ESPN Celebrates 20 years of bringing the best Baseball coverage on Television to Fans!!
May 28,1990... Rickey Henderson breaks Ty cobb's American League record for career stolen bases.
June 29, 1990... ESPN televises back-to-back no-hitters. Oakland's Dave Stewart throws a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, then Los Angeles Fernando Valenzuela pitches a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals.
July 31,1990... Texas Nolan Ryan earns his 300th career victory.
September 6, 1995... Baltimore's Cal Ripken, Jr. breaks Lou Gehrig's record by playing in his 2,131st consecutive game.
October 2,1995... ESPN televises the first one-game playoff since 1980, as the Seattle Mariners defeat the visiting California Angels.
September 7, 1998... St. Louis Mark McGwire ties Roger Maris with his 61st home run of the season.
May 29, 2000... On Memorial Day, Oakland second baseman Randy Velarde completes the first unassisted triple play since 1994 and only the 11th in Major League history.
October 9, 2005... Houston's Chris Burke hits a walk-off home run in the 18th inning of the Astros NLDS-clinching win, 7-6, over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4.
Augest 7, 2007... San Francisco's Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's home run record with his 756th career home run.
September 21, 2008... The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles,7-3, in the final game at Yankee Stadium.
DR LEE
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Celebrate Today!
Tiana's Showboat Jubilee(Rivers of America)... Come celebrate "Mardi Gras style" with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen (from Disney's upcoming animated feature The Princess and the Frog, in theaters Dec. 11th) in this all-new, toe-tappin, hand-clappin riverboat extravaganza along the Rivers of America.
The Disney Gallery... Check out one-of-a-kind artwork on display, plus purchase print-on-demand posters and other unique merchandise.
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue (Frontierland)... Celebrate in Wild West style with barbecue ribs, chicken and all the fixin's.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Fantasyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle)... Let our Fairy Godmothers-in-training turn your little girl into a beautiful princess before your very eyes.
DR LEE
The Disney Gallery... Check out one-of-a-kind artwork on display, plus purchase print-on-demand posters and other unique merchandise.
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue (Frontierland)... Celebrate in Wild West style with barbecue ribs, chicken and all the fixin's.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Fantasyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle)... Let our Fairy Godmothers-in-training turn your little girl into a beautiful princess before your very eyes.
DR LEE
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Captured in Time: Walt Disney at His Personal Best
Preserving and presenting Walt Disney's personal legacy is the driving force behind the new Walt Disney Family Museum, which opened in San Francisco on Oct. 1. Seeing and hearing Walt talk about his childhood, his family life and his innovations adds a compelling aspect that renderings, photos and plaques alone cannot achieve.
And while Cast Members may know plenty about the park he created but little about the man himself, the museum provides the backstory behind several of Walt's innovations.
Sharing his private life via family home movies and personal artifacts, and seeing Walt at various stages in his life creates a connection between the museum visitor and Walt. One might almost feel they are looking back into a long lost family album when they witness his wedding day or spend time in the pool at home with the kids.
The museum presents Walt's life in 10 chronological exibits that feature items ranging from original documents and objects to interactive components such as listening stations and touch-screen tables. There are a variety of objects on display-including animation cels, Walt's high school notebook doodles, a fiddle owned by Walt's father and a whole roomful of the awards Walt received in his life.
The opening of the Walt Disney Family Museum occurs during a year that marks a significant milestone in Disney history that may go largely unnoticed: This year, Disney marks its 43rd year without Walt- the same number of years he led his company before passing away in 1966.
So as Disney begins an era that sees it existing more years without Walt than with him, it seems an appropriate time for this museum to come along and remind us that The Walt Disney Company was- and still is- all about Walt Disney.
DR LEE
And while Cast Members may know plenty about the park he created but little about the man himself, the museum provides the backstory behind several of Walt's innovations.
Sharing his private life via family home movies and personal artifacts, and seeing Walt at various stages in his life creates a connection between the museum visitor and Walt. One might almost feel they are looking back into a long lost family album when they witness his wedding day or spend time in the pool at home with the kids.
The museum presents Walt's life in 10 chronological exibits that feature items ranging from original documents and objects to interactive components such as listening stations and touch-screen tables. There are a variety of objects on display-including animation cels, Walt's high school notebook doodles, a fiddle owned by Walt's father and a whole roomful of the awards Walt received in his life.
The opening of the Walt Disney Family Museum occurs during a year that marks a significant milestone in Disney history that may go largely unnoticed: This year, Disney marks its 43rd year without Walt- the same number of years he led his company before passing away in 1966.
