Disney movies, Online Disney movies, New Disney Movies

It is with a very heavy heart that we have to announce that Disney Legend Ralph Kent, passed away this morning in Orlando Florida.

Ralph Kent, a fan of Disney films since his childhood and dreamed that he would one day meet Walt Disney and work for him. In 1963 his dream came true when he was hired has a marketing production assistant at Disneyland.

He developed market materials for Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room and other classic attractions, and went on to create training materials for attractions at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. In 1965, Walt Disney gave him the honor of designing the first limited-edition Mickey Mouse watch for adults. This was the watch that Walt presented to 25 of his top executives. He also spent time as director of Walt Disney Imagineering East, overseeing Florida staff support for EPCOT Center and Tokyo Disneyland. He retired from the Walt Disney Company in May, 2004 after 41 years, however, he never lost touch with his roots. He continued consulting on special projects. He was inducted as a Disney Legend and has a window on Main Street facing Cinderella Castle.

Ralph was a dear friend to us, and an amazing artist. More importantly, he was a fantastic person. He was always ready with a warm smile and his quick wit. He impacted so many lives positively and his legacy will continue to do the same.

His funeral will be Saturday, September 15, 2007 at the Kingdom of the Jehovah Witnesses Hall in Kissimmee. The address is: 1525 Mill Slough Road, Kissimmee, Florida. Time TBD.

By now you’ve probably heard about the nude photo of Vanessa Hudgens that is making its way around the internet. Yes, I’ve seen it. No, I’m not going to link to it. And no, I didn’t search for it- it was sent to me by someone that suggested it was a fake.

I would have believed that it was, but Hudgens has released a statement through her rep stating that the photo is indeed her in all her bare glory. She says that it is a personal matter.

Us Magazine is reporting that she is being removed from further High School Musical productions:

“Due to the recent scandal of “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens’ naked photo scandal, Execs at Disney have parted ways with the star and have decided to replace her with “Cheetah Girls” star Adrienne Bailon.

The decision came just hours after the scandal became public and got to the offices at Disney. Says insiders, “It was an extremely hard decision to do. Vanessa has become apart of the family, but we felt it was irresponsible of her to do what she did.”

What did she do? At this point it is just one photo of her, standing alone, nude. Sure, it’s not the image that Disney wants to promote, but it’s a lot better than the Lohans of the world that are still supporting tragic lifestyles on Disney’s dime.

What do you think? Is Disney doing the right thing, assuming that the source sited by Us Magazine is correct? Or do you think it is a knee-jerk reaction? Honestly, I can see a case for either side.

The Orlando Sentinel has uncovered expansion plans for Universal Studios Orlando that includes two new hotels, new convention space, and about 300 apartments for their employees. Of course this raises questions about the employer/tenant relationship which always complicates things if an employee quits, is fired, or even works a second job. With low income housing in demand in Anaheim, might this be the future for Disneyland?

Oddly there is no word in this story about the impending move of Wet-n-Wild, which Universal owns, but will be forced to move when the lease on its current property runs out.

Kevin Yee is out with another scoop. This time he reveals some interesting details behind Disney’s next themed entertainment foray outside the theme parks. Location Based Entertainment (LBE) is the concept recently hyped by Jay Rasulo, worldwide head of Disney’s parks and resorts. It had Disney fans and city developers yearning to learn more and how they could get Disney to build in their local community.

Initial speculation was that LBE would take the form of a downtown hotel, shopping, and entertainment complex. The announcement led to a half-dozen or so mid-size cities exploding in rumors that ‘Disney is coming to town’ every time a new downtown development was announced. Turns out that Rasulo was thinking of something not quite so grand:

What if it were a hotel, an indoor water park, a shopping area, and an E-Ticket ride all bundled together and themed into one seamless region? Imagine Fort Wilderness, an indoor River Country, and a Splash Mountain all plopped down together and forming a contiguous themed environment. Or Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kali River Rapids and an Africa-themed indoor water park, again, of modest size and scope, but highly themed.

This may have you thinking of the Nickelodeon Family Suites hotel brand that sits just off Disney property on the 535. That hotel has already been the inspiration for the appearance of family suites at Disney’s value hotels (Pop Century The Legend Years is rumored to be getting a large number of them). It certainly appears to be similar to what Disney is working on.

But I think earlier inspiration can be found if you look out west. Remember when Las Vegas went through the ‘family friendly’ phase? (never more than a thin veneer, btw.) Well that expansion brought us Circus Circus Adventurepark, Treasure Island, New York-New York, and even Buffalo Bills. For all four hotels the primary attraction was the casino, but the dining and amusement attraction could be the make or break on the decision to stay at that hotel if you’re a family.

So how will Disney make this work without a casino? By locating the LBE complex near other existing destinations. Planning a trip to SeaWorld San Diego? Tack it on to your Disneyland Trip and stay with in Disney’s magical envelope at the Animal Kingdom themed hotel and water attraction. Galveston Texas? Enjoy Disney’s Rocky Mountain Adventure. Conventioneer? Stay with Disney and bring your family along. Come to think of it, there was just a rumor that a Las Vegas strip hotel would soon be built with no casino… Disney?

There is a larger challenge when you head north and encounter harsher winters. The water park and attraction will likely have to be climate controlled. But that’s not outside the range of technology today (as Kevin points out with an interesting example). Imagine a Jacksonville, CO Wilderness Lodge resort with an indoor waterpark and hot springs.

Speaking of Jacksonville, these LBEs will also be natural tie-ins to the new “Adventures by Disney” brand. The perfect home base for all sorts of adventure type operations.

By locating a different attraction at each hotel, by making sure each location features a unique theme, Disney could create a quest for the brand’s rabid fans (like me!). Who has stayed at every hotel, experienced every ride? Disney’s Passport to Adventure club. The quality and attention to detail that Walt Disney’s Imagineers are so famous for will drive a whole new level of resort and theme entertainment.

One worry is that this would siphon off visitors from Disney’s theme parks and resorts. Why spend money on airfare or gas when you can go to the local Disney branded LBE. Of course, they were worried about this with DisneyQuest and DisneyClub. Two of Disney’s previous attempts at LBE.

I prefer to think that the market for Disney’s brand is so large that people who visit their local LBE for a short vacation or convention will continue to visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland for the families extended holiday. I’m sure that’s what Disney is hoping too.

The Internet is full of speculation and theories on the Pirates franchise and whether or not it will continue after the third installment. It’s no secret that Johnny Depp has stated his interest in keeping the character of Jack Sparrow alive as long as the storyline remains strong.

That said, I have it on good authority, granted from one source, that filming for Pirates IV is scheduled to begin in August with Depp on board. According to the source Bloom and Knightley will not return. Again, this line of rumor is all over the Internet with various takes on the characters and story possibilities. Be warned should you decide to follow-up on this that there are some potential spoilers floating around out there.