Disney Informer

• Home
• Contact Us
• Wallpapers
• Abbreviations

Current Events

• Articles
• Mousebytes

Forums »

• Log In
• Register
• Lost Password

Films »

• Feature Animation
• Pixar
• Other Animation
• Live Action

Coming Soon

• Destinations
• Search
• Games
• And more!

• Disney Informer Films
• Posted by Tim  •  0 comments
• Disney Informer Films, in its 10 year in existance has now surpassed over 12 GB in size and growing. Disney Informer Films is the largest and oldest Walt Disney Animation site with over 25,000 web pages covering all aspects of Walt Disney Animation. So, if it has been a while, come on by and see the site that has had articles written about it such newspapers as New York Times, L.A. Times & Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Disney Informer Films can be found at http://animationarchive.net

•  
• Disney Informer Films
• Posted by Tim  •  0 comments
• Disney Informer Films, in its 10 year in existance has now surpassed over 12 GB in size and growing. Disney Informer Films is the largest and oldest Walt Disney Animation site with over 25,000 web pages covering all aspects of Walt Disney Animation. So, if it has been a while, come on by and see the site that has had articles written about it such newspapers as New York Times, L.A. Times & Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Disney Informer Films can be found at http://animationarchive.net

• Whats Going On With DI?
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Most of you are probably wondering what's going on with Disney Informer. And here's the problem- I work on it for hours a day, but very rarely is there a difference made. The main problem is we need an editor- so if you can write and love Disney, we have the easiest, most powerful custom Disney content management system on the internet. Basically that just means you have a lot of features to play around with. So what am I actually doing? Yesterday I released a beta version of the DI calendar. You can access it by clicking the date on the top right of the screen. It has "Today in Disney History", movie release info, park hours, and other relevent information. Currently, I am working on the search. So far, it's going pretty good. It will allow for complex searches, which is good if you're looking for anything from a large wallpaper of Mickey, to a resturant that serves dole whips. Another cool feature I finished (but haven't released since nobodys been adding content) is a program that tracks all the updates on the site. It makes it easy to track the most recent additions and updates, as soon as they happen. If you're interested in joining the DI team as a editor, be sure to email me!

• "I've Heard That Voice Before..."
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Take a look at this video of five of the country's best voice-over artists. Any Disney fan will recognize Mark Elliot, a veteran voice-over artist who has done much of the voice work for Disney trailers and previews. And if you've ever wondered about the voice you've become accustom to over the years, you finally have your answer

• Disney's iTunes sells 125,000 movies!
• Posted by RegisMan  •  0 comments
• Disney has sold 125,000 online film downloads less than a week after agreeing to make its titles available on Apple's iTunes store. The sales have added about $1m in incremental revenue to the media company, according to chief executive Bob Iger, who expressed confidence that revenues from the new film venture could reach $50m in its first year.

• Brother Bear 2 Tops Sales Charts
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Early this month, Disney's newest Direct-To-Video sequel, Brother Bear 2, followed in the footsteps of Bambi 2 to become Disney's second direct-to-video movie to debut on the top of the sales charts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the sequel to Brother Bear was the top selling DVD nationally after it was released on August 29, 2006.

•  
• iTunes Is Good
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Today, Apple is rumored to release movie downloads on iTunes. Seeing as to how Pixar used to be owned by Steve Jobs (the Apple CEO), and how Mr. Jobs now owns a good percentage of Disney, it's only natural that Disney and Pixar movies would make the list. Cinematical.com recently released a list of movies to be available on opening day (supposively today, link thanks to Animated News). So whats the big deal? Evidentally Mr. Jobs was able to get his hands on the yet-to-be-made Toy Story 3. We all know he's good at keeping secrets (he's famous for it), however a whole movie? I guess we'll have to wait until later today for a little more information. (And, no, we really don't think Toy Story 3 exists- it's most likely a mistake.)

• Demo of Finding Nemo: The Musical
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Recently a video of a Disney press conference found it's way onto YouTube. In it is a demo of the upcoming music from Finding Nemo: The Musical, which is going to be in Theater of the Wild (Tarzan Rocks!'s old home). The music is basically the dialogue in the movie shifted around slightly and sung to music. Considering how Finding Nemo has no music in it, it's an odd choice- especially since the movie was set in Australia, not Asia (well, technically Theater In The Wild is in Dinoland.. But its close to Asia). Despite the many other possible choices Disney could have gone with, we'll have to wait until it opens in early November before we decide to hate it.

• Brother Bear 2 Released Todady
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Today marks the release of Disney's Brother Bear 2- a sequel to the 2003 movie (you won't believe it) Brother Bear. The movie has many of the same voice actors as the original, although Kenai will be voiced by Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) rather than Joaquin Phoenix. Mandy Moore joined the cast of the direct-to-video movie, as well. I'd post a link for people to review the movie, but we all know nobody is going to see it.

