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The press release regarding auditions for ABC's High School Musical: Summer session has been released and they will be having casting calls at Walt Disney World and an undetermined Southern California location.  Here is the release: 

Millions of young people can vie to be part of Disney’s “High School Musical” global sensation when the ABC Television Network launches a nationwide casting search for its new summer series, “High School Musical: Summer Session.” The casting information and applications for the open calls can be found at www.abc.com/hsmsummersession The series debuts on ABC on Sunday, July 20 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and runs Sundays and Mondays (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) for three weeks, then continues Mondays at 8:00 p.m., ET through mid-September. The producers welcome anyone and everyone ages 16-22 who has dreamed of being center stage -- the high school quarterback who’s never tried out for a play but has a song in his heart, the drama club extrovert looking to break into the big time, someone looking to trade the chess club routine for a dance routine -- all are invited to try to “Get’cha head in the game,” as the hit song says. The finalists will ultimately participate in a summer music program to hone their skills, and one talented newcomer will receive the opportunity of a lifetime, becoming a part of the “High School Musical” family. The winner will receive a grand prize—details will be announced separately. Lots of fantastic surprises await someone with the talent to go to the head of the class! 

Two epic open casting calls will be held to help narrow the field, one in southern California (date, time and other details to be announced) and one at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida on May 7 (details to be announced). Both of these open auditions will be a part of the early episodes of the series. Anyone between the ages of 16 and 22 is welcome to give it a shot at the open calls (if you are under 18, you must bring your parent or legal guardian) and can download an application and view eligibility requirements at www.abc.com/hsmsummersession.

In addition to the open calls in southern California and Orlando, the casting scouts from “High School Musical: Summer Session” are scouring the country looking for otherwise unknown talent who they think deserve a chance to try out for this new reality series. The casting scouts will select some of these individuals to be brought to the final auditions, before a panel of judges, which will be held as the final phases of the open calls. If you are selected to audition, bring your A-game for a chance to appear before our judges and show them why you deserve to join the “High School Musical” family.

  Are you going to "Get Your Head in the Game" and audition?  I can't wait for this show to return.  High School Musical and The Mole, its going to be a great summer.

Quick Takes:

Parks and Resorts: On April 3 in New York City, a team of world-renowned scientists and Disney's very own Dr. Bunsen Honeydew of "The Muppets" announced the first annual World Science Festival, an unprecedented celebration of scientific discovery.

The festival will take place from May 28 through June 1 and will bring together top researchers, educators, creative artists and others to create more than 40 unique events that will shine a spotlight on science and explore the many ways in which scientific discovery and innovation are shaping modern life. Walt Disney Imagineering will lend its expertise with "The Science of Imagination," giving participants an inside glimpse into technologies such as robotics, pyrotechnics, virtual reality, special effects and artificial intelligence.

 For more information, you can visit their website; worldsciencefestival.com.  My only question is what did Dr. Bunsen Honeydew do with his assistant Beaker.  He was nowhere to be found.  I smell a scandal.

Media Networks: Steven Miller, the founder of Hyperion, has left Disney after 17 years to create a "studio" publisher for HarperCollins.  Ellen Archer has taken over as the head of the division.  Hyperion is a sleeper part of Disney that many people don't think about on a daily basis.  However, Hyperion has done very well lately, including launching a new impring called "Voice" focused on women.  This imprint happened to be started by Ellen Archer who now oversees the entire publisher.  In other news HarperCollins is working with Disney to promote reading in association with the release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. 

What to Watch: Duel returns to ABC at 9/8central.  I love Mike Greenberg, but I hope they added some energy to the show compared to the first run.  Screen up.

Video of the Day: The internet sensation, "The Last Lecture" will be examined in a special edition of Primetime on Wednesday.  You can watch Randy Pausch's lectrue at http://www.abcnews.com/lastlecture.  Randy did some consulting with WDI, in fact he wears a WDI polo shirt while he delivers the lecture.  I know this video has had an impact internally at Disney and it is quite moving.  Another note, Randy's book will be released by Hyperion.

Just yesterday I was talking about how it was good to see that ABC was jumping on the Disney Channel bandwagon.  Well today, it looks like EVERYONE is joing the Camp Rock/Jonas Brothers nation.  Here is the schedule:

Tuesday, June 17 – "Camp Rock" on-demand preview begins on Disney Channel on Demand, a video-on-demand service available to Cablevision iO Digital Cable, Time Warner and Verizon FiOS TV customers.

Friday, June 20 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) – "Camp Rock" premiere on Disney Channel U.S. with an audio simulcast on Radio Disney and a video simulcast on Sprint and MobiTV devices. Movie also premieres on Family Channel in Canada.

Saturday, June 21 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) – Premiere on the ABC Television Network

Sunday, June 22 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) – Premiere on ABC Family

Monday, June 23 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) – Premiere on Disney.com in DXD

Saturday, June 28 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) – "Camp Rock" Rock-a-Long programming event on Disney Channel (song lyrics visible on screen and via DisneyChannel.com)

July -- Premiere on Disney Channels Latin America (dates to be announced)

Tuesday, August 19 – Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releases "Camp Rock" on DVD, with exclusive bonus features, in the U.S. and Latin America. It releases around the world beginning in November.

August – Premiere on Disney Channel Japan (dates to be announced)

September – Premiere on Disney Channels India, Southeast Asia, Korea, Taiwan, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand (dates to be announced)

October -- Premiere on Disney Channels Scandinavia.

It looks like the only folks that arn't broadcasting Camp Rock are ESPN.  Perhaps the next Disney Channel Original Movie should be sports related so they can get their piece of the pie.  The Jonas Brothers are so big, I hear they are adding them to "it's a small world".  They will be in the Mary Blair style of course.  I hear Nick Jonas does have five legs. 

Quick Takes:

Studio Entertainment: A while back Disney announced they had a first look agreement with Stan "The Man" Lee's POW Entertainment.  Today they announced three franchises from that deal.  "Nick Ratchet" is about a private eye.  "Blaze" is an action-adventure project.  And finally, "Tigress" is about a woman that develops tiger-like instincts.  Do these franchises sound good to you.  I would never expect Stan Lee to create a character that adopts traits of an animal, so it is great to see him think outside the box. 

Consumer Products: Rick Riordan, the multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, has signed a multi-book deal - which includes a new, original fantasy series with Disney Publishing Worldwide.  I have never heard of this author and as soon as I am done with 1906 I will probably read one of his books.  The odd thing is that the film rights to Percy Jackson and the Olympians are heald by News Corp's Fox.  I wonder why Disney didn't get the rights when they originally signed him and I wonder if this new deal includes the rights to his new fantasy series.

Parks and Resorts: The Cheesecake Factory is leaving Disney Quest.  Originally there was supposed to be Cheesecake Factories in Disney Quests around the nation, but since that never happened there was no reason for them to run one venue in the middle of Walt Disney World.  So now Disney will run the food venue.  So next time someon e complains to you that Disney outsources too much, take them to Disney Quest....just don't valet your car. 

What to Watch: Well ESPN paid a lot of money to have the rights to the NCAA Woman's Tournament so you should probably watch one game today.  At least Trey Wingo hosts so you can snicker at his funny name. 

