Disney Buys The Gap

For the record... this was an April Fools joke. Thank you for playing along.

Quality Family Entertainment and Consumer Products Leader Acquires Retail Clothing Trendsetter
BURBANK, Calif. & SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 1, 2006--The Walt Disney Company

• Paul Pressler Named Chairman over combined Disney, Pixar, and Gap Brands
• Cynthia Harriss Named Chief Store Operations Officer
• Byron Pollitt Named Chief Financial Officer

Furthering its strategy of finding new applications for its creative content, Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, announced today that Disney has agreed to acquire retail clothing trendsetter The Gap, Inc. in an all-stock transaction, expected to be completed by this fall.

Under terms of the agreement, 0.67 Disney shares will be issued for each Gap share. Based on The Gap's fully diluted shares outstanding, the transaction value is $16.24 billion (a).

This acquisition combines The Gap’s talented executive leadership, preeminent retail resources, location presence, brands, clothing, and accessories expertise with Disney's unparalleled portfolio of world-class family entertainment, characters, theme parks and other franchises, resulting in vast potential for new landmark retail output and brand extension that can fuel future growth across Disney's businesses. With an impressive 3,000-plus stores worldwide, including throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan, The Gap's exceptional executive team and 150,000 employees generated USD$16 billion in revenue in 2005.

"With this transaction, we welcome and embrace The Gap’s unique brands, which include the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Forth & Towne names, including GapKids, babyGap and GapBody, which are some of the most fashionable worldwide. The talented Gap team has delivered outstanding retail sales coupled with compelling brands that have clothed customers of all ages worldwide and redefined the industry by setting a new standard of excellence," Iger said. "The addition of The Gap significantly enhances Disney Consumer Products, which is a critical financial engine for driving growth across our businesses. This investment significantly advances our strategic priorities, which include -- first and foremost -- delivering high-quality, compelling creative content to consumers, the application of new technology and global expansion to drive long-term shareholder value."

Gap President and Chief Executive Officer Paul S. Pressler will serve as Chairman of the new Disney, Pixar, and Gap Worldwide Brands reporting directly to Iger. In addition, Gap brand President Cynthia Harriss will be Chief Store Operations Officer, where she will provide her expertise in retail branding and operations to operating all Disney-owned stores worldwide, including those inside Disney's theme parks, as well as all Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Forth & Towne stores, reporting directly to Pressler. Gap, Inc. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Byron H. Pollitt, Jr. will be named Chief Financial Officer of The Walt Disney Company.

"Disney and Gap can now collaborate on strengthening brand names, expanding store operations, and distributing Disney content," said Pressler. "Disney shareholders will regain a presence in the mall and shopping center market."

"At Gap, our brands are about building compelling stories - ones that our customers see themselves in, are passionate about and want to be part of," said Pressler. "That's very much in line with Disney. Also, Gap's executive culture has its roots in Disney. We are excited to bring our additional clothing, accessories, retail, and outlet experience back to a magical company," said Pressler. "Gap brands will have access to Disney characters and content, and, in turn, Gap clothing and accessories can supply the clothing needs for Disney's Resort Guests as well as the costuming needs for Disney Resort Casts and Disney stage, television, and cinema productions."

The acquisition returns to Disney the talented managerial team behind the Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris Resort expansions, who will now be involved in the nurturing and expansions of these properties and others. Paul Pressler joined Gap Inc. as President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2002 after 15 years with Disney, including the roles of Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, President of The Disney Stores, and Senior Vice President of Disney Licensing. Cynthia Harriss joined Gap Inc. in February 2004 as President of Gap Inc. Outlet after many years with Disney, including roles as President of the Disneyland Resort and Senior Vice President of Stores for The Disney Store. Byron Pollitt assumed his position as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gap Inc. in January of 2003 after 13 years with Disney, including the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

As Chairman of the new Disney and Gap Worldwide Brands, Pressler will oversee all Disney, Pixar, and Gap-branded products, services, and operations, including Walt Disney Pictures, The Disney Channel, Toon Disney, Radio Disney, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Consumer Products, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Disney Vacation Club, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Cruise Lines, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Forth & Towne.

"We are always looking to partner with other entities, and leverage synergistic opportunities to increase shareholder value with strategic executive recruitment," said Iger. "Returning these executives to Disney, acquiring the Gap properties, and aligning Disney and Gap segments accordingly will provide worthwhile integration of both talent and content. With Paul Pressler overseeing the Disney, Pixar, and Gap brands, I will be able to confidently concentrate on growing our other brands, including ABC, ESPN, Touchstone, Miramax, Hollywood, Hyperion, and the Muppets."

Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in San Francisco in 1969 as a place to buy blue jeans. Today, the company has expanded into several brands. Gap is about fresh, casual American style. Banana Republic is an affordable luxury brand. Old Navy brings fun, fashion and value to the whole family. Forth & Towne is a destination offering a new shopping experience for women. On March 2, 2006, the company reported net sales of $865 million for February. On Feb. 23, 2006, Gap reported that fiscal 2005 earnings per share were $1.24. Net sales for the fourth quarter were $4.8 billion, net sales for the fiscal year 2005 were $16 billion.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Gap have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antritrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Gap's shareholders.

The Disney Board was advised by Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Bear, Stearns & Co. The Gap Board was advised by Credit Suisse.

(a) Based on Disney's closing share price of $27.89 as of 3/31/06.

About The Walt Disney Company:
The Walt Disney Company together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of nearly $32 billion in its most recent fiscal year, and a market capitalization of approximately $53.7 billion as of March 31, 2006.

Investor Conference Call:
An investor conference call will take place at approximately 2:15 p.m. PT / 5:15 p.m. ET Monday, April 3, 2006. To listen to the Webcast, turn your browser to www.disney.com/investors/presentations or http://www.gapinc.com/public/index.shtml.

If you cannot participate in the live Webcast, re-plays will be available for domestic callers at (888) 286-8010 (PIN 56666399) and for international callers at (617) 801-6888 (PIN 56666399), or at www.disney.com/investors/presentations until 4:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, April 18, 2006. An .mp3 version of this Webcast replay will also be available approximately 24 hours after the Webcast concludes at www.disney.com/investors/presentations.

Posted: April 1, 2006

Ken Quoted

LA Daily News - Some Bridges Still Need Retrofits
By Troy Anderson, Staff Writer - Daily News

Quote:
>>"The six bridges the county is committed to upgrading in the unincorporated areas are mostly in rural areas, and as such are awaiting regulatory and environmental approvals due to the location of the bridges," Public Works Department spokesman Ken Pellman said.

The remaining 49 bridges are waiting for local funding match commitments from the cities where the bridges are located.<<

eHarmony Attacked

SignOnSanDiego.com - Married Lawyer Sues eHarmony For Refusing to Help Him Find Love
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Thanks to my dad for pointing me to this story.

Quotes:
>>EMERYVILLE – A man separated from his wife but not quite divorced is suing the popular online matchmaker eHarmony for refusing to help him find a date.
[snip]
EHarmony's policy against still-wed singles is at odds with some other online dating services. Match.com allows users to state in their online profiles whether they were never married, are widowed, currently separated or divorced.
[snip]
“I just think I've got a right as an individual trying to recover from something that wasn't the high point of my life,” Claassen said in a telephone interview Monday. “If that includes dating now, why can't I?”<<

You can! Just not with eHarmony.com!

eHarmony.com worked for Kori & I. But then, we'd ever made the mistake of marrying the wrong person and so we were not married when we used the service. It would be a shame if eHarmony.com had problems because it isn't for everyone.

Beach-Walsh Wedding

Here's Jessica Beach and Patrick Walsh getting married. Kori has known Jessica since childhood, and she's one of the few people still in contact that remembers Kori before she got sick as a child and started to stutter. The wedding yesterday was in Palm Desert. The ceremony was literally on a golf course and the backdrop was beautiful. It was a very nice ceremony with the reception at the same location, though inside. The "DJ" was terrific.



The online map said the drive would be about 90 minutes, but even on the weekends you can't go by that in southern California. The wedding was set for 5:15pm, and we decided to head out of town well before 3pm. Sure enough, there was traffic. Our timing ended up being perfect.

At the reception, we sat with another "newlywed" couple and had a great time talking with them as we seem to have some big things in common. It was also nice to talk with the other people at the table - a girl and her father. The wife/mother couldn't make it. Turns out she works at the same place Kori does.

It was a great evening. Kori and I stayed until the end. She even danced up a storm with that energetic little fellow. We drove home through the wind and rain, getting home around midnight. The newlywed couple we sat with offered us a place to crash, but since we weren't prepared to spend the night away from home and since traffic would likely be horrible today, we decided to pass. It was very nice of them to offer, though.

I must have been completely wipe out, because I slept in big-time this morning.

