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Adventures by Disney announced their 2009 destinations that include eight new itinieraries as well as 15 returning trips for a total of 23 options.  The new trips are as follows:

·         Bella Italia – Sorrento and Florence, Italy

·         Safari to South Africa – South Africa

·         Taming the Last Frontier – Alaska

·         Golden Path to Yosemite – Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and San Francisco

·         Beantown & The Big Apple – Boston, Newport (R.I.) and New York City

·         Rocky Trails & Mountie Tales – Glacier National Park and Banff National Park

·         Alpine Magic – Italy and Switzerland

·         Gateway to the Galapagos – Ecuador and Galapagos Islands

I just read a story in the New York Times about Adventures by Disney that talk about its success despite having only word of mouth to promote it.  ABD is an example of how Disney is trying to extend the Disney Travel brand beyond the theme parks.  This trend started with the Disney Cruise Line and is continuing with Adventures by Disney and Disney’s Grand Hawaiian Resort.  What makes ABD interesting is that it has virtually no Disney character presence.  It is relying on the quality aspect of the Disney brand to be successful and all indications point to it being very well received.  I will look forward to seeing what is coming next from Parks and Resorts.  Now if only the theme parks would announce what they are doing for 2009...

Studio Entertainment: Swing Vote is in theaters today.  This Touchstone release stars Kevin Costner and Madeline Carroll in a heartfelt political comedy.  Since Bob took over, Touchstone has becoming increasingly less relevant.  Therefore when Touchstone releases something, I try to see what makes it special enough that Bob and Dick decided to green light it.  I can’t figure it out on this one.  

Media Networks: While watching the X Games and trying to ignore Dark Mane, I noticed Steve Braband.  Steve is a 25 year old International Program Coordinator for ESPN that is carrying around a huge clock that counts down until SportsCenter is live from 9am-3pm starting August 11^th.  Steve pops up on ESPN live and you get to follow him around during his day.  I find this fascinating and I am defiantly not proud of that.  To get to know Steve, you can visit his website at http://steveislive.com 

Consumer Products: Toys “R” Us (I can’t figure out how to type the backwards “R”) and Disney announced a line of exclusive costumes that will support the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation.  You can check them out here, and no they don’t come in adult sizes.    

Interactive Media: At Disney.com/urock  there is a new contest to create your own rock video and win such fabulous prizes as a trip to the premiere of HSM 3 and a chance to meet the Jonas Brothers.  You can start getting your video ready now, but you can’t enter until Monday.   For the record, I still hate user generated content like blogs. 

What to Watch: On Sunday at 8/7 central on Disney Channel  the Muppets finally return to TV with Studio DC: Almost Live.  The focus this time will be the Disney Channel connection, but look at it this way.  Can’t be much worse than the Muppets Wizard of Oz. 

Video of the Day: The Princess and the Frog trailer is live on the film’s website.  I find it odd that they premiere this trailer the week AFTER Comic-Con.  Perhaps they realized that the trailer features more Randy Newman that the average fan boy like me can handle. 

ABC News: ABC News reports on the Jonas Brothers and how they have no time for romance.  The report also conveniently mentions that the Jonas Brothers will perform live on Friday August 8^th as part of the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series.  Synergy has gone too far. 

NY Times: Time Warner has blocked the nomination of Jonathan Miller, the former chairman and chief executive of AOL, to the board of Yahoo.  Time Warner said Miller signed an agreement not to work for any of its competitors until March 2009.  You would think Time Warner would want someone that was involved in AOL to be involved with their competitors with the hopes that they would mess up Yahoo like the y messed up Time Warner.  Go figure?

USA Today: Ticket prices at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will be going up on Sunday.  I don’t mind.  My pass is worth every penny I pay for it. 

LA Times: The LA Times is reporting from X Games 14 at the Staples Center.  Soon, ESPN will be opening a West Coast HQ near the Staples Center as part of LA Live.  If ESPN continues its presence in LA, perhaps they will give-up their world famous east coast bias. 

Orlando Sentinel: Here is an interesting article on the elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  It is a great example how DAK is much more than a theme park while being much more than a zoo. 

Variety: Disney has pushed back their Prince of Persia move one year to 2010.  Officially this is to allow for more post-production but it might be to prevent going against Transformers 2.  Now Prince of Persia is scheduled to open up a week after another Dreamworks production; Shrek Goes Fourth.  Now that is a film I can’t wait for Disney to take on. 

Finally, I want to congratulate Doobie and Rebekah on the ninth anniversary of LP.  At its heart, LP represents a dream of theirs to create a website that covers Disney like no other, and I am proud to be a small part of that dream.  But more importantly, I am proud to be their friend.  While they are fantastic at running a website, they are EVEN BETTER at being friends and I couldn’t imagine my life without them.  So I wish them the best of luck for the website and everything else they undertake in their lives. 

Today Disney announced their third quarter earnings of $.66 a share compared to $.57 a share last year.  If you don’t count one time benefits from the sale of Movies.com and revenue associated from reacquiring the Disney Store Disney made $.62 a share which beats the average Wall Street estimate.  Bob Iger and Tom Staggs had a conference call with analysts to discuss the earnings announcement and the state of the company.  Here are some highlights…minute by minute. 

00:45 Lowell Singer is introduced.  The man, the myth, the legend.  He is known for doing a great job reading Disney’s Safe Harbor Provision.

1:38:  Bob says they had a solid quarter.  The state of Disney is….solid….

2:28: Disney is also relevant.  The buzz word of the fiscal year.

2:57: He said WALL-E is a hit and the best review movie of the year.  He said the same thing about Ratatouille last year.  He called it a classic film but didn’t use the franchise word.   Interesting.

3:34: More props to Toy Story Mania, ESPN, and Camp Rock.

4:19: Looking forward he is looking forward to HSM3 and Bolt as well as continued success with Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers.

4:47: Yet another Disney.com is on the way.

