Disney World

Actress Brenda Song has come out in support of teen starlet Miley Cyrus over her racy pictures that were leaked online.The Suite Life of Zack and Cody star is the latest to extend her support to the Hanna Montana star after pop-rock stars Jonas Brothers.“Miley is probably the most charismatic and strong 15-year-old I know,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Song, as telling People.“She brushes everything off with a smile. She is truly a diva in a very good way!” she added.While defending Cyrus, Song said, “I love Miley. I think she’s a very talented actress and singer.“Whatever she does in her personal life is her personal life,” she added.

East Hartford High School’s talented musicians soaked in the applause and the Florida sunshine at Walt Disney World in Florida during the school’s April vacation. The 135-member marching band, Chamber Orchestra, Jazzapella and Next Edition each had their own moments in the Lake Buena Vista sun during a three-day trip from East Hartford which was the culmination of a year of planning and many, many fund raisers. EHHS musicians were invited to take part in “Disney Magic Music Days” and to perform before an international audience at the theme park.Members of the East Hartford High School Chamber Orchestra took part in a “You’re Instrumental” Workshop at Epcot in Walt Disney World in a Disney recording studio and presented by a Disney musician. The group also performed at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. The East Hartford High School Chamber Orchestra is under the direction of Mrs. Anna Lasley, who directs the string programs at both the high school and East Hartford Middle School.”Next Edition,” EHHS’ vocal ensemble, held the rapt attention of a full house as they performed in the Hall of Presidents at Liberty Square in Disney. Next Edition is an a-capella ensemble under the direction of Mr. Nicholas Diaz.EHHS “Jazzappella” Show Choir wowed the mouse-eared crowd with their show-stopping performance on the Galaxy Palace Theater stage in the Magic Kingdom. The group is under the direction of Mr. Nicholas Diaz, with choreography by Anita Deprey.And it was a perfect Florida day as the pride of East Hartford, the East Hartford High School “Hornet” Marching Band, wowed the crowds lining Main Street U.S.A at the Magic Kingdom park April 16.This year was the third time East Hartford High School has sent its marching band to Walt Disney World Resort, but it was the first year the high school orchestra, Jazzapella show choir and Next Edition also got an opportunity to perform there.
According to Disney World, an estimated crowd of 10,000 people enjoyed the Hornet Marching Band as it paraded past the entrance to Cinderella’s Castle in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The 135-member band is under the direction of Miss Laura White and Ms. Candy Guastamachio.

Crocs Inc., known for its colorful plastic shoes, Thursday said it is launching a line of shoes and accessories based on Walt Disney Co.’s hit shows “Hannah Montana” and “High School Musical.”The shoemaker also said it will make shoes tied to the upcoming Walt Disney film “Wall-E.”The Hannah Montana and Wall-E inspired Crocs will come to market in May while High School Musical footwear will debut this summer.Crocs, whose shoes have evolved from fad to lifestyle items since coming to market in 2002, is aiming to reverse a string of bad news, including reports of slowing business.The company slashed its earnings outlook earlier this month, citing fewer retail orders and costs from a Canadian factory closure.

The cash-poor public bus agency Lynx will receive up to $7.36 million over the next five years as a result of an agreement announced Thursday between the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation and Walt Disney World Resort.The money will be used to increase transportation options, including new routes and increased frequency on existing ones, for all the region’s workers, not just those 62,000 who work for Disney, agency executives said.“This five-year agreement gives us the resources to expand our services for Central Floridians and the 50 million annual visitors to our area who rely on Lynx to get to work or play every day,” Lynx chief executive officer Linda Watson said in a statement.The agreement allows Lynx to use about $4.86 million in money Disney paid to the FDOT for traffic mitigation due to development. As well, Disney will contribute $250,000 a year for five years to continue a matching federal Job Access Reverse Commute Grant, which is also $250,000 a year. Lynx plans to leverage all the money when possible to secure even more federal and funding. “We recognize that accommodating transportation needs in our community is not the sole responsibility of government and we’re pleased to participate,” said Walt Disney World vice president of operations Mark Rucker.

According to the Associated Press, That’s So Raven star Orlando Brown has returned 24 hours after he was reported missing by his publicist, Elayne Rivers. Brown, 20, went missing Tuesday morning and re-emerged Wednesday to issue a public statement regarding his whereabouts. The actor and aspiring musician experienced a troublesome incident at a nightclub where he was scheduled to open for the headlining act. For an unknown reason, he was not able to perform his music set and became upset.“I felt a little lost and needed to get away,” Brown said in his public statement. “It got a bit overwhelming and I needed to be alone.”He admitted it was wrong not to inform his manager of his plans, as he normally communicates with his manager several times a day. Brown also apologized to his friends and fans and thanked them for their continued support.