Video of the Day: Duel is returning to ABC on Friday.  Catch a sneak peak here.

ABC announced their Summer schedule and it looks like they are finally joining the Disney Channel bandwagon by announcing High School Musical: Summer Session.  Here is what the press release says:

The multi-episode competition reality series will hold unique nationwide casting sessions that will appear in the show, with plenty of surprises from global sensation “Disney’s High School Musical.” This much-anticipated series brings the phenomenally successful “High School Musical” experience to life. The casting scouts welcome anyone and everyone ages 16-22 who has dreamed of being center stage -- the high school quarterback who’s never tried out for a play but has a song in his heart, the drama club extrovert looking to break into the big time, someone looking to trade the chess club routine for a dance routine -- all are invited to “Get’cha head in the game,” as the hit song says! The finalists will ultimately participate in a summer music program to hone their skills. After eliminations, the winner will be given the opportunity of a lifetime, but details of the grand prize are still under wraps.

The series premieres on Sunday, July 20, and will air Sunday and Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. for three weeks, and then continue on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. through the end of the summer. “High School Musical: Summer Session” is executive-produced by Jay Blumenfeld and Tony Marsh (both of “Here Come the Newlyweds”) of “The Jay and Tony Show.” Hosts and judges will be announced at a later date.

Disney Channel’s “High School Musical” has been seen by over 250 million viewers and the sequel, “High School Musical 2,” has been seen by over 195 million viewers in 24 languages around the world. The movies spawned stage productions at schools and in professional theatres around the world, multi-platinum CDs, DVDs and books, a successful consumer products franchise at mass retailers, a themed show at Disneyland Parks in Anaheim, Orlando and Paris, a sold-out 42 date arena concert tour in North America and Latin America and a popular touring ice show around the world.

 It's about time ABC tried to capture a little bit of that special Disney Channel magic.  Hopefully this hot franchise can bring some life to ABC which has done terrible during the summer recently.  Set your Tivos now.

I also want to recognize the following Disney properites for winning Kids Choice Awards:

• Animated Movie- Ratatouille
• Female Singer- Miley Cyrus
• Music Group- Jonas  Brothers
• TV Actress- Miley Cyrus

I want to thank Nick for recognizing franchises that were not their own.  This kind of makes up for trying to compete with Disney by greenlighting production of a musical, called Spectacular.  I don't mind the competition, because I have no doubt Disney will always create a better product than Nickelodeon.

Hope everyone enjoyed Spring Break.  I'll see you tomorrow!

Normally, I talk about Disney related topics in this blog, but today I want to talk about how UCLA easily crushed Mississippi State with a score of 29-70. While USC got upset by Kansas State 80-67. I think this shows that this year, the Trojans wern't even good once, and the Bruins are still forever. I also want to give a shoutout to our Bruin brothers, Belmont who nearly upset Duke. We were rooting for you, but great job keeping it close. I know my bracket is not doing very well this year, but that's OK. As long as UCLA are national champions, the little game of bracketology doesn't really matter. I think it was actually developed at USC so their student body had something to keep them occupied during March Madness. I can't wait for Saturday's game and watch UCLA go to the Sweet 16 (again).

Quick Takes:

Parks and Resorts: On the occassion of Disney opening the Walt Disney World Boys and Girls Club, Disney released their 2007 Community Engagemnet Report. Here are a few highlights:

• Efforts to celebrate diversity, such as sponsorship of the Disney Entrepreneur Center, the 2007 Hispanic Summit organized by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce and participation on the Orlando Mayor's Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.
• The company's $12.5 million contribution to the Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center, $10 million commitment to Florida Children's Hospital and $1 million renovation of the Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola Park.
• Efforts to create opportunities for Central Florida's children, including a $1 million contribution to rebuild the Pine Hills branch of the Central Florida Boys & Girls Clubs, a $750,000 donation for a teen center in the Tupperware Brands Boys & Girls Club in Osceola County, $700,000 in Disney's Helping Kids Shine Grants awarded to 38 charitable organizations and $250,000 awarded to outstanding Central Florida teachers and their schools.
• Contributions to ongoing community efforts, including more than 562,000 pounds of food donated through Disney Harvest to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and $220,000 in matching funds to LYNX for extended bus routes.
• Approximately 6,000 wish trips granted to children faced with life-threatening medical conditions.
• Disney VoluntEAR efforts that resulted in 586,000 school supplies for local children, $264,000 for Junior Achievement through the Disney – Helping Kids Shine Bowl-a-Thon, $3.1 million in commitments to the Heart of Florida United Way, more than 23,000 toys donated to Toys for Tots and 2,500 pounds of debris collected from the Brevard County coastline.
• Efforts to protect wildlife and wild places through programs like Disney's Environmentality Challenge and $1.5 million in contributions from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Good going Walt Disney World, for making Central Florida a better place. We thank you!

Studio Entertainment: The Jonas Brothers' "Look Me In The Eyes" is number 1 on MTV's signature program TRL. It looks like these Disney stars have crossed over to the main stream. Let's hope this doesn't end up being a bad thing.

Consumer Products: Disney Interactive Studios announced Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals, a sequel to the first Spectrobes game that has shipped over 1 million units worldwide. This is signifficant because Spectrobes was the first Disney Interactive Studios game that was created from original intellectual property, If this success continues to grow, video games might be a franchise creator just like the Disney Channel. Wouldn't that be awesome.

Video of the Day: Watch this ESPN video of "Thursday's Biggest Upset", Kansas State defeating USC.

What to Watch: "Disney's Hannah Montana 'Sweet Niblets, We're Related?' Week" continues on Disney Channel with a brand new episode entiled, "(We're So Sorry) Uncle Earl" at 7:30/6:30. We finally get to meet Uncle Earl. How exciting.

Disney and Childrens' Place announced they are in advanced negotiations to return the Disney Stores to the Disney family. The handwriting has been on the wall forever. First Disney decided not to sell their European stores after all. And then they end up keep charging The Children's Place with breaching their contract. I have no doubt that Disney wants to extend franchises like the Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique outside of the parks, but having Disney Stores being run by a third party complicated the issue. I don't know what The Disney Stores will look like when Disney takes them back, but I invision them being brand ambassadors to local communities that promote and benefit from Disney's recent franchise success such as Pirates, Hannah Montana, and High School Musical.

I loved the Disney Store's during their peak, but many mistakes were made in their operation. I hope the team that has revived so many of Disney's underperforming divisions, such as animation, can revive what I believe is an important part of the Disney company. The Disney Stores were the local presence of Disney in the community. While you couldn't always go to the park, you could always go to a Disney Store and see what Disney was up to. As far as I am concerned, that is the true value of the Disney Stores. Their importance as a promotional tool, far outweighs their retail sales. Let's hope Disney does it right this time.

Quick Takes:

Parks and Resorts: The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival started, and I would love to tell you how it was. However this year they started it during Spring Break and there is no way I am going withing 500 yards of Epcot until its over. So I look forward to seeing the festival this year, but it will have to wait.

