In Disney News...

Here's some of the interesting Disney-related news of the past few days...

...The Summer issue of Disney Twenty-Three is now on sale. There are three different covers, featuring Woody, Buzz, and Jessie (seen at left).

Topics include TOY STORY 3 (of course!), WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY, and plans for FANTASMIC! to open at Tokyo Disneyland.

...A reminder: Tuesday, May 18th, is the publication date for WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING: A BEHIND THE DREAMS LOOK AT MAKING MORE MAGIC REAL.

...For graduation a friend gave my daughter a cute little book, DISNEYLAND: LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT WELL-KNOWN PLACES.

It's a hardcover published in 2008.

...Walt Disney World has announced it will be building a new "Value" resort, the Art of Animation resort, designed for larger families. It will be built on land initially targeted for an additional phase of the Pop Century resort.

The rooms will house families of up to six members in one room at a much more affordable price than the Moderate and Deluxe resorts. This is an idea which is way overdue!

Now if they could just add larger rooms to the Moderate and Deluxe resorts without pushing those prices higher than they already are. If larger families want to stay at the nicer resorts without breaking the bank -- especially given the already higher cost of tickets and food for larger families -- there is very little affordable choice other than booking a room for five.

...Pixar has cancelled its plans for the film NEWT.

The reasons aren't yet clear. Pixar has announced MONSTERS INC. 2 for November 2012 and BRAVE (formerly THE BEAR AND THE BOW) for June 2012.

...Stories on the newly refilled Rivers of America at Disneyland can be found at the Orange County Register here and here, with details on the new "areas" here.

...Leonard Maltin has taken a look at movie Robin Hoods through the decades. The paragraphs on the Richard Greene TV version and the Richard Todd Disney version were of particular interest to me. I have the Todd version on DVD and hope to see it in the relatively near future.

As a side note, more on the non-Disney Richard Greene TV version can be found at A SHROUD OF THOUGHTS.

...The ALADDIN show at the Hyperion Theater in Disney's California Adventure, which was due to close August 15th, has had its run extended.