Author Archives for Joel

Port Canaveral Approves $32 Million Loan For Port Improvements


Port Canaveral has approved a $32 million loan for port improvements to help accommodate Disney Cruise Line’s newest and largest ships. SunTrust was awarded the contract. The port’s improvements are on a tight timeline to be ready for Disney’s newest ship which is expected to arrive in 2011.
(Additional Information: Orlando Sentinel)

Comcast’s Fandango Buys Movies.com from Disney


Comcast’s Fandango has purchased movies.com for an undisclosed sum from the Walt Disney Company. Movies.com originally a partnership between Fox and Disney to make it an online movies-on-demand web site but never went past the planning stages. It currently offers movie show times, information and would sell tickets online. Disney said the [...]

New Poster For Disney’s Bolt Released


Disney has released their first poster for Disney’s latest film titled ‘Bolt’. The poster can be seen by clicking here.

Disney Magic To Return To Costa Maya


Disney Cruise Line will be the first cruise ship to return to Costa Maya since it was destroyed by Hurricane Dean in August 2007. The Disney Magic will make its port of call on September 30th and will return once a month for the rest of the year. Hurricane Dean destroyed most of [...]

Walt Disney Internet Group Focusing On Australia


The Walt Disney Internet Group has aggressive growth plans for the Australian market by trying to increase its user base by 1 million users for its online pay content. Disney currently attracts 5 million users for the Asia-Pacific region but is currently focusing on Australia. Disney believes that one-third of it’s online revenue [...]

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg Speaking At Disney’s Contemporary Resort


New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will speak at the Excellence in Action summit on education reform today at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The event is hosted by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Additionally, former First Lady Barbara Bush will speak at the event tonight.

Disney Names Vice President For Planned Hawaii Resort


Walt Disney Parks and Resort has named Djuan Rivers as the Vice President of the Disney Vacation Club and Resort in Hawaii. Rivers will work with the community, business and government leaders while the 21-acre property is built at the Ko Olina Resort. Rivers has helped open nine resorts in Florida and Paris [...]

Walt Disney World Employee Arrested On Child Pornography Charges


Charles Hurrey, A Walt Disney World employee, was arrested on three counts of possessing child pornography. Hurrey admitted to downloading the films but stated he was just curious why people would make them. He has denied ever harming a child. He was employed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios where he issued and repaired [...]

100 Lane Bowling Stadium Planned For Disney’s Wide World Of Sports


Disney’s Wide World of Sports will be adding a 100 lane bowling alley with stadium-style seating and a restaurant. It would be the largest bowling alley in the country. The alley could be open in 18 months and would be available for public use when not being used for tournaments. The 160,000 [...]

Disney Consumer Products Poised For Record Growth


(News | Source: Business Wire)
Disney is currently on track to exceed $30 Billion in global retail sales for fiscal year 2008, a record for Disney products. This was announced by Disney Consumer Products Chairman Andy Mooney at the International Licensing Expo today.
Mooney said “In just five years, retail sales of Disney products have doubled [...]

$45 Million Budgeted For MagLev Train Between Disneyland And Las Vegas


(News | Source: Slashdot)
It seems the plan for a MagLev train between Las Vegas and Disneyland, previously reported on Netcot, might become a reality. A bill funding the environmental study of the first leg of the train was signed into law Friday by President Bush. The MagLev train would be the first of [...]

Brittany Murphy No Longer The Voice Of Tinker Bell In New Disney Films


(Newsish | Source: Show Biz Spy)
The Show Biz Spy is reporting that Brittany Murphy has been released by Disney and will no longer be the voice of Tinker Bell in the upcoming movie. She was hired in 2006 to provide the voice in the upcoming animated film but has been replaced by 19 year [...]

Disney’s Lucky The Dinosaur Visits New York


(News | Source: Walt Disney Company)
Lucky the Dinosaur will be visiting Washington Square in New York City this weekend during the first-ever World Science Festival at New York University on May 31. He will be on display as part of the ‘Science of Disney Imagineering’ where Disney Imagineers will give guests a view into [...]

OSHA Fines Disney For Animal Kingdom’s Primeval Whirl


(News | Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined Disney’s Animal Kingdom $21,000 for five safety violations at the Primeval Whirl due to an employee’s death last year. OSHA also fined Disney for two other serious violations (not tied to the death) due to an employee tripping over some supports [...]

The American Idol Experience To Open In January At Disney’s Hollywood Studio


(News | Source: Orlando Sentinel)
During American Idol’s season finale tonight, Jordin Sparks, last year’s winner, announced that The American Idol Experience will open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in January.
“Now you get to live the dream at the place where dreams come true,” Sparks said.

Joel

Lovin me some Disney and especially Disney History... check out my site wdwhistory.com