Hallmark continues its participation at the nation’s largest pop culture fan conventions with four Keepsake Ornaments exclusively developed for 2013 events.
Three ornament designs will be sold in limited quantities at Comic-Con International, to be held July 18-21 in San Diego, Calif., and at New York Comic Con, set for October 10-13 in New York City:
Wrath of the Rancor™ – Created especially for event sales, this ornament captures Luke Skywalker’s struggle with the savage creature dwelling below Jabba the Hutt’s palace as seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi™.
U.S.S. Kelvin™ – As featured in the 2009 Star Trek movie, this Federation starship exclusive is a “battle-scarred” variant of the same Keepsake Ornament available starting in July in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores.
Man of Steel – Inspired by this summer’s big-screen adventure of the same name, Superman is the subject of this event-exclusive Keepsake Ornament. Details and images of this ornament will be announced later this year.
At the D23 Expo 2013, slated for Aug. 9-11 in Anaheim, Calif., Hallmark will offer limited quantities of one design:
Cinderella’s Castle – Featuring battery-operated light and sound, this exclusive Keepsake Ornament will boast a different look from the ornament available starting in July in Hallmark Gold Crown stores.
More information about Hallmark’s plans for these fan events will be announced closer to the respective dates.
Starting April 15, the 2013 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Dream Book showing this year’s entire line of Keepsake Ornaments will be available in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and online at Hallmark.com.
About Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Hallmark makes the world a more caring place by helping people express what’s in their hearts and spend time together – a privilege few other companies in the world enjoy. Hallmark greeting cards and other products are found in more than 39,000 retail outlets in the United States, including the network of flagship Hallmark Gold Crown® stores. The brand also reaches people online at Hallmark.com and on television through Hallmark Hall of Fame original movies and cable’s top-rated Hallmark Channel. Worldwide, Hallmark offers products in more than 30 languages available in 100 countries. This privately held company is based in Kansas City, Mo., and is led by the third generation of the founding Hall family. Visit http://corporate.hallmark.com for more details.
Celebrate the theatrical release of Iron Man 3 with the opening of the new exhibit, Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries, inside Innoventions. Annual Passholders can get a special preview of the exhibit before it opens to the general public, including the chance to virtually suit up with and test pieces of the Mark 42 armor. Plus, Passholders will have access to select Tomorrowland attractions for an additional 2 hours after regular Disneyland Park closing.
Iron Man Exhibit Preview: Innoventions at Disneyland Park
After-Hours Select Attraction Access: Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park
Event Times
Iron Man Exhibit Preview: 6:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
After-Hours Select Attraction Access: 11:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. (2 hours after regular Disneyland Park closing, which may vary)
The following Tomorrowland attractions, dining and merchandise locations are currently scheduled to be available during the event to Annual Passholders showing their valid event wristband to the Cast Member at participating attractions:
Tomorrowland Attractions
Space Mountain
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Autopia
Astro Orbiter
Tomorrowland Dining and Merchandise
Tomorrowland Terrace
The Star Trader
Space Image
Please note that available attractions and services are subject to change without notice. The remainder of the Park will not be open.
Event and Registration/Wristband Details
Annual Passholders may register in person for the event beginning at 1:00 p.m. on the day of the event near the entrance to Innoventions in Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park. There is no online or phone registration for this event. It is recommended that all members of your party register together.
All participating Guests (ages 3 and older) must be valid Annual Passholders on the day of the event. Children under 3 years of age are permitted to attend the event as long as space is available and wristband is obtained through the registration process.
All participating Annual Passholders must present their active Annual Passport to the event Cast Member, who will check event availability. Photo ID may be required. Event wristbands are required for admission to both the exhibit and the Tomorrowland After-Hours event.
Wristbands will be distributed upon event registration. Registration and distribution of event wristbands will be based on availability. Space is limited.
Admission to the exhibit area will be granted subject to capacity, scheduled park events and other restrictions.
The exhibit experience may include long wait periods, is subject to temporary closures and may be cancelled at any time. The event does not guarantee access to any attraction or location.
Registered Passholders who have received a wristband may enter the Tomorrowland portion of the event up until 30 minutes prior to the end of the event.
Wristbands may not be sold or transferred for commercial purposes and have no cash value.
Additional Information
Valid theme park admission is required.
Parking for this event will be at the Toy Story parking area and the Mickey & Friends parking structure.
Standard parking fees will apply.
Mickey & Friends parking trams and Toy Story shuttles will continue to run until 1:30 a.m., however, shuttle service to all other Resort parking lots will end at their normally scheduled times following Disneyland Park closing.