5:19: He says Disney is able to create experiences based on their properties better than any other media company.

5:52: Tom’s turn: ESPN was boosted by the NBA Playoffs and the first two rounds of the Masters and the US Open.

6:25: Disney Channel benefited from subscriber growth internationally while spreading the Disney brand worldwide.

7:01 Eight of the ten ABC owned stations are number one in their market.

7:48: The pace of advertising sales has softened in the last few weeks especially in the automotive and financial sectors.

9:02: Hotel occupancy is at 92 percent at WDW and 91 percent at Disneyland. 

9:24: Looking ahead bookings are even in the next quarter and slightly ahead the quarter after compared to last year.

11:10: Disney has continued to repurchase shares, therefore making each share more valuable.

11:46: Q&A Time!!!

12:26: The question is about capital expenditures at the parks.

12:40: This year Disney will be under a billion dollars but that in the future, as new investments come online, the number will be over a billion.

14:16: The question is about how Steve Jobs might influence how Disney distributes their content.

14:37: Bob said that Disney determines how content is distributed and Steve does not influence that.  Bob believes that as more people move to their computers to get content, that Disney would be served by having their content availability. 

17:47: An analyst wants to know why Disney parks are holding up in the tough economic enviromnet.

18:08: Bob essentially says “our parks are awesome,  DUH!”  He also says making the parks more affordable by having value resorts allows the parks to be more accessible and brings more guests in. 

20:32: The analyst asks how can the effect the cost of running the parks based on attendance such as cutting back fireworks.

21:03: Tom says that the parks make the decisions based on attendance while making sure they deliver the exceptional guest service that Disney is known for.  Tom also mentioned that there is a large fixed cost to running the parks but that the experienced parks management team is good as managing the parks costs while delivering a great guest experience. 

22:38: This guy wants to know about corporate alliance income. 

24:08: Disney always has corporate alliance income but renewals this year made the income significant.  The income from this made up for the fact that Easter was in the third quarter last year and the second quarter this year which normally would have made quarterly comparisons difficult.

29:20: He wants to know how Disney passes on increased food and fuel costs.

29:51: Bob said that the price increase of food costs is not a big deal and Disney has found ways to negate the increase without passing the costs on to the consumer.  The cruise line has an increase in fuel costs by about $200 million which Disney has tried to manage by running the ships more efficiently. 

32:53:  This lady wants to know about the music business and how advertising rates have changed internationally.

33:18: Bob refused to break out their music business and they do participate in the concerts in some ways.  For example, The Jonas Brothers concert was not theirs but they got licensing revenue.  BTW the Miley album was number one last week.   Disney has little exposure to advertising internationally so Bob did not feel like he could advise on how it is going. 

37:l12: How do cut backs in airline capacity affect Disney?

37:31: Bob says load factors in to Orlando are still low and air fares are still relatively low, therefore it has not been a factor at all. 

42:42: While Disney does not expect the reacquisition of the stores to drive growth, Tom feels they are an important touch-point with the consumer.  Sounds familiar.

44:09: This analyst is surprised that SAG negotiations are still dragging on.  He wants to know what Disney is doing to protect itself from a possible work stoppage. 

53:03: This analyst mentioned that the WDW price increase anniversary and asks how does Disney feel about theme park pricing.

53:34: Bob acknowledged that the price anniversary but would not comment on any price increase.  Bob did say he feels Disney continues to offer a value for the superb product Disney creates.  He also said that they have not announced any new DVC properties yet in order to focus on selling the current units that are available.  So basically sell out DAK Lodge and GCH villas and Disney can admit that they are building something next to the Contemporary.

56:47: And with the safe harbor provision, this quarter’s conference call comes to  a close.  See you in three months!

46:37: Disney has not seen much of an effect due to their decision to move forward with production and predicts that there will not be a work stoppage. 

Get ready for Bolt and Up.  The Walt Disney Animation Studios Thanksgiving release has kicked off a Bolt Across America Tour that will tour the nation to promote the movie as well as the ASPCA.  Miley Cyrus, who voices Penny, kicked off the tour of four “Bolters” that will tackle challenges in human-sized hamster balls while raising money for the ASPCA.   The journey will end on Nov 19^th with the LA premiere of the film.  My only question?  Do they rehydrate with a human sized hamster water bottle?

Up, Pixar’s upcoming summer release, launched their website.  The really isn’t much to the site except a bunch of balloons lifting up a house that has a character voiced by Ed Asner saying, “Good Afternoon”.  It looks like the movie has spunk.  I hate spunk.  All kidding aside, I loved Monsters Inc. so I have high hopes for Pete Docter’s follow-up.  The trailer should be on the WALL-E DVD, whenever that comes out. 

Quick Takes

Parks and Resorts: The fairies are coming!  With the DVD premiere of the Tinker Bell movie on the horizon, watch for meet and greet locations to sprout up at Disneyland Park and The Magic Kingdom.  This probably won’t happen until sometime after the fiscal year begins in October.  Do you think guests will want to meet the Disney Fairies? 

Media Networks: The NFL Season is just around the corner so ESPN is getting their Fantasy Football promotion up and running.  In this world where social networking has become a buzz word, ESPN houses what is really the first social networking systems on the web.  Fantasy sports has become a big part of ESPN and while my football knowledge is lacking, I have every intention of winning LP’s Pigskin Pick’em this year. 

Consumer Products: Have you been to Target lately?  I went to the Camp Rock headquarters and I couldn’t find any Camp Rock merchandise.  Apparently it is flying off the shelves.  Eat your heart out Wal-Mart. (The Hannah Montana Headquarters)

Disney Interactive Media:  Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguuin and the head of Disney’s virtual worlds, has been announced as the keynote speaker at the Austin Game Developers Conference 2008 which is being held September 15-18.  His keynote, “At Their Service: Making a Difference by Putting the Player First” will explore creating and maintaining virtual worlds.  I thought it was interesting the Disney was putting an outsider at the head of their virtual world department.  But it sounds like Lane has the Disney value of putting the guests first.  Perhaps he isn’t as much of an outsider as it seemed. 

