2009 Shareholder Meeting  ----

---- to take place March 10 in Oakland The 2009 Proxy Statement released by the Walt Disney Company has announced that the 2009 annual shareholder meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 10 in Oakland, California. In a letter to shareholders by President and Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger, he writes: “At the meeting, we will be electing all 12 members of our Board of Directors, as well as considering ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accountants, an amendment to our stock incentive plan, an amendment to our executive performance plan and up to three shareholder proposals.”

Disney proposes major Hong Kong expansion ----

---- The Disney plan covers 48,562 square meters of the land unused in the first phrase of development (The current size of the park area is about 72,843 sq m, excluding two hotels, unused land and transportation facilities). It includes three additional themed areas adjacent to Adventureland. Disneyland ’s managing director Andrew Kam said new rides, including thrilling ones geared toward young adults and some unique in Hong Kong will be included. MORE….

WDW has replaced a full-service steakhouse  ----

---- in its Contemporary Resort Hotel with a new counter-service restaurant called the Contempo Cafe, featuring touch-screen menus for placing orders. The cafe, located in the hotel's Grand Canyon Concourse, allows visitors to peruse the menu on electronic boards with color photos, then place orders at touch screens in English or Spanish before proceeding to a cashier. A pager blinks when the food is ready at the counter for a visitor to pick up. The cafe, which replaced the Concourse Steakhouse, is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu includes thin-crust pizzas; deli sandwiches including specialties such as honey-lime chicken; pastas such as a chicken basil; soups; and healthful options such as grilled mahi sandwiches, vegetarian entrees, citrus-apple slaw and vegetable bake. The cafe offers a "grab-and-go" service, giving patrons a chance to pick up after-hours foods such as salads, fruit and drinks. The cafe's casual, 147-seat dining area features views of the Disney monorail passing through the hotel and of a nine-story mural by legendary Disney artist Mary Blair.

Disney Salutes The Armed Forces ----

---- with a 5-day complimentary ticket to active and retired members of the U.S. military. The Disney's Armed Forces Salute ticket will be offered through December 23, 2009 . For friends and family that will be traveling with them, a discount price of $99 will be offered. For an additional $25, friends and family can add the Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More options. Each military member can purchase up to 5 tickets, and are also eligible for receiving a 40% discount on rooms at select Disney moderate resorts on select dates. MORE….

I wonder if Michael Jordan ----

---- will shop at the new Hanes retail outlet in Disney World's Downtown Disney that features what is billed as a first-of-a-kind T-shirt design kiosk. The kiosk - launched by Hanesbrand - lets customers create designs for both short- and long-sleeve shirts, allowing them to choose from more than 100 Disney animation and movie characters. The store, Disney Design-A-Tee, prints the shirts after the designs are completed.

The American Idol attraction ----

---- officially opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios Feb. 14^th. Walt Disney World guests can register to audition in front of a Disney casting director for a chance to take part in the theme park show. Contestants who make the cut must then audition for a Disney producer. Those selected by producers will perform in front of an onstage panel of judges and an audience of park guests who vote on each show's winners. Performing guests with the highest votes compete in an end-of-day grand finale show at the attraction. The winner of that competition gets a guaranteed reservation, with no waiting in long lines, for a future regional audition for the real American Idol TV show. MORE….

I was saddened to hear that Mouseketeer ----

---- Chery Holdridge has died at the age of 64. Cheryl joined the Mickey Mouse Club in 1956, its second year. Holdridge soon became a core part of the group, which appeared on the Mouseketeer roll call at the start of each show. The roll call also featured the likes of Tracey, Annette Funicello, Tommy Cole, Cubby O'Brien, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Karen Pendleton, Lonnie Burr and Darlene Gillespie. MORE….