Studio Entertaiment: Chloe, a pampered white Chihuahua from Beverly Hills; Papi, a long-haired Chihuahua; Delgado, a proud German Shepherd; and El Diablo, a Doberman, all from Beverly Hills Chihuahua will be blessed in the 78th annual Blessing of the Animals on Olvera Street. Does Cardinal Roger Mahoney have nothing better to do than engage in a cheap Disney stunt? This is one of the top 10 strangest things Disney has done. And I don't think I like it.

Media Networks: Disney Channel is preparing a short form reality series that goes behind the scenes on The Jonas Brothers' Look Me In The Eyes Tour which we saw in Orlando last week. I only hope they have an in-depth interview with the trash can.

Video of the Day: While I might not be attending Flower and Garden for a week or so, Disney.com was nice enough to put out a video regarding horticulture at Disney parks. The irony is that the video is about Disneyland, not Epcot.

What to Watch: Its Thursday, so that means LOST!!! In tonights episode, "Sayid confronts Ben's spy on the freighter, and Ben urges daughter Alex to flee Locke's camp in order to survive an impending attack." I can't wait to watch and then watch UCLA kick some big dance booty.

So Enchanted is now available on Disney DVD and Blu-Ray.  This film was heralded as the first of the new direction in Disney films and that it showed Disney's commitment to making the right films.  The fact that it reveled in Disney's past was an additional plus.  I don't know if I agree with that sentiment.  I loved Enchanted and can't wait to get it on Blu Ray, but I don't believe that it marked a new age in Disney cinema.  First of all, Enchanted's journey began long before Iger took power and Uncle John and Uncle Ed took over animation company wide, let along ascert their influence on live action.  Disney originally bought the spec script for the film in 1997.  The same year of Light Magic and just two years after Toy Story was released.  Bob Iger did not even become President of Disney until 2000, so is it fair to claim this is the first film that was developed by his team? 

While I have no doubt, that the film kept changing during its long development process, I still think those that want a seminal moment to mark as a new golden age of live-action led by Bob's team, might want to look a few years down the line.  And for those of you that want to hang on to this myth, if Enchanted was the first film of the new age, do you want to live in an age in which "Beverly Hills Chuhuaua" gets a summer release date?  Bob and his team understand the Disney Difference and I think we will see a lot of great Disney films, both live-action and animated coming down the pipe, but please enjoy Enchanted for what it is, without putting the burden of launching something it was not ready to launch. 

But with all of that off my chest, I have to say Enchanted was one of my favorite films of last year.  It striked the right balance of teasing Disney about its past without being edgy.  It might have made fun of some animated conventions, but it did it with love.  Who Framed Roger Rabbit, one of my favorite films, made fun of cartoons and Enchanted made fun of the animated feature, but both films were made with animation fans in mind.  And both will be two of my favorite DVDs.

Quick Takes:

Media Networks: ABC Family and Aeropostal announced a partnership to promote the second season of their original series, GREEK, which premieres next Monday.  During the promotion customers, in store and on-line, can purchase GREEK: Season One Chapter One DVD as well as receive a free, limited edition Rush Aero Greek T-shirt, while supplies last, with any $50 purchase.  GREEK was the second ABC Family series that can be considered a success after Kyle XY.  It is great to see Eisner's Foley finally achieving some success.  Hopefully, this is just the beginning, because $3.2 billion is a lot to spend on an underperforming asset.

Parks and Resorts: We are starting to get early buzz on Toy Story Mania, which is just months away from opening.  With the media getting a sneak peak at Disney's California Adventure during the media blitz surrounding the Pixar Play Parade and Disney's Hollywood Studios weeks away from reopening what used to be Mickey Avenue, this long awaited attraction is finally near.  I hope the attraction lives up to the hype, and I have no reason to believe it wont.  And with Toy Story Mania almost complete, the question begins of "what are they going to do next?"

Consumer Products: I mentioned before, that I loved Enchanted.  But I have to wonder, how many of these has the Disney Store sold?  I know he is a big hit among Grey's Anatomy audience, but is he with girl 7-12? 

Video of the Day: Yahoo Movies has a clip looking behind the creation of "Happy Working Song".  That wonderful homage to "Whistle While You Work" took a lot of work to create with complex special effects and terrific acting from Amy Adams.  Check it out. 

What to Watch: Men in Trees is on ABC Wednesday night at 10/9c with an original episode.  Now I had to see an episode of this show when I flee back from the shareholder meeting.  Therefore, if I had to endure it, everyone should. 

Well Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I hope everyone enjoyed their corned beef and cabbage.  Here are a few ways you could have celebrated today.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean Online dyed all of their water green for the special day.  Actually, they just went from the Pirates of the Caribbean clear water system to their dark water system.  If you get that, you win 5 Disney Geek Points.  Congrats!  In addition, you can get St. Patrick's Day hairdos and tattoos.  Be careful though, I don't think green hair is part of the Disney Look.

2. You could watch Darby O'Gill and the Little People featuring Sean Connery.  Did you know this film brought Sean Connery to the attention of James Bond producer Cubby Broccoli?  Cubby would later steal more Disney stars for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which was based off of another Ian Fleming story. 

3. You can celebrate Roy E. Disney for his company is, "Shamrock Holdings", which waged two battles to change the leadership at Disney.  As far as I am concerned, he won both and didn't even need to use any guns.  So thank you Mr. Disney, for protecting the magic for future generations.

Quick Takes:

Studio Entertainment: Variety is reporting that Miramax and Scott Rudin have gotten the rights to adapt Richard Price's novel, "Lush Life" for the big screen.  All of Miramax's hits have come from Rudin.  I wonder if he is the Weinstein of the future?

Parks and Resorts: Recently, Disney welcomed Kidani, the first Hartmann's Mountain Zebra born at the Walt Disney World Resort, to the most magical place on earth.  The Hartmann's Mountain Zebra is an endangered species native to Angola, Namibia and South Africa and Kidani was bred through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Population Management Plan.  Kidani was named after the Disney Vacation Club expansion of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge which is called Kidani Village.  The Disney Vacation Club marketing machine has gotten so big Disney is naming animals after it.  But don't tell anyone, its a secret. 

Media Networks: Disney-ABC Television Group's attempt to revive first-run scripted syndication has been cleared in the top 50 markets in the United States.  Sam Raimi, of Spider-Man fame, is producing "Wizard's First Rule" which is based off of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth books.  I never thought I would say this, but let's hope Disney can have the success of Xena: Warrior Princess when it comes to this "unique" market. 

Video of the Day: Check out this video of ESPN evaluating the number one seeds in March Madness.  Note that they don't bother talking about #6 seeds like USC.  Why would you when UCLA has a #1 seed. 