• Ticket Prices Increase
• Posted by disneyreporter  •  0 comments
• Starting Sunday, the cost of a one-day ticket to any of Walt Disney World's four parks is going up to $67 -- a 6.3 percent increase, the largest since 1991. The hike is the second time in eight months the resort has bumped the cost of admission and represents an increase of almost 12 percent since December and 22 percent since early 2004. Disney officials did not say what is prompting the $4 increase -- which also affects the company's Magic Your Way flexible ticket plans -- except to say the new price is in line with the needs of the travel industry. The latest decision surprised a few industry observers and rattled some tourists Friday, but all said it would not deter people from visiting the parks. Addison Williams, 68, of Atlanta said the prices were getting out of hand, especially for a family. The retiree, on vacation with nine family members and friends, said he was thankful he wasn't paying for everyone. "I know it's a family theme park, but a family has to practically take out a loan to come here," Williams said as he paused during a shopping trip to International Drive. Historically, Disney World and Orlando's two other theme-park resorts, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando, raised prices within weeks of one another and stayed relatively close. Universal went to $63 in January and SeaWorld to $61.95 in December. There was no indication whether either expects to raise prices soon. SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said that park's prices are based on SeaWorld business, not on Disney's decision. Disney last raised its basic ticket to $63 on Jan. 1, up from $59.75. The last time Disney increased prices by more than 6 percent was 1991, when basic admission went from $31 to $33. "We believe we offer a great value and remain competitive in the market," Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said. Does price matter? The new price shouldn't be much of a deterrent because Walt Disney World and Orlando, in general, are increasingly "must" vacations for many people at almost any price, said Ady Milman, a theme-park business professor at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. Many tourists agreed. "It's something you have to do," said Isabel Geurts, 46, of Glasgow, Scotland, who included Disney on her family's vacation to Orlando's attractions. "You want to go to Magic Kingdom just to say you've been." But Disney's ticket prices are going up while gas prices are skyrocketing. That bothered retired sales manager Bob Standers, 68, of Lake Worth who visited Disney with his wife. "It's too expensive," he said. Though some theme parks including Universal have struggled lately with attendance, Disney's crowd has been growing, up 5 percent last year and 3 percent in the first quarter of this year. And the company will kick off a big, new promotional campaign called Year of a Million Dreams in October. Last year, Disney joined other theme parks in moving away from selling most of its tickets one at a time. Under Magic Your Way, people can buy packages that discount the price of the tickets for multiple-day purchases. The new increases cover most but not all of Disney's ticket prices. Magic Your Way tickets will see prices go up at all levels, about 3 percent to 6 percent. Disney's Park Hopper feature, which allows people to attend any of its parks, goes up $5 to $45. Yet water-park tickets remain the same, as do Florida resident three-day theme-park tickets. In the next year or so, Disney is adding several smaller attractions, such as a new ride at Epcot called The Seas with Nemo & Friends and a new comedy show at Magic Kingdom called "The Laugh Floor Comedy Club," plus numerous events and shows tied to Year of a Million Dreams. But there are no announced plans for any major new attractions such as Expedition Everest, which opened in April. "We would still come," said Melanie Hughes, 45, a teaching assistant from Coventry, England, in town with her family of four. "It doesn't make any difference, not when you're coming from England." Safety becomes theme. What tourists want today is a safe, reliable vacation, and so more are turning to Disney regardless of the price, Milman said. His research finds a trend showing travelers opting for places where they can be assured a consistent, quality experience, such as theme parks, over more authentic but less predictable experiences, such as vacations to European cities. Milman also said the law of supply and demand applies. "I think Disney is going to increase the price until people stop coming," he said. Jerry Aldrich, president of Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando, said Disney does careful analysis and knows what its customers are willing to pay. "They really look at their surveys. Most places want to make sure they're in the ballpark for the value received versus the cost," Aldrich said. "There's a lot of planning and research before it's done." He also said all of Orlando's theme parks are among the best anywhere, and none wants to be perceived as a lower-price, "discount" theme park, noting, "It'll be interesting to see what the other two do."

• Longtime Director Quits Disney Board
• Posted by RegisMan  •  0 comments
• Gary Wilson, Walt Disney Co.'s longest-serving director and one of its most influential, is leaving the board as part of an effort to bring fresh blood to it, the company disclosed Friday.

•  
• First Act of Rapunzel gets positive reception
• Posted by Tim  •  0 comments
• The Animation Guild Blog writes that Walt Disney Feature Animation's Rapunzel may be coming along quite nicely. "The word around the studio is that the First Act of Rapunzel found favor at its unspooling up in Emeryville. John Lasseter, I was told, gave plenty of notes to director Glen Keane but overall liked what he saw. John's suggestions were about how to make good things better, rather than eliminating elements that didn't work." At this time, Rapunzel is readying for June 2009.