So as Disney begins an era that sees it existing more years without Walt than with him, it seems an appropriate time for this museum to come along and remind us that The Walt Disney Company was- and still is- all about Walt Disney.
DR LEE
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Meet the Characters from The Princess and the Frog...
Walt Disney Pictures " The Princess and the Frog" is an animated musical comedy set in New Orleans. This modern twist on a classic tale features a beautiful girl, a frog prince and a fateful kiss that leads them on an adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.
Tiana... is a bright and resourceful 19-year-old who dreams of opening her own restaurant, inspired by her late father's advice of dreaming big and working hard to achieve her goals.
Prince Naveen... is a handsome, exotic prince visiting from far-off country of Maldonia. Naveen is financially cut off by his parents because of his gallivanting ways.
Dr. Facilier... is a sinister, charismatic practitioner who lures unsuspecting "marks" into deals where they technically receive whatever they want, but are left much worse off they they were before.
Charlotte La Bouff... is Tiana's childhood friend as well as an enthusiastic and very spoiled debutante with a big heart. When she sees an opportunity to realize her childhood dream of becoming a genuine princess, she is determined to make it happen.
Louis... is a huge, fun loving alligator with a love for jazz. A self-taught trumpet player, Louis desperately yearns to play for an audience of appreciative humans while trying not to scare them silly.
Ray... is a lovesick Cajun firefly, always beaming positive energy, spreading light and always looking on the bright side.
Mama Odie... is a 200-year-old blind Fairy Godmother who lives deep in the Louisiana bayou with Juju her "seeing-eye snake".
In theaters December 11,2010...
DR LEE
Tiana... is a bright and resourceful 19-year-old who dreams of opening her own restaurant, inspired by her late father's advice of dreaming big and working hard to achieve her goals.
Prince Naveen... is a handsome, exotic prince visiting from far-off country of Maldonia. Naveen is financially cut off by his parents because of his gallivanting ways.
Dr. Facilier... is a sinister, charismatic practitioner who lures unsuspecting "marks" into deals where they technically receive whatever they want, but are left much worse off they they were before.
Charlotte La Bouff... is Tiana's childhood friend as well as an enthusiastic and very spoiled debutante with a big heart. When she sees an opportunity to realize her childhood dream of becoming a genuine princess, she is determined to make it happen.
Louis... is a huge, fun loving alligator with a love for jazz. A self-taught trumpet player, Louis desperately yearns to play for an audience of appreciative humans while trying not to scare them silly.
Ray... is a lovesick Cajun firefly, always beaming positive energy, spreading light and always looking on the bright side.
Mama Odie... is a 200-year-old blind Fairy Godmother who lives deep in the Louisiana bayou with Juju her "seeing-eye snake".
In theaters December 11,2010...
DR LEE
Monday, November 16, 2009
Xmas at Disneyland, All is Bright
It's a small world... Listen as the childern of the world celebrate the season in song!
Sleeping Beauty's "Winter Castle"... Each evening, watch this majestic castle transform into a shining, icicle-adorned spectacle!
A Christmas Fantasy Parade... Join the celebration as Main Street, U.S.A. comes to life with marching toy soldiers, dancing Disney Characters and more!
Believe in holiday magic... Feel the spirit of the season take hold as the night sky fills with brilliant colors- and snow falls in an unforgettable finale.
Santa's Reindeer Round-up...Meet Santa and his team of reindeer, in person, over at Big Thunder Ranch!
Haunted Mansion Holiday... See what happens when Halloween and Christmas collide!
Celebrate All Year... Apply the price of today's ticket toward the purchase of an Annual Passport at any Main Entrance Ticket Booth during your visit!
DR LEE
Sleeping Beauty's "Winter Castle"... Each evening, watch this majestic castle transform into a shining, icicle-adorned spectacle!
A Christmas Fantasy Parade... Join the celebration as Main Street, U.S.A. comes to life with marching toy soldiers, dancing Disney Characters and more!
Believe in holiday magic... Feel the spirit of the season take hold as the night sky fills with brilliant colors- and snow falls in an unforgettable finale.
Santa's Reindeer Round-up...Meet Santa and his team of reindeer, in person, over at Big Thunder Ranch!
Haunted Mansion Holiday... See what happens when Halloween and Christmas collide!
Celebrate All Year... Apply the price of today's ticket toward the purchase of an Annual Passport at any Main Entrance Ticket Booth during your visit!