-Ken

To Palm Desert and Back

We just got back in from a wonderful wedding. Very tired. Plan to write more about it tomorrow and upload some pics. I know you're all waiting on pins and needles.

-Ken

A Nice Visit to the Lawyer

We had a nice visit to our attorney today.

Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. We're deliberately refraining from discussing the matter here, so please don't comment in a way that mentions the particulars of what is going on.

Depending on how things go, you and everyone else in the world may hear
everything someday. We'll see.

-Ken

Ken's Latest Column Now Online

The moment you've been waiting for is finally here!

The latest edition of Kenversations(TM) was posted today at http://www.LaughingPlace.com

In this column, Ken reminisces about the expanding winter holiday season at Disneyland Park. He also reviews a DVD featuring video of the holiday happenings at Disneyland Park this past season.

Check out the column and tell Ken what you think by using the feedback form at the end of the column. Talk about the column with others by following the link at the end of the column to the discussion boards. Then, spread the word. Thanks!

-Ken

The Weekend Winds Down

There's not much to report about this weekend. We met up with some friends for a Mongolian BBQ dinner last (Saturday) night, and tonight we got together with a couple from our small church fellowship at their place and mainly talked. I have three day weekends and I wish they were longer. I like to be with Kori all of the time, and there's just so much to do at home. Such is life.
-Ken

GardenWalk Again?

Anaheim's GardenWalk Could Sprout in May - Los Angeles Times
By Dave McKibben - Times Staff Writer
March 19, 2006

Quotes:
>>After nearly a decade of false starts, GardenWalk is close to becoming a reality.
[snip]
Plans once included movie theaters, an aquarium and an interactive discovery museum. The latest vision calls for an outdoor mall with about 80 restaurants and shops, three tony hotels, a 400-room timeshare, a high-end fitness center and a 3,200-space parking garage.
[snip]
And it will all happen as people start moving into some of the 9,000 condos, lofts and apartments in the nearby Platinum Triangle by Angel Stadium.<<

Hmmmm. Too bad Disney didn't get that property. I don't know how worthwhile yet another mall like this will be. Earlier versions were a hit because they weren't in every neighborhood, unlike now. High or overpriced lodging, dining, and shopping? No thanks. How about putting in what the Disneyland Resort area is lacking, like Walgreens, Trader Joes, Burger King, El Torito, and so forth? If it isn't at Downtown Disney or on Harbor or Katella, add it there.

It is hard to have any uniqueness to these places when we're seeing coast-to-coast Generica.

Ken Quoted

I could have used some help with the traffic tonight. After being delayed by a meeting, traffic was a nightmare and it took me 90 minutes to drive 26 miles. Still a little sore from moving furniture, too.

Wireless Hookup Will Let County Adjust Traffic Signals
By Alison Shackelford Hewitt
Copley News Service - DailyBreeze.com

Quotes:
>>The signals -- near Del Aire, Hawthorne, El Segundo, Athens and Gardena -- are the first to be connected to the county's new traffic management center. Signals in other unincorporated areas with heavy traffic, including Marina del Rey, will eventually follow, said Ken Pellman, a spokesman for the county Department of Public Works.

"These signals right now are timed, and most of them are synchronized ... and the only variation (in how long they stay red or green) is caused by detectors in the pavement, which are triggered by the cars passing over them," Pellman said.

"We're going to equip these signals so that they can be controlled and monitored," he continued. "We can change the timing to alleviate some problems, and we can respond to malfunctions faster because we'll be able to see what's going on from the traffic management center."
[snip]
"If there's an accident, and one intersection is blocked, we'll want to change the timing on nearby intersections to clear up traffic. Or if we need traffic to go straight through for an extended period of time -- maybe for a presidential motorcade -- we can put the cross streets on red for a longer period of time," Pellman explained.<<

The technology has been proven elsewhere, and it will save County money, so it is a very good thing.

Helping Bob Move, Disneyland Visit

Ah yes, another weekend gone by (three days for us), and here I am, up too late, writing away to my reader.

Friday, as you read earlier on this blog, we went to the Disney shareholder meeting. That's always a treat.

Saturday, I got up in the morning to go meet my friend Bob and his wife-to-be Julie to help them move into what will be their marital apartment. This involved transporting items from three different locations in the nearby area (Orange County/Long Beach) to their new place in La Palma. Bob has been a friend for about half my life and I'm going to be his Best Man. The picture in this post is from when he popped that classic question, "Will you be my Best Man?"

