ITV

Tag: Disneyland

  • D23 Expo 2022: Disney theme parks announces new additions to Avengers Campus, including ‘King Thanos’ & ‘A Multiverse Battle’

    D23 Expo 2022: Disney theme parks announces new additions to Avengers Campus, including ‘King Thanos’ & ‘A Multiverse Battle’

    Mumbai: At the recently concluded Disney fan convention, D23 Expo, presented by Visa in Anaheim, California, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro shared a look into the future for Disney theme parks and beyond. Highlights included the expansion of Avengers Campus at Disneyland Resort with a third attraction; a first look at the Disney Treasure, the next ship joining the Disney Cruise Line fleet; a closer look at Frozen-themed lands coming to three park destinations around the world; and a behind-the-scenes look at the blue-sky brainstorming of Walt Disney Imagineers.

    “There’s no limit to where we are going. When I look back over our first 100 years, what jumps out at me is how we are just constantly reinventing ourselves, telling new stories for brand-new generations. You all know this: We need those stories more than ever. And that’s a lesson we take straight from Walt. He believed in the power of storytelling,” D’Amaro said.

    New stories coming to Disneyland Resort: D’Amaro was joined on stage by executive producer and Disney Legend Jon Favreau, who shared a first look at the Mandalorian and Grogu, two new characters whom guests will encounter at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, starting in mid-November.

    Then, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige shared how the Avengers Campus at Disney California’s adventure park will expand the multiverse with a third attraction, along with the debut of the Incredible Hulk, who will appear in his Quantum Suit at Avengers Campus in California beginning next week for a limited time. The new attraction will allow guests to join in battle with the Avengers, which means facing foes from anywhere and everywhere, including a new threat, King Thanos, a multiverse variant designed specifically for Avengers Campus.

    “The fun thing about Marvel is [seeing] all of the characters, all of the time—and with the multiverse at Avengers Campus, you’re going to be able to do that,” Feige shared, before showing a rendering of King Thanos. “This is a new version of Thanos for the very first time coming into the MCU via this attraction. He’s got a cool white beard, too, and a crown. This is Thanos that won, and the Avengers aren’t too happy about that. And you have to help them,” he explained.

    Just around the corner from Avengers Campus, Pacific Wharf will be re-imagined as San Fransokyo from the Oscar-winning Disney Animation film “Big Hero 6,” complete with a place to meet Baymax as well as new spots to eat and shop.

    Meanwhile, over at Disneyland Park, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will invite guests into a cartoon world where toon rules apply, and Mickey’s Toontown will step into a new era of inclusive experiences for families of all ages when it opens in early 2023.

    “We are going to celebrate Mickey, Minnie, and their best pals in a whole new way in ToonTown at Disneyland Park,” D’Amaro said before sharing concept art with the audience.

    D’Amaro also said progress continued on the reimagining of the Paradise Pier Hotel into Pixar Place Hotel, where guests will feel as though they’ve stepped into a Pixar art gallery featuring new interpretations of favourite Pixar pals. Over at the Downtown Disney District, more than a dozen new and reimagined locations will open, including Porto’s Bakery and Café. For running fans, runDisney races will return to the resort in 2024 for the first time since 2017.

    Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort: Imagineers joined D’Amaro onstage to discuss new story details for the attraction Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and showcase stunning new concept art of the attraction at night. It was revealed that several members of the original film cast will return to lend their voices to the attraction, coming to Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort in late 2024, including Disney Legend Anika Noni Rose as Tiana, Bruno Campos as Naveen, Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis, and Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie.

    Walt Disney World Resort and the transformation of Epcot: In terms of Disneyworld Florida, the next major milestone in Epcot’s multi-year transformation will include the completion of the World Celebration neighbourhood in late 2023. The Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, will also open in late 2023, inviting guests to follow the story of water on the planet, inspired by Moana’s connection to the ocean. By the end of 2023, fans’ favourite character Figment will also appear live to park guests.

    Over at Magic Kingdom, Tron: Lightcycle Run will invite guests to enter the grid in spring 2023. Popular anthem “Happily Ever After” will play again when an updated nighttime spectacular returns to light up the skies over Cinderella Castle in 2023. At the Haunted Mansion, the Hatbox Ghost will materialise in 2023.