DR LEE
Friday, November 13, 2009
Reading the Future
When you're the world's largest childern's publisher and you sell more than 750 million books and magazines in 85 countries and 75 different languages each year, what could you possibly do next? Take your library online, of course! With Disney Digital Books (Disney Digital books.com), Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) has turned the page on traditional story time by introducing a new, cutting-edge way for childern to experience the joy of reading.
"It's an industry-defining product," Russell Hampton, president, DPW, says. "No one has come out with a product that is as engaging and attractive, but more importantly with the breadth of content". Launching with more than 500 online books and content from more than 25 different franchises including Disney Princess and Mickey Mouse, kids can dive into stories and adventures with their favorite characters. Additional, DPW is looking to add content from thousands of books no longer in print."Unlike some publishers, who fear the digital revolution is changing their business, we are embracing the opportunity to reach our consumers directly", Jeanne Mosure, senior vice president, Group Publisher, DPW, observes.
Embracing it is exactly what the team did. The idea for Disney Digital Books was initially conceived within DPW by Joksan Acala, Bryan Martinez and Adam Nuccio, who are all part of DPW's Technical Advancement Group.
The team took the challenge of combining technologies that had never been integrated before. And for kids,accessing Disney Digital Books is as easy as visiting a Web site. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection.
" We're not looking to replace traditional reading, but instead give you additional ways to enjoy our content", Russell says. " When we look at our business, we look at trends- and kids have been reading less because they have more options on how to spend their time. Technology impacts their choices. I see it as something that will make our business grow. And at heart, it's a fun, interactive way to read a book".
The Disney Digital Books library is divided into three separate reading levels. Level one offers picture books and stories intended for shared reading with a parent or guardian; level two includes readers and storybooks suitable for childern who are ready to read on their own; and level three contains chapter books and junior novels for more advanced readers.
" What we saw from research is that parents love the idea of a new way to entice their kids to read more", Yves Saada, vice president, Digital Media, Global Books, they can monitor their progress and e-mail a congratulatory,note when they've finished a book". Yves has three daughters at home who have enjoyed testing the new product. " They're at two different reading levels, but while my 6-year old is focused on reading the stories, the younger ones like to watch and hear the stories. For them, playtime is about reading".
DR LEE
"It's an industry-defining product," Russell Hampton, president, DPW, says. "No one has come out with a product that is as engaging and attractive, but more importantly with the breadth of content". Launching with more than 500 online books and content from more than 25 different franchises including Disney Princess and Mickey Mouse, kids can dive into stories and adventures with their favorite characters. Additional, DPW is looking to add content from thousands of books no longer in print."Unlike some publishers, who fear the digital revolution is changing their business, we are embracing the opportunity to reach our consumers directly", Jeanne Mosure, senior vice president, Group Publisher, DPW, observes.
Embracing it is exactly what the team did. The idea for Disney Digital Books was initially conceived within DPW by Joksan Acala, Bryan Martinez and Adam Nuccio, who are all part of DPW's Technical Advancement Group.
The team took the challenge of combining technologies that had never been integrated before. And for kids,accessing Disney Digital Books is as easy as visiting a Web site. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection.
" We're not looking to replace traditional reading, but instead give you additional ways to enjoy our content", Russell says. " When we look at our business, we look at trends- and kids have been reading less because they have more options on how to spend their time. Technology impacts their choices. I see it as something that will make our business grow. And at heart, it's a fun, interactive way to read a book".
The Disney Digital Books library is divided into three separate reading levels. Level one offers picture books and stories intended for shared reading with a parent or guardian; level two includes readers and storybooks suitable for childern who are ready to read on their own; and level three contains chapter books and junior novels for more advanced readers.
" What we saw from research is that parents love the idea of a new way to entice their kids to read more", Yves Saada, vice president, Digital Media, Global Books, they can monitor their progress and e-mail a congratulatory,note when they've finished a book". Yves has three daughters at home who have enjoyed testing the new product. " They're at two different reading levels, but while my 6-year old is focused on reading the stories, the younger ones like to watch and hear the stories. For them, playtime is about reading".
DR LEE
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Let's go to the Movies...
To a theatre near you...
Toy Story 3, Coming Soon!
On June 18, 2010, the entire original animated gang will be back in full force for a brand-new 3D film- Toy Story 3.
"It takes place in the summer between Andy graduating high school and going off to college," John Lasseter says. "The toys are actually at that place of being out-grown. And that's where the adventure starts." Joining the voice cast in this emotional journey are veteran actors Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Timothy Dalton, Ned Beatty and Michael Keaton, who play new characters- their toy identities are still under wraps! With yet another touching story, a talented cast, plus all-new digital 3D technology, you won't want to miss Toy Story 3.
