Disney finally unveiled its Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar yesterday morning.  The plans for the refurbished DCA have been eagerly anticipated since Al Lutz broke the story last year.  But with the opening of the preview center Disney fans will finally get a chance to see what exactly Disney Imagineers have planned for the park.

Map of changes to come at Disney’s California Adventure

One of the most noticeable changes to DCA will come with a retheming of the front gate and Sunshine Plaza area.  Out goes the sunny California postcard theme and in comes DCA reImagineered into a Jazz Era motif.  The front gate itself will look very much like, if not a spitting image of, the front gate of the Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando.

Another area of the park that will get a complete makeover will be the Paradise Pier area which will incorporate not only the feel of a Victorian era boardwalk, but will also incorporate more Disney characters in the theming and attractions.  This should help to counter one of the major complaints that most visitors have about DCA which is the lack of “Disney magic.”

And as you can imagine, the Disney boards and forums have already lit up with everyone dissecting and discussing every minute detail.  Check out the photos from the preview center that MiceAge has posted on their site.  For videos of the plans and models in the preview center you’ll definitely want to make the jump to Laughing Place.  The LA Times also has coverage of the opening of the preview center.

Little dogs rule at the American box office for second week in a row

Okay then.  The American movie public must really be in foul mood and must have absolutely NO interest in seeing films with live actors in order for “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” to be number one at the box office for a second week in a row.  Escapism is the rule of the day.

Many historians noted that during the Great Depression the great masses fled to their local silver screens to escape the drudgery and bad news.  But whereas those folks in the past lined up to see films starring screen legends like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Bette Davis, or Greta Garbo, the American public now experiencing the near collapse of our modern economic markets would rather line up to see a film with talking dogs.  Oh, the times they are a changing.

The Oriental Land Company, the people behind the shining success that is the Tokyo Disneyland Resort which contains Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, announced last week that they are no longer moving forward with their plans to build an indoor Disney themed entertainment complex that would offer Disney entertainment, shopping, and restaurants. The complex was to built outside of the Tokyo Disneyland Resort in another major Tokyo city and would have opened in 2010.

Tokyo Disney Resort operator Oriental Land Co Ltd said on Tuesday it had scrapped a plan for a new Disney-theme entertainment complex in a major city in Japan, citing the poor prospects of the project’s investment returns.

The firm said it would continue to explore possibilities for a new business, which might not involve Disney characters.

The company and Walt Disney Co have spent more than a year studying a plan to build an urban-style amusement facility in 2010 or later, but they decided that the estimated investment return would not justify the project, it said.

So, what does this mean for Jay Rasulo’s plans to build these types of indoor entertainment complexes in the US?  Supposedly the OLC’s version would have been the first in the pipeline and would have given Disney fans an idea of what to expect.  But now that the OLC has pulled out and the world economy looks as if it’s heading for a recession, who knows what effect that will have on any future plans for these types of Disney complexes in the future.

“Exploring the Adventurer’s Club, review and tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Hello everybody and welcome once again to The WDW Radio Show - Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello and this is show #88 for the week of October 12, 2008.

We’re going to start off this week with our tribute to the Adventurer’s Club. And rather than just a look at what it was, its rooms and shows, we’re going to explore the Club like never before, because if you think you knew everything there was to know about the Adventurer’s Club, you might be a bit surprised. Joining me this week is world-renowned Disney historian and author Jim Korkis, who is going to share his exhaustive research into the history and details of the Club, and the stories behind the stories. We’ll go way back and examine it from the very beginning, from concept, to drawing board changes, its creators, design and so much more.

Moving from one party to another, we’ll next head on over to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, as George Taylor and I tell you all about this special event, what you can do while you’re there, tips to get the most out of the party, and why we think this is one of Walt Disney World’s best events.

I’ll play more of your voicemails at the end of the show after some a few announcements, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

www.wdwradio.com

“This week we’re joined by Matt Hochberg and Mouse Guest Kathy to discuss the pros and cons of renting a car while at WDW. Plus, Mouse Guest Josue gives us another DizBiz looking at the latest Disney Theater and Movie news, Mouse Guest Ma and Cathy give us their review of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and we open up the Mailbag once again to find your favorite costumes and more 80s movies.”

www.mouseguest.com

A Disney Podcast Fit For a Mouse…or a Sugar Glider!