Information, event elements, attractions and services are subject to restrictions, change and cancellation without notice.
Last week, Disney and George Lucas shocked everyone by announcing that Lucas had sold LucasFilm, the rights to the Star Wars films and its characters to Disney for approximately $4 billion. This week, rumors are flying that Disney may possibly buy Hasbro! Disney would then become somewhat of a monopoly of gigantic proportions to entertainment (theme parks and movies) and its merchandising of products (toys and games)!
The Lucasfilm acquisition has been reported as taking only 6 months to complete, so these discussions with Hasbro are probably pretty serious. This can definitely impact the entertainment industry in a big way. Disney would get the rights to the Transformers, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, Dungeons and Dragons and several other tv/movie/game/toy franchises. It would definitely broaden their audience and also bring back some franchises back to Disney to be under one roof.
It seemed for a time that Disney was losing its grip on their audience until it acquired Pixar. There seemed to be too many “princess” movies and not enough movies that boys would like. Marvel and Star Wars have definitely changed that picture. Will prices for Disney-owned merchandise go up significantly as well? Hopefully not, but only time will tell.
If all this does come to pass, what happens to The Hub (and other shows) and the comics with IDW and Dark Horse? Do they all go away? Or will Disney incorporated everything? There are still a lot of questions to be answered here. Hopefully, most entities will stay in place in some way. Overall, it’s good for Disney, hopefully it will be good for fans as well.
“We’re working on the poster for Season 2, and we wanted to give you a sneak peek. Can you guess which one is our favorite?”
Well, all three posters look good. What do you think? Also included are three other Season 2 posters.
[and someone's attempt at passing their own season 2 poster as an official poster. It's close in some ways but is the wrong size and does not match the actual releases... It's still ok.] <– Removed at “owner’s request.” It’s still on several Russian websites though, if you are looking for it.
Any comments?
Once Upon a Time Season 2 premieres on September 30, 2012 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
My version of Belle’s Poster…
What do you think about my version of a Belle poster for ABC’s Once Upon A Time Season 2? Good or bad? Leave a comment if you like…
Ready to see Mulan in Once Upon a Time‘s September 30 premiere? Hopefully that will be a yes. Mulan will played by Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch, Samurai Girl). She’ll be ready for battle as she goes “on a journey with Prince Phillip to find his princess, Aurora.”
Chung continues on saying, “There’s this evil spirit that’s moving and my character ends up bonding with Sleeping Beauty. And as you’ve heard, Captain Hook is joining us.” Since Captain Hook will make his appearance, who do you think would win a duel between the two? Well, Chung thinks she’ll take him down without a hitch (or is that hook?). “If you compare the size and length of my sword to his hook, who do you think has the longer reach?”
The notorious pirate, Captain Hook, will be played by Colin O’Donoghue. Aurora will be played by Sarah Bolger while Julian Harris will be taking on the role of Phillip. Will there be more characters appearing in this season of Once Upon A Time? Yes! There is definitely an unknown character named Jack and a possibility of Peter Pan making an appearance as well! Are you excited for this season? If so, leave a comment. Maybe?
In theaters on March 14, 2014, the world-renowned actress becomes Disney’s ultimate villain in the upcoming live-action film.
The Walt Disney Studios has announced a U.S. release date of March 14, 2014, forMaleficent, starring Angelina Jolie in the title role as Disney’s ultimate villain. The live-action film explores the origins of the evil fairy Maleficent and what led her to curse Princess Aurora in Disney’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty. Leading a team of visionary filmmakers known for creating and transporting audiences to new and exciting worlds, Academy Award®-winning production designer Robert Stromberg (Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, and Oz The Great and Powerful) will direct with a script by Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Alice in Wonderland). Maleficent is produced by Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland and Oz The Great and Powerful).
Disney XD will launch Marvel Universe, a dedicated Marvel programming block, with the new series Ultimate Spider-Man as its centerpiece, on SUNDAY, APRIL 1, it was announced today by Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, California. Marvel Universe on Disney XD will be the ultimate place for fans to find exclusive Marvel content, including new animated short-form series, live-action interstitials and the series return of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The block will be home to Marvel’s biggest superstars such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and many more to introduce dynamic stories of action, adventure and heroism to a whole new generation.
Marsh said: “Iconic Marvel heroes and villains and stories with core values of accomplishment, discovery and growth make Marvel Universe a perfect complement to Disney XD and a destination for parents and kids to experience together.”