What to Watch: ABC is premiering a new show tomorrow, March 18th at 10:30 called "Miss Guided".  According to ABC.com, this is what the show is about: Having finally conquered the awkward, traumatic world of high school, Becky Freeley (Judy Greer) returns to her alma mater as a guidance counselor with her insecurities and orthodontia a distant memory. While Becky deftly navigates the uncertainties of troubled students and an often troubling faculty, she is certain of one thing - her desperate attraction to hot mechanic-turned-Spanish teacher Tim (Kristoffer Polaha). Now that it seems Becky might finally be getting the upper hand in life and love, she's shocked to discover that the newly hired English teacher is none other than her high school nemesis, Lisa Germain (Brooke Burns). Lisa is a smart, stunning beauty, and suddenly Becky is forced to relive her past and compete for Tim's affections. I don't know if it is any good or not, but I watch every ABC show....once.  Which is the only reason I have seen any piece of In Case of Emergency. 

Congrats on the Bruins for winning the PAC 10 Tournament!  Tomorrow is Selection Sunday and bracket mania will begin.  One sure thing for my bracket, is I will have UCLA going all the way!

Speaking of tournaments, Dancing with the Stars premieres on Monday relaunching ABC after the writer's strike with the "fresh here" campaign.  I have taken the liberty of finding a Disney connection between all of the contestants.  So without further ado…

Adam Carolla was the voice of Commander Nebula on the often forgotten Buzz Lightyear of Star Command TV series.  That show was the only animated series to be based off of a Pixar film.  What does that say about the strength of the series?  It did have an odd beginning with the CG Toy Story characters watching the traditional animated series that the toy Buzz Lightyear was based off of.  Of course, I can’t be sure how things came to be.  Did the cartoon inspire the toy, or did the toy inspire the cartoon (a la Transformers).  The world may never know.

Cristian de La Fuente played the part of Rodrigo on ABC’s Ugly Betty.  I have no idea what that means, but I do know that Ugly Betty was brought up at the Disney shareholder meeting as being designed to be family friendly, yet has inappropriate content.  I don’t know if this is true, as I try and watch as little Ugly Betty as possible.  Fashionistas make me ill.

Shannon Elizabeth played the part of Cindi on ABC’s Step by Step in 1997.  Step by Step was part of the ABC’s family friendly TGIF lineup.  Of course that lineup stopped in 2005 and those family friendly sitcoms moved to Disney Channel.  However looking at ABC’s lineup for this Friday night, (a Grey’s Anatomy rerun and 20/20), I wonder if they might have more success simulcasting Disney Channel.

Steve Guttenberg was Buzzy Crocker in the 1997 telefilm Tower of Terror which was inspired by the attraction at The Disney-MGM Studios.  This film was presented in the premiere year of the relaunched Wonderful World of Disney.  Of course this program is scarce these days as it tended not to do well in the ratings.  But even though the series is not on the air it does have a legacy.  The Tower of Terror film was the first film to be based off of an attraction.  The Pirates of the Caribbean owes something to Tower of Terror for leading the way.  Who needs Johnny Depp when you have Steve Guttenberg.

Penn Jillette is the second star to have a Toy Story connection.  He was the announcer that revealed to Buzz that he is actually a toy.  I heard that the producers first planned on using Penn’s partner Teller at first for the part.  On further discussion they decided that Teller was not the best choice to do a voice over.

Mario was in the original Step Up.  Step Up was the successful first installment of the soon to be trilogy that did very well for Disney, with the third film being released in Digital 3D.  Please do not make the common mistake and think the Mario had anything to do with Disney’s wretched Super Mario Bros. film that most in the company would like to forget.

Marlee Matlin is a common participant at Epcot’s Candlelight Processional.  In addition, she released My First Signs with Disney’s Baby Einstein.  I have not had the pleasure of seeing her participate in Candlelight yet, but anyone that comes to Walt Disney World that often, is OK in my book.

Priscilla Presley played Aunt Marie Paterno on ABC’s Spin City in 1999.  Spin City is known as ABC’s last successful sitcom.  The irony is that it was produced by Dreamworks after Eisner’s public falling out with Jeffrey Katzenberg.  Speaking of Katzenberg, did you see him trying to steal Disney’s 3D thunder at ShoWest.  He claims to be the Moses of Digital 3D, but if I am not mistaken, Disney did it first with Chicken Little.  He might take the limelight, but us Disney fans know the truth.

Monica Seles is a tennis great.  ESPN shows tennis.  ‘Nuff said.

Jason Taylor is a defensive end for the Miami Dolphins.  He once played a Monday Night Football game, and lost on either ABC or ESPN.  Of course, if he makes it past the first round of Dancing with the Stars, this would be a unique situation for him this year.  He wouldn’t be the loser for the first time in a long time.

Marissa Jaret Winokur performed in Beautiful Girl an original film for ABC Family in 2003.  Of course many of you probably didn’t catch this ABC Family Original.  You can make up for this by watching ABC Family’s Original Film, The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream on Sunday night.  This film is the third in a trilogy of figure skating films.  Speaking of figure skating….

Kristi Yamaguchi played herself in the 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie, Go Figure.  Please do not make the mistake of confusing this with the theatrically released Ice Princess from 2005 which Kristi Yamaguchi was not in.  Between Go Figure, Ice Princess, and The Cutting Edge trilogy, who knew there were so many figure skating films.  I wonder if the new ESPN Films division will try and go to the figure skating film well.  With the preceding analysis,

 I am going to go with Marlee Matlin because her Disney connection is the strongest.  Of course if she is eliminated, I will have to reevaluate.  I will cross that bridge, if and when, I get there.

What to Watch: As I mentioned, tomorrow is Selection Sunday.  While CBS has the official selection show, turn to ESPN after that to watch ESPNU Bracketology present by Staples and get the quality analysis you can only get from ESPN.  Following that program, which promises at least 10 “babies” from Dick Vitale, catch Black Magic presented by Russell and State Farm without commercial interruption(unless you count the official name of the program). 

What I’m Reading: Presenting yet another new feature will be telling you what I’m reading.  I will update this whenever I start reading a new book.  Right now I’m reading 1906 by James Dalessandro.  This is the novel which Brad Bird is basing his film off of.  It should be a good read.  Here is the link on Amazon. 

Hi Everyone!  Happy Pi Day!  "That's 3/14, for those of you that couldn't figure it out.  And what better way than to celebrate the circle, with the events of today.  Block Party Bash premiered at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  This parade began at Disney's California Adventure.  Disney's California Adventure premiered the Pixar Play Parade.  Disney's California Adventure premiered the new Playhouse Disney- Live on Stage which premiered at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  (I also would like to note that the show is presented in a former dining location at both parks.  So celebrate Pi day by enjoying the symbiotic circle that exists between these two parks.  Adding to the radius will be Toy Story Mania which also be in both parks when it opens later this year. 

Anyway I enjoy Block Party Bash no matter what park it is in.  The Pixar Play Parade seems neat, but it lacks some of the energy of the parade that inspired it.  No matter what though, each parade is better than the parade that is marching down either of the Magic Kingdoms. 

When it comes to Playhouse Disney Live on Stage, I really enjoyed the original.  While I understand the need to change the show to reflect the current Playhouse Disney lineup.  However the new version lacks something.  There is something neat about seeing the reaction of the youngest Disney fans seeing their favorite characters.  That special moment is still there, but now I have to rely on it because my own reaction is not nearly as special.  I miss Bear. 