Current Podcast: 2008 Walt Disney World NFFC Convention, October 5th, 2008
Jim Hill is back on this week’s show to give everyone a in-depth look at some of the topics covered at this year’s Walt Disney World 2008 NFFC Convention including: Undiscovered Epcot, Race To Witch Mountain, and an update on the Adventures Club.

www.magicaldefinitionpodcast.com

“Halloween Sing-Alongs and Binaural Audio, Top 3 Epcot Celebs, Backstage Magic, and More

Halloween fun continues with Haunted Mansion sing-alongs plus binaural audio from the Boo To You parade. Skipper Ben is really here this week with your Top 3 Epcot celebrities. Greg joins us for his second-to-last day of the Backstage Magic tour and Eric brings us another Disney Experience.“

www.insidethemagic.com

Follow the little dot as it goes for a ride on the The Disney Stock Coaster.  Whee!!

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride it is certainly not.  But Disney stock sure did take as many wild turns as the classic attraction and had more stomach-inducing plunges than Rockin’ Rollercoaster.  In case you’ve been engrossed  in the virtual world of Pixie Hollow and hadn’t noticed, the world economy is in a wee bit of a tailspin right now.  And all that turmoil in the international and US stock market had an effect on Disney stock.

The stock started off at $28.99 a share at the opening bell.  But by 10:30 a.m. it was time for shareholders as they kept their hands inside during the ride as it began to make the first of many plunges during the day.  A little before 3:00 p.m. Disney stock had plunged to $26.45 at a loss of $2.54.  But as the saying goes, when you’re at the bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up.  And that’s exactly what Disney stock did as bargain hunters swept in and drove up the stock until it closed at $28.26.  You can relive the day’s thrilling ride with Yahoo!’s interactive graph.

To be sure, Disney stock is still doing much better than the depths it fell to during the early part of the century when Eisner reigned and the value of the stock hovered in the teens.  Now current CEO Robert Iger has been saying that Disney is not just fine but “resilient” during this financial crisis.

“Our business has been quite resilient,” Iger told journalists at a meeting ahead of the London premiere of the film “Camp Rock” on Wednesday. “Global theme parks have held up extremely well.”

Yet when Iger uttered those words Disney stock was at $32.77.  The consensus among stock watchers is that Disney, along with other entertainment companies, will be hit even harder as consumers pull back on their spending if the financial crisis doesn’t improve.  And a prolonged sagging economy will have many effects on not only on Disney’s stock but perhaps on more tangible things that guests will see at the parks like a cut back in hours, entertainment, and other guest services.

But this is just the beginning folks.  If you thought today’s stock ride was volatile, wait until tomorrow.

With a wide variety of European itineraries in 2010, families have the ability to explore exotic and unexpected destinations with the safety and comfort of traveling with Disney Cruise Line, the leader in family cruising.

For the first time, Disney Cruise Line will offer a 12-night Northern European Capitals cruise where guests can experience breathtaking fjords, historic city centers and Viking lore at enchanting Scandinavian ports such as Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The ship will also sail to Warnemunde, Germany, gateway to Berlin, and to St. Petersburg, Russia. The Disney Magic will overnight in St. Petersburg, allowing Disney Cruise Line guests time to experience the city known as the “Cultural Capital of Russia” or use the second day to book a shore excursion to Moscow.

“The Northern European Capitals itinerary provides our guests with an amazing collection of destinations to explore,” said Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin. “We’re excited to bring the rich history, culture and folklore these ports offer to life for our guests in a family-friendly way only Disney Cruise Line can deliver.”

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The weird and wonderful director Tim Burton has begun filming in Cornwall, with unknown actress Mia Wasikowska in the title role.

The 18-year-old from Canberra, Australia plays the lead in the live action version of the much-loved take which is being adapted for the big screen by US director Burton.

Mia will join a stellar cast including Burton favourite Johnny Depp, who will play the Mad Hatter.

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Newcomer Mia Wasikowska takes on the role of Alice
in Tim Burton’s adaptation of the classic