“Marvel Universe block is an incredible, animated ride filled with fantastic action and adventure,” said Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television. “The spectacular team of writers and animators capture stories with all the dynamic fun you can imagine. Disney XD is the perfect place for families and Marvel fans of all ages to come together every Sunday.”
Acting as the keystone of the Marvel Universe block, Ultimate Spider-Man features a teenage Peter Parker juggling the typical growing pains of high-school with the not-so-typical growing pains of being a Super Hero. As the newest member of Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, Peter finds himself on a team with four other teenage Super Heroes.
Produced by Marvel Animation, the series’ award-winning creative team includes Joe Quesada (Marvel’s CCO), Paul Dini (“Batman: The Animated Series,” “Lost”), the creative powerhouse Man of Action Studios (creators of “Ben 10″ and “Generator Rex”) — comprised of lauded creators Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle — and Brian Michael Bendis (visionary behind Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man comic series).
The voice cast includes Drake Bell (“Superhero,” “Drake & Josh”) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride (“Boston Public,” “Pushing Daisies”) as Nick Fury, JK Simmons (“Spider-Man”) as J. Jonah Jameson, Stan Lee (“Spider-Man”) as Stan the Janitor, Clark Gregg (“Iron Man”, “Thor,” “The Avengers”) as Agent Coulson and Steven Weber (“Wings”) as Norman Osborn.
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. For more information visit http://www.DisneyXD.com/
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Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit http://www.marvel.com/
The classic character Peter Pan makes his first-ever appearance in the hit series for kids age 2-7, “Jake and the Never Land Pirates,” in a primetime special presentation, Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns, premiering MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. Featuring six original songs, the special finds Peter Pan returning to Pirate Island to enlist Jake, Izzy, Cubby and Skully in finding his lost shadow. Adam Wylie (“Picket Fences”) voices the role of Peter Pan.
Generating excitement and demand among the youngest viewer category (kids age 2-5) and their parents, Jake and the Never Land Pirates ranks as 2011′s #1 series launch in the demographic (kids age 2-5) and cable TV’s #1 series among Boys 2-5. Overall, Jake and the Never Land Pirates is pacing as Disney Channel’s #1 preschool series of all time among Total Viewers (2.2 million), Kids 2-5 (1.03 million/6.1 rating), Boys 2-5 (648,000/7.5 rating) and Women 18-49 (424,000/0.6 rating).
Season two will debut MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 with new episodes airing daily at 8:30 a.m., ET/PT throughout the week. Sharon Osbourne, Josh Duhamel, Jane Kaczmarek and Tiffani Thiessen star in recurring roles, joining the series notable voice cast including David Arquette, Tori Spelling, Lisa Loeb, Adam West and Ariel Winter.
Beginning Monday, February 6, DisneyJunior.com/PeterPan will feature “Jake’s Countdown to Peter Pan” and the debut of a new two-part game, “Shadow Shenanigans,” where players can take on the role of Peter Pan’s shadow to try to wake the sleeping Jolly Roger crew and then play a shadow matching game.
A full-length preview of Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns will become available via Disney Channel on Demand on February 6. Mobile providers Sprint TV and MobiTV will simulcast the special in conjunction with the television premiere on February 13 on Disney Channel. The special will be available the following day on mobile VOD for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon customers.
Based on Sir James Barrie’s classic children’s book, Disney’s Peter Pan was first seen on the big screen in the 1953 film Peter Pan and later in 2002′s Return to Never Land. A fan favorite of multiple generations, Peter Pan, the little boy who never grows up and has the magical ability to fly, has also been featured in a variety of Disney television specials and direct-to-video releases, as well as the popular video game series “Kingdom Hearts.”
Jake and the Never Land Pirates introduces a crew of kid pirates – leader Jake and pals Izzy and Cubby – and follows their Never Land adventures as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Smee, from Disney’s classic “Peter Pan.” The series, which emphasizes teamwork, features original pirate rock music performed by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band.
Jake and the Never Land Pirates airs daily during Disney Channel’s Disney Junior programming block for kids age 2-7. The series stars Colin Ford as Jake; Madison Pettis as Izzy; Jonathan Morgan Heit as Cubby; David Arquette as Skully; Corey Burton as Captain Hook; Jeff Bennett as Mr. Smee and Bones and Loren Hoskins as Sharky. Rob LaDuca (“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”) is executive producer. The series is produced by Disney Television Animation.