    Three frozen-themed lands highlight expansions at Disney Parks around the world: Inspired by Disney Animation’s stunning films, World of Frozen will open in the second half of 2023 at Hong Kong Disneyland—the first of three Frozen-themed areas coming to international Disney parks. It will blend Arendelle with the park’s natural landscape on Lantau Island.

    At Disneyland Paris, the Frozen-themed land will be the next major milestone in the ongoing transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park. This land will offer a gorgeous lakeside promenade and will immerse guests in the same magical wintry setting from the films. A new Tangled-themed family attraction will join the new gardens leading into the land. Frozen will also be part of the transformation of the Disneyland Hotel, reopening in 2024. As part of the grand finale of the 30th anniversary celebration underway, a new stage show, “Pixar: We Belong Together,” will debut in 2023 in the Walt Disney Studios park.

    At Tokyo Disney Resort, Frozen is one of the stories coming to life as part of the Fantasy Springs expansion at Tokyo DisneySea, joining two other Disney Animation stories, Peter Pan and Tangled, plus a brand-new hotel integrated right into the park. Fantasy Springs will feature several new audio-animatronics figures, including Elsa, who sings in Japanese and whose movements sync with the rhythms of the language.

    D’Amaro then shared a first look at the transformation of space mountain at Tokyo Disneyland, showcasing how the attraction will transition from day to night. “With a nod to the original architecture, this reimagined space mountain will anchor a new plaza and will be completed by 2027,” he said.

    Shanghai Disney Resort will be the first Disney resort to bring the world of the Oscar-winning Disney Animation film Zootopia to life. At Zootopia Central Station, guests will find animals going about their daily lives. At the Zootopia Police Department, which doubles as the entrance to the land’s new family attraction, guests will be greeted by an Audio-Animatronics figure of fan-favorite Officer Clawhauser.

    Mickey’s favourite teddy bear, Duffy, is a fan favourite in all three Disney resorts in Asia. D’Amaro shared that Duffy & Friends will star in their very own six-episode, stop-motion animated series on Disney+ next year.

    New Horizons for Disney Cruise Line and the Disney Treasure: The sixth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Treasure, will set sail in 2024. The Imagineers have dreamt up a new design concept inspired by the theme of adventure, celebrating Walt Disney’s lifelong love of exploration. The Grand Hall—the magnificent three-deck-tall atrium that welcomes guests on board—is inspired by the grandeur and mystery of a gilded palace, drawing on real-world influences from Asia and Africa and paying homage to the far-off land of Agrabah. At the center, the signature statue will feature Aladdin, Jasmine, and their Magic Carpet.

    For the first time, Disney Cruise Line will bring the magic of a Disney vacation to families and fans in Australia and New Zealand during limited-time cruises that immerse guests in Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars stories beginning in late October 2023. Additionally, repositioning cruises for the Disney Wonder will be the first South Pacific voyages for Disney Cruise Line, giving guests the chance to experience destinations like Fiji and Samoa.

    In the Bahamas, progress continues on a new island destination at Lighthouse Point, which will bring the natural beauty and rich culture of the Bahamas to life for Disney Cruise Line guests and be powered 90 percent by solar energy.

    What’s Next: A highlight of the morning included a look at what’s possible when Walt Disney Imagineers and their collaborators dream big. Disney Animation chief creative officer Jennifer Lee, the Academy Award-winning writer and director of “Frozen” and “Frozen 2,” shared how the studio is working with Walt Disney Imagineering on concept explorations for Dinoland USA at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park and potential expansion opportunities at Magic Kingdom park, both at Walt Disney World.

    WDI creative portfolio executive Chris Beatty offered a glimpse of what could lie “beyond Big Thunder Mountain” through concept art, citing two recent Disney Animation hits, as well as “what if” renderings of a land of Disney Villains. “Imagine what if we could pass over those fires in Big Thunder Mountain? Maybe there’s a little valley in front of us with the little town of Santa Cecilia [from Coco] and celebrate Encanto. And what if we could… fly into the land of the dead with our friend Miguel, just like the Riveras [from Coco]?  That’s what could be out there,” Beatty said.