For the ultimate treasure hunt, a Japanese jewellery store unveiled a golden Mickey Mouse on Wednesday in Tokyo.The Ginza Tanaka jewellery store has joined forces with the well-known Walt Disney brand to promote an online game in which one lucky player can win the golden treasure.The game comes with a film on DVD starring Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage.Ginza Tanaka – a long established jewellers in Japan – assigned ten of its craftsmen and spent three months creating the Mickey Mouse statuette, using one kilogram (35.3 ounces) of pure gold.Its estimated value, if placed on sale, would be more than 30-thousand US dollars.The President of Ginza Tanaka, Noboru Takata called the golden Mickey Mouse as ”priceless”.”We need to be a company that sells dreams and bring happiness to people,” he said.The 120 millimetre tall Mickey Mouse is now on display at Ginza Tanaka stores. The treasure hunt starts on Thursday.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse were on hand Friday when Michael Eisner got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Eisner gained fame in Hollywood as president of Paramount Pictures and then CEO of The Walt Disney Co.At a ceremony, he credited John Travolta with much of his success.”I am overwhelmed and I want to thank John Travolta for flying here from a film shoot,” Eisner, 66, said. “Anything John was associated with while I was at Paramount was a hit. He is my lucky stone. And my success is also tied to the people I worked with.”Travolta, who starred in Paramount’s ’70s hits “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever,” said he “jumped at the chance” to honor Eisner.”I consider it an honor to be a part of this as he has done so much for my career,” Travolta gushed.Kudos from Disney came in the form of the iconic Mickey and Minnie, and an appearance by Disneyland’s band.Eisner became president of Paramount in 1976, ushering in box office smashes, such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”He began his career in TV at the American Broadcasting Co. before heading Paramount. He left to take the helm at Disney from 1984 until stepping down in 2005.Under Eisner’s longtime leadership, Disney opened theme parks in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, acquired ABC and Miramax Pictures, developed the Disney Cruise Line and created Walt Disney Theatrical Productions.However, Disney’s board stripped Eisner of his chairmanship. Shareholders rebuked him in 2004 after a revolt led by former board members Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold.In 2005, Eisner founded Tornante Co., a private company investing in media and entertainment opportunities. He then created Vuguru, a new media studio. Tornante and Madison Dearborn Partners LLC acquired baseball card and candy maker Topps Co. last October.

“They were so happy,” said a radiant Rospars Keffer.Rospars Keffer, 37, her husband, Michael Keffer, 44, and their children – Megan, 9; Abbie, 7; and Riley, 4 – returned to their Oyster Bay home Tuesday from a five-day, four-night trip, courtesy of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”The vacation was the family’s first. They hadn’t been able to afford to take along teachers who would help with the kids.”You have to even the numbers. It has to be one-on-one,” said Rospars Keffer.About a year ago, Michael Keffer’s sister, Wendy Heaton, sent an e-mail asking DeGeneres to consider the Keffer family if she ever were to dedicate a show to a deserving family.”I would love to see something really good happen for this family,” wrote Heaton, 38, of Glen Allen, Va.In January, the comedienne surprised Heaton and Rospars Keffer with a phone call during a taping of the show, telling them she would provide a trip for both families. “It’s amazing what you’re doing, and Julie, it’s wonderful that you stay so positive,” DeGeneres said.The show also paid for two teachers to go along: school psychologist Christie Schrank, who has worked with all three kids, and behavior analyst Kim Halter, who works with Abbie.Meals were paid for by Disney, which also let the Keffer family spend one night at the exclusive Cinderella Castle Suite, replete with a butler. “You couldn’t buy this trip even if you wanted to,” DeGeneres said.”It really was incredible,” Rospars Keffer said.During the trip, the family went on rides, interacted with characters at meals, lounged at the hotel pool, and spent time with the Heaton family and other relatives who also went along.Megan, who can answer questions when she can choose among answers, said she liked Magic Kingdom more than EPCOT and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad more than Space Mountain.For Riley, who is conversational, the monorail was the best part of the trip.Although Abbie, who does not have functional language skills, had difficulty getting through the dark and confined waiting line areas, Rospars Keffer said she loved the roller coasters.”The faster and the scarier it was,” she said, “Abbie liked it more.”When a kid became irritable, either Halter or Schrank led them away so the family could enjoy the moment.”The teachers were the element that changed the vacation from good to great,” said Michael Keffer.His wife agreed, saying “We said it will be hard to go back after this.”