What to Watch: On ABC at 10/9 central Primetime will look back at the life of Randy Pausch who recently passed away.  His “last lecture” became an internet phenomenon and a bestselling book.  But Randy was just like us in many ways, he was a Disney fan.  He did work with WDI and can be seen wearing a WDI shirt in his video.  He also enjoyed dressing up as Disney characters.  Disney has taught us to live our dreams, and Randy believed that through even the toughest of circumstances. 

Video of the Day: The Disney Cruise Line Podcast looks at the Disney Magic crossing the Panama Canal.  It is pretty amazing to see our ship cross through the marvel that is that canal.  Take a look.   

News from Around the Web:

ABC News:  Frequent Disney contributor Kelsey Grammer was hospitalized after feeling faint.  Grammer is featured in Touchstone Picture’s upcoming “Swing Vote” and had to cancel his Tuesday Regis and Kelly appearance.    

NY Times: The New York Times has a report on real-life “Camp Rock”s  that have become more popular.  According to the American Camp Association the number of performing arts camps has grown by 40 percent in the last six years.  The American Idol folks have created Idol Camp.  I wonder if Disney would consider making a real-life Camp Rock. 

USA Today: The DOW, which Disney is a part of dropped 240 points as oil prices raised and the financial sector faltered.  For what it’s worth Disney was down 3/5 of a point or 1.929 percent.  Disney will announce earnings on Wednesday.  That will be the true indication of how Disney is doing, and if Disney does better than 60cents a share, watch Disney stock to go up. 

LA Times: The LA Times reports that Six Flags Magic Mountain will add a wooden roller-coaster in 2009 themed to Terminator: Salvation starring Christian Bale.  I am not sure how you theme a wooden roller-coaster to Terminator, but I do find it interesting that both Universal and Magic Mountain will have Terminator attractions.  I wonder if Disney will add a wooden roller-coaster themed to Newsies?

Orlando Sentinel: Former Disney Channel star and current Indiana Jones sidekick, Shia LaBeouf was arrested for suspicion of drunken driving on Sunday.  Tsk Tsk….What would Christy Carlson Romano say? 

Variety: Disney Channel’s telecast of the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert in 3D got 5.9 million viewers making it the most watched telecast on Saturday night on any channel.  This is impressive considering you had to go to Wal-Mart of get a copy of TV Guide to get glasses to watch the program.  This Miley girl is gonna be big.    

In a very special blog, I am going to share all the tidbits I came across from Comic-Con and beyond.  It was a very busy day for The Walt Disney Company. 

I guess the big news of the day is that Disney released a teaser video of Tron 2, once again starring Jeff Bridges.  Click here for a report from Comic-con on the teaser.

Race to Witch Mountain wrapped filming three weeks ago, but no one cares because they showed the Tron 2 teaser at that panel and that is getting all of the attention.

The Futon Critic blogged the Minutemen panel.  It sounds like a fun group of folks.

Wizard’s First Rule has been renamed “Legend of the Seeker”.  ABC’s first run syndication show also announced some additional casting.  executive producers announced that Bruce Spence, Jay Laga'aia and Craig Parker will join previously announced lead actors Craig Horner (Richard Cypher) and Bridget Regan (Kahlan) in the first-run, scripted weekly series. Bruce Spence ("Mad Max 2" and "The Matrix Revolutions") portrays Zedd, a wise and powerful old wizard who accompanies Richard and Kahlan on their epic journey; Jay Laga'aia ("Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" and "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith") stars as Chase, a loyal and fearsome member of the Councilor's Guard; and Craig Parker ("The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers") plays Darken Rahl, a charismatic bloodthirsty tyrant that Richard must prevent from unleashing an ancient evil that will enslave the world.

Disney reupped their first look pack with Stan Lee’s POW Entertainment for two years.  Disney has greenlit “Time Jumper” as a digital comic book that will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on a variety of platforms.  Disney Interactive Media Group and Disney Publishing Worldwide will also create content.  The project involves Terry Dixon who is part of the secret government organization HUNT (Heroes United, Noble, and True).  He uses a cell phone called Articulus that is a time machine.  When Terry’s brother gets lost in time, Terry must find him before the bad guys do. 

Disney Channel and the Muppets announced a special that will feature the Muppets along with Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Ashley Tisdale, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, and Phill Lewis.  "Studio DC: Almost Live," premieres Sunday, August 3 at 8pm.  Some highlights of the special that is hosted by the Sprouse Brothers are Billy Ray Cyrus introducing Miley Cyrus to the Electric Mayhem Band; Miss Piggy casting herself as the "Jonas sister", Kermit the Frog singing “Bop to the Top” with Ashley Tisdale; and Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo visiting the Tipton Hotel from “The Suite Life"

And finally, speaking of The Jonas Brothers, 20/20 on Friday, August 1^st will feature the boy band and its new CD.  The news program devoid of corporate nepotism will air on ABC at 10/9 central.

The San Diego Comic-Con has grown beyond comics and this includes many Disney related presentations.  Below, find a list of the Disney related programming from the Comic-con website as well as my thoughts about each presentation.  I have never attended, but I hope to someday.  If not only to attend an array of Disney presentations, but I would finally have another reason to wear that Starfleet uniform that has been hanging in my closet for so many years. 