Remember when Disney bought Bear and the Muppets and did nothing with them?  Well it looks like Disney might begin to use the Muppets as Variety is reporting that Jason Segel and Nick Stoller have been asked to lead a new Muppet movie.  I applaud this move.  The Muppets have always had a little edge on them, and perhaps Segel and Stoller can find a new niche for the Muppets without being to edgy.  The general public stopped caring about the Muppets a long time ago.  Maybe trying to create a new QUALITY Muppet movie will help restore them to their place of glory.  They need new life....maybe they found it.

Quick Takes:

Studio Entertainment: The long rumored live-action feature debut of Brad Bird, "1906" was announced.  What surprised me is that it is being co-produced between Disney and Warner Bros.  I have no idea why Disney needs to co-produce with the Rabbit.  There probably is a good reason, I just can't wait to find out what it is.  At least Disney is making a good Warner related discision and not buying AOL from them.  Remember when everyone thought the AOL-Time Warner merger was a good idea.  That thought is funnier than Laugh Floor.

Media Networks: Michael G. Reilly was named General Manager of Radio Disney.  He comes to Radio Disney from spending the last 10 years at the Turner Broadcasting System (another Time Warner property).  As a result, all Radio Disney programming will now begin at five minutes past the hour. 

Consumer Products: I recently got Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition.  Its a great combonation of a great video game and a great Disney franchise.  Hopefully this will be the future of Disney Interactive Studios.  Great games featuring great franchises.  You could say, it is "the best of both worlds".

Video of the Day: Check out the Wall-e trailer they premiered at the shareholder meeting here.  This trailer really gives you a better glimpse at the film.  What do you think?

What to Watch: It's not Disney related, but watch UCLA go for the PAC 10 Tournament Championship on CBS at 3PT.  A Bruin is forever.

Bob Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company, spoke to Bear Stearns 21st Annual Media Conference.  The question and answer session began with a question about the power of brands.  Bob said that Disney showed their belief in the power of brands by shifting investment in to brands that make sense.  So more money is spent on Disney and ESPN and less is spent building up Touchstone and Buena Vista.  Brands do many things for the company including giving the company “shelf space” to distribute their product.  Additionally, if your brand is known, you can spend less Bob marketing the brand and its products.   

Bob believes that one mistake many brand managers make is to push technology away because they feel that technology can threaten the brand.  He believes technology is a friend, not a foe, and that brand managers should embrace technology.  Technology does two things for the brand.  It allows you to enhance the brand by offering a better product like new theme park attractions, HDTV, and Blu-ray.  It also allows you to reach more people more often.  One way that Disney reaches folks through technology is the new Disney.com that launched a year ago.  Once Disney.com 2.0 launched last year, they started working on Disney.com 3.0, which will be launched in the United States by the end of the calendar year.  Disney.com 2.0 or 3.0 will continue to be rolled out internationally. 

Bob feels that you need to balance innovation and heritage, and that sometimes you rely on heritage and fear innovation because they feel innovation threatens the company’s core values.  However, Bob feels that innovation can improve the brand without changing the core values of the brand.  Better does not be edgier.  And while Bob believes you need to take the values of the company seriously, you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously.  “Enchanted” poked fun at Disney without sacrificing the values of the brand and without been edgy.  He feels this is good because if you take yourself too seriously, you risk becoming stodgy.    

When the question about piracy came up, Bob said he feels you need to fight piracy, but that the best way to combat it is to make your product available at the right price and at the right time.  When the product is unavailable, customers result to piracy, but if the product is available legitimately they will tend to consume it through those channels.Bob then talked about how Disney is a true global brand.  Technology is breaking down a lot of barriers and there is unprecedented access, but he disagrees with the thought that it is creating homogeneity.  Cultures are still proud of their individual identity, so to succeed you need a balance of exported product with locally produced Disney branded content.  Disney did this by turning international distribution centers in to creative centers.  And while most content will remain local, some might be exported.  But through this all, brand values remain constant.  He feels that the key to this is to hire well internationally and let them know that your values are unwavering. 

He talked about how the theme park experience is pretty consistent; however there are cultural habits that need to be addressed at each park.  For example, in the domestic parks guests tend to spend 20 minutes at a quick service restaurant.  However, at Hong Kong Disneyland guests tend to spend 40 minutes.  Disney had to add seating capacity in order to address this habit that they were not aware of until after they opened. 

When asked about the Pixar acquisition he talked about the importance of animation to Disney.  He felt that as a new CEO he would not have a lot of time to fix animation so acquiring Pixar seemed a good way to do that.  In addition he feels gaining John Lassetter and Ed Catmull was an important part of the acquisition.When it comes to managing the brand, he feels it is important to hire the right people.  He also believes that you need to give people room, especially with creativity. He also believes that you shouldn’t beat up individuals for creative failures for they will stop creating.  

When asked how do you make the executives act as a team, he replied that their stock options are for the entire company.  When it comes to their compensation, they de-emphasized division success, and emphasized company success.  He also shows how more value is created through working together.  For example Hannah Montana was created by The Disney Channel, has become a success for Walt Disney Records, created many consumer products, the 3-D concert for the studios, and a feature is also in the works.  He tries to stress that the franchise is owned by company, not a business unit. 

Bob also mentioned that he expects $1billion in digital revenue in 2008.  He also showed his support for Blu-ray, but said that he never thought Blu-ray was same size leap as DVD and that there is consumer confusion over new format and benefits.  But despite that, he underscores that anything that improves consumer experience is good for Disney. 

Video of the Day: Check out Laughingplace.com's own video of the soft opening of Block Party Bash at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  It is a little sureal to see the exact same parade at the Studios that I saw at DCA so often.  But no matter what park it is at, I love that parade and look forward to seeing it several more times.

What to Watch: Tuesday night enjoy everyone's guilty pleasure, America's Funniest Home Videos.  There is a three hour marathon on ABC Family starting at 8.  What else could be better than watching people getting hurt because they do something stupid.

Look me in the eyes and tell me you are not a Jonas Brothers fan.  I know you listen to them on Radio Disney and you enjoyed them during the Hannah Montana concert.  You know you can't wait for Camp Rock and J.O.N.A.S. to air on Disney Channel.  And you know you wish you lived in the Year 3000.  So stop denying it, and give in to your inner teenage girl and just admit it.   

So Doobie, Rebekah, and I went to the Pyramind to see the Jonas Bros. and we had a blast even if we were the oldest and manliest people there (and that is saying something).  The concert started with an opening act "Valora" which was not bad.  A little edgier than I would expect, but not bad at all.  The second was Menudo and they were awful, just awful.  Where is Ricky Martin when you need him?  The final opening act was Rooney from Los Angeles California and I really enjoyed them.  Luckily, they just started playing them on Radio Disney.  What a coincidence!  They open for the Jonas Brothers and then get played on Radio Disney, who would have thought?

Then Joey Fatone came out with his daughter and introduced the Jonas Brothers.  After a rousing rendition of "We Will Rock You" (have Doobie and I sing it for you), the lights dimmed and the show began.  It was awesome.  I can't say I am a huge Jonas Brothers fan.  I know the songs they play on Radio Disney, but thats about it.  That didn't stop me from having a good time.  The show had less theatrics than the High School Musical or Hannah Montana concerts, which was OK by me.  The show focused on the music and the Jonas Brothers skills as entertainers.  They had a lot of energy and they know how to put on a show. 