E-Brands Restaurants LLC plans to open a new location and concept on Walt Disney World property next year.The Orlando-based multi-concept restaurant group says the new 5,000-square-foot, two-story casual eatery will feature authentic Central and South American food, specialty tequilas, premium wines and live music on Downtown Disney’s waterfront.E-Brands representatives could not be reached on whether the restaurant is replacing an existing structure in the complex or whether it’s a new building.The restaurant also will feature a tequila bar and outdoor seating along Village Lake, according to a news release. E-Brands Restaurants CEO and Owner Rashid Choufani, who also operates the Morocco Pavilion in Epcot, says in a prepared statement that the new restaurant will allow his company to build on its longtime relationship with Walt Disney World.E-Brands Restaurants has a portfolio of 15 successful restaurants, including Timpano Chophouse and Martini Bar, Samba Room and Salsa Taqueria & Tequila Bar in Orlando. The company also has operations in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Houston, Denver, Rockville, Md., and Naperville, Ill.

Is Apple’s success a result of coincidence or brilliance? Has CEO Steve Jobs been dealt a lucky hand or is his success a function of careful analysis that showed him how history could repeat itself? It is my opinion that Steve Jobs has carried around the blueprint for Apple’s success since he took back the permanent CEO spot back in 2000. During his latest tenure at Apple he has completely transformed the company from a one trick pony into a four-tiered empire. Has anything this dramatic happened before? I really wanted to find a company who had done what Apple is now doing. Historical analysis gives me convictional peace as I set time and price targets, but my search for comparable companies kept coming up empty. Sure there are examples like Tyra Banks going from supermodel to talk show host or Ronald Reagan going from acting to politics, but these reinvention stories don’t help me come up with investable limits on Apple.The real question is whether the Apple story is sustainable or just a fad. After hours and hours of frustrating research, I finally found the the perfect comparison: Disney (DIS). The funny thing is, all I had to do was follow Steve Jobs’ money trail to find it. He’s their largest shareholder. The irony amazes me. Somehow Steve Jobs has been integrally involved in the two great turnaround stories of our lifetime. The similarities between the two help to explain the vision that Steve Jobs created for Apple.A quick recap of Disney’s history shows that after Walt Disney’s death in 1966, and the completion of Disney World in 1971, the Disney brand began its steep decline. Conditions got so bad that on June 3rd, 1984, Disney stock closed at an adjusted price of .78 cents. The widespread disgust over this valuation led to hostile takeover threats and even the near distinction of the company. Disney was out of sync with the times, their animation division was near dead, and their growth was non existent – until October of 1984, when Michael Eisner came in as CEO and began the turnaround. He took them into new markets where they flourished. He created a brand called Touchstone films and television that allowed them to produce box office hits for the masses.This innovation led to the relationship with Pixar in 1991 and the purchases of Miramax, ABC and ESPN. The first Disney store was opened on March 28, 1987 in Glendale, California. This evolved into an international chain of specialty stores selling exclusive Disney items, which helped to introduce a whole new generation to their library of animated classics, which in turn led to a renaissance in Disney toy sales. Eisner was also involved with resort expansion overseas and the development of California Adventure, Downtown Disney, new hotels, and the entertainment district.How did these strategic moves affect stock price? Disney stock rose during 13 of the 14 years after Eisner took over, with average yearly returns of 30.7% and a high of 117% in 1986 (calculated per April yoy price from 1984-1998).In May of 1985, Steve Jobs was relieved of his duties as head of the Mac division in the very company he had founded in 1976. Isn’t it interesting that the Disney renovation of the 1980s happened just as Mr. Jobs left Apple? It is no coincidence that he used the Disney growth strategy as the blueprint for Apple’s success, as he had plenty of free time to observe what they were doing. While he was away from the company, Apple suffered through a period of mismanagement and outdated product lines. When he returned in 1997, he began the process of implementing a Disney-like strategy. Just as Disney did with Touchstone, Apple did with the iPod. They opened up their brand to a new generation of users. This led to the development of iTunes music, movies, television shows, podcasts and games.Apple also opened up their own international chain of retail stores – just like Disney did. They have formed partnerships with companies like Nike (NKE), Microsoft (MSFT) and Best Buy (BBY) to better their offering – just like Disney did with Pixar. This experience obviously taught Steve the importance of working well with others, although Apple still retains exclusive rights to their operating system – just as Disney keeps their exclusive advantage.It has been eight years since Steve Jobs took over the CEO position on a permanent basis. Since that time, Apple stock has been up 6 out of the 8 years, with average yearly returns of 25.3% and a high of 167% in 2005 (calculated per April yoy price from 2000-2008).Just as Steve Jobs mirrored Apple after Disney, I too am going to use Disney stock performance as part of my Apple stock performance forecast. So far the correlation between innovation and performance is trending too close to be called a coincidence. There is no reason to believe that the Apple story going to end anytime soon; according to the Disney trend, they still have another 6 years of 25% yoy stock growth ahead of them. What one company can do, so can another. Mr. Jobs’ position as Disney’s largest shareholder is a stroke of fateful brilliance; after all, they taught him everything he knows.