Disney and American Idol are set to debut a massive new attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida ...
The American Idol Experience will debut in January 2009 ...
American Idol's reigning champ ... David Cook ... shot a commercial for the new attraction in Los Angeles on Thursday ...
~Papi Chulo~
Hannah Montana's Miley Cyrus has had a whirlwind week ...
Monday :: The Hannah Montana star issued a statement in response to the news of a provocative picture featuring the star in Vanity Fair ... The photograph was shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz ... It shows the 15-year-old star topless ... covered only in a blanket ... exposing her back ...
Miley Cyrus: "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about.'"
The Disney Channel said that "a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines" ...
Vanity Fair sticks by the photograph and said that "Miley's parents and/or minders were on the set all day. Since the photo was taken digitally, they saw it on the shoot and everyone thought it was a beautiful and natural portrait of Miley" ...
The Cyrus family though states that the parents left before the photo in question was taken ...
Annie Leibovitz even apologized for the photograph ...
"I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted. Miley and I looked at fashion photographs together and we discussed the picture in that context before we shot it. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful."
Tuesday :: Rumors started circulating that Miley Cyrus may no longer be the main focus of the Disney Channel ... Disney executives are getting ready to make Wizards of Waverly Place's Selena Gomez a big star ...
As they are saying ... "Selena sings and acts and is really young. She is going to be the next Miley Cyrus. [Disney executives] really want this."
Wednesday :: The Disney Channel confirmed that Cyrus was making her scheduled appearances after the photo scandal put the star in the spotlight ...
Cyrus' first public appearance ... after the headline-making scandal ... will be at Walt Disney World for a concert to be aired during the summer as part of the network's Disney Channel Games ...
Thursday :: Madonna added her two cents on the Miley Cyrus scandal ...
Madonna: "It's all too much. Just make it stop. Leave her alone. That's what I think. I don't know if people are thinking things through. Why are they offended? I mean, she's gonna be 16 soon, then 17, and then 18. And then she might show her knees, and then what's going happen?"
Friday :: It was announced that Cyrus would not be attending a network media party in Orlando ... Cyrus' name had been on the list for weeks but execs did confirm that she is "100 percent performing on Saturday night" ...
Saturday :: Miley Cyrus made her first public appearance after the photo scandal at the Walt Disney World Resort ...
Miley Cyrus: "First of all, I think all of us here can say thank you. I can't think of how many would stand in the rain to come in here. Thank you all for coming out tonight, you're all amazing. Thank you guys and I hope you all had an awesome time tonight And I see a sign back there with my name on it that says, 'Miley, I'm praying for you,' and I could not be more appreciative of that."
What a week ...
~Papi Chulo~
On April 22, 1998 ... the Walt Disney World Resort opened its fourth theme park ... Disney's Animal Kingdom ...
~Papi Chulo~
Disney's Hollywood Studios' Toy Story Mania! and Universal Studios Orlando's The Simpsons Ride are both set to open next month ... The construction walls haven't fallen but both rides are already battling for publicity ...
Both parks are eying May 15 and 16 as the grand opening/press event for their brand-new attractions ...
Universal Studios has invited journalists for The Simpsons Ride's grand opening on May 15 and 16 ...
Disney World has announced that annual passholders will get a passholder preview for Toy Story Mania! the weekend of May 10 and 11 ... Followed by a media event for the ride on May 16 ...
Toy Story Mania! reportedly cost $80 million and is an indoor dark ride through a Toy Story-themed carnival allowing riders to play 3D midway games ...
The Simpsons Ride reportedly cost between $30 to $40 million ... It was built in the building that formerly housed the Back to the Future: The Ride ... The state-of-the-art attraction is a cutting edge simulator that takes the guests on a ride through Krustyland as they help save Bart Simpson from his nemesis Sideshow Bob ...
~Papi Chulo~
Disney's Hollywood Studios has announced plans to create an attraction based on the popular reality competition series American Idol ...
The attraction is set to open in late-2008 ... Participants (between the ages of 16-28) will perform in front of a live Disney's Hollywood Studios producer ... and each day one lucky participant who makes it through the daily theme park finals will get a special pass good for a priority spot during a regional audition for the television show ...