To repay me for my help, they bought me a Double-Double (animal style) combo from In-N-Out.

This moving process took about six hours, and I was way eager to get back to my own bride at the end of it all. At least I had already done more than my 30 minutes worth of daily expercise. I'm still a little sore.

I ended up falling asleep before 9pm and staying in bed until about 9am this morning. That was nice. Kori, meanwhile, came to sleep at about 3 or 4 am.

Today, went went to church in the evening (the pastor has started on Ecclesiastes), then our small group met at Wahoo's in Fullerton, where I ate too much spicy fish in a burrito and enchilada - mercury be damned.

From there, most of us took off for the Disneyland Resort, where we rode California Screamin' (and managed to keep dinner down) before switching over to the Disneyland Park side to stand in a prime spot on Main Street, U.S.A. for the fireworks show. Since everyone was leaving after that, we decided to ride Star Tours while the line for the parking structure tram thinned out a little.

It worked, as the wait for the tram was minimal when we made our way out there. Two Disneyland visits in two weeks. I'm liking this.

Shelby had taken it upon herself to dig through the trash again while we were out. Nothing too bad. That little furball.

And now, here I am, up too late. I'm fine now... but just wait until that alarm goes off tomorrow morning.
-Ken

Disney Shareholder Meeting - Ken's Report

The Walt Disney Company Shareholders Meeting 2006
Friday, March 10, 2006

Fridays are the first day of my three day weekends after working long hours Monday through Thursday, yet Kori and I got up at 7am (her with very little rest) to make our short drive to the Los Angeles Pond of Anaheim. I wasn't going to miss the first shareholder meeting in Anaheim since Michael Eisner faced everyone after Mike Ovitz left and got scores of million of dollars for his year with the company. For some reason, the meetings seemed to stay away from the traditional Anaheim and Orlando locations after that.

Registration was supposed to start at 8, seating at 9, and the meeting at 10. We arrived shortly after 8am, and were able to go right in and get our seats, which was good, being a chilly day for Anaheim.

Outside, there were "free speech zones" with nobody in them (I had been told that cast members were going to make a showing), LOTS of Disney characters, and a merchandise tent.

Guest Relations cast members were everywhere, and every person through the door was getting a single-day passport. Copies of Enviroport and the Shareholder Report were available.

I was surprised to see many families (or at least parents) with small children in attendance. These events have to be horribly trying for a young child. The crowd was also full of elderly folks. Scanning the crowd is a reminder that American shareholder corporations are owned by you, me, and your grandmother, and when you hear someone saying that we should "make corporations pay", they are really talking about making these people pay… some of whom rely on their investment income to survive.

Chairman, Senator George Mitchell got moderate applause when he started off the meeting. I'd say about 75% of the available seating was full, maybe less.

Mitchell's mention of Steve Jobs got applause.
Roy E. Disney got hearty applause.

There was a video shown about all of the wonderful things Disney is (I think the score was from "Curse of the Black Pearl"). There would be several videos throughout.

President & CEO Bob Iger was not introduced; he simply walked out and started talking. He really seems like a nice, sharp guy, but also kind of plain – which could have had to do with the task at hand. He's at a shareholder meeting, not a dinner show.

Iger got applause at the mention of the meeting being in Anaheim for the Disneyland 50th Anniversary. He talked about acquiring great storytelling, wanting us to think of Pixar, but he was really talking about Oswald, which got some more applause. He said that every part of the company was focused on three things:

Creativity & Innovation
Application of New Technology
Global Expansion

When he showed a video of what is going on with the theme parks, there was no mention and very little emphasis (images) focusing on Disney's California Adventure or Disney Studios Paris.

The mention of Tim Allen got scant applause. "The Shaggy Dog" was released today, and "The Santa Clause 3" is coming. So, Allen is staring in yet another Disney remake, and yet another sequel. That could have been the reason for the lukewarm reaction.

Iger insisted that Feature Animation is "top priority", pointing out what we all know – that from Feature Animation comes most of the rest of the company's products. Brining up Pixar and Steve Jobs got applause, and the mention of John Lasseter was strongly applauded.