The Lion King Roars into the Smithsonian...
This fall, more than 50 million "Guests" worldwide will have experienced Disney's landmark musical, The Lion King. It is the first American musical to ever reach this milestone and only the fourth one in history! In celebration of the production's achievements, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History inducted The Lion King into its permanent collection at a special ceremony attended by Thomas Schumacher, president and producer, Disney Theatrical Group. Simba's stylized lion mask, headdress and costume, as well as custom shoes and the hat designed for Rafiki, will join the ranks of iconic objects from Broadway musicals including Hello, Dolly! and Cats. Kudos to the King!
DR LEE
Toy Story 3, Coming Soon!
On June 18, 2010, the entire original animated gang will be back in full force for a brand-new 3D film- Toy Story 3.
"It takes place in the summer between Andy graduating high school and going off to college," John Lasseter says. "The toys are actually at that place of being out-grown. And that's where the adventure starts." Joining the voice cast in this emotional journey are veteran actors Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Timothy Dalton, Ned Beatty and Michael Keaton, who play new characters- their toy identities are still under wraps! With yet another touching story, a talented cast, plus all-new digital 3D technology, you won't want to miss Toy Story 3.
The Lion King Roars into the Smithsonian...
This fall, more than 50 million "Guests" worldwide will have experienced Disney's landmark musical, The Lion King. It is the first American musical to ever reach this milestone and only the fourth one in history! In celebration of the production's achievements, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History inducted The Lion King into its permanent collection at a special ceremony attended by Thomas Schumacher, president and producer, Disney Theatrical Group. Simba's stylized lion mask, headdress and costume, as well as custom shoes and the hat designed for Rafiki, will join the ranks of iconic objects from Broadway musicals including Hello, Dolly! and Cats. Kudos to the King!
DR LEE
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Penguin Power!!!
When Bob Igeer announced the three strategic pillars that would lead The Walt Disney Company in the 21st century, the terms "creativity,""technological innovation" and international expansion" were revitalized in the fabric of our business. And these strategies are centainly reflected in the remarkable success of Club Penguin, the snow-covered virtual world that launched four years ago and joined The Walt Disney Company in August 2007.
Since its creation, Club Penguin has become known as one of the largest, safest and fastest-growing online communities for families. Millions of players have logged on to the award-winning experience to create their own penguins,which they can use in single and multi-player activities- ranging from a friendly snowball fight to writing a book that others can read.
Just this month, Club Penguin added a successful Spanish version of the community to the existing English, Portuguese and French ones- a testament to the Web site's strong global reputation. "We had close to a million Spanish-speaking players before we even launched in Spanish," says Lane Merrifield, executive vice president, Disney Online Studios, and co-founder of Club Penguin. "It's important to be able to give the global audience the same experience, to feel supported and listened to."
And growth is still on the horizon. "We often characterize our global expansion as not as much trying to go out there to build an audience, but frankly following the audience," Lane continues, hinting that we can expect Club Penguin to adopt even more languages.
Since joining the Disney family, the franchise has also benefited from a successful line of merchandising, including expansions onto Nintendo DS, and a new presence in the Disney Parks.
Still, Lane's team remains committed to developing new content each week to support an ever-evolving story. "Things that are dreamed up in a meeting room are being implemented... two or three weeks later," Lane explains. " And so it really is... almost real-time storytelling."
Lane, whose first job was as a Disneyland Resort entertainment Cast Member, likens Club Penguin to Walt's own vision; "The best ideas come from the kids themselves. So not only are we able to tap into our own imaginations, but we're able to take Walt's dream one step futher and tap into the imagination of our global audience."
And perhaps, just like Walt's Disneyland, Club Penguin will never be complete, as long as there's imagination let in the world!
DR LEE
Since its creation, Club Penguin has become known as one of the largest, safest and fastest-growing online communities for families. Millions of players have logged on to the award-winning experience to create their own penguins,which they can use in single and multi-player activities- ranging from a friendly snowball fight to writing a book that others can read.
Just this month, Club Penguin added a successful Spanish version of the community to the existing English, Portuguese and French ones- a testament to the Web site's strong global reputation. "We had close to a million Spanish-speaking players before we even launched in Spanish," says Lane Merrifield, executive vice president, Disney Online Studios, and co-founder of Club Penguin. "It's important to be able to give the global audience the same experience, to feel supported and listened to."