I said this after the High School Musical concert, and I'll say it again.  They best part is seeing the parents watching their kids have a great time, and even the parents would join in as well.  They even performed "Take On Me" by a-ha for the parents. 

This group is going to be huge.  Their Disney Channel Original Movie, "Camp Rock" is going kill, and their series, "J.O.N.A.S." might be the most popular Disney Channel series of all time.  I have watched this group gain popularity since Radio Disney first started playing "Year 3000".  They have not reached their peak yet, and when they do, that summit is going to be pretty high. 

But the highlight of the show had to be the trash can.   Listen to next week's podcast and I will explain. 

Now I would like to start a new tradition, which I am stealing from PTI.  I am going to make TV Picks so I can "give you something to watch" each day, in addition to my video of the day on weekdays.  So the first TV pick for Monday, March 10th is "Kyle XY," or as I like to call it, the show that saved ABC Family.  In today's episode, "Kyle organizes a mother-daughter reunion, but can he save prom?"  Its a lot better than "October Road" which is airing on ABC.

See you tomorrow!

I hope everyone's Daylight Savings festivities went as well as ours.  We kicked-off our celebration by going to Downtown Disney and seeing "College Road Trip".  Now that film has gotten a bad wrap.  It was fun.  It was silly and stupid at times, but it was still fun.  Loads better than "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen".  Going to the movies with us is always loads of fun.  I got a small popcorn because it was the only bag with "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" on it, (I am not sure why I cared because I threw away the bag), and then settled in for "First Look". 

They showcased The Waterhorse is available on DVD which reminds me how bad Walden Media movies look when they are not partnered with Disney.  Then they put the First Look spotlight on an unwatchable Cartoon Network show called Chop Socky Chooks which is obviously no Phineas and Ferb.  Finally it was the moment we were waiting for, the premiere of Disney's module of First Look.  We got a First Look to....College Road Trip, where we got to hear Donny Osmond talk about kissing Martin Lawrence.  My hopes for the film diminished.  Martin Scorsese reminded me to turn off my cell phone and we saw a comerical for seeing the opera at the theater.  We got a short version of Doobie and my favorite song, "The Movie Watcher Network Theme", and then the trailers began...

First we got Wall-E.  Now I was disappointed that we didn't get to see the new trailer I saw at the shareholder meeting, but that disappointment quickly turned to glee as the next trailer was for Fox and Walden Media's Nim's Island which featured the same exact music as in the Wall-e trailer.  Then we got the new trailer for Warner Bros' Speed Racer which is unique to say the least.  But it has a monkey and that is always a good thing.  Next was The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which reminded me we don't get another Disney movie until May 16th.  Good thing College Road Trip was enjoyable.  Sure it had a formula.  But sometimes the formula can be fun.  I don't want to spoil the film but there are many enjoyable silly moments.  I like silly.  There is nothing wrong with silly.  Critics need to embrace silly.  Life is better that way. 

After enjoying our favorite Double Dutch Bus production, we went back to Laughingplace HQ and recorded a podcast which should be available early next week.  We then killed some time, and killed it good, by watching the Knight-Rider (not to be confused with Knight-Ridder) telefilm that aired on NBC in February.  College Road Trip was better. 

Then the fun began.  The cable box changed over from 1:59 to 3:00.  Kudos to the Fox Buisness Channel for getting their clock right by having all four time zones correct.  They need to talk to the parent network, Fox News. Fox News got the eastern time zone correct, but they bumped all time zones up an hour even though they had not "sprung forward" yet.  Hopefully some Fox synergy will address this issue by the time we "fall back". 

And with that another DST party was over and it couldn't be a moment too soon.  We have a big day ahead tomorrow as we spring forward again, to the year 3000. 

Stay Tuned....

Howdy folks,

I am here at the Atlanta airport (ATL) waiting for my flight to Orlando (MCO). At my doorstep today there was a staple of american hotel, USA Today. Being able to find Disney in everything I found a Disney related story in every section. Here, for you reading enjoyment, are the stories I found. I am going in reverse order, for the sole purpose of being able to go from serious to silly.

Life: USA Today reviewed College Road Trip and gave it...... one star. The headline is "'College Road Trip' has Nowhere to Go". They say that the film is not funny and is ill-conceived. The best thing that they say can be said about the film is that it's harmless G-rated fare. OUCH! I will be seeing the flik as part of my Daylight Savings Time festivities tomorrow. I'll let you know what I think.

Sports: On a serious note, USA today reports on a former Anaheim Angel in the story, "Family, Friends, Worry About Troubled Spiezio." Scott Spiezio was part of the 2002 World Champion Angels when Disney owned the team. who has been plagued with substance abuse and is now facing criminal charges relating to a car accident on Dec 30. The 2002 World Series was an awesome part of my life, and Scott Spiezio was an important part of that ball club, it is sad to see how bad he has let things get as he ignores offers of help from his friends, family, and teammates.

Money: Now we know why Disney director, Steve Jobs, was not at the shareholder meeting. He was busy with his day job at Apple. USA Today reports in, "IPhone, Business Update Coming", that soon the iPhone will be able to work with exchange servers so user can get their company email on the device, just like a Blackberry (you know, those things Disney managers have on their hips). Apple also announced they are welcome third-party developers to create new programs for the iPhone, with Apple taking a cut of course. I wonder if Bob is now going to mandate iPhones for all his executives. I sure did see a lot of them at the meeting.

Front Section: I have a bone to pick with USA Today founder Al Neuharth, who in an editorial, "Daylight Saving Time Should Be Dumped," tries to take away one of my cherished holidays. Who cares if a study at UCSB showed that DST in Indiana caused an increase of multimillions in energy cost. Can you put a cost on waiting until 2am, waiting for your cable box to jump to 3:00. No, of course not! Some american traditions should be kept. Does he want to move Independence Day to July 5th while he is at it. My anger over this exceeds my anger at Delta, for once again not offering any entertainment on my flight here. GRRR

Well I am going to try and catch my flight. Hopefully there will be something on the plane to amuse me.

Well it is time for me to pack my bags again and head back to the "City Beautiful" (That is Orlando's nickname for those that don't know).  I always find it interesting what ends up in the headlines following the shareholder meeting, because it usually doesn't mesh with what I think of as the big news.  For example, the New York Times headline is about Disney offering classic shows online.  While I think this is an exciting prospect, especially for Disney fans, I am not surprised Bob mentioned it at the 2008 Shareholder Meeting, because he talked about it at the 2007 Shareholder Meeting.  Where is the news?  The Hollywood Reporter examines the fund manager that put Bob to task about not releasing "The Path to 9/11" on DVD.  The fund manager asked why Disney did not sell the rights to Lionsgate, but the Hollywood Reporter claims that Lionsgate has no serious interest in acquiring the film.  The irony is that they examine Disney's involvment with Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11, a film Disney did not release and was a major cause of the rift between Disney and Miramax founder Harvey Weinstein. 