• Pirates 3 Starrs Ken Wantabee
• Posted by RegisMan  •  0 comments
• It has been confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will star Ken Watanabe, the excellent actor in The Last Samurai who played Katsumoto.

•  
• Haunted Mansion Rumor
• Posted by Katy  •  0 comments
• In the Magic Kingdom, The Haunted Mansion will allegedly have some refurbishment to the entrance and exit queues. Supposedly a crypt-like gift shop will be added to the exit of the Haunted Mansion, possibly including the long-rumored on-ride photo pick-up.

• We Need You!
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• At Disney Informer, everyone is an editor. You can edit almost anything on this site, and add content. So, that means if you have some interesting Disney news, post it! Just click the Got Scoop link, or click here.

• Happy Birthday Disneyland!
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Happy (Slightly Belated) Birthday Disneyland! Disneyland in California opened 51 years ago from yesterday, July 17th. We're not sure how this snuck by us!

• Where's Eisner Now?
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Ever wonder what unemployeed ex-CEOs of The Walt Disney Company do in their spare time? It seems Michael Eisner has been investing in Team Baby Entertainment, which markets college sports footage to babies. His company, The Tornante Company, has aquired the company recently. Remind me again why people were upset Mr. Eisner was leaving Disney?

•  
• The New Oswald
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Ain't It Cool News has some pictures of the new Oswald The Lucky Rabbit. According to the site, John Lassiter has big plans for the cartoon character, who was recently reunited with The Walt Disney Company. The eyes are a little too 1930, but overall it looks like it could be a good addition to the Disney family.

• Traditional Animation Revived
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Laughing Place is reporting that John Lasseter is ready to green-light a hand drawn film. According to the article, the script is going to be written by Ron Clements and John Musker, and should be finished by late fall.

• The Disney Informer Launches!
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• For those of you with the patience to stick around this long, you're probably already placing bets on how long until we close down again. Well, we're going to do our best to not let that happen. While we left our crystal balls in the parks, we are confident in saying that we're not closing anytime soon.

•  
• Ratatouille Trailer
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• The trailer for Pixar's next movie, Ratatouille, has been posted on Apple.com. Just like Cars, I feel it's too cartoony for my taste when it comes to Pixar. Of course, Cars did pretty good in the box office, so there goes my argument.

• Chronicle of Narna on DVD April 4th
• Posted by Katy  •  0 comments
• C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will be available on DVD on April 4th, 2006. There will be a single disc DVD and a special edition DVD which will include 10 hours of bonus features.

• Everest on Monorails
• Posted by Bill  •  0 comments
• Expedition Everest window stickers have replaced the "new magic from WDI" window stickers on all monorails and most busses. Oddly enough, Everest was closed today.

• Inferno Barge is Back... or is it?
• Posted by Bill  •  0 comments
• Well, Feb. 1st saw the return of the Inferno Barge at Reflections of Earth at Epcot. But last night (Feb. 7th) the Inferno didn't work. No real word on why, it just didn't work. It's expected to be a one time issue, and should work tonight.

•  
• "Meet The Robinsons" cast grows
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Wikipedia, via Animated News, reports that Gary Oldman, Harland Williams, Steve Zahn, Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett will be joining the cast of Disney's upcoming animated movie, "Meet The Robinsons." Hopefully Pixar can teach Disney that it's not all about the actors doing the voices- a good story starring Joe Nobody will leave a bad story featuring big names any day. Not to say that the "Meet The Robinsons" cast, which already includes James Issac Conde and Spencer Fox, can't make for an enjoyable movie- but, Disney can't fall back on celebrities, which it has tried (and failed with) before.

•  
• Toy Story 3 Still Coming
• Posted by Gregory  •  0 comments
• Think that the world (or at least your local megaplex) would be better without Toy Story 3? Well, as good of a movie as Toy Story 2 was, I think we can all agree another Toy Story sequel is going slightly too far. With the Pixar-Disney merger (yeah, I know.. it wasn't technically a merger- but, it basically was), it seemed that Disney was ready to let Pixar work its magic inside the walls of the Team Disney building The Michael D. Eisner Building. But, it seems Disney's recent affection for quality over quantity might be seeping into its newly purchased animation studio. It seems Pixar will be releasing two movies a year, rather than their usually spaced out release schedule. I dont want to start digging the grave yet, but I'll be watching Pixar closely to make sure they stay true to their winning formula.

• Disney Informer Grand Opening!
• Posted by   •  0 comments
• Welcome to the brand-new Disney Informer! We know you've been chasing us around the internet, but we promise this will be our final destination (unless something big comes up). Anyway, consider this a soft opening- a chance to get the forums and basic code up and running. You may not know this, but Disney Informer is the new home of the internets largest Disney films database. That will be up and running within a week or so, we hope. And, in the coming weeks, we will be opening a parks database which we hope will soon catch up to the size of the films database. So, we hope to see you around! Join the forums, and check back soon for new and exciting features.