Mandates That Muslim Employees Look Ridiculous

Favorite quote:

Cruel. Would they make Christians wear that? Yes? Wow.

Interview With Black Cauldron Producer Joe Hale

The Black Cauldron is not one of my favorite Disney films, but its development is fascinating to read about.

1998 CGI Test Footage for Abandoned Roger Rabbit 2

Every once and a while there is new interest in developing a sequel to Roger Rabbit.

Who knows, now that Steven Spielberg is on better terms with Disney maybe something will eventually come of it.

Artwork Released Illustrating Hijab Costume Compromise

Seems reasonable.

Gore Verbinski in Talks to Re-team With Johnny Depp on Lone Ranger

Deadline.com:

Verbinski, whose last live action film was 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, is getting serious about making his next directing outing The Lone Ranger, the Disney pic that has Jerry Bruckheimer producing with Depp playing Tonto.

Huh.

Disney Agrees to Allow Hijab for Intern

The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) announced today that a Chicago Muslim woman employed as an intern at Disneyland in Anaheim will be allowed to wear an Islamic head scarf, or hijab, at work.

Interesting. But we don't know what the accommodation entails.

Is it similar to the option given to the Grand Californian employee, only the intern accepted?

Bloomberg: Disney, Sony, Warner Planning $30 Home Film-Viewing Option

Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co. are in talks with the largest cable TV systems to offer films for as much as $30 per showing soon after they run in theaters.

The studios are talking with In Demand, a partnership of Cox Communications Inc., Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc., Bob Benya, chief executive officer of In Demand, said in an interview. Disney is also discussing streaming films on Web- linked devices such as Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox console and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3, people with knowledge of the talks said.

Okay, but how do they convince the already nervous exhibitors that this isn't going to destroy their business?

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.

Paul Lee Making Aggressive Deals at ABC

Deadline:

In his development picks so far, new ABC chief Paul Lee has gone mostly for noisy, light/genre projects from proven auspices with premium deals for True Lies, Darren Star's dramedy adaptation of the book Good Christian Bitches and a horror thriller from Paranormal Activity writer-director Oren Peli.

That's three high profile deals in a very short amount of time.

Disney and More: Dubai Marvel Theme Park

That's an amazing looking park.

However, as this park concept was obviously done some years ago in agreement or at the request of Marvel Inc AND considering that Disney now owns Marvel chances are that this park concept was in the "the pack" of the Disney-Marvel deal. In this case it would mean that what you saw today in this article might be, with a bit of luck, the concept which will serve as inspiration - or at least part of it - for DLP third park!

No. All creative development on the proposed theme park still belongs to the developer Tatweer, not Marvel or Disney. And while the park in Dubai is currently on hold, it could still be built some day.

Why Does That Dragon Look So Familiar?

That's quite the hub decoration at Hong Kong Disneyland.

More Parks and Resorts Executive Shuffling to Give More Attention to Next Gen Project

The Orlando Sentinel:

Doug McGuire has been promoted to senior vice president in charge of global development, which is currently at work on plans for a new Disney theme park in Shanghai, China. McGuire had been senior vice president of global marketing operations.

McGuire succeeds Parks and Resorts executive vice president Nick Franklin, freeing Franklin up to focus more of his attention on Disney’s closely guarded “Next Generation Experience” project. 

They really are putting a lot of eggs into the "Next Gen" basket.

Orlando Sentinel: Plus-Sized Customers at Orlando Theme Parks

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American weighed about 25 pounds more in 2002 than he or she did in 1960. Meanwhile, obesity rates have skyrocketed: Last year, for example, 33 states — including Florida — reported that at least a quarter of their populations were grosslyoverweight.

Horrifying.

Allears.net, a Disney fan site, has a specific section called "Walt Disney World at Large" that details amenities such as the oversized robes available in the resort's spas. Fans on Disboards.com who refer to themselves as "Pooh-sized"...

HORRIFYING!

Disney and More: Looking Back at Disney's America

Some concept art I don't remember seeing before.

Bob Weiss, the creative director for the project, is now the Imagineer in charge of California Adventure.

UPDATE: Looks like most of the art and information came from this Progress City, U.S.A article.

Telegraph: Euro Disney Ponders Marvel Superheroes Theme Park

Philippe Gas, the chief executive of Euro Disney, said one idea for a third park is "a superheroes park" following the acquisition of Marvel by Disney - although the construction of a third park is a long-term vision. Mr Gas said there is a possibility that a decision to build a third park could come as late as 2020, although it may come earlier if planned work on the Disney Studios park is completed.

