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Imagineering’s Dr. Ben Schwegler Talks About the Future of Engineering with the ASCE

Vice President and Chief Scientist of Walt Disney Imagineering, Dr. Ben Schwegler, appears on the latest podcast from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to discuss the future of engineering. Dr. Schwegler talks about using innovation the engineering profession can use to overcome challenges as well as his own experiences. You cancheck it out here.

And don’t forget that Dr. Schwegler will be appearing on a panel as part of the World Science Festival’s panel, Wall-E’s World to explore revolutionizing waste management on Earth.

You can also read and see pictures of Dr. Schwegler in action here at Stitch Kingdom from last year’s World Science Festival event, Disney’s Science of Imagineering here.

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D23 Expo Details Revealed, Tickets to Go On Sale June 3

ANAHEIM and BURBANK, Calif., June 3 — Disney fans will be given unprecedented access to never-before-seen movies, TV shows, park experiences, collectibles and more from Sept. 10 to Sept. 13 at the Anaheim Convention Center when Disney and D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans present the first-ever D23 EXPO.

Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available beginning today at http://www.d23expo.com/. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can be purchased for single days or for the full four days of festivities. Admission is discounted for members of D23.

“We hope this will be the ultimate event for the multitude of fans who have been so instrumental in Disney’s success,” said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger. “The D23 Expo represents the finest in Disney entertainment from across our great company and will offer a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experience for people of all ages to enjoy.”

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Disneyland Resort Announces Kitson Kids Coming to Downtown Disney Anaheim

Disneyland Resort is excited to announce an agreement with Kitson Kids for a new retail store in Downtown Disney. Slated to open in July 2009, it will be the first location in Orange County and the first Kitson Kids outside Los Angeles. Kitson Kids will be located near the entrance to Downtown Disney, adjacent to AMC theaters.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kitson Kids to Downtown Disney,” said Tony Bruno, vice president Disneyland Resort hotels and Downtown Disney. “Kitson Kids offers a hip blend of merchandise that Orange County shoppers will only find here. Kitson Kids is a great fit with Downtown Disney’s eclectic blend of shops, restaurants and entertainment.”

Kitson first opened its doors in 2000 in Los Angeles and shortly after launched Kitson Kids, which quickly became a favorite shopping destination among celebrities, trendsetters and their children. The shop sells designer duds, shoes, toys and books for tots to tweens.

“Kitson is among the most publicized apparel boutiques in the world and a partnership with Disney, one of the greatest companies in the world, is truly incredible,” said Dean Khial, Kitson’svice president of marketing. “If there is one thing that Kitson knows best, it’s the cool California lifestyle and we plan to continue that in our new Kitson Kids boutique at Downtown Disney.”

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Disneyland Resort Announces First-Ever LittleMissMatched Retail Store at Downtown Disney Anaheim

Disneyland Resort is pleased to announce an agreement for the first-ever permanent retail location of the popular lifestyle brand LittleMissMatched. Due to open late summer 2009, it will be situated in the heart of Downtown Disney. A temporary LittleMissMatched store opened May 18, next to where the permanent store will be located.

“We are excited that Downtown Disney was selected as the first bricks and mortar location of this innovative concept,” said Tony Bruno, vice president Disneyland Resort hotels and Downtown Disney. “LittleMissMatched offers unique merchandise for the young and young at heart, and is a terrific complement to Downtown Disney’s eclectic blend of shops, restaurants and entertainment.”

LittleMissMatched is a lifestyle brand dedicated to inspiring creativity and individuality. The brand’s signature non-matching socks are sold in sets of three single socks to encourage self-expression through mixing and matching. LittleMissMatched has since expanded its innovative product offerings to include everything from books to bedding, PJs to pencil pouches and flip flops to furniture – each item with its own unique reinvention.

“We’re thrilled to open our first permanent retail location at Disneyland Resort as Disney’s values are completely aligned with LittleMissMatched,” said Jonah Staw, co-founder and CEO. “Disneyland is synonymous with imagination and since LittleMissMatched revolves around encouraging creativity, this is an ideal location for LittleMissMatched’s flagship store.”

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Segway Speaks on Walt Disney World Lawsuit: Do Not Doubt Our Safety

In light of some concerns it has over the public perception of an ongoing lawsuit (as most recently reported on by the Orlando Sentinel here).

To summarize, a lawsuit was initially filed against Disney claiming that those who use the Segway for mobility purposes were being discriminated against when not allowed to take their Segway into the parks. Disney’s response is that a guest on a Segway can not be monitored and that it inherently poses a security risk to the safety of not only the guest using the device unsupervised, but the rest of the guests. In addition, the Segway units can travel faster than walking or, in particular, the ECVs that the park usually recommends, which essentially gives Segway riders a speed advantage. Segway’s response almost appears to speak out of both sides of the mouth since they obviously don’t want to offend Disney and hurt/jeopardize the longstanding relationship but they evidently take offense to the suggestion that the devices are in any way unsafe to anyone (when used properly), at least when taken out of context.