Disney did not release Farenheit 9/11 because they felt doing so would not be in the best interest of the company.  That is the same reason Disney is using for not releasing The Path to 9/11 on DVD.  I think this shows that the company does not have any political biasis and the leaders of the company, regardless of their personal political beliefs, feel that the company would be best served by being apolitical.  Of course Disney has no problem getting political on a cause that is near and dear to my heart; copyright extension.  Speaking of Miramax, Scott Rudin, the man that was behind Miramax's Oscar Winner "No Country for Old Men", just acquired the rights to "The Unnamed," an upcoming novel by Joshua Ferris.  This shows, along with their Best Picture Oscar, that Miramax is still alive and kicking under the direction of Daniel Battsek even if the division does not get as much media attention as it did when the Weinsteins were around.

One final note regarding the meeting.  The local ABC affiliate in Albuquerque, KOAT, had an interview with Bob Iger since he was in town.  It might have been the worst interview I have ever seen of Bob.  The local anchor only asked ABC questions like when is Grey's Anatomy returning with new episodes.  KOAT is an ABC affiliate, don't they know the answer?  Is there no better question for one of the most powerful men in Hollywood?  What should I expect from a newscast whose top story was the death of Dusty the rescue dog.  I am sure Dusty is a hero, but is this the most important news of the day?

Looking ahead we have more Bob Iger fun next week when he addresses the Bear Stearns 21st Annual Media Conference on Monday.  I wonder if anyone in the investment community will ask him about "Song of the South". 

I just got out of the 2008 Shareholder Meeting, and it was perhaps the most quiet one I have attended since the one that got snowed in a few years ago.  I don't know if it was the venue or the snow (who knew it snows in New Mexico), but there were only about 100 folks in attendence by my guess.  Also there were no celebrities (unless you count Bob Iger or a family that won an extreme makeover), and there were no big announcments.  We did get to see a new trailer for Wall-e.  The trailer made me more excited about the film as we get to see what happens after he leaves earth and we see other characters.  I am sure the trailer will be at a theater or desktop near you soon.  While the meeting lacked pizzaz the smaller setting allowed us to get one on one time with John Pepper, the Chairman of the Board, and other Disney executives which we don't get to do when the venue is much larger. 

The theme this year was around the Disney Difference and the power of the Disney name and content.  The focus was on creating great content and using technology to not only create it, but to let people get that content in many more ways.  This is not knew philosophy and plays in to Bob's original strategic priorities of creativity, technology, and international expansion.  But the company is doing very well, even in tough economic times so I am not surprised to hear a "more of the same" attitude. 

There was no Evelyn this year, but there were many folks that wanted to give their two cents, from praise to criticism.  But even when the questions were tough, Bob Iger and John Pepper did not falter.  While they might admit mistakes have been made, they are confident in their decisions.  This confidence comes across when they answer the critical questions, as they don't stumble.  They know what their decisions were and they know why they made those decisions.  This confidence has not always been present at shareholder meetings. 

The company is performing well both on the creative side and the financial side (though I would argue one causes the other).  And as a Disney fan and shareholder I am very proud of my company.  If a boring shareholder meeting is the by-product of the success the company is having, thats fine by me. 

So I made it to Albuquerque, and I have a little gripe.  I flew on Delta.  My first segment was to Atlanta from Orlando and I saw in the inflight magazine that the live TVs on select Delta flight will be adding the Disney Channel  instead of Cartoon Network.  Well I guess it hasn't taken effect yet, because I still got Cartoon Network.  That was OK because they played lots of Disney music, including High School Musical 2, Miley Cyrus, and The Cheetah Girls, on their entertainment system.  I was excited for my second flight segment though because the movie was supposed to be "Enchanted".  Well I had the misfortune of flying on a MD-88 that had no entertainment what so ever.  I didn't even get a in flight magazine.  Oh what I would have given for Sky Mall.  Delta, your on notice.  I better get some high quality Disney entertainment on my trip back. 

Shareholder Meeting News:

The Walt Disney Company named Dennis Shuler the new Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.  He comes from Procter and Gamble.  What a coincidence, Disney's Chairman; John Pepper Jr., used to be the head of Procter and Gamble and board member Susan Arnold works there now.  What a small world.  He replaces Wes Coleman who had only been in the post for 18 months.  Perhaps Dennis's first act should be to work on improving retention.

Disney's Animal Kingdom will be improving the safety of Primeval Whirl.  They are adding an intrusion detection system that will shut down the ride if someone is where they shouldn't be as well as extending the load platform. 

Irishman Ciaran Hinds, best known for his role as Julius Casear in HBO's "Rome", has been cast as the villian in "Race to Witch Mountain".  I know this barley qualifies as news, but I wanted to have three items.  Two seemed to anemic.

Well I am packing to go to Albuquerque  for the 2008 Annual Shareholder Meeting.  Now for those of you that won't be able to attend I will provide my thoughts and observations as I can.  Also Rebekah does a fantastic job each year giving recaps of the goings on.  So because I am busy making sure I don't forget to bring my proxy and Annual Report, I do not have a top story today.  Instead, I just have a series of quick takes that I will be thinking about on my plan.  See you in a few days.  I just hope I don't make a wrong turn.

Parks and Resorts: After what seems like an eternity, the Anaheim City Council voted to adopt the language of the SOAR initiative, which means that all residential development inside the Anaheim Resort District would need to be approved by the voters of Anaheim.  The Anaheim Resort and the well being of the city itself will now be protected and all of us can now look forward, and find ways to improve the city and the Disneyland Resort.  Good job Anaheim!

Studio Entertainment: 101 Dalmations was release on Disney DVD and Blu-Ray today.  Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment issued an odd press release making sure everyone knows that they probably don't own the film since it hasn't been released in nearly ten years.  They point out that they might own 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure or the live-action version of 101 Dalmatians or its sequel, 102 Dalmatians, but not the original classic.  The question is, if someone has seen those versions of the film would they want the original.  They might not realize the original is actually good, unlike the versions they own.

Consumer Products: Disney Friends was released today for the Nintendo DS.  This next step in the "virtual pet" phenomenon allows players to take care of Stitch, Dory, Simba, and Winnie the Pooh.  I know I always wanted to play the part of Simba's dad.  I love falling to my doom at the hands of my brother. 

Media Networks: The Replacements, the animated series on Disney Channel, has been given a second season.  One question: Why?  Have you seen the show?  It is not very good.  It should be replaced.  Hopefully with more episodes of Phineas and Ferb.

Video of the Day: Get pumped for "College Road Trip" which debuts on Friday.  Martin Lawrence, Raven, a pig... Do you really need anything else in a comedy.  Catch a sneak peek here.

Disney's ESPN announced that they will start producing films.  I would like to start off by saying, "DUH", after the success Disney had with Remember the Titans, The Rookie, and Miracle, why wouldn't ESPN get in to film production.  Secondly, I would like to say, I called it.  On some podcast I said we would be getting ESPN branded films, and score one for me.  Thirdly, why didn't the Worldwide Leader in Sports announce this new endeavor at ESPN: The Weekend.  It seems that would have been the perfect opportunity.  Well I would like to offer my suggestions for ESPN's premiere slate:

Is it Cooler?: A Michael Moore-esque documentary examing if various highlights are actually cooler than the other side of the pillow.

