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MousePlanetWatch Disney News

February 28, 2008 by MouseStation Crew

MouseStation 146 – MousePlanetWatch news

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Walt Disney World News

  • The lawsuit filed last November
    by three individuals from the Midwest claiming discrimination by Walt Disney
    World under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because Disney would
    not allow them to use their personal Segway vehicles in the theme parks
    has been dismissed.
  • The extended run of the Pirate & Princess Parties (now called “Mickey’s
    Pirate & Princess Party”) have now finally appeared on the Walt Disney World
    Web site. For dates, pricing and more, see Monday’s
    Park Update
    ..
  • Hannah Montana-themed makeovers are
    now available
    at the Downtown Disney Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
  • The Disney’s Magical Express bus service (DME) is growing so quickly that
    it’s going to start causing
    Disney some financial headaches
    very soon, according to an article in
    the Orlando
    Sentinel
    last Thursday.
  • Disney’s Magical Express will seem like even more of a bargain in the
    near future, as the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority’s board voted last
    Wednesday to pass along more costs to visitor through a “customer
    facility charge
    .”
  • There’s lots of work afoot as the latest
    construction paperwork
    filed with Orange County indicates.
  • Quick Takes:
    • With the departure of former Studios VP Michael O’Grattan for the
      post of VP of Operations for the Disneyland Resort, Rilous Carter has
      been appointed as the new Vice President for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
    • Walt Disney World is testing the use of room keys as verification
      for Evening Extra Magic Hours rather than wristbands, as some enterprising
      souls were finding ways to cheat the system.
    • For the sixth year in a row, Aquascape, Inc. will create water gardens
      of the future as part of the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.
    • The numbers are in, and the various organizations running the 2008
      Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon for charity raised an estimated
      combined total of more than $7.6 million, a new record.
    • Hoping to avoid additional attention regarding the steroid use charges
      lodged against him (as well as probing questions from guests in attendance),
      Roger Clemens has stepped down as co-host of this weekend’s ESPN The
      Weekend festivities at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
    • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hold their training camp at Disney’s
      Wide World of Sports Complex for seventh year in a row.
    • The Velcro & Waste Management exhiibits at Innoventions are both now
      open.
    • While Spaceship Earth is now officially reopened, don’t be surprised
      to see Imagineers continuing to tweak and fine-tune the attraction now
      that it’s under a regular, heavy load.
    • The Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station is once again open, and is
      expected to continue operation through August before closing down again
      after the seasonal rush.
    • One side of the Jaguar slide at the Coronado Springs Resort’s main
      feature pool will be closed for rehab March 31 ? April 30.
  • The next phase of MousePlanet’s partnership with the Downtown Disney Resort
    Area Hotel Association has
    gone live
    .
  • The Orlando Sentinel has found
    a filing
    indicating that Disney has received approval to start selling
    units at the new building next to the Contemporary Resort, indicating that
    it is indeed a DVC resort and that it will be called Kingdom
    Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
    .

This and other news can be found in this week’s Walt
Disney World Park Update
.

Disneyland News

  • The Disneyland Resort has released additional
    details
    about the upcoming book release and signing event with actress
    Julie Andrews.
  • ESPN Zone is hosting
    an “Anthem Idol” competition
    on March 6, 2008 at the Downtown Disney
    location.
  • Be sure to check the weekly Park
    Events calendar
    for the latest updates on events that may mean additional
    crowds at the Disneyland Resort.
  • Other stuff:
    • Several sources and Web sites have reported a problem with Disneyland’s
      new Mark VII monorails.
    • Brady MacDonald of The Los Angeles Times travel blog has posted profiles
      of many of the 20 finalists of the Disney Dream CEO competition.
    • MousePlanet reader miss bianca reports that the “AP6” Annual Passholder
      discount at the Disneyland Resort Hotels is extended through May 31,
      2008.
    • Several MousePlanet readers have already received notice that they
      were selected for an opportunity to tour the new Disney Dream Suite
      at Disneyland.
    • Time is running out for first-time teams to register for the inaugural
      MouseAdventure
      101
      division, designed exclusively for new teams and players.

This and other news can be found in this week’s Disneyland
Park Update
.

The Walt Disney Company News

  • The Disney Channel has made
    some major appointments
    in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region
    to support its latest European push.
  • Meanwhile, to backfill the position that Michael Cairns leave behind in
    Australia and New Zealand, that area has appointed
    Melissa Dixon
    as Vice President and General Manager.
  • While The Walt Disney Company continues to deny it, the Shanghai Securities
    News reported on Friday that a new
    Disney theme park
    has received necessary government approvals to begin
    construction in the southern edge of Shanghai’s Pudong district.
  • As the Disneyland Resort Paris version of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
    prepares to open on April 5, a new
    Web site
    has been launched to boost the anticipation.
  • The Disney Channel has launched a subscription
    video on demand service
    on the NOW TV IPTV service from PCCW, a Hong
    Kong service provider.
  • Playhouse Disney Concert Series regulars, the Information Movers are getting
    a new show
    on the Disney Channel.
  • An electric ride-on Cinderella car has been recalled. More information
    is available the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Web
    site
    . For additional information, you can contact Dumar International
    at 866-424-0500 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or
    visit the firm’s Web site.
  • At the International Toy Fair last week, Disney
    announced the latest angle
    on Internet-based toys, with the Disney Fairies
    Clickables toys, where girls can link their social networking in the soon-to-open
    Pixie Hollow virtual world with their social networking in the playgrounds.
  • Pixie Hollow itself was officially
    unveiled
    at the toy fair, and it’s scheduled to launch later this year
    with a continuous rollout of in-game enhancements and features.
  • Meanwhile, Disney Online announced the formation of Disney
    Online Studios
    , a group focused on creating games, virtual worlds and
    online social communities.
  • While we were busy reporting the imposing demise of HD-DVD last week,
    Toshiba was busy folding
    its hand
    and closing down production of HD-DVD players, leaving Sony’s
    Blu-ray as the victorious high-definition DVD format.
  • Wave
    Eight of the Walt Disney Treasures
    collection has been announced, and
    the headliner here is Destino, the collaboration between Walt Disney and
    Salvador Dali.
  • Now that the writer’s strike is over, it’s time for Disney to shuffle
    around the release dates
    of movies on the calendar for their upcoming
    movie slate.
  • The big
    winner on Oscar night
    was Miramax’s No Country For Old Men, coproduced
    with Paramount Vantage.
  • Step Up 2: The Streets had another
    strong week
    at the box office.

Administrative stuff

You can send us feedback via email
or by calling our toll-free feedback line at 1-866-939-2278. Don’t forget
that we love voicemails because then we can put your voice on the show!

Wrapping up

On April 27, Mark will be walking to raise money for the March of Dimes for
the third time. Please consider supporting him. The March of Dimes mission
is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature
birth, and infant mortality.

 

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Thanks to our West Coast correspondent Andrew Rich, and audio engineer and
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Thank you for listening!

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