| Disney reaches retro's limit, folds classic-tunes CD burner | | Posted Monday, October 16, 2006 7:08:12 AM by Blog57 Team | | Tucked away in a couple of corners of Walt Disney World, Burl Ives, Annette Funicello, Mary Martin and Fess Parker still belted them out. But no more. Walt Disney World has closed a small, obscure, yet unique attraction: two consumer CD-burners loaded with old Disney music. The "Wonderland" machines were set in back corners of the Once Upon a Toy store in Downtown Disney and the Virtual Magic Kingdom store in the Magic Kingdom. For $15.99, customers could burn copies of albums not elsewhere available for generations. Dozens of offerings included Burl Ives -- Chim Chim Cheree, Annette -- Volume 1 and it's a small world 1964 World's Fair. But the machines simply weren't very popular, a Disney spokesman said. In their place are shelves of Disney CDs, including a few, such as Mickey's Top 40 Tunes, that feature repackaged, select oldies.... | |
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| | | `King' to visit South Africa | | Posted Friday, September 01, 2006 1:38:33 PM by Blog57 Team | | "The Lion King," one of the world's most successful musicals, will come to the South African stage in 2007 as part of the show's 10th anniversary celebrations. "We have always dreamed of producing our show in South Africa," said Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions. "The music, the culture and the spirit of the country are an integral part of 'Lion King,' and opening this production brings us full circle." .... | |
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| | | Disney dreams come true | | Posted Sunday, August 27, 2006 11:12:50 PM by Blog57 Team | | Imagine being grand marshal in a Walt Disney World parade. Or getting the royal treatment at Walt Disney World, including staying overnight in a royal bedchamber in Cinderella's Castle. It's no childish reverie. Starting Oct. 1, Disney will make a lot of dreams come true with its "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration. Altogether, a million dreams -- some small, some large -- will be awarded during the year to randomly chosen guests. The promotion is one of a number of features in Florida to tempt travelers this fall. One of the biggest draws is Halloween celebrations. Universal Orlando devotes 19 nights to gory goings-on. This year, the theme park has constructed haunted houses and designed a "Sweet 16" party gone ghoulish. Tickets for the Halloween Horror Nights, which start Sept.... | |
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| | | Microsoft developing new devices to rival Apple iPod | | Posted Monday, July 24, 2006 1:03:42 AM by Blog57 Team | | Microsoft Corp announced on Friday it is developing an iPod killer to take on Apple Computer Inc. in the US$4 billion market for portable entertainment devices. The first products go on sale this year and are being developed under the code name Zune, Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said in an e-mailed statement. This signals that Microsoft is abandoning a strategy of relying on partners to produce devices with its Windows software to compete with iPod, analysts said. Microsoft so far has failed to dent Apple's 77 percent share of the US market for digital music players. Microsoft expects its new service to rival Apple's iTunes, but even with its own product, Microsoft has an uphill climb, said the analysts. According to sources familiar with the company's plans, Microsoft is building a device that has wireless Internet access so customers will not have to connect to a computer to download music -- a feature the iPod does not have.... | |
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| | | Disney cuts movies, jobs | | Posted Wednesday, July 19, 2006 11:10:05 AM by Blog57 Team | | THE Walt Disney Co plans to reduce annual movie production and cut about 650 jobs as it shifts toward more Disney-branded movies. The company said it would produce and distribute about 10 Disney live-action and animated films a year and two to three Touchstone films a year. Disney now produces about 18 movies a year. The movie studio was expected to reduce its work force by about 650 positions worldwide, the company said. The company said Oren Aviv, now chief creative officer at Walt Disney Studios, had been tapped to be president of production at Walt Disney Pictures, overseeing live-action development and film production. Nina Jacobson, who was president of production, and Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, would be leaving the company, Disney said. Disney also said it had restructured several of its business units under two global organisations – Buena Vista Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, and Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment.... | |
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