That is one idea...

Michael Eisner: ESPN Acquisition "One of the Best Acquisitions Maybe of That Whole Century"

Forbes:

In hindsight, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner calls his decision in 1995 to buy CapCities/ABC, and with it, its crown jewel ESPN, "one of the best acquisitions maybe of that whole century."

It probably was, if not the best, one of the best.

There are lots of rumors that Disney is looking to divest itself of ABC (rumors that Bob Iger denies every time he is asked). But would ESPN be included in that sale? Would anyone be interested in ABC if ESPN wasn't included?

Euro Disney Has Not Officially Announced They Are Building A Third Theme Park

With Euro Disney SCA and the French authorities signing a new agreement today, there has been a deluge of stories popping up on Disney fan sites that the company has "officially announced it will build a third theme park" at the Resort.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The original agreement required Euro Disney to open a third theme park at the Resort by 2017 in order to receive the permanent land rights from the French government.

The new agreement allows Euro Disney to wait until 2030 to open a third theme park BUT they are no longer required to. If the company finds it is not financially viable, they can opt out of building a new park. Under the new agreement, Euro Disney is not penalized for this and the permanent land rights revert to them in 2030.

So, unlike Walt Disney Studios Paris, there is no incentive for Disney to build a third park unless the market actually merits it.

Will Euro Disney end up building a third park at Disneyland Paris? Very possibly. Have they said they are committed to doing it? Not in the slightest.

Family Entertainment You Can Trust

A short Disney Channel promo from its first broadcast year, 1983.

Hard to believe Mousercise is no longer around.

Bullshit Alert: Disney in Talks To Build So. Africa Theme Park?

Oh lord.

Here's what Bloomberg is reporting:

South Africa’s Mpumalanga province is in talks with Walt Disney Co. about building a theme park near Loskop Dam and four game reserves in the vicinity to boost tourism, Business Day said, citing Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Chief Executive Officer Charles Ndabeni.

The African-style theme park could generate investment into the area of about 25 billion rand ($3.5 billion), the Johannesburg-based newspaper quoted Ndabeni as saying.

My bullshit sense is tingling.

Here is the actual quote from the Business Day story:

He said the agency is in talks with Disney World about a possible theme park near Loskop Dam, with four game reserves in the vicinity.

“We believe that a theme park could be a major draw card for both domestic and international tourism,” [Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency CEO Charles Ndabeni] said.

The African-style theme park would represent an investment of about R25bn.

The agency is in talks with Disney World? I am baffled.

Disney has no plans for a theme park in South Africa. Shut it down, folks. Shut it all down.

More on Euro Disney's New Contract With French Government

...the agreement will give it the right to build a third theme park within 20 years, 'depending on market conditions,' the company said in a press statement.

Euro Disney's current concession runs until the year 2017 and covers an area of 1,943 hectares just outside Paris. The new agreement will extend the agreement until 2030 and expands the area to 2,230 hectares.

Well there you go.

The original agreement signed in 1987 stipulated that by 2017 the Resort would feature three parks. In meeting that requirement, the government would then turn all land rights over to Euro Disney.

The new agreement gives Euro Disney until 2030 to build a third park but does not penalize them if they fail to do so.

UPDATE: Euro Disney's press release concerning the new agreement. (PDF file)

Euro Diney to Sign New Agreement With France

The Wall Street Journal (Subscription required):

The original agreement stipulates the commitments undertaken by the two parties and relates notably to investments financed by the state and local authorities in transport infrastructure used by visitors to the park.

The new version of the text foresees new projects to extend Euro Disney, such as a planned vacation village project called "Villages Natures," in partnership with the real estate group Pierre & Vacances (VAC.FR), the people close to the matter said.

The original agreement was signed in 1987. My understanding is that the new agreement does not specifically call out for another theme park. It certainly doesn't place any contractual timelines on opening a new Park, like the original agreement.

40% of Hong Kong Disneyland's Visitors Are From Mainland China

Xinhua News Agency:

Kam told reporters at the theme park that tourists from China's mainland accounted for nearly 40 percent of Hong Kong Disneyland's total tourists every year. In the past five years, just over 20 million tourists had visited Hong Kong Disneyland, he said.

40% sounds impressive but that's only a little more than 1.5 million visitors from the Mainland a year.

That's really bad.

So is Hong Kong Disneyland's yearly attendance. Averaging only 4 million visitors a year? Yikes.