Here is the full press release ...
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will create an "American Idol" attraction that will bring the television and pop culture phenomenon to life at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, it was jointly announced today by Jay Rasulo, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts; Simon Fuller, CEO of 19 Entertainment; and Keith Hindle, executive vice president of FremantleMedia Licensing.The attraction, slated to debut in late 2008, will be located at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park and will follow the model of the high-energy show. Disney guests will be able to experience the challenge of auditioning, the rush of performing on stage in competition, or the thrill of judging the performances in a live interactive entertainment setting with all the glitz and glamour of the distinctive "American Idol" set.
That experience will include an audition process, open to all who register, where guests perform "live" in front of a Disney’s Hollywood Studios producer to be cast in a theme park show. After backstage preparation -- working with a vocal coach, hair and make-up -- it’s lights up and showtime in front of a “live” audience and a panel of judges.
Continue reading "Disney's Hollywood Studios Gets an "Idol"" »
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz returns with more stars in more fantasies ... as Disney Parks extend the "Year of a Million Dreams" ...
Here is the full press release ...
From Never Land to flying carpets to the forested domain of an Indian princess, stars travel to their very own Fantasylands in a new round of celebrity images from famed photographer Annie Leibovitz.
The new images continue the "Disney Dream Portrait Series" of celebrity photography produced by Leibovitz as Disney Parks extends, through 2008, its "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration on both coasts. Leibovitz's images capture the transformational power of Disney dreams during a celebration that invites visitors to live out their own Disney dreams as never before at California's Disneyland and Florida's Walt Disney World resorts.The latest installment of Leibovitz photography spotlights more celebrities living out their fantasies by starring in Disney dream scenes:
Continue reading "Annie Leibovitz Continues "Disney Dream Portrait Series"" »
Today a brand new theme park opened at Walt Disney World ... and a classic theme park vanished from sight ...
Disney-MGM Studios has been re-branded and renamed to Disney's Hollywood Studios ...
January 7 marks the first day of the park's new name ... Most of the signs and maps have been updated to the new name ... as has the park's website .. The name change also finally ends a legal dispute with the MGM film company ...
Adios Disney-MGM Studios ... and Hooray for Hollywood! Disney's Hollywood Studios!
~Papi Chulo~
For the song's tenth anniversary ...
Mariah Carey performed her holiday hit ... "All I Want For Christmas Is You" ... to help kick off ABC's Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade television telecast ... on December 25, 2004 ...
Here is the magical performance ...
Merry Christmas!
~Papi Chulo~
Today would have been Walt Disney's 106th birthday ...
Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 ... and he was the one that started it all ... by drawing a pesky mouse ...
Thank you Mr. Disney ...
~Papi Chulo~
To celebrate the extension of Disney Parks' "Year of a Million Dreams" ... famed photographer Annie Leibovitz returns with more stars ... adding them into some of the most classic moments in Disney films ...
Here is the full press release ...
Framed through the lens of renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, more stars are playing out their fantasies, living out their Disney dreams.Actress Rachel Weisz is Snow White, tennis star Roger Federer is King Arthur from "The Sword in the Stone" and actress Julie Andrews is the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio" with actress Abigail Breslin as Fira from "Disney Fairies" in a new wave of celebrity images celebrating the "Year of a Million Dreams" at Disney Parks.
They join Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, Beyoncé as "Alice in Wonderland" twirling in a teacup and David Beckham atop a steed as Prince Phillip from "Sleeping Beauty" in a 14-page insert appearing later this year in several Condé Nast publications. Johansson, Beyoncé and Beckham also starred in the first flight of Leibovitz images last January.
Continue reading "Annie Leibovitz Photographs "Disney Dream Portrait Series"" »
My senior year of high school was a landmark year for me ... It was the year I graduated ... I turned 18 ... I was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" ... I went to Homecoming and Prom ... I was nominated for the coveted Silver Knight award ... and I went to Grad Night ...
Continue reading "Race and Ethnicity VII: "Oreo Cookie" Couples" »
Change is good