John Lasseter was very well received when he was introduced, and was the most engaging speaker of the event. He mentioned that attractions and films should be developed simultaneously to capitalize on the success of the films. As much as I agree, I also see the risk if the film doesn't do well. The attractions must be able to stand on their own as great attractions.
He showed a new "Cars" preview trailer, and then a scene from the film. We also got a bit of the 2007 Pixar film, "Ratatouille". Both were well received. Lasseter talked about being a cast member and when he first worked for Disney in animation, and going to work for Lucas. He talked about Jobs buying the operation from Lucas in 1986, and how they lost a lot of Steve Jobs' money over the next ten years before things started to take off. He told us that Bob Iger is a great guy. It is interesting that someone who is "new" to the company would be the one who made us feel better about our own CEO, but we know that Lasseter is an old-school Disney guy.

Tom Staggs took the stage to talk about the financial performance of the company, and told a cute story about his son. Since the "entertainment" was through, a lot of people left. Mitchell returned to conduct the formal business of the meeting and then host the general questions from those in attendance.

The questions (paraphrased) and the gist of the answers along with some comments from me, not necessarily in order:

We should buy/build our own factories in China. This was more of a suggestion, not a question, so I don't recall there being a response.

Disneyland cast members should get better contracts. Two different cast members brought this up (since negotiations are at a head right now). Iger's response was that other cast members have accepted similar terms (perhaps he's referring to the Foods cast members, who have departed in huge numbers?) and that Disney is competitive in this area. I thought Disney is supposed to be better, not just competitive, but I do understand his point that it is not typical for a company to provide benefits to people who work only 30 hours a week. What wasn't mentioned was that just about all of the people who are only "required" to work 30 hours a week in fact work 40+ hours a week most of the year, and are required to work 40 hours many weeks out of the year. As Iger noted, health care costs are high. On the other hand, I know how hard it is to attract and retain good hourly cast members at the Disneyland Resort, and how the pay rate doesn't go very far in southern California.

Why isn't there more classic programming on the Disney Channel – stuff for the baby boomers? My wife Kori had thought of the same thing earlier… why not have a Disney version of TV Land? Iger said there was no plan to change the programming strategy of the Disney Channel to bring back Vault Disney and the like. He encouraged people to buy the home video product featuring classic programming and that he himself enjoys the "Spin & Marty" stuff on DVD.

Why don't you release Song of the South on home video? This got considerable applause. Iger said he had viewed the film recently and that he and others were not comfortable with everything in the film, even considering the context, and that he thought it might not be received well by the general public, which may not even consider the context of the production, and that he's rather protect the image of the company from such a risk than make money on releasing the film on DVD. So, the answer for now is "no" but it may change in the future.

With the success of the Haunted Mansion overlay, is it true that we may lose Tim Burton's cooperation and talent? Iger didn't know, but Dick Cook assured people that Disney is on good terms with Burton.

Is Anaheim going to get a third theme park? Iger said there are no plans in that area right now – that DCA needs more help first and there are things to do with Disneyland Park.

After the Anniversary celebration at Disneyland Park, then what? What's going to keep people coming? Iger referenced an earlier video and said there are things coming our way, included the new version of the submarine attraction. No mention of a new E-Ticket.

What about hand drawn animation? Iger took the opportunity to talk about new technology Glen Keane is using for "Rapunzel Unbraided" where the animators draw by hand into a digital tool.

An advocacy group brought up the topic of banning smoking in the films. Iger stated that he hates for smoking to be glamorized in films and that they are working to reduce it in Disney-label films, except for certain period piece depictions.

Can't Disney have a Hall of Fame to recognized and publicize the people who have given their entire careers to the company - but keep Michael Eisner out? Iger referred to the Disney Legends ceremonies and annual service anniversary ceremonies that the company conducts. As for me, I think something could be set up, especially with the space at Walt Disney World Resort, complete with a Walt Disney Archives and perhaps even a display of select "extinct attractions". As I like to say, nostalgia is very powerful. As for Eisner, that's ridiculous. Michael Eisner and Frank Wells preserved the company and had a good run. After Wells' life was cut short, Eisner did a lot of things that were not successful and/or were not well received, but that doesn't erase the fact that he left his mark on Disney in many positive ways as well.

Someone asked why cameras weren't allowed at the meeting. Mainly due to the video presentations, including some of which had not ever been shown in public before.

Are there plans for Disney's California Adventure? Yes. Iger says he likes the park. His mention of Soarin' Over California got a lot of applause. He does NOT come across at all like a DCA apologist, however.

Will the entrance of DCA be changed? There are some plans, but they are a surprise.

Are there plans to spin off more parts of the company? That's always a consideration, as are acquisitions.