    Disney 100 Years of Wonder: D’Amaro concluded the presentation with a first look at how Disney Parks, Experiences and Products will mark Disney 100 Years of Wonder (Disney100). This is the biggest celebration in the history of the company. New décor, specialty food and beverages, character experiences, and more will come to parks around the world, with the heart of the celebration rooted at Disneyland Resort.

    Two new nighttime shows, World of Colour—One and the new fireworks show Wondrous Journeys, will debut at Disneyland Resort in late January. World of Colour—One at Disney California Adventure will celebrate the storytelling legacy started by Walt a century ago. It’s going to be World of Colour like guests have never seen it before, with an all-new inspiring story told through characters. Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland Park will ignite the wonder in everyone and feature nods to all 60 Walt Disney Animation Studios films to date, taking viewers on a journey filled with artistry, music, storytelling, and heart. Special entertainment moments will also pop up across the resort, including the long-awaited return of the Magic Happens parade this spring.

    A brand-new nighttime spectacular will come to the World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot in late 2023 as part of the Disney100 Celebration. Hong Kong Disneyland will also unveil a new statue of Walt and Mickey near Cinderella’s Carousel as part of the Disney100 Celebration. Fans were given a keepsake rendering at the presentation’s conclusion.

  • Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    GOA: “This is the time for renaissance in advertising because of the availability of technology”, asserted Isobar global CEO Jean Lin, while shedding light on how the backbone of ideas without limits is the importance of innovation.

    Quoting Alibaba’s success story, she mentioned that creativity is the key to make everything successful. “In the digital age it’s about delivering ideas without limit. The key point behind innovation is that the idea actually exists, we have to just innovate.”

    She further outlined that according to a PWC research in 2013, companies that look to innovate grew faster by 60 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent growth of companies that were taking on each other. The rate of change of society is a function of the age at which youth were introduced to the dominant technology of the time.

    Lin explained how Alibaba.com had launched a singles day sale in 2015 which got it sales worth $ 14.3 billion on that day. With 69 per cent of the sale from mobile devices, shoppers from 200 countries participated and 16,000 international brands were bought. “People from all over the globe can buy online. India is one of the highest border-less buyers worldwide. Now clients don’t have to look at other brands within their geography, they need to compete with prices even in other countries.”

    She also presented the example of Disneyland’s investment in the magical wrist band which worked well for the company as well as helped the travellers to track ticket, hotel room key and for getting reservations in hotels.

    The next thing that she spoke about was programmatic videos. She cited the example of how Unilever used this in technology where it showed 100,000 different videos for different people for a deodorant brand. “Even for programmatic video, content is required. It will take different thinking though. It gives viewers higher satisfaction. Technology helps, but it takes a creative to think of creativity in a different way”.

    The case studies of how Pinterest came up with its predictive shopping and how Youtube provides 100 per cent shoppable videos were also briefly discussed by Lin. “Ideas without limits is when YouTube and Pinterest take e-commerce seriously and MasterCard introduces the concept of Pay by selfies,” she added.

    Going further, she divided ideas into two types:

    Ideas that reimagine the last mile

    With an array of examples like UMood, Coca-Cola, etc, Lin pointed out that an idea should be limited only be for an ad campaign.

    Ideas that invent and reinvent

    “Innovation comes from an idea that already exists”, voiced Lin. She used examples of Sky Tip, GM Co-driver, Fiat, etc.

    She emphasized on the new role of agencies which is not only about creatively solving problems. “Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea. That’s a key to win. We need to grow with clients. This will come when tangible results are seen. When you think of ideas without limit, it can happen.”

  • Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.

    GOA: “This is the time for renaissance in advertising because of the availability of technology”, asserted Isobar global CEO Jean Lin, while shedding light on how the backbone of ideas without limits is the importance of innovation.

    Quoting Alibaba’s success story, she mentioned that creativity is the key to make everything successful. “In the digital age it’s about delivering ideas without limit. The key point behind innovation is that the idea actually exists, we have to just innovate.”

    She further outlined that according to a PWC research in 2013, companies that look to innovate grew faster by 60 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent growth of companies that were taking on each other. The rate of change of society is a function of the age at which youth were introduced to the dominant technology of the time.