Stitch Kingdom: Next Disney Parks Promotion "Let the Memories Begin"

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that the 2011 Disney Parks promotion will in fact be centered around ‘memories’ and that Disney Parks and Resorts is expected to make the announcement during a press event in New York City on September 22.

Pins and needles!

Al Weiss Appointed to National Tourism Panel

The Orlando Sentinel:

[President of worldwide operations at Disney Parks and Resorts Al Weiss] has landed a coveted spot on a new panel that will decide how best to spend tens of millions of dollars in public money raised every year to fund overseas tourism promotion.

Spending money? I'm not sure that's a concept Mr. Weiss is familiar with.

This Has Got To Be A Joke

DLP.info:

Rumors are that soon you will be able to rent your own fishing rod in the nearby restaurants and have a relaxing time fishing around Adventure Isle while other guests are standing in queue-lines or are enjoying a thrilling roller coaster. According to the rumors once you have fished successfully you will be allowed to bring your catch to the restaurant where you rented your rod and get your fish cooked there to perfection.

If this new “attraction” should become a success there might even be further plans. There are rumors that EuroDisney S.C.A. is already talking to cattlemen in Amerika in order to import Bisons to Frontierland, where they should run free, to offer a greater variety of do-it-yourself-meals for those avid hunters…

That would be like fishing something out of the Rivers of America and eating it. That is to say, super gross.

And bison hunting? I am incredulous.

Cauldron of Chaos

Former Disney animator Michael Peraza has been running a look back at the troubled development of The Black Cauldron on his blog, Ink and Paint Club.

The Black Cauldron celebrated it's 25th anniversary this past July and Disney is releasing a new 25th Anniversary Special Edition DVD next Tuesday, 14 September 2010.

Kodak Ends Sponsorship of Imagination and Captain EO

It hasn't been a secret that Kodak was ending their sponsorship of the Imagination Pavilion at Epcot, but both companies are now confirming it. In addition, Kodak will no longer sponsor Captain EO at Disneyland.

My guess is that the only reason they're still sponsoring Mickey's Philharmagic at the Magic Kingdom is because that agreement was signed separately and has yet to lapse.

Kodak still ponies up to be the official film company of the domestic parks, including Kodak Picture Spots. But if Fujifilm is still interested...

Positive Reactions to Tangled at Disney Press Screening

The film shown was a work print, about 60% completed. Very unusual for a Studio to show a work-in-progress to the press.

Pete Hammond writing for Deadline:

John Lasseter told the gathered press, “You can feel the pride people in this studio have in Tangled. We just couldn’t wait for people to see it.”

It’s looking like there will again be five nominees for Best Animated Feature this year. Based the deservedly enthusiastic press response to the work-in-progress print shown yesterday, Tangled could easily be among them. 

I've been really hard on this film but I'm willing to eat crow. But can Disney's marketing machine sell it?

The Street: Little Impact Seen From DVD Sales Decline

DVD sales account for only 6% of the Walt Disney Company's value.

But this is what I found most interesting:

The DVD business makes up the bulk of the revenue share for Walt Disney Studios, accounting for almost 75% of its revenues.

That is why the entertainment companies are trying to both delay consumer's moving away from buying DVD/Blu-ray and scramble to capitalize on digital markets. They don't want to see what happened to the music business happen to films, but they don't want to lose the profit margin associated with DVD sales.

Of course, Steve Jobs is the largest single shareholder of Disney which is why the company is on the forefront whenever Apple introduces a new business model.

Hip and Edgy Lives!

Perhaps I spoke too soon about the death of "hip and edgy" offerings at California Adventure.

Walls As Far As The Eye Can See

California Adventure construction update from Mint Crocodile.

The sun sculpture at the entrance is behind walls today and the large tile murals by the turnstiles starts getting dismantled Monday.

For those of us eagerly anticipating the new California Adventure, this is a great day.

Parody of Disney's Blam!

Frightening how close the parody is to the real thing.

Blue Sky Disney: Each Land in California Adventure to Represent a Distinct Time Period

I need to find out if they're still referring to them as "districts."

See the narrative they're working with? Each of the four sections will be themed to a different time period of California. The adventures you will experience there will be Disney attractions that are tailored to go along with what would be happening during a specific period.

Death to hip and edgy.

Clearly it's imperfect. Where does A Bug's Land fit in? But it's a vast improvement.

The Haunted Mansion Like You've Never Seen

Amazing up-close photos of the animatronics at Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion.