Thursday, July 24^th

11:00-12:00 The Disney Animation Story Process— Nathan Greno (head of story, Bolt), Don Hall (head of story, The Princess and the Frog), Mark Kennedy (head of story, Rapunzel), Joe Mateo (story artist, Bolt), Michael LaBash (story artist, Bolt), Paul Briggs (story artist, The Princess and the Frog), and Josie Trinidad (story artist, The Princess and the Frog) offer an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into the story process at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Coming together exclusively at Comic-Con, these story team leaders will take you from first concept to final story approval as they discuss the art of storyboarding, re-create story pitches, and share boarding styles from their upcoming animated features. Don't miss this revealing and humorous panel and your chance to get a sneak peek at Disney's next animated feature, Bolt! Room 32AB

The Disney folks are always saying that story is the most important thing.  Hopefully, this presentation will give you insight in to an important part of the Pixar and Disney process. 

2:00-3:00 The Middleman— Creator and executive producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost) and The Middleman actors Matt Keeslar (Dune) and Natalie Morales (CSI: Miami) discuss the bizarre world of The Middleman. Based on the graphic novels by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, The Middleman follows the surreal life of twenty-something Wendy Watson as she gets recruited by a top secret agency to fight comic book-esque criminals under the guidance of her straight-laced boss, The Middleman. Room 5AB

Check out Rebekah’s favorite new ABC Family show.  While it is very quirky, it is very good.  Check it out if you haven’t yet. 

3:00-4:00 Wizard’s First Rule— A first look at the upcoming action-adventure series Wizard's First Rule with book author Terry Goodkind and show executive producers Robert Tapert (Xena: Warrior Princess), Kenneth Biller (Star Trek: Voyager) and Sam Raimi (Spider-Man). The one-hour weekly television show premiering late fall is inspired by Terry Goodkind's bestselling epic fantasy series: The Sword of Truth. The story follows the journey of Richard Cypher, a simple woodsman, as he discovers the magical powers he holds within. With the help of a mysterious woman and a powerful wizard, he must use his newfound abilities to stop a ruthless tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world. Join Terry, Rob, Ken and Sam for a moderated interview and audience Q&A session! Room 6B

Disney is returning to the world of first run syndication with this series.  Will the man behind the Spider-Man film be able to bring back the glory days of Hercules and Xena?

3:00-4:00 Disney: Race to Witch Mountain— What secrets does Witch Mountain hold? Stars Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino and director Andy Fickman talk about the mysterious, paranormal activity around Witch Mountain. Dwayne, Carla, and Andy will present the first look at the movie and answer audience questions as they talk about the thrilling action-adventure that is set to hit theatres in March 2009! Hall H

I hope the “Rock” doesn’t hurt his arm while at Comic-Con.

5:00-6:00 Spotlight on Floyd Norman— Comic-Con special guest Floyd Norman talks about his long and varied career in feature film and television animation. His work includes Disney's Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pixar's Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc., and many more fan favorites. Moderated by cartoonist and animation artist Scott Shaw! Room 7AB

Floyd Norman looks back at his long Disney career.  YAY!

Friday, July 25^th12:00-1:00 ABC Family: Samurai Girl— Based on a series of popular young adult novels, Samurai Girl tells the story of a 19-year-old Japanese girl named Heaven, who discovers that the wealthy businessman who adopted her as an infant is really the head of the Yakuza (the Japanese mafia) and may have had her beloved brother brutally murdered. She breaks from her family, begins training to become a samurai, and with the help of a group of new American friends sets out to take down her father's evil empire. The panel includes Jamie Chung (Real World), Brendan Fehr (Roswell), and Stacy Keibler (WWE)—along with executive producers Andre Nemec—Josh Applebaum,—and Luke McMullen (all from Alias). Samurai Girl will air as a special event premiering with six hours over three nights, on September 5, 6, and 7. Room 2

Samurai Girl is the next step in ABC Family’s rebirth.  One might say it is a new kind of family… 

12:00-1:00 Prince of Persia— Jordan Mechner, the creator of the Prince of Persia video game and graphic novel and screenwriter on the upcoming movie, discusses the global phenomenon that is Prince of Persia, tying together the comics and the video game industry. Room 4

Take a sneak peak at what Disney will become their next hit franchise.  Will Prince of Persia be able to capture the spirit of Pirates?  Will it be shorter?  We all know it can’t possibly be longer.

1:45-2:45 Entertainment Weekly’s The Visionaries: Showrunners— Carlton Cuse (Lost), Damon Lindelof (Lost), Josh Schwartz (Chuck, Gossip Girl), Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), and Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) are the television producers who are changing the face of television with deeply immersive entertainments marked by distinctive, cutting edge storytelling. They have also been at the forefront of bringing "genre programming" or "cult TV" to the mainstream. Prepare for a candid conversation about creative integrity in a commercial medium and the future of broadcast TV in an increasingly digital world. Spoiler Alert! Upcoming plot developments may be teased. Moderated by Entertainment Weekly senior writer Jeff Jensen. Room 6CDEF

Three of Entertainment Weekly’s “Visionaries” have shows on ABC.  Coincidently they are the forces behind two of my favorite shows on ABC; Lost and Pushing Daisies.  I should also mention I enjoy Chuck and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as well.  But Gossip Girl?  That might be a reason to skip this panel.

3:30-4:30 BOOM! Studios Panel— One of the fastest-growing independent publishers invites you to take a peek at what makes BOOM! so great. Editor-in-chief Mark Waid (Kingdom Come), co-founders Andrew Cosby (Eureka) and Ross Richie, marketing and sales director Chip Mosher (Left on Mission), and a few surprise guests will be making announcements about the upcoming year for BOOM! Studios. Come and watch us explode! Room 10

BOOM! Studios just announced they will be making a series of comics based on Pixar films.  You can purchase a preview book for $5 at Comic-con

Saturday, July 26^th 12:00-1:00 Lost— If the most recent season finale was any indication of things to come, you will not want to miss this panel. Co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse will discuss season 4 of Lost, leading up to the season finale. They will answer your questions and maybe even offer up some surprises of their own. Hall H

This annual presentation is always interesting.  You never know what might happen.