Disney to install defibrillators ----

---- WDW for the first time is installing electronic devices that can revive cardiac-arrest victims at some of the resort's most intense thrill rides. The company plans to install automated external defibrillators at nearly two dozen attractions across its four theme parks, including high-speed rides such as Expedition Everest, Mission : Space and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The move continues a push that Disney has made in the past year to distribute more of the portable lifesaving devices within its theme parks. It also comes about a year after 44-year-old Jeffery C. Reeb of Navarre suffered a heart attack while riding the Everest roller coaster in Disney's Animal Kingdom. At the time, just three of the 500 devices Disney had so far installed across its 47-square-mile property were in Animal Kingdom. MORE….

Although it is not official yet ----

---- The Walt Disney Co. said Monday it is preparing to submit plans to the Chinese government to build a theme park in Shanghai , but stressed no deal had been agreed with Beijing . After months of denying Chinese media reports that a deal was imminent, Disney acknowledged it had worked on a joint application report with the Shanghai municipal government, but said it was still in the proposal stages. In another report by the Wall Street Journal, the proposal indicates that Disney will be building the new park at a cost of $3.59 billion, and plan to have it opened by 2014. MORE….

There are a lot of things that Disney does right ----

---- and one of them is allowing guests to bring their own food and drinks into the resorts and theme parks. Yes, you read that right.

Here's the Disney policy, direct from the website disneyworld.disney.go.com: "Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any Walt Disney World® Resort. If you have items that need to be refrigerated, please ask the front desk Cast Member to have a refrigerator placed in your room. Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any Walt Disney World® Theme Park. Just inform a Security Cast Member."

What that means is that you don't have to shell out $3 for a bottle of water every time you are thirsty. Just bring in your own. Perhaps the best way to do that is by ordering your drinks and groceries online at www.gardengrocer.com. This online grocery store is so accustomed to delivering to the Walt Disney World Resorts that each hotel's address is pre-programmed into the ordering system. And if you are not at your resort during your selected two-hour delivery window, the bell services desk will hold and even refrigerate your order until you return.

Garden Grocer's minimum order price is $40, and delivery costs $12 but is free on orders of $200 or more. Orders are delivered seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The website is easy to use and includes more than 4,700 grocery items.

Disney Cruise Line is making it easier than ever ----

---- for families who have dreamt of taking a Disney cruise vacation to sail the most magical ship afloat with a "Kids Free" special offer on three-night cruises this winter and spring. Guests 12 and under can sail free on three-night voyages aboard the Disney Wonder when accompanied by two full-fare paying guests within the same stateroom. This offer is valid for most sailings from Jan. 22 to May 28, 2009 , and covers a variety of stateroom categories, ranging from deluxe family staterooms with verandahs to standard inside staterooms. However, there are a limited number of staterooms available for this special offer.  While the cruise fare with this special offer is free for guests 12 and under, guests who book will be responsible for Government Taxes and Fees for all stateroom occupants, including those 12 and under. To book a vacation or to get complete details on the "Kids Free" special offer, guests can contact their travel agent, visit disneycruise.com/kidsfree or call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500. Guests should mention or input booking code "FREE" when making the reservation.

The Disney Cruise Line is set to unveil ----

---- the first-ever 3-D cinematic film experience at sea. Guests will delight as first-run Disney films leap off the silver screen and take on a whole new dimension thanks to Disney Digital 3-D technology being added to both the Walt Disney Theatre and Buena Vista Theatre. Leveraging this new technology, Disney Cruise Line will take 3-D into uncharted waters in early 2009 with the debut of an exciting new cinematic experience that combines full length Disney Digital 3-D films with in-theatre effects. Tri-dimensional images will combine with lasers, fog, streamers, and special lighting effects to create an immersive movie-going experience like no other at sea.

The interior of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland ----

---- long closed to guests, has "reawakened". A vibrant new version of the classic walkthrough attraction features colorful scenes of Aurora, her gallant prince, the evil Maleficent and other characters from the beloved fairy tale film. MORE….