Gone Baby Gone

New Disney California Adventure park maps.

Speaking of the Studio's Marketing: Disney Hires Vetren Marketing Guru to Handle Pirates 4

Speak of the devil.

The Hollywood Reporter:

Disney has taken the unusual step of hiring veteran consultant Valerie Van Galder to handle the marketing of the fourth movie in its flagship film franchise, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

Considering its importance, the move is likely to be perceived in the industry, fairly or not, as a sign that Disney lacks full confidence in marketing chief M.T. Carney...

A fascinating look at the marketing machine at the Studios. It was gutted before Ms. Carney was brought on board and this summer surely was a hard one to spend learning on the job and getting a team in place.

Disney is expecting the latest in the franchise to gross $1 billion worldwide. The inflated 3D ticket prices certainly aren't going to hurt its chances. But is moviegoer appetite there?

Why is Everything About Tangled Seemingly Terrible?

Cartoon Brew:

How is it that a studio that once represented the height of creativity in filmmaking is now clinging onto the tails of tired Internet memes to promote its films? This viral ad for Disney’s Tangled is based on the “double rainbow” meme, and unlike the blammed Up, it’s not a parody.

I want to like Tangled but Disney's marketing up to this point has been awful. As a general rule, large corporations should not hitch their wagons to internet memes.

Disney hired a new movie marketing chief back in April. She sounded promising, but if this is typical of her work I am less than impressed.

HK Disneyland Reported Profitable...

...on a pre-tax basis.

Hong Kong Disneyland will likely report a profit on an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization basis in its fiscal year ending September 2010, supported by a higher number of visitors from China and abroad, the South China Morning Post reported Monday, citing unnamed sources.

The Resort will still report a loss after taxes, depreciation and other finance costs.

With major new attractions debuting over the next three years, Hong Kong Disneyland is in a good position to continue profitability. That's more good news for both Disney and the Hong Kong government as Disney gets ready to build a competing park on the Chinese mainland.

28 August Video of Fantasmic Dragon Malfunction

Can't believe it took this long for video to show up.

RIP Maliboomer

Today is the last day of operation for the Maliboomer, as well as several other areas in California Adventure.

Paradise Pier was a disaster in 2001. As is always the story when discussing the design of Disney California Adventure, Tim Delaney's budget was decimated. Early concept art for the area shows what might have been.

The Maliboomer was a byproduct of the way the Park was designed: Imagineers were dictated a hourly capacity their districts must meet, a number of shops and dining areas they must accommodate and a small budget to make it all happen.

How do you meet hourly capacity requirements when you don't have a lot of cash? Lots and lots of stucco, switchback queues and off-the-shelf rides.

Disney Blam!

Aggressively terrible.

The Weinstein Brothers Have To Be Tearing Their Hair Out

Disney just cannot get rid of Miramax. From Cinema Blend:

...the deal has hit a speed bump as the announcement came before the bulk of the financing had been established. Sold to construction magnate Ron Tutor for $660 million, it was expected that most of the money would come from Tutor himself, his partners, James Robinson of Morgan Creek Productions, and philanthropist Jerome Swartz. The rest of the money, somewhere between $250-275 million, would be made up by banks. As of now, however, it appears that both Robinson and Swartz have dropped out and the banks have not yet finalized the loan.

Tutor technically has until the end of the year to find new investors and complete the deal. Disney isn't commenting, but they have to be pissed.

Art From Pixar's Cancelled Film Newt

Posted on on the official Disney/Pixar Facebook page.

Strange for a film that's no longer in production to release art. Studios aren't usually transparent like this.

Warner's Tiny Toons Are Out of Toon With the 90s!

Terrific find at Cartoon Brew.

I always knew television syndication sales was a cut-throat business back then – and here’s a bit of proof.

Duffy the Disney Bear Debuts at WDW 18 September, Disneyland 19 September

Special events for Annual Passholders only ($$$), but it won't be long before he's out and about for everyone.

Japan is crazy for Duffy but can Disney expect that same level of devotion (and sales) in the States? 

Changes In Store for Kilimanjaro Safaris?

The article is a bit incomprehensible, but Stitch Kingdom is reporting that Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom is in for a big refurbishment. Planned changes include completely removing the poacher story and possibly making the attraction longer.

I know that some changes have to be made to accommodate the new personal savannah adventure announced in July on the Disney Parks Blog, but this is the first I've heard of expanding the standard ride.