The full statement is as follows:

BEDFORD, N.H., June 3 — Segway feels that issues raised in a class action lawsuit against Walt Disney World Co. pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Mahala Ault et al. v. Walt Disney World Co.) may have caused some confusion about the safety of our Segway(R) Personal Transporter (“Segway PT”) product. The plaintiffs in this action allege that the policy of Walt Disney World Co. (“Disney”) not to permit two-wheeled vehicles violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). While Disney and the plaintiffs have reached a compromise in the lawsuit, some have objected to the settlement based on the premise that they prefer to use a Segway PT at the Walt Disney World Resort instead of the mobility devices permitted by Disney. Segway is not a party to this lawsuit and has not taken a position in this dispute. However, since the issue of safety has arisen in the context of the lawsuit, we are taking this opportunity to comment.

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Photo of 5’3″ LEGO Brick Model of Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear from Licensing International Expo

A 5’3″ LEGO model of Buzz Lightyear, constructed from 40,000 LEGO bricks in 250 hours by 3 Master Builders, was unveiled by Disney Consumer Products at the Licensing International Expo to showcase the excitement “building” around the classic Toy Story franchise. Disney will support the franchise with the re-release of the first two movies in 3D for a two week engagement this October, a third new movie in summer 2010 and a spectacular consumer products line.

Posing with the LEGO Buzz and Toy Story line of merchandising (L-R): Vince Klaseus, SVP Global Toys, Disney Consumer Products; Jill Wilfert, VP of Licensing and Entertainment for LEGO Group; Tim Kilpin, General Manager / SVP, Girls, Boys & Games, Mattel; Jessi Dunne, EVP Global Licensing, Disney Consumer Products; Doug Wadleigh, VP Action Play Marketing, Mattel; and John Barton, SVP Sales and Marketing, Thinkway Toys

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Beloved Disney Characters Get Ready for New Roles at Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children

ORLANDO, Fla., June 3, 2009 – Walt Disney Imagineers are putting the finishing touches on a collection of beloved Disney characters that will lend their magic to the three-story lobby of the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children.

Known for the support and protection they provided their dearest friends, characters including Timon and Pumba from “The Lion King,” Baloo from “The Jungle Book” and Sebastian and Flounder from “The Little Mermaid will have leading roles in the hospital’s interactive lobby.

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Miley Cyrus and Walmart Announce New Clothing Line, North American Tour – Presales Begin June 8

BENTONVILLE, Ark., June 3 — Walmart today announced the introduction of Miley Cyrus & Max Azria, a new clothing line available only at Walmart. Walmart brings together best-selling artist and entertainer Miley Cyrus and Max Azria of apparel house BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP, Inc. to offer customers affordable and trend-right apparel. The line will arrive in all Walmart stores and on Walmart.com in early August, and includes tops, pants, graphic tees, shoes and accessories, all priced less than $20.

“Our launch of the Miley Cyrus & Max Azria line continues our strategy of engaging customers across categories,” said John Fleming, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S. “This time, we’re bringing together a leading entertainer and a top apparel house to bring exciting product and price leadership to our customers.”

Miley Cyrus’ rock-and-roll roots influenced many of the looks. The line reflects a continuation of her relationship with Walmart, where she is among the retailer’s top-selling recording artists. “I love creating looks that are all about personal expression and individuality,” said Cyrus. “Collaborating with Max Azria has been an amazing experience, and I’m really excited about launching this line with Walmart. There’s even more to come!”

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Disney Cruise Line Announces Even More Disney Channel Stars at Sea This Summer, Plus Earn On-Board Credit!

CELEBRATION, Fla., June 2 — The most inclusive, family-friendly cruise gets even better with two more great reasons to sail with Disney Cruise Line this summer – a value-added offer and new talent for eight special “Disney Channel Summer at Sea” sailings.

Families looking for a fun-filled getaway can set sail this summer on the most magical ships at sea and receive $100 per day onboard spending credit with a verandah stateroom booking. This special offer is available on most Disney Cruise Line itineraries, including three-, four- and seven-night sailings to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

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‘U Rock 2’ on Disney.com Invites Fans to Channel Their Inner Music Video Rock Star (Contest)

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Disney.com announced today the launch of U Rock 2, a unique promotion that gives fans the opportunity to create their own music videos set to songs from popular Disney artists and post their original videos on the U Rock site (www.Disney.com/URock). The most popular U Rock video finalists, voted on by fans, will win the ultimate rock star experience including a trip to Los Angeles, an in-studio “take over” at Radio Disney, a visit to the set of a Disney Channel show, and more.

This is the second annual U Rock event on Disney.com. In 2008 thousands of fan videos were uploaded and millions of fans rated and commented on their favorite videos. New this year, fans will be able to watch and vote for their favorite videos via mobile phone by texting UROCK to DISNEY (347639).*

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