The Disney Junior programming block on Disney Channel reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior’s animated and live action series blend Disney’s unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles, and social skills. Disney Junior is available on basic cable in more than 99 million U.S. homes (via a daily block on Disney Channel) and to millions of other viewers on 28 Disney Junior channels (fka Playhouse Disney channels) and free-to-air broadcast partners around the world. It is also seen via subscription video-on-demand and a broadband website, DisneyJunior.com. In 2012, Disney Junior will add a basic cable and satellite channel in the U.S.
World renowned actress, singer and best-selling children’s author, Julie Andrews, in collaboration with Target and The Walt Disney Company, is announcing the creation and inaugural launch of National Princess Week beginning April 22, 2012.
This unprecedented collaboration highlights Julie Andrews’ longtime dedication to nurturing every child’s unique spirit, as demonstrated throughout her career on stage, screen and through her children’s book endeavors. With the support of Target and Disney, National Princess Week will celebrate the sparkle and imagination of every princess – real, aspiring or imagined.
“So many children fall in love with the whimsical wonder of princesses and all the goodness that they represent,” said Ms. Andrews. “Joining Target and Disney to host this annual event nationally will help us to recognize and celebrate the uniqueness that lies within every child.”
The event coincides with the 10-year anniversary of The Princess Diaries, starring Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway, and the special two-movie collection of The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement — available for the first time ever on Disney Blu-ray. Target and Target.com will feature an array of Disney Princess merchandise highlighting beloved princess characters such as Ariel, Cinderella and Snow White — from apparel, toys and books, to CDs, movies, personal care items and stationery. The week will also highlight the newest release in the No. 1 New York Times best-selling “The Very Fairy Princess” children’s book franchise, “The Very Fairy Princess Here Comes the Flower Girl!” co-authored by Julie’s daughter and writing partner, Emma Walton Hamilton and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
“Julie Andrews is an icon for children who love the magic of fairy princesses,” said Casey Carl, Target’s senior vice president, hardlines. “Our first National Princess Week will give Target’s guests a chance to have a ‘princess experience,’ and take home their favorite princesses and accessories.”
Ms. Andrews will be honored with the Prince Rainier III Award for her outstanding contribution to motion picture, television and theater arts during the Princess Grace Awards Gala on November 1 in New York City. The award is presented to eminent artists who have not only been highly successful in their careers, but have made significant humanitarian contributions to their fields. All award recipients receive a $25,000 grant, which will be donated to select charitable organizations benefiting children.
“We are all excited about the existence of a royal tradition, and I hope that Princess Grace would have been pleased to know that there will be a week that celebrates the sparkle in each one of us – and the belief that dreams can come true,” says Ms. Andrews.
About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,767 stores across the United States and at Target.com. The company plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.
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About The Walt Disney Studios:
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!. For more information, please visit www.disney.com.
:: Yes, this is an older press release (about a month ago), but it was news to me! So I’m posting it for those that missed it as well… ::
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide is joining forces with visionary filmmaker James Cameron and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the world of AVATAR to life at Disney parks. Through an exclusive agreement announced today by Disney, Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox, Disney will partner with Cameron and producing partner Jon Landau to create themed lands that will give theme park guests the opportunity to explore the mysterious universe of AVATAR first hand. Disney plans to build the first AVATAR themed land at Walt Disney World, within the Animal Kingdom park. With its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the AVATAR stories, which share the same philosophy. Construction is expected to begin by 2013.
“James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible,” said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James’ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney.”
“AVATAR created a world which audiences can discover again and again and now, through this incredible partnership with Disney, we’ll be able to bring Pandora to life like never before. With two new AVATAR films currently in development, we’ll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore,” said James Cameron. ”I’m chomping at the bit to start work with Disney’s legendary Imagineers to bring our AVATAR universe to life. Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear, and touch the world of AVATAR with an unprecedented sense of reality.”
The agreement announced today gives The Walt Disney Company exclusive global theme park rights to the AVATAR franchise and provides for additional AVATAR themed lands at other Disney parks. The other locations will be determined by Disney and its international theme park partners. James Cameron, Jon Landau and their Lightstorm Entertainment group will serve as creative consultants on the projects and will partner with Walt Disney Imagineering in the design and development of the AVATAR themed lands.
“This exciting new venture combines the world of AVATAR with the enormous reach of Disney and the incomparable talent of Jim Cameron,” commented Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. “While Jim is bringing audiences further into Pandora with the next two chapters in the AVATAR motion picture saga, the theme park attraction will likewise bring a new dimension to the amazing universe he created.”