Inside The Magic: Recording of the New Soundtrack at Walt Disney World's Space Mountain

The sound of the music fading in and out in the video above is not due to a poor recording. That is how it actually sounds as you ride through the updated Space Mountain. For a few seconds, you hear fast-paced, thumping dance music -- and then back to silence. Then the music returns, or perhaps a “whooshing” sound effect -- then back to silence. It repeats throughout the roughly 2-minute ride, culminating in a fun spiraling sound as you round the ride’s final turns.

Like I said, adding speakers along the track is a creative solution but the experience is mixed.

ElecTRONica Begins 08 October

Only weekends?

I liked GLOWFest for what it was, but this looks much improved.

Michael Riley Named President of ABC Family

Previously senior vice president and manager of Radio Disney.

He replaces Paul Lee who is now at ABC.

Rumor: ABC to Offer TV Show Rentals For 99 Cents on iTunes

Apple is holding their annual iPod event tomorrow.

Steve Jobs is, of course, the largest individual Disney stockholder.

Walt Disney Company Spent $780K Lobbying in Second Quarter

Down from $1.26 million in the year-ago period and $1.25 million in the first quarter.

Soundtrack Added to Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom

Really nice new attraction poster as well.

Last year's Space Mountain refurbishment was less than ambitious. TDO opted against spending the time and money necessary to rebuild the coaster to include an on-ride soundtrack like Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Installing speakers along the track is a clever solution, but limits the experience. It's a mix of music and sound effects.

But how awful is that score?

Raiponce

Disney and More:

What you see above is Tangled french poster, "Raiponce" being - i suppose - the french translation or the french title for "Rapunzel". The only problem is that "Raiponce" means probably nothing for the french audience as the tale is not known here, in France. Even worst, if you talk to someone in France and ask him what Raiponce means he will think that you're talking about the word "Réponse" which means "answer" in French.

Facts, Rumors and Speculation Involving Fantasmic's Dragon

Fact:

• Fantasmic! is still scheduled to be performed this evening at Disneyland, without the dragon. This version of the show involves Mickey battling the actor portraying Maleficent, who remains on her elevated platform in place of the dragon. This version is not wholly unusual and is used whenever there is a problem with the dragon.
• There are ill-informed voices suggesting that Disneyland's maintenance and technical folks failed their duties and if they had done their jobs properly this incident could have been avoided. Absolute nonsense.
• Others saying the entire debacle with the dragon could have been avoided if Disney had designed it in-house instead of contracting it out? They have no idea what they're talking about.

Rumor:

Disney isn't commenting on what caused the failure (and there's no reason they should), but word is leaking from unofficial sources that there was some sort of axle break on the lift mechanism.

Speculation: 

If that's the case, here is rough speculation on what might have caused the failure and possible fixes:

Somebody smuggle out some good pictures of what really happened in the pit, and I can tell you roughly how long it'll take a good welder to chop out the busted bits and replace them. If they were smart, it's a bolt-in repair, but you can't count on that.

When they say "axle snap" it's most likely the wheel spindle that snapped off at a machined edge - Google up "axle spindle Northern Tool" and you'll see what the deal is...

It's not that big a deal to cut out the weld holding the spindle to the main structure - where it gets tricky is getting the new part aligned when welding it in. On trailer axles the spindle stubs slide into the U-shaped channel (or inside the square or round tubing) for automatic self alignment, just have to get the wheelbase (hold-out) the same - but Disney (or Garner-Holt) might not have gotten that Memo.

How long will repairs take? Tonight is the last night of the Summer Nightastic promotion and the show was already scheduled to go dark Monday-Thursday, giving them time to work on any necessary fixes.

But there's every chance this isn't going to be a quick fix.

The Day The Dragon Died

Take a look at that picture.

From an eye witness:

To clarify what I saw, Murph [Murphy is a name given to the dragon by fans - ed.] was in an upright position, ready to make his grand entrance, when the head and neck fell forward with a thunk. I immediately knew it wasn't supposed to do that. 

Second shown was cancelled and he is still sitting out there shrouded by the mist shields.

Power failure or major mechanical failure? Hopefully we'll know more soon.

MousePlanet: California Adventure Construction Information

It sounds like they decided to begin work on Buena Vista Street in September after all:

The Sun Icon that gives the Sunshine Plaza its name will be removed starting sometime in early September, along with the fountain. This area will be the location of the Carthay Circle Theatre. 

Demolition of the tile/mosaic Main Entrance mural will begin on October 1, starting with the section outside the park gates. The palm trees outside DCA are also slated to be removed at this time.