Does Disney accept unsolicited submissions? Iger said everyone from the person who does his hair to the person who does his teeth pitches ideas to him, but that no, Disney does not, because it is a legal liability. Often Disney is already considering something very similar to what people want to submit, and doesn't want to be accused of stealing those ideas.

Someone complained about lack of nighttime lighting at Disneyland Park. Iger noted that many cast members were in attendance and he was sure it would be taken under their consideration. I really don't like questions like this as I do not think it is the time and place for such topics, unless it is brought up in the larger context of a lack of upkeep, but even the person asking the question said the park looked great in the daylight.

I think the same person as above asked about avoiding the problems in China by making the Disney products in the U.S. After all, when you charge $25 for a t-shirt, surely a profit can be made with American-made t-shirts. Iger talked about the realities of international trade and that these other countries are also Disney consumers, and Disney does do business domestically as well. The question, in my mind, showed a lack of understanding about economics. Yes, the shirt can still make a profit if made in America, but not nearly as much of a profit. Yes, the shirt is expensive, but if people are willing to pay it, why should Disney charge less? Also, as Iger touched on, these other countries also buy American products (especially American entertainment). If they do not develop their own economies and a consumer base with purchasing power, how will the people there ever be able to buy Disney products or travel to our resorts?

Will the Disneyland monorail be extended to other locations in the area, and will Downtown Disney be expanded? The answer was no to both – at least there were no plans to do so.

The meeting was adjourned some time after noon but before 1pm.

Concluding…

All in all, Mitchell and Iger handled the questions well. At one point during the meeting, cast members in the audience were asked to stand up and received applause. That was nice touch. If there was anything lacking that I really wanted to see more of, it would have been more recognition and promotion (and thereby demonstrating a commitment to) Walt Disney Imagineering, but then there was a lot that wasn't mentioned because the meeting was only so long and the company is huge and diverse. Specifics about the future were a little sketchy and scant as well, other than that there are some films coming our way over the next couple of years that we already knew about. Although the Muppets briefly appeared on screen, they were also glaringly absent in mentions of the past and the future.

Bob Iger stressed that keeping "status quo" is not an option, but also noted that as much as Disney is embracing technology, he knows that technology is not a substitute for good storytelling.

The overall mood was light.

We saw Doug Marsh and we also saw my friend Dale, and bumped into current cast member JVW. Another current cast member I chat with about Disney matters in general stopped by to talk with us where we were seated. Other than that, we didn't have interaction with familiar faces.

After the meeting, we returned home for a nap.

[Edit - Kori reminded me of how she asked, when they mentioned that the Pirates of the Caribbean attractions were going to be updated with stuff from the films: "What, are they going to stick in half a Johnny Depp figure into the one at Walt Disney World? Heh.]
-Ken Pellman
©2006 Ken Pellman, all rights reserved.

A Pirates Life For Us

Can you guess what this is in this picture?

The picture is my weak attempt at getting a shot of a fiber-optic sign in the dark without a flash while in a moving boat.

Yup.

That's from Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. It's now going to be closed for months to change it by adding in some tie-ins to the movie series. That was the risk of having a hit movie. You don't see anyone clamoring for Eddie Murphy to be put into the Haunted Mansion, do ya?

Yes, Kori and I went to Disneyland Park just to ride Pirates, and then we finished of the night with our "Homecoming" group.

We didn't watch the Oscars.

And thus ends another weekend. Good night and good luck indeed.

Back From My Mother's

We're back from my mother's place. Without traffic, we're about 45 minutes away. We pretty much kept Shelby and Carrot apart. Carrot spent all of the time either in the arms of my brother, in another part of the condo, or in her cage. Here, Shelby says hello to Carrot, who must have been thrilled that this smaller, strange dog had the run of the place. -Ken

We're At My Mother's Place

Brought Shelby along to meet Carrot, my mother's dog. My brother, older sister, and her eldest son are here too. The dogs are having a great time. Right.

-Ken

Enjoying the Weekend

Enjoying another weekend. They seem to go by too fast. It is amazing that I used to work two or all three days of my weekends. Now that I have the time free, I still don't get through so many of the things I want to do.

So here I am, procrastinating some more. I wanted to post this picture of Shelby, since I often mention here here in this blog. There's the little four pound wonder. She looks doesn't look like that right now, because we had her groomed while we were in Vegas and she was stuck at the vets. So, her hair was cut very very short and she looks like a skinny little thing.

If anyone cares, I'm listing the "The Very Best of Dr. Demento" on CD.

-Ken