    Lin explained how Alibaba.com had launched a singles day sale in 2015 which got it sales worth $ 14.3 billion on that day. With 69 per cent of the sale from mobile devices, shoppers from 200 countries participated and 16,000 international brands were bought. “People from all over the globe can buy online. India is one of the highest border-less buyers worldwide. Now clients don’t have to look at other brands within their geography, they need to compete with prices even in other countries.”

    She also presented the example of Disneyland’s investment in the magical wrist band which worked well for the company as well as helped the travellers to track ticket, hotel room key and for getting reservations in hotels.

    The next thing that she spoke about was programmatic videos. She cited the example of how Unilever used this in technology where it showed 100,000 different videos for different people for a deodorant brand. “Even for programmatic video, content is required. It will take different thinking though. It gives viewers higher satisfaction. Technology helps, but it takes a creative to think of creativity in a different way”.

    The case studies of how Pinterest came up with its predictive shopping and how Youtube provides 100 per cent shoppable videos were also briefly discussed by Lin. “Ideas without limits is when YouTube and Pinterest take e-commerce seriously and MasterCard introduces the concept of Pay by selfies,” she added.

    Going further, she divided ideas into two types:

    Ideas that reimagine the last mile

    With an array of examples like UMood, Coca-Cola, etc, Lin pointed out that an idea should be limited only be for an ad campaign.

    Ideas that invent and reinvent

    “Innovation comes from an idea that already exists”, voiced Lin. She used examples of Sky Tip, GM Co-driver, Fiat, etc.

    She emphasized on the new role of agencies which is not only about creatively solving problems. “Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea. That’s a key to win. We need to grow with clients. This will come when tangible results are seen. When you think of ideas without limit, it can happen.”

  • We’re both a kid-centric and family-focussed network: Bikram Duggal

    We’re both a kid-centric and family-focussed network: Bikram Duggal

    He is a man with a mission – to bring a smile on children’s faces and Disney India executive director, kids channels and franchise marketing Bikram Duggal, has been going about it with grace and alacrity for nearly four years now.

    Through a raft of channels including the Disney channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and Hungama, Duggal has woven magic into the lives of kids and their families day after day. As someone who leads from the front, he has channelled generous amounts of creativity, optimism, trust and quality into the organisation. In an exclusive interview with Disha Shah of indiantelevision.com, Duggal recalls some of Disney’s defining moments while sharing a few tricks of the trade…

    What is Brand Disney’s India story?

    Disney is a brand which has story telling in its DNA. It is our legacy. Our promise is special entertainment with a heart. And that translates very strongly for Disney in India. There are various factors that have made Disney a strong brand. The key Disney values are “express yourself, believe in yourself, follow your dreams and celebrate family”. We try to see to it that we stay true to them and they permeate through everything that we do.

    Disney channel is not just a kid-centric channel, but a family-focused channel as well. It is with shows like Best of Luck Nikki or Shake It Up and also with Oye Jassi that we plan to differentiate ourselves not only in the kid’s entertainment space but also in the entire television spectrum of the country in the coming months.

    Story telling is our legacy and a large part of it is when we entertain through our classic movies like Snow White and Cinderella. Be it classic Disney princesses or Mickey, the engagement with and affinity to these characters is still very high. Even with Disney Pixar films like Finding Nemo or Cars, the characters are still a major pod of engagement for our channel.

    What about animation?

    Yes, animation is also responsible for the success of Disney channel over the years. Animation is the bedrock of the network. We are trying to collaborate with local studios for live action productions. Be it acquired series like Doreamon or Disney Channel originals like Phineas and Ferb, we have characters and stories that resonate with Indian families day in and day out. That is what has led to the core philosophy of bringing magical properties and permeating them with the core values of families.

    How do you differentiate Disney’s target audiences?

    As I said, Disney channel is both kid-centric and family-inclusive because it not only has animation, but also live action original productions which appeal to the entire family. For Disney Junior, it is all about the special entertainment that we provide for kids aged two to seven years. The entertainment is curated for the youngest members of the family. It has a lot of in-built learning. Hungama appeals to kids in the age group of four-14 and the way it is positioned is it fills kid’s lives with enthusiasm and laughter. Plus, there is a lot of Indian local animation on the channel. Disney XD super serves the boys and their passions like sports, action, and humor are manifest in a strong way.