Hola: The story of Scott Van Pelt, the man that got drafted from ESPN to ESPN Deportes in the expansion draft despite the fact he didn't speak a world of Spanish, and how he came back to SportsCenter speaking fluent French.

Believe: The animated adventures of the Rally Monkey and how he lead the 2002 Anaheim Angels to the World Series.  The story of a special monkey that started going to some games to hang out and talk about bananas, and ended up doing what Mo Vaughn couldn't. 

Quick Takes:

Media Networks: ABC is finally joining the High School Musical craze by developing a High School Musical reality show to air this summer.  Now High School Musical 2 got higher ratings than some ABC programming, I'm talking to you According to Jim, so it is no surprise ABC might want to try and boost its normally awful summer lineup with some Disney Channel Star power and promote the theatrical High School Musical 3 in the process.  The only question is, will they watch?

Parks and Resorts: New Disney Dollars, commemorating Mickey's upcoming 80th birthday are now available.  The Disney currency features Mickey in various eras on $1s, $5s, and $10s.  And the back features artwork by Charles Boyer, a man that has done more work since he retired than he ever did when he worked for Disney.

Consumer Products: Internet buzz has started about Cars 2 and for some reason everyone is shocked.  They talk about how Cars was not Pixar's best performing film, and they wonder why Disney would greenlight a sequel.  The answer is consumer prodcuts.  Cars is doing very well in the merchandise department, and Disney is doing everything it can, from building Carsland at DCA to creating an online virtual Cars world, to keep the franchise alive.  I have no doubt if and when Cars 2 is released, it will outperform the original.  That film has built up some steam.

Video of the Day: The finalist for the Disney CMO (Chief Magic Official) have been anounced.  And while I am not ready to endorse a canidate, I did want to share one of the videos as my video of the day. 

I got this from my friends at SOAR:

The Save Our Anaheim Resort (SOAR) steering committee today called upon Anaheim City Council members to show their overwhelming support for the Resort District this coming Tuesday and move forward with adopting the SOAR initiative.
 

"At our SOAR steering committee this morning, the overwhelming consensus was that the city council should adopt the initiative now," said SOAR Co-Chair Todd Ament. "We're looking for the council to make a strong statement of their unwavering support for the long-term preservation of the Resort District."
 

Private polling conducted for SOAR has consistently shown voter support levels above 80 percent for key provisions of the SOAR initiative. When asked whether "voter approval should be required to change Anaheim Resort District Boundaries," 81 percent agreed. When asked whether "voter approval should be required before the city council can make major changes to the General Plan policies for the Anaheim Resort District," 84 percent agreed.
 

"There is overwhelming support for the SOAR initiative in this community," Ament continued. "Membership in SOAR is just shy of 10,000 Anaheim residents today (9,919) and it is growing daily. And there is a good reason why so many people have joined to support the Resort Preservation effort; every resident of Anaheim benefits from the $100 million in annual revenues the Resort is generating. When less than 5 percent of your city generates more than 50 percent of your tax revenues, you need to protect that area.
 

"The SOAR steering committee, representing neighborhoods from across Anaheim, believes that the city council should support the protection of the Anaheim Resort and approve the SOAR initiative," Ament added. "We'll be at the city council on Tuesday night pushing for a YES vote for adoption and we will be looking for a strong statement of support from this council."

Quick Takes:

Media Networks: ABC announced the launch of Stage 9 Digital Media a studio designed to create original content for the internet.  Their premiere show, "Squeegees" premiered today on ABC.com and YouTube.  This is not the first attempt by ABC to create an original series for the internet.  The unwatchable, "Voicemail" announced a second season that will also fall under the Stage 9 umbrella. Bob Iger's ABC is once again leading the way when it comes to embracing the digital revolution.  I don't know if this will succeed, but I presume the other networks will once again follow ABC's lead just like they did with iTunes and ABC.com's broadband episode player.  My suggestion to make Squeegees a success: Have Miley Cyrus make a cameo.

Studio Entertainment: Disney announced they will be filming "Step Up 3: Revenge of the Sith" in Digital 3D.  Once again Disney is having another 3D milestone by releasing their first Touchstone Pictures 3D film.  Will they still brand it "Disney Digital 3D"? or will they use my suggested tag line of "Sp close you can Touch(stone)'.  I wonder if a PG-13 3D flick will do as well as the family freindly fare that has found success.  My suggestion, have Miley Cyrus make a cameo.

Consumer Products: Disney Interactive Studios announced that their Fall Line Studio, which is tasked with creating games for the Nintendo DS and the Wii, will be releasing "Ultimate Band", an attempt to join the rock star video game craze band wagon (pun intended).  Disney hopes they found a niche by releasing the first game in the genre that is designed for budding rock stars of all ages.  My suggestion, have Miley Cyrus make a cameo.

Video of the Day: Take a peek inside the Disneyland Dream Suite in the latest Disneyland Resort Video Podcast.  No, Miley Cyrus does not make a cameo. 

 I want to congratulate everyone at Pixar and Miramax for bringing home seven Oscars.  Here is a complete list of winners: 

Best Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood" Robert Elswit

Best Animated Film: "Ratatouille"

Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"

Best Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"

Best Picture: No Country for Old Men

Quick Takes:

Parks and Resorts: You know how you save all of the shampoo bottles from your Disney Resort so you can bring them home and act like your vacation never ended because you have Mickey shampoo?  Well now you don't have to raise a red flag at airport screenings because Disney launched a new webstie; www.disneyresortcollection.com (part of the Go network).  This website allows you to by, beds, bedding, decor, and bath products that can be found at Disney resorts around the globe.  So stop stealing the robes, and buy one legit.  Now if only I could watch Company Clips at home while I am tucked in to my Disney Resorts sheets on my Disney Resorts bed. 

Media Networks: ABC reached an agreement with its affiliates to allow for cable operators and satellite providers to add ABC On Demand to their lineups.  The affiliates will get to air local ads in addition to the network adds.  So don't fear, your local car dealers will still be showing you how special a thirty second television spot can be.  ABC also got the right to repurpose their programming on other venues such as XBOX Live, and iTunes.  This aggreement allows for ABC to persue sharing their content in many new ways as we continue the digital revolution.  If only Michael Eisner thought about asking permission to repurpose ABC programming on ABC Family before he bought ABC Family and realized he couldn't.  WOOPS

Consumer Products: Baby Einstein kicked off a new marketing campaign with a new website at www.babyeinstein.com  The new look is supposed to showcase, "the power of moms".  My mom had all sorts of powers like eyes in the back of her head and the power to know when I did something bad.  These super powers will now be showcased on the website where moms can discuss their powers with other moms.  Think of it as a "Hall of Justice" but instead of for the Super Friends, it is for moms.

Video of the Day: Brad Bird thanks everyone at Pixar on the Oscar.com "Thank You Cam"  I would like to thank Brad Bird for teaching me my ABCs.  Oh wait, that was Big Bird.  My bad