12:30-1:30 ABC Family’s Kyle XY: Q&A with the Cast and Producer and First Look at Season Three— Kyle XY actors Matt Dallas (Babysitter Wanted) and Jaimie Alexander  (Rest Stop) and producer Julie Plec (Scream 3) give fans a sneak peek at the exciting new season, in which lives are saved, secrets are exposed, and hearts are broken, as Kyle discovers that being a hero doesn’t come without a price. Room 5AB

Kyle XY will have a Q&A with the cast and producer.  But will anyone be there since it was scheduled the same time as the lost panel?  I don’t think so.

2:30-3:30 Disney Pixar: Bolt and UP— For superdog Bolt, every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue, at least until the cameras stop rolling. Be the first to see exclusive animation as directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard present the new 3D comedy-adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios!  Then it's UP: From the inventive storytellers that have taken you into the worlds of space, toys, and superheroes comes the extraordinary adventure that will take you to a lost world where anything can happen, and everything will. Meet director Peter Docter (Monsters, Inc.) as he presents the first-ever look at Disney Pixar's new animated 3D adventure comedy, UP.  Hall H

This is a big one!  Check out the latest on Bolt and the first glimpse of Up.  Will Disney have their first big hit in many years?  Will Pixar continue their streak?

3:15-4:15 Pushing Daisies Screening and Q&A— The cast and producers of the Golden Globe Award-nominated Pushing Daisies return to Comic-Con for a special screening of exclusive clips from the acclaimed show’s upcoming season, highlights from the first season and a Q&A with fans. Stars Lee Pace (The Fall), Anna Friel (Land of the Lost), Chi McBride (Boston Public), Ellen Greene (Little Shop of Horrors), Swoosie Kurtz (Superman Doomsday), and Kristin Chenoweth (The West Wing) join executive producer/creator Bryan Fuller (Heroes) and executive producers Dan Jinks (American Beauty) and Peter Ocko (Dead Like Me) for the session, to be moderated by special guest and executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black). From Living Dead Guy Productions, The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television, Pushing Daisies airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM on the ABC Television Network. Room 6A

Pushing Daisies was my favorite new show from last year.  Hopefully when it returns this fall following the writer’s strike it will still have its wit, charm, and zaniness. 

6:00-7:00 TV Guide: Hot List— TV Guide takes an in-depth look at some of the new and returning TV series, featuring the hottest TV talent—in front of the camera and behind the scenes. TV Guide executive editor Craig Tomashoff moderates this panel offering the inside scoop, with some fun surprises. Participants include (in alphabetical order) Josh Applebaum (executive producer, Life on Mars), Jaimie Alexander (Kyle XY), Matt Dallas (Kyle XY), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (creator, The Middleman), Ronald Moore (executive producer, Virtuality), Natalie Morales (The Middleman), Jason O'Mara (Life on Mars), and Jason Smilovic (executive producer, My Own Worst Enemy), among other special guests. Room 6B

Six of the folks on TV Guide’s “Hot List” are involved with ABC and ABC Family properties.  Either we have a great relationship with TV Guide or ABC has finally gained some respect.  YAY!

Sunday, July 27^th11:30-1:00 The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning— The sea holds many deep secrets for young Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning, an all new, full-length movie coming exclusively to DVD on August 26. Available for a limited time only, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning takes audiences back to the story’s beginnings with favorite characters from the original film as well as a wonderfully wicked new villainess. With a score that continues The Little Mermaid’s legacy of memorable, life-affirming songs, the latest animated adventure from DisneyToon Studios will capture the hearts of all ages! Room 6B

The end of an era.  Spend some time of your Saturday enjoying a glimpse of the last “cheapquel”  I know…it is hard not to tear up

12:00-1:00 Phineas and Ferb— Join creators Dan Povenmire (Family Guy) and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (Rocko's Modern Life) along with special guests from the show's cast to learn more about Disney Channel's newest smash hit series, including an insider's look at how the show came to life and what's in store for these inventive step-brothers and their tattletale sister in the future. Plus never-before-seen footage, audience Q&A, and a chance to win Phineas and Ferb merchandise! Room 5AB

This is my favorite show on Disney Channel!  I want to win a Ferbot!

What to Watch: How long has it been since you watched Camp Rock?  I think it is time to see it again.  Enjoy it at 7/6 central on Disney Channel

Video of the Day: Get ready for the Middleman panel by watching “Javi’s House of Middlemobiles”.  Definitely a dealer ad.     

News from Around the Web:

ABC News:  ABC News has a story about controversial remarks made by ABC’s The View co-host Sherri Sepherd.  Is it really fair for ABC News to report on ABC shows?  Especially one’s starring ABC News stars like Barbara Walters? 

NY Times: It looks like Toyota might overtake GM as the world’s largest auto manufacture, a title GM has held for 77 years.  Now GM is an official Disney sponsor so it breaks my heart to see them not performing well.  If only their business model ran as smooth as Test Track. 

USA Today: USA Today has a feature on Pixar’s annual picnic that also doubles as a car show.  Does this not look like a fun place to work, or what?

LA Times: It looks like there is another development in the SAG/AMPTP negotiations.  A group of actors, that are calling themselves United for Strength, are putting up a slate of 11 actors that will try and gain some influence in the current direction of SAG.  I hope that this group helps negotiate a deal so we can move on with more fun matters.

Orlando Sentinel: Good news for those of you planning trips to Walt Disney World.  Despite airfares rising 4.4 percent nationally, airfares in to Orlando have reduced 3.9 percent ranking it 10^th cheapest amongst the top 100 airports.  So plan your trip to Walt Disney World before the Year of a Million Dreams ends…..or gets extended again. 

Variety: Both ABC Family and ABC saw ratings success on Tuesday.  ABC Family did well with the fourth installment of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and ABC scored well with “Wipeout” and it’s big balls.