    Are you planning to tap into new genres?

    Some of the live action original productions that we have are re-versions or adaptations of popular story telling that we have internationally. Like Best of Luck Nikki, The Suite Life of Karan and Kabir  which we have re-versioned as they are timeless stories that can be told anywhere in the world. The whole idea is to see how to take this story telling cushioned in Indian values to another level where our target audience in India will find it truly engaging.

    There must have been both highs and lows. What is the life span of a programme on Disney?

    To be honest, there is so much happening around us; we have been continuously connecting with the consumers.  Research and feedback have shown us that the channel is a happy place to be for people. I don’t think there is any low point because the television industry in India is doing phenomenally well and we are growing in double digits.

    Talking about other Disney properties and the high points, Disney Junior that we launched a couple of months ago has the philosophy of engaging with kids (2-7 years) and then their parents, especially mothers. We believe that there is an opportunity to connect with kids and stimulate their imagination with magical storytelling, which is our forte. Series like Sofia, the First, Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Doc McStuffins stand true to the core value of Disney which is magical story-telling and we plan to air more of these in the next few months.

    On the other hand, Hungama is all about an unapologetic sense of mischief bringing enthusiasm and laughter in kids’ lives. We are collaborating with local animation studios for in-house animated productions like Chor Police and Ninja Warrior and a few more to increase the primary focus on anime for children and teens.

    What about the level of engagement with consumers?

    There are a lot of consumer engagements we have been doing; whether they are through content or on-ground activities. We just did Disney Princess Academy where we got girls from all across the country to come and learn to be a princess as that is something they desire to be. When they see our films and the great story telling, they want to engage at the same level. Mothers and daughters came together in eight cities and lakhs of people submitted their entries. Content which is based on our core philosophy and engagement points across consumers’ lives is something we are trying to do on a regular basis.

    Tell us about your biggest marketing campaign – ‘Jet Set Go 3’?

    Disney’s core philosophy is giving magical experiences to kids and families. These experiences go beyond entertainment for us. It is holistic entertainment that touches consumers’ lives. And from that perspective, we knew that summer is a very good period for kids and families and they want to be entertained in a special way. We thought we would definitely want to bring in an event or marquee property which becomes that talking point of what summer holidays mean to kids.

    Speaking of magical experiences, there can be no place like Disneyland. We knew Disneyland was special to a lot of people, but we wanted to bring it closer to Indian kids and families and tell them a little more about it. We wanted to do something special, so we thought why not send a plane full of people to Disneyland.

    In the first year, which is three years ago, we chose one kid who was the hero because he was taking his family. He was the centre point of gratification. The same way, we choose one kid every day for 30 days. That was the best part: it was not one, two or three but 30 families who went together: 150 people going together and enjoying themselves in Disneyland and coming back with long memories. We got so many emails from them saying it was the best time they ever had in their entire life. It was a fantastic programme and we received millions of entries.

    Needless to say, we repeated the exercise the next year only to find it was a bigger success. We brought in designers Shantanu and Nikhil to create a new line with Disney characters for kids who did a fashion show at the airplane hangar when the plane took off. This year, we decided to send people to all Disneylands of the world. So, one family will go to each of the Disneylands in California, Florida, Paris and Hong Kong. The response has been just amazing and Disneyland brings a smile to everyone’s faces.

    ‘Jet Set Go 3’ has been a hugely successful brand initiative which is running for three years. We get millions of entries and it has become a marquee property for the kids’ category so much so we look forward to doing it many times over. The other new thing this time is we will be shooting each family in Disneyland and airing that episode on Disney channel in August.

    How do you market this property? What are the criteria for selecting families?

    The good part is that Disney India reaches out to its entire audience in a month’s time. If we have a dedicated promotional plan, which we do have on our network, we are able to reach out to all our audiences on television. In the first year, we went outside our network as well, but the property has now become almost like a social currency when kids meet up. After the first year, we didn’t have to do anything more because kids were already aware of it and we just needed to announce it on our network to get millions of entries.