And growth is still on the horizon. "We often characterize our global expansion as not as much trying to go out there to build an audience, but frankly following the audience," Lane continues, hinting that we can expect Club Penguin to adopt even more languages.
Since joining the Disney family, the franchise has also benefited from a successful line of merchandising, including expansions onto Nintendo DS, and a new presence in the Disney Parks.
Still, Lane's team remains committed to developing new content each week to support an ever-evolving story. "Things that are dreamed up in a meeting room are being implemented... two or three weeks later," Lane explains. " And so it really is... almost real-time storytelling."
Lane, whose first job was as a Disneyland Resort entertainment Cast Member, likens Club Penguin to Walt's own vision; "The best ideas come from the kids themselves. So not only are we able to tap into our own imaginations, but we're able to take Walt's dream one step futher and tap into the imagination of our global audience."
And perhaps, just like Walt's Disneyland, Club Penguin will never be complete, as long as there's imagination let in the world!
DR LEE
Friday, November 6, 2009
A MARVEL-ous Addition
Spider Man, Captain America, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, X-Men - any of these names sound familiar? Well, as some of the world's most famous superheros, they should. But what you may not know is that they are just a handful of Marvel's thousands of characters that are expected to join Mickey -and friends!-in becoming part of the Disney family. On Augest 31, The Walt Disney Company announced an agreement to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc.- one of the worlds most prominent character-based entertainment companies with a library of more than 5,000 characters that have been featured in comics, television and films for more than 70 years- for approximately $4 billion.
Building on Disney's strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, the transaction which is scheduled to be completed by year's end, will combine Marvel's strong globel presence built on their world-renowned characters with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled portfolio of entertainment properties and business structure.
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel and all its characters. Disney President and CEO Bob Iger saided in a letter to employees and Cast Members, "Marvels business meshes perfectly with ours and what we've all been doing to maximize the value of Disney's creative properties across our businesses, media platforms and geographical markets." "Not only will we combine the great characters and storylines of Marvel with those of Disney, but we will also bring together two groups of dedicated and very talented people,"Bob says. "Disney's success has been built on the great storytelling skills, the technical artistry and the creative vision of its Cast Members and employees. At Marvel,[Chief Executive Officer] Ike Perlmutter and his team have created real value by combining similar creative skills with strong strategy and a disciplined and smart way of doing business. They've done a great job in extending and increasing the popularity of such Marvel characters as Iron Man, X-Men and Spider Man."
As part of the agreement, Mr. Perlmutter will continue to oversee Marvel, and will work directly with Disney's global lines of business to build and futher integrate Marvel's properties. "Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," Mr. Perlmutter says. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character prroperties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure."
Much like the acquisition of Pixar three years ago, which as Bob points out "exemplified our focus on creating high quality technologically innovative entertainment that appeals to audiences all over the world," the Marvel acquisition will offer similar opportunities to advance that strategy. "We look forward to welcoming the Marvel team to the Disney family and to the exciting potential this combination offers."
DR LEE
Building on Disney's strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, the transaction which is scheduled to be completed by year's end, will combine Marvel's strong globel presence built on their world-renowned characters with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled portfolio of entertainment properties and business structure.
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel and all its characters. Disney President and CEO Bob Iger saided in a letter to employees and Cast Members, "Marvels business meshes perfectly with ours and what we've all been doing to maximize the value of Disney's creative properties across our businesses, media platforms and geographical markets." "Not only will we combine the great characters and storylines of Marvel with those of Disney, but we will also bring together two groups of dedicated and very talented people,"Bob says. "Disney's success has been built on the great storytelling skills, the technical artistry and the creative vision of its Cast Members and employees. At Marvel,[Chief Executive Officer] Ike Perlmutter and his team have created real value by combining similar creative skills with strong strategy and a disciplined and smart way of doing business. They've done a great job in extending and increasing the popularity of such Marvel characters as Iron Man, X-Men and Spider Man."
As part of the agreement, Mr. Perlmutter will continue to oversee Marvel, and will work directly with Disney's global lines of business to build and futher integrate Marvel's properties. "Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," Mr. Perlmutter says. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character prroperties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure."
Much like the acquisition of Pixar three years ago, which as Bob points out "exemplified our focus on creating high quality technologically innovative entertainment that appeals to audiences all over the world," the Marvel acquisition will offer similar opportunities to advance that strategy. "We look forward to welcoming the Marvel team to the Disney family and to the exciting potential this combination offers."
DR LEE
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