Yesterday I talked about how Siskel & Ebert was one of the first endeavors that the newly christened Walt Disney Company undertook in television.  But the first hit they had was The Golden Girls.  Now I love The Golden Girls.  While I could not identify with a bunch of senior women, it didn’t matter because it was funny.  Somewhere along the line television forgot that being funny was the best way to have a great comedy. 

Part of what made The Golden Girls so funny was Sophia.  Her zippy one-liners couldn’t help but make you smile and Estelle Getty’s delivery was part of what made those words priceless.  So while I never met her, she was an important part of my growing up.  And while I never met her, I want to thank her for being my friend and making Disney bucket loads of money. 

 Quick Takes:

Parks and Resorts: Ming Na, the voice of Mulan, will be making an appearance at the park that created the film.  The actress will be signing at the Writers Stop  at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Friday, July 25, from 1-2 p.m.  So for those of you that ever wanted to stare strangely back at her, here is your chance. 

Studio Entertainment: On Tuesday, August 12^th, SIGGRAPH, the computer animation convention, will showcase a night dedicated to Pixar Animation Studios at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.  There will b e a screening of “The Man Who Planted Trees” followed by a conversation with Frederic Back and John Lasseter and a screening of “The Pixar Story” with an introduction and Q&A by director Leslie Iwerks and friends.  Tickets for the night are only $50.  For more info click here.  

Consumer Products: Disney and the United States Postal Service will premiere the new stamps in the Art of Disney series on August 7^th.  The theme this year is “Imagination”.

Disney Interactive Media:  Disney Insider has an update on the construction of The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio.  Check it out.

What to Watch: In memory of Estelle Getty, Lifetime will air 10 episodes showcasing "Sophia" in all her blustering, sarcastic splendor, beginning with the show's pilot at 12pm. The last episode at 4:30pm will be the #1 favorite "Sophia episode" as decided through a vote of her legion of devoted fans at myLifetime.com.

Video of the Day: Today’s OMG Moment from ABC is from High School Musical: Get in the Picture.  The moment involves a lot of burping….  Can you believe more people aren’t watching this show J

News from Around the Web:

ABC News:  ABC News has the extended interview Robin Roberts had with Miley Cyrus on Good Morning America.  I hear next week Robin is interviewing the trash can. 

NY Times: The New York Times reviewed George Michael’s concert at Madison Square Garden.  Of course George plays a big role on ABC’s Eli Stone.  George Michael must have a lot of power for he must be the reason Eli Stone didn’t get cancelled.    

USA Today: USA Today is reporting that there is no end in sight for economic imballence between the dollar and international currency.  While Disney benefits from a strong US economy, since the parks are worldwide destinations, a weak dollar can help pick up the slack as international guests are more likely to visit.  Of course, as guests we should be rooting for a strong dollar as a weak one leads to more Brazilian tour groups.   

LA Times: Former Newsie and current Batman, Christian Bale, was arrested and released in London on Monday for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister.  He should have never left  Santa Fe.  (Newsies reference)

Orlando Sentinel: The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Disney has filed a permit for a grab-and-go resteraunt at the new Bay Lake Tower.  The project is expected to be completed September 1^st, 2009.  I wonder what they will call it?  Maybe Permo Grab-and-Go?

Variety: Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz have been named the new critics of “At the Movies”.  And nope, I have never heard of them either. 

The end of an era is near. Both Roeper and Ebert are leaving the Disney produced review show that has been with Disney in one form or another since 1986. It sounds like Roeper, the thumbs, and an association with founder Ebert will love on in another form, but Disney will keep producing the show in a brand new form. The writing was on the wall when the thumbs disappeared last August because Disney could not agree on how much Ebert should be used for his trademark digit.

Now word is that Disney is transforming the show in to a new animal with their former employees creating a show in the vain of the classic Siskel & Ebert mold. I don’t know what the new Disney show will look like, but I wonder what caused the company to want to change the show. Perhaps Ebert was being stubborn and the loss of the thumbs was the loss of the show. Perhaps with the internet, the need and appeal of the show has worn off. I would love to know what was going on behind the scenes, but I am also looking forward to seeing how Disney’s new school competes against Roeper’s new show. Will Disney look foolish for letting this franchise die?

While this is not the most important product in Disney’s portfolio, it does represent an important milestone. This show was one of Michael Eisner’s first steps in transforming Disney in to a full-scale entertainment company. By syndicating this show, Disney was able to develop a television infrastructure that would allow such shows as The Disney Afternoon as well as laying the path to acquiring ABC. But as Disney grew, this show ended up being a small fish in an ever growing pond. While I will miss the nostalgia I have for the show, perhaps the new edition will have more relevance to a company that has changed a lot since the 80’s

Quick Takes:

Parks and Resorts: I can’t believe that Fantasmic! is only going to be performed two nights a week starting in January at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Is this the first sign that Walt Disney World, which has been resistant to the recession is finally seeing to start seeing bookings slow down? Disney is saying that this is because of all the new offerings at the park. But if this is the price we need to pay to have American Idol, its not worth it. I can always go see karaoke at Universal. Fantasmic is uniquely Disney and an important part of a park that needs the kiss goodnight Fantasmic provides. Let’s hope this is only a temporary situation.

Studio Entertainment: Miley Cyrus’s new album, “Breakout” drops tomorrow. To commemorate, here are 7 things I like about Miley Cyrus: 1. She rocked at the Disney Channel Games. 2. She has made Disney a lot of money. 3. She hasn’t followed her father’s example by having a mullet. 4. She has made Disney a lot of money. 5. I can see her in 3D on Saturday. 6. She isn’t Hillary Duff 7. She has made Disney a lot of money.

Consumer Products: If you want to purchase “Breakout” from Disneyshopping.com click here. You also get free shipping….. OOOOOHHH AAAAHHHH

Disney Interactive Media: At Disney.com, you can watch Freaky Friday staring Jamie Lee Curtis. Hopefully seeing this film will whet your appetite for Beverly Hills Chihuahua in which she is also featured. What do you want to bet she liked working with dogs more than working with Lindsey Lohan.