“AVATAR is a uniquely powerful franchise that has global appeal with audiences of all ages. Its spectacular settings, intriguing characters, imaginative creatures, and strong themes of family and loyalty make it a perfect fit for Disney,” said Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We can’t wait to give our guests the ability to journey to Pandora and explore the incredible immersive world of AVATAR in person.”
In addition to setting a global box office record, AVATAR has been hailed as one of the most innovative and visually stunning movies ever produced. With its advanced motion capture and 3-D digital projection technologies developed by James Cameron and his team, moviegoers were able to connect with the world of AVATAR in new and engaging ways.
This new venture complements Walt Disney Parks & Resorts’ strategic efforts to continue to invest in its core theme park businesses around the world while simultaneously expanding into other parts of the family vacation business.
via Disney Press Release
The following are some questions that were asked by people regarding the AVATAR at Disney Parks announcement.
1) TIMING
Any idea when the experience will be open to guests? We’ve just begun the design phase on our Animal Kingdom project and we expect to begin construction in 2013. From start to finish, a project of this size and scope takes about 5 years to design and build. We can’t give you an exact date but we know that when it’s complete, it’s going to be a truly unforgettable experience.
2) IS THIS A PARK EXPANSION OR WILL “LAND” REPLACE SOMETHING?
Will it replace any existing attractions in Animal Kingdom, or will it be built in a new parcel of land within the park’s boundaries? We’re just beginning the Blue Sky process so I don’t have much to share about how we are going to execute our vision for our first AVATAR land but we’re focused on this being an important addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I look forward to sharing more details as our plans progress.
3) SPECIFIC ATTRACTIONS
What types of attractions will be in AVATAR land? While we’re still in the very early stages of design and planning, we expect this land to be anchored by multiple attractions, entertainment, merchandise locations, restaurants and other immersive elements. Our AVATAR lands will give guests the chance to see, hear and touch the world of Pandora and we can’t wait to dive in with James Cameron and his team as we create new experiences that will delight and thrill our guests.
4) FILM IS PG-13, HOW DOES THIS MATCH W/FAMILY-FRIENDLY PARK?
Is AVATAR a good fit for a family-friendly brand like Disney. At its core, AVATAR is a film that embraces strong, positive themes of family, loyalty, living in harmony with nature and belief in oneself – all values that we share at The Walt Disney Company. You can be sure that these are the same themes that we will explore throughout our AVATAR lands. They will be places where friends and families can spend time together getting lost in a fantasy world, one of the true hallmarks of any Disney theme park experience. And with two sequels in the works, we feel this is a creative property whose potential is limitless.
5) AVATAR AT OTHER DISNEY PARKS?
Will there be AVATAR experiences in parks/sites other than Disney’s Animal Kingdom? The only land we are announcing today is at Walt Disney World Resort but AVATAR is a possibility at any of our other locations. The first film AVATAR is a franchise with massive global appeal and its success at the box office both inside and outside of the U.S. – I should also note that as we determine our future locations, we look forward to working with our international theme park partners as our plans evolve.
6) ATTRACTION THEMING
How does AVATAR fit in with the Disney theme? More specifically, how does it fit in with the Animal Kingdom? AVATAR is a uniquely powerful franchise that has global appeal with audiences of all ages. With its spectacular settings, intriguing characters, imaginative creatures and strong themes of family and loyalty, it’s a great fit for the Disney brand and our parks.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the perfect place for our first AVATAR land because at its core, the park gives guests the opportunity to experience the worlds of animals and nature – real and mythical – in whole new ways. With AVATAR, we’ve found the perfect opportunity to let our guests explore one of the most compelling mythical worlds ever conceived. Animal Kingdom also celebrates adventure, living in harmony with nature and environmental stewardship – themes that are deeply rooted in the story of AVATAR.
7) WHY BUY SOMEONE ELSE’S IDEA INSTEAD OF LETTING WDI COME UP WITH SOMETHING?
Why we would choose to collaborate with an outside partner rather than use our own Disney characters and stories to expand the parks. We are as committed as ever to creating attractions and entertainment around favorite Disney characters and stories – with Cars Land at Disney California Adventure park and our expansion of Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park being two great examples. At the same time, we like to look beyond our own walls at non-Disney properties, like STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES, creating some of our most popular attractions. At the end of the day, we are focused on creating a great experience for our guests and I truly believe that this unique partnership with James Cameron and AVATAR gives us an entire world of imaginative creatures, fascinating locations and intriguing characters with which to do that.
Hallmark continues its participation at the nation’s largest pop culture fan conventions with four Keepsake Ornaments exclusively developed for 2013 events.