    The great thing about this initiative is that not only people from Mumbai and Delhi are participating, but others from smaller towns, TL2 and TL3 towns are participating as well. It is very heartening that people have warmed up to this concept. In the backdrop of India’s economic growth and people’s desire to grow, it shows that they really want to explore such activities.

    Replying to the second part of your question, the criteria for selection is largely kids and families who have scored maximum points per day.

    Has social media played a big role?

    Yes, a major role. In fact, a lot of these people, who were selected, have put their experiences on Facebook and Twitter. And that has gone viral. The fact that common people from small cities win, has been well received. Not only are there people who are going to Disneyland for the first time, there are also people going abroad for the first time. So, stories like a foreman from a mill in Jalandhar winning, has gone viral. Be it the people who’ve put it up with the help of the younger generation or with our help, the stories of these people are in fact, truly being heard on social media.

    How much is the total marketing expenditure? Is it more this year as compared to previous years?

    The total marketing expenditure is fairly big as the property takes about 20-25 per cent of the total annual budget. Yes, this year the expenditure is more, mainly because we are aiming to shoot these episodes in Disneyland, and all across the world.

    Are there any special shows as it is summer time?

    Yes, absolutely. There is a new animation series called Arjun launching on Disney channel on 1 June and we are really looking forward to it. It is our number one promotion on the channel and we are really looking forward to how it fares.

    We are also re-launching Pokemon in a big way to appeal to kids on Hungama. From a Disney Junior perspective, in the last few months, the reach of the channel has increased tremendously since it was launched on key DTH platforms like Tata Sky, Airtel and more. A lot of promotions are happening on those platforms and we are keen to build that property.

    Post summer, what is the plan?

    The shows which I spoke about are not only restricted to summer. We are banking heavily on them and we think that is the kind of story telling that the channel has and we are going to move it forward. But those marquee properties will see a lot of support in the months even after summer. And you will see it going right up to October.

    There are a lot of properties which are going to come up from a marketing perspective and you will hear about them soon. But what I can tell you confidently is the fact that this whole proposition of family-inclusive is very important for us. I think there is an opportunity to tell a unique story and how there are timeless stories which resonate across the world. We want to keep telling those stories and in times to come, you will see we would have been doing much more in that area on Disney channel.

  • DD launches new family game show

    DD launches new family game show

    MUMBAI:  DD National will soon be airing a new show. It is a game show christened Family No 1: Rahein Saath, Khelein Saath (Stay Together, Play Together) and will only have family members as contestants.  The show aims to bring the families together to have good times together and have fun.

    The format of the show is very simple wherein the games played will be as easy as breaking matkas while blindfolded, finding coins from cake with your hands tied and so on. Every episode has two contestants (families) playing against each other. The innovative and interesting games will be played in four rounds. In the first round one member from each team will participate, second round will involve two members from each team, third round will have three members from each team and fourth round will be open.

    The ultimate winner will get a Family Car, first runner up will get a trip to Disneyland and the second runner up will get a bike. Episodic winners will get a full year supply of Pepsodent. The show is sponsored by the toothpaste brand.

    The show will be hosted by the stand-up comedian Rajiv Thakur of Comedy Circus and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge fame and Sa Re Ga Ma L’il Champs anchor Afshaa Musani.

    It is directed by Gajendra Singh and produced by Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Saa Productions. Singh is the pioneer of the music reality shows in India and has given super hit shows such as Antakshari, Sa Re Ga Ma, Voice Of India, Music Ka Maha Muqabla, Sur Kshetra among many others.
    The show will be aired from 5 October 2013 every Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

  • Star Plus kicks off ‘The Lucky Watch and Win contest’

    Star Plus kicks off ‘The Lucky Watch and Win contest’

    MUMBAI: Weeks after the launch of the new show Lucky, Star Plus is geared to kick start its on-air contest ‘The Lucky Watch and Win contest’.

    The contest question will be flashed during the show which airs every Saturday at 8 pm. Participants will be required to answer the question just SMS ‘Lucky’ to 7827 or log on to www.indya.com. One lucky winner stands to win a family trip (a trip for four) to Disneyland, Hong Kong, two weekly winners will win Xboxes and 100 goodie bags will be given out to 50 kids every week, for two weeks. The contest period is from 18 November – 2 December.