The Chinese government's economic planning agency ----

---- has given its approval for the proposed Shanghai Disney resort, the South China Morning Post reported. The approval by the National Development and Reform Commission follows an effort by Shanghai officials to have the Disney park recognized as a project intended to stimulate the Shanghai economy, the report said. The newspaper, citing a source familiar with the matter, said a group of Walt Disney Company executives is due to visit China this month and "they will probably not return home empty-handed." Disney representatives had no comment

---- World Wide Disney: http://images.google.com/hosted/life Life photo archive hosted by Google. This is a really cool data base of Life photos. They are arranged by decade but there is also a search feature. Search: Disney, Disneyland and Walt Disney World for some real treats!

Disney Vacation Club announced ----

---- a new multi-year affiliation relationship with Group RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange. This new agreement allows subscribing members access to a broad array of exciting vacation opportunities. Effective January 1, 2009, RCI will become the exclusive third-party exchange provider for Disney Vacation Club, enrolling Disney Vacation Club's more than 135,000 member families into RCI's global exchange network. Through RCI, Disney Vacation Club Members will be able to enjoy vacations at a variety of destinations across six continents and 25 countries and will have access to a significantly broader range of resort experiences, including more all-inclusive options, more nightly exchanges than ever before and even a selection of luxurious, high-end fractional properties. Similarly, RCI’s more than 3.6 million members will now also enjoy the opportunity to exchange into Disney Vacation Club resorts and may rent at Disney Vacation Club resorts throughout the year.

Starting January 2009 -----

---- you will be able to check in online to your Walt Disney World Resort hotel, including Disney Vacation Club resorts. Online check-in will be available 10 days in advance of your stay through your arrival day. A welcome folder with your Key to the World Card will be waiting for you at the designated Online Check-in area at the resort. You will need to present photo ID to pick up the packet and complete your check-in. If you made your reservations via Disneyworld.com or through the Disney Reservation Center , you will receive an email notifying you of this new program. For Disney Vacation Club members who booked through Member Services, you will receive information via the dvcmember.com website, Disney Files magazine and Member Services. http://allears.net/acc/onlinecheckin.htm

2009

Disneyland , Walt Disney World,

Disney Movie Premiere & Other

Jan 18

NFFC All Disneyana Show and Sale – Anaheim , CA .

Feb 27 - March 1

ESPN The Weekend

March 7 - 12

Pirate Cruise on the Disney Wonder

March 18 – May 31

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

April 22

‘EARTH’ - the first film from Disney’s new green film label DisneyNature, opens nationally

May 22-24, 29-31

June 5-7, 12-14

Star Wars Weekends at WDW’s Hollywood Studios

May 29

UP – opens nationally

June 26 - 28

Disney's Pin Celebration 2009, The Museum of

Pin-tiquities. EPCOT. Registration will open for this event in February 2009 on DisneyPins.com

July 14 - 18

NFFC 25th Anniversary Disneyana Convention, Show and Sale

July 19

NFFC All Disneyana Show and Sale – Anaheim , CA .

August 8

SHAG "Spirited" Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Cocktail Reception

Sep 11 & 12_

Night of Joy - WDW

Sep 13 - 17

Disney Vacation Club's Member Cruise 2009. Reservations begin on November 2, 2008 by calling Member Services at 800-800-9800. Visit the DisneyVacationClub.com member website for more details.

Sep__ – Nov__

Dates TBA

International Food and Wine Festival – EPCOT

October

Dates TBA

East Coast NFFC Disneyana Convention, Show and Sale

Nov __ - __-

Dates TBA

Festival of the Masters – Downtown Disney - WDW

Various TBA

Nov __ – Dec __

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Call (407) W-DISNEY (934-7639) to order

December

The Princess and the Frog – opens nationally

2010

Disneyland , Walt Disney World,

Disney Movie Premiere & Other

2009:

Paris, Hong Kong & Tokyo

Thur April 14, 2009

Tokyo Disney’s 25th Anniversary Celebration

 Jan. – Feb.

Chinese New Year Celebration

 Mar

St. David Welsh Festival

Mar17

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

July 14

Bastille Day

2010

Paris, Hong Kong & Tokyo