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According to a jury, Walt Disney World’s Tower of Terror ride did not cause a stroke for Marvin Cohen from Philadelphia in 1998. The man claims he suffered a stroke weeks after riding the attraction and the sudden drop tore an artery leading towards his brain. Jurors took only three hours to find that Disney was not responsible for the mans stroke.

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In a not surprising move, the Walt Disney World Company has decided to bring Captain EO back to Epcot on July 2 after seeing the popularity of the film at Disneyland’s Magic Eye Theater.

The film will also be opening at Disneyland Paris on June 12 and Tokyo Disneyland on June 30.

• Tags: disneyland paris, epcot, misc., theme parks, tokyo disneyland, walt disney company, wdw
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Toy Story Midway Mania! will be getting its first update in late May. Imagineers have decided to replace “Bo Peep’s Baaa-loon Pop” with “Rex and Trixie’s Dino Darts” in which you try to pop balloons in pre-historic scenery in both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s California Adventure.

This is the first time that Imagineers have tested the “switch-a-bility” of the games in Toy Story Mania!

Also coming to the parks is Lotso (aka “Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear”). He will debut in Walt Disney World at The Magic of Animation and at California Adventure as part of the “Disney Pixar Play Parade.”

• Tags: disneyland, magic kingdom, misc., theme parks, walt disney company, wdw
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This week’s episode is sponsored by Orlando Stroller Rentals.

This week’s show features a look at the Captain EO Tribute at Disneyland, a listing of the top 7 Disney “things” and a feature from Tom Ameen with his rendition of the Main Street Electrical Parade theme.

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Officials are investigating a bus crash at Disney’s Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campground which killed a 10 year old boy. Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that the boy died after being struck by a bus at the resort. An investigation is underway.

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In the second Disney bus crash since July 2009, a Disney vehicle crashed into a charter bus at the entrance to the EPCOT toll plaza. Eight people were injured including 7 passengers with non-life-threatening injuries while the driver of the Disney bus was taken to the Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition. was involved in a crash with a second bus at a toll plaza at Epcot Center Tuesday afternoon. No one was aboard the charter bus at the time of the accident. The EPCOT toll plaza was closed while Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted their investigation.

The park remained open through the incident and the toll plaza has been re-opened.

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ABC and Disney are being sued for $100,000,000 by Alicia Guastaferro, the “princess of pagentry”  for emotional harm (i.e. suicidal thoughts, school transfers, death threats, and a reduction in intellectual performance, among others) caused by appearing on ABC’s “Wife Swap” program as well as claiming that the producers staged certain scenes (e.g. asking Guastaferro to “act a little more spoiled” or suggesting that the teen received a present every day).

The suit alleges that ABC/Disney never obtained consent for Alicia Guastaferro to be on the episode, but her mother received $20,000 in compensation.

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A Cast Member was struck by a motorized cart Sunday, March 14, at the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway at Walt Disney World. The ride was reopened after an investigation by Orange County deputies. The Cast Member was airlifted to the Orlando Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The guest involved in the accident was not injured.

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Remember Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” that premiered last December and made approximately $300 million? Apparently, it wasn’t enough to justify keeping ImageMovers Digital (the company behind the film) open. The Robert Zemeckis-run facility will finish work on “Mars Needs Moms!” before it closes. No word on how or if this will affect the development of Disney’s remake of “Yellow Submarine.”

• Tags: misc., movies, walt disney company
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In a somewhat surprising move, part of the Walt Disney World Monorail will be made to look like light-cycles in preparation for the upcoming “TRON: Legacy” movie. [Concept art below]

The trains on the EPCOT line will get the TRON overlay as early as later this month (The film premieres on December 17, 2010).

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The Register Guard is reporting that the Walt Disney Company has concluded the University of Oregon’s costumed Duck is no longer subject to Disney’s trademark on Donald Duck.

Oregon has had a deal with Disney dating back to a handshake between Walt and the university allowing the university to use images similar to Donald Duck as their mascot. Oregon would have to get permission from Disney to use the Duck in any situation not outlined in the original agreement. Now, Disney is saying, the Duck only has to report to the University. The original agreement had also been set so that Disney maintained ownership of the image and the costume itself and Disney could have the costume be destroyed if the contract was canceled.

The licensing agreement will remain in effect for any printed logos for which the university gets 12 percent cut on all sales with Disney getting half of that.

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This week’s episode is sponsored by Orlando Stroller Rentals.

News, stories and links featured in this week’s show:

• Captain EO is now open in Disneyland.
• ABC News will reduce their workforce by at least 20%.
• The Walt Disney Company is beating industry analysts’ predictions.
• Drew Brees, quarterback for the Super Bowl champion Saints, visited WDW.
• Disney is about to launch a new Cars themed on-line website.
• Michelle Obama is teaming with Disney on public service announcements aimed at kids.
• Disney’s Miramax studios was put up for sale. MSRP: $700 million.
• A performer was injured at the Lights, Motors, Action stunt show.

Discuss this episode here.

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