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 19th 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.