    The first question will be announced on 18 November, while the deadline for responses is 12 noon, 23 November. On 25 November, question 2 will be announced and the winner of question 1 will be placed on the scroll on air. The answers to the second question must be sent by 12 noon on 30 November. While on 2 December the winner of question 2 and one mega winner who has answered both the questions correctly will be randomly selected. The mega winner’s name will be announced on the slate and the weekly winner on the scroll.

    In addition, this on-air contest will be complimented with a school contact programme across Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Lucknow. This school contact programme will be activated in 2000 schools across the same seven cities including. Children across these schools will get a chance to play games and win Star merchandise.

  • Disneyland Resort debuts first-ever video podcast

    Disneyland Resort debuts first-ever video podcast

    MUMBAI: Following the precedent of its popular monthly audio podcasts, the Disneyland Resort in Southern California has now introduced a new monthly series of video podcasts that will bring all the magic and fun of “The Happiest Place on Earth” to fans around the world via their desktop computer or video iPod.

    As one of the first organisations to successfully venture into audio podcasting (launching its first podcast in May 2005), Disneyland Resort has now debuted the first episode of its all-new Disneyland Resort Video Podcast series.

    In the video episode, available now on the internet, viewers will witness the official world premiere of the new Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and the re-opening of the classic attraction Pirates of the Caribbean, which has recently been enhanced. All the excitement of getting ready for this amazing event is captured in this mini-documentary.

    Viewers will walk the red carpet with the film’s stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, plus meet many of the die-hard Pirates fans. It’s a fast-paced look (six minutes, four seconds) behind-the-magic at one of the memorable nights in Disneyland history.

    Like the Official Disneyland Resort Audio Podcast, the new video podcast is a free monthly internet-based show accessible to a global audience via a “Disneyland” search on the iTunes Podcast Directory. Listeners can also subscribe to both podcast versions (audio and video) through the iTunes Podcast Directory to receive new episodes automatically each month.

    The monthly video podcast takes viewers behind-the-scenes of what’s new and exciting at the resort plus showcases stories from the resort’s 50-year legacy of creating magical moments for guests from around the world. Similar to its initial entry into audio podcasting, the Disneyland Resort enters the emerging world of video podcasting in its infancy — there are currently only 150 free video podcasts available on the iTunes Podcast Directory but interest in, and use of, the medium is rapidly increasing.

    Additionally, the newest episode of the Official Disneyland Resort Audio Podcast is now available online and takes listeners to all the excitement of the world premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which had its official bow at Disneyland on 24 June. Recorded live on the world’s longest red-carpet (2,000 feet from the beginning of Main Street, USA to the riverfront in New Orleans Square) this podcast (38 minutes, 50 seconds) features an array of segments, including:

    Interviews on the red carpet with Pirates film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, actor Bill Nighy (Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean:Dead Man’s Chest) and Disney CEO Bob Iger.

    Actor Johnny Depp encounters the newly added Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time inside the recently enhanced Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

    Walt Disney himself in a very rare clip from a 1965 press conference at WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) where he describes his vision for Pirates of the Caribbean, the use of models in the creation of the attraction and his description of Imagineering.

    A new interview with Jason Surrell, Disney Imagineer and author of the book Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies.

    An encounter with one of the fans of the Official Disneyland Resort Podcast.

    A meeting with two diehard Pirates fans who traveled all the way from Atlanta, Georgia, and Mobile, Alabama, to visit Disneyland and participate in the premiere.

    Meet a Disneyland Cast Member who was so enthralled with the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl that she has become a bona fide Pirate historian.

    A five-year old Pirate fan gives the newly enhanced attraction a “Thumbs-Up!”

    Premiere recap and attraction overview from author and Disney historian Tim O’Day.

    Achieving a rating of four-and-a half stars out of a possible perfect five on the iTunes Podcast Directory, the Official Disneyland Resort Audio Podcast continues to be a hit with listeners. Each episode features an engaging mix of original programming recorded live throughout the resort including locations in Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney District and the resort’s three hotels — Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel — creating a “you are there” audio experience.