What to Watch: To get you pumped for the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert airing in 3D on the Disney Channel this weekend, watch two episodes of Hannah Montana after Jump In.

Video of the Day: Check out new Disney Channel star, Demi Lavato, enjoying Toy Story Midway Mania as part of the Disney 365 series here. Her score was half of mine… Get it? Anybody?

News from Around the Web:

ABC News: ABC News has an interview with Miley where she speaks about the Vanity Fair scandal as well as why she feels like she thinkgs being a regular teen would be harder. Leave it to ABC to ask the hard hitting questions of Disney Channel stars.

NY Times: The New York Times examines the Miramax film “Brideshead Revisited” and compares it to the 27 year-old mini-series adaptation. This article supposes that I have ever heard of Brideshead Revisited before I saw it was a Miramax film, which would not be the case. I think I might skip this film.

USA Today: In an unfortunate case of life imitating art, Scott Michael Foster, who plays frat president Cappie on ABC Family’s Greek was arrested on Monday for driving under the influence. Hopefully, this will be a wakeup call for the 23 year-old actor.

LA Times: The LA Times reviews Miley’s CD and gives it 3 stars. This might mean something if I knew how many stars this was out of. 4? 5? 10? Oh well, does it really matter? I don’t think that the girls buying this album really care what the LA Times has to say.

Orlando Sentinel: Apparently the High School Musical: Get in the Picture reality show did not do so well when it premiered on ABC this past Sunday. I enjoyed the show as it was a kinder and gentler reality show that seemed to be very sensitive not to showcase any of the young contestants in a negative light. It was also neat to see all these kids want to be a part of Disney. I will never get over how Disney has made itself cool again.

Variety: ESPN Star Sports has landed the rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics for India and other Southeast Asian countries. Could this be the beginning of a new relationship between Disney and the IOC that could result in ABC and ESPN getting the rights for future games in North America? The Olympics really belong on ABC.

Let the promotion begin… 

The first look at High School Musical 3: Senior Year will premiere on Disney Channel Sunday night and will be on Disney.com July 14^th at 12:01 ET.  I wonder if there was some debate as to where this trailer will premiere.  I am sure ABC would have loved to show it on their High School Musical: Get in the Picture reality show which is debuting next week.  I also bet the studios could have reated even more buzz around WALL-E by releasing it with that movie.  But in the end, the trailer will premiere where it all began, on Disney Channel. 

That is the right thing to do.  This Disney Channel created franchise has helped every division of Disney, except maybe ESPN.  It is good that everyone else step’s back and throws Disney Channel a bone by letting them have the first shot.  The studios already “stole” the franchise away by making the third film theatrical.  In the end though, I think it shows how well the divisions of Disney work together. 

 As Bob likes to say, the executives’ stock options are in The Walt Disney Company and not in their individual divisions.  It is in everyone’s best interest to work together to maximize the potential of every Disney franchise. 

Quick Takes:

Media Networks: Speaking of High School Musical, click here to get some behind the scenes shots of ABC’s High School Musical: Get in the Picture.  I noticed that the audition took place in Long Beach.  Is this Disney’s way of making up for canceling Port Disney?  It looks like more people were at the audition than are normally at DCA.

Parks and Resorts: Speaking of High School Musical, the High School Musical 2: School’s Out show will be replaced by a High School Musical 3 show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s California Adventure.  While this may seem like a natural thing to do, the original idea was to replace the show with more family friendly shopping and dining. 

Consumer Products: Speaking of High School Musical, DisneyShopping.com has a variety of High School Musical merchandise available.  I know I can’t wait to get my High School Musical ribbed tank top, my High School Musical tiered knit dress, and my High School Musical heart tote in the mail.  I am giddy. 

Interactive Media:  Speaking of High School Musical, I picked up my copy of High School Musical 2: Work This Out! For my Nintendo DS.  It is a fun little game, but it has a neat feature.  You can listen to all the songs from High School Musical 2, even when my DS is closed.  Cool, huh?

What to Watch: Saturday night, The Wonderful World of Disney will present Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.  I actually really enjoyed this film so you might want to check it out.     

Video of the Day: Here is a preview of High School Musical: Get in the Picture.  Watch contestants try for their chance of a lifetime or at least this summer television season. 

News from Around the Web:

ABC News:  ABC News has a video report on water parks and includes Disney’s Blizzard Beach. 

NY Times: Former Disney suitor Comcast was admonished by the FCC for restricting access to BitTorrent sites, where users can swap videos, because it was clogging up their network.  While I don’t agree with restricting access, I do despise file sharing as it violates intellectual property rights.

USA Today: In a USA Today blog, Rita Rubin examines the link between obesity and environment that many believe the movie WALL-E relies on.    Now Rita has not seen the film so perhaps she isn’t the best person to talk about this.  But in any case, I now declare that this topic has been talked about too much and it is time to stop and move on to whether Chihuahuas can actually sing and dance. 

LA Times: The LA Times has a report on Star Wars: The Clone Wars being previewed for television critics during their press tour.  While there were rumors Disney was in the running to air this series, Warners won.  However Disney and Star Wars are still close as Star Wars Weekend attendees got a sneak peak.  I can’t wait to see the whole thing for myself. 

Orlando Sentinel: A Disney cast member group called Encore will be performing at Epcot’s World ShowPlace July 23-25.  The show will raise money for United Arts of Central Florida.  The show is open to the public.    

Variety: There is now talk that because of the interest generated by WALL-E, there might be a revival of Hello Dolly on Broadway.  I only have one request.  Whatever you do… DO NOT BRING BACK MICHAEL CRAWFORD.    

Not too long ago, Disney announced they would be merging the Walt Disney Internet Group with Disney Interactive Studios which would create a new segment of the company called Disney Interactive Media.  It was announced that Steve Wadsworth, who was heading WDIG would be the new head of this enlarged group.  This left many questions as to how this new segment would structure itself.  Many of these questions were answered today through an internal memo sent out by Steve.  Graham Hopper will continue to lead the Disney Interactive Studios as its Executive Vice President and General Manager.  Paul Yanover will remain in charge of Disney Online.  Both folks will manage their respective businesses globally.  Mark Handler, who ran the Walt Disney Internet Group International business is retiring after 24 years of service with The Walt Disney Company. 

One interesting piece of news is that Lane Merrifield, the co-founder and Executive Vice President and General Manager of Club Penguin will handle the development of virtual worlds.  What I find interesting about this is that they are letting an “outsider” run the part of Disney Online that Disney has become very excited about.  Letting someone new to the Disney fold run such an important business is a little unusual.  Then again, Bob Iger was an “outsider” from ABC, and now he is doing a pretty good job of running the entire Walt Disney Company. 

Over the next 60 days we will be hearing more about this new business structure.  It will be interesting to see how it develops and if Disney can become a leader in the digital space just as they have become a leader in the movie, theme park, and television space.  Only time will tell.   

Quick Takes:

Media Networks: Disney and Starz were in the news today.  First of all, Disney won an extra three weeks to prepare itself for a lawsuit being pursued by Starz.  Starz believes that Disney breached their contract when they started allowing it’s movies to be downloaded from iTunes.  Interestingly, on the same day Starz and Disney announced that Starz will be showing the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds concert film on 2D as it airs in 3D on Disney Channel.  Starz will also show the film in 3D following the Disney Channel airing.  All of this proves that Miley Cyrus can cure any rift, as long as she is wearing her seat belt. 

Parks and Resorts: Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be closing the “Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends” show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  Three words: addition by subtraction.  I hear that it is closing because guests have been telling the park that they are looking for more family-friendly shopping and dining.  I wonder if they will be installing a big balloon?

Consumer Products: The LA Times has a story on how children are not getting designer clothing.  This is so silly?  Who would want to wear non-Disney clothing anyway? 

Studio Entertainment:  Disney is developing a comedy called, “"Synchronicity", about male synchronized swimming.  And you thought Beverly Hills Chihuahua sounded stupid…. 

What to Watch: At 7:55, Disney Channel will show Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream.  In today’s episode, Jo Bro go on a health kick and through all of their junk food in to….THE TRASH CAN!!! 

Video of the Day: The trailer for Swing Vote is online.  This film is about Bud Johnson, an apathetic, beer-slinging, lovable loser, who is coasting through a life that has passed him by. The one bright spot is his precocious, over-achieving twelve year-old daughter Molly. She takes care of both of them, until one mischievous moment on Election Day, when she accidentally sets off a chain of events which culminates in the election coming down to one vote... her dad's.  Suddenly “Synchronicity” doesn’t sound so bad. 

News from Around the Web:

ABC News:  ABC News looks at the alliance Hasbro made with Universal to make films based off their games.  This alliance highlights that the importance of having a branded film has to today’s audience.  While many might view this reliance on established properties to be a bad thing and is evidence of Hollywood’s lack of originality, I look at it as a good thing, because who has better brands and established entertainment properties than Disney?  The it’s a small world movie has got to be just around the corner. 

NY Times: In a shocking turn of events, the New York Times is reporting that Anheuser-Busch is in talks with InBev for a friendly takeover.  This comes after months of hostilities between the two companies ever since InBev first offered to purchase to company.  Once again, it will be interesting to see what happens to the theme park division?  Will Shamu still get a free six-pack with every paycheck?  These are the important issues of the day. 

USA Today: According to USA Today, California is tourism is fighting fires too.  The wildfires that are raging in Northern and Central California have taken a toll on the local tourism market.  I have a suggestion for any would be travelers, go to Disney’s California Adventure which is far removed from the blazes that are north of the resort.  That way you get everything you need from a trip to California in just 55 acres of Disney magic.  Who needs an entire state when you have a theme park? 

LA Times: It looks like the guy Disney sold the Ducks to has gotten himself in to a little hot water.  Henry Samueli has plead guilty to lying to financial regulators.  He has been suspended from playing any role with the team at least through his sentencing.  UC Irvine and UCLA are looking at removing his name from their engineering schools.  I also wonder if he will get to keep his star on the Anaheim Walk of Fame.  Losing that would probably hurt the most, well not including the $12.2 million in fines.  That probably hurt the most. 

Orlando Sentinel: Disney is suing a Clermont couple that entertained as Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger too at children’s birthday parties.  Is this “Take Advantage of Disney Week”?  First folks are selling Fast Passes on Ebay and now people are shamefully violating Disney’s intellectual property rights.  What did Disney ever do to these people?  Why can’t they just leave Disney alone? 

Variety: SAG has formally rejected the AMPTP’s final offer.  I am not sure where that leaves us, but SAG lost a lot of its bargaining power when it failed to defeat the AFTRA deal.  Since a strike is unlikely, many studios may return to production.  But since a new contract doesn’t seem to be in sight, is this a risky move?  How long will the actors work without a contract?  With the tough economy, many feel the actors do not want to strike, but if they do decide to strike, they could always make some money on the side by violating Disney’s intellectual property at birthday parties. 

The AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) put out the following press release:

SAG has indicated they need more time to prepare a response to AMPTP's final offer of June 30, 2008 and SAG will respond to the Producers' final offer at AMPTP's headquarters on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 2 p.m. The Producers remain hopeful that SAG will accept our final offer.

The results of the AFTRA contract vote should come out any moment.  AMPTP’s willingness to extend their final offer makes one believe that they are confident that it will be voted in and there will be pressure on SAG to agree to the deal.  Hopefully, this will allow companies like Disney to get a new contract and allow Hollywood to get back to work making the movies and television shows we want to see. 

Quick Takes: