This smoke was reported in the loading and unloading zone, but what happens if it happens in the sacking of Rome scene? Inquiring minds want to know.

(Via)

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Smoke reported on Spaceship Earth at EPCOT
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You see, there just aren’t enough theaters capable of hosting 3D films to do justice to two 3D films being out at the same time. And since Avatar has been making lots of bank for those theater owners, they’re loathe to invite in an untested property. Thankfully Disney has secured many those theaters via distribution contracts. More on the conundrum in this audio piece at NPR.

Personally, I don’t think they have anything to worry about. The twin draws of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp will easily match the numbers Avatar has been pulling in recently.

Head to the theater March Hare… er March 5th or check out the official website here.

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Alice In Wonderland’s 3D Problem
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Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees joins Mickey Mouse Feb. 8, 2010 in a celebratory parade in the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fl. Brees, the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, is the latest celebrity to star in the “I’m Going to Disney World!” and “I’m Going to Disneyland” commercials which aired only hours after the NFL championship game ended. Brees led his team to a 31-17 victory over the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. (Photo courtesy Disney. Kent Phillips, photographer)

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Drew Brees visits Walt Disney World, dreams “Drew” come true
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Pictured above we have a newly released rendering of the main lobby area for Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. Disney Imagineer Joe Rhode has been dispatched to keep an careful eye on the project and it looks like his background will come in very handy.

The highly anticipated Disney destination resort currently under construction on the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu now has an official name and a dynamic new Web site offering an inside look at the project. The resort’s name – Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i – reflects the company’s deep commitment to celebrating the islands’ rich history and traditions. Plans call for the first phase of the resort to open in fall 2011.

Disney has launched a new preview Web site, www.DisneyAulani.com, to provide updates and background information on the resort now under construction. The site also details some of the adventures and amenities under development, and includes conceptual art, descriptions of resort highlights, regularly updated resort information and photos of Aulani as it nears completion. (Artist Concept/Proposed. ©2010 The Walt Disney Co.)

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New concept art from Aulani, the lobby revealed
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So how is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees celebrating his heroic play in Super Bowl XLIV? He’s going to Walt Disney World

In the frenzied moments just after his team claimed the National Football League championship Sunday night in South Florida, Brees stood in front of a TV camera and shouted five words that have become an almost iconic reaction to milestone achievements: “I’m going to Disney World!”

Brees’s pronouncement, part of the production for one of TV’s most enduring and celebrated commercials, was captured after the Saints’ 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts – a game during which he earned the MVP honor, completing a Super Bowl record-tying 32 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He was 16-for-17 in the second half, twice leading the Saints from behind. It added up to be a catalyst for the Saints’ first Super Bowl celebration in team history.

On Monday (Feb. 8), Brees is scheduled to go to the place where millions of vacationers celebrate their personal milestone moments – Walt Disney World Resort. He is to be joined in the Magic Kingdom by NFL Youth Football players, who will participate with the Saints star in a Super Bowl celebration parade down Main Street, U.S.A. The parade is scheduled for 11:55 a.m. at the Magic Kingdom.

This latest commercial is the 42nd of a series that began in 1987 following Super Bowl XXI. The first “I’m going to Disney World” commercial, featuring New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, was regarded as a groundbreaking concept – a produced national commercial involving a current event, airing on major networks within hours of its conclusion. Brees joins a lineup of people from sports and beyond who have celebrated milestone accomplishments in “I’m going to Disney World” commercials.

follow below the jump for a history of the “What’s Next” commercial:

First Spot: Super Bowl XXI (Phil Simms, New York Giants)

Number of Spots Since Inception: 42

Chronology of “I’m going to Disney World” Spots:

2010 Super Bowl XLIV (Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints)

2009 Super Bowl XLIII (Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers)
“American Idol” Season 8 (Kris Allen, singer)

2008 Super Bowl XLII (Eli Manning, New York Giants)
“American Idol” Season 7 (David Cook, singer)

2007 Super Bowl XLI (Tony Dungy and Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts)

2006 Super Bowl XL (Hines Ward, with Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers)

2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII (Tom Brady, New England Patriots)
Major League Baseball World Series Champions (Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox)

2003 Super Bowl XXXVII (Jon Gruden and Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

2002 Super Bowl XXXVI (Tom Brady, New England Patriots)

2001 Super Bowl XXXV (Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens)
Major League Baseball home run record (Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants)

2000 Super Bowl XXXIV (Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams)

1999 Super Bowl XXXIII (Terrell Davis and John Elway, Denver Broncos)
Women’s World Cup (United States Championship Team)

1998 Super Bowl XXXII (John Elway, Denver Broncos)
Major League Baseball home run record (Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals)

1997 Super Bowl XXXI (Desmond Howard, Green Bay Packers)
Holiday Gift-Giving (Santa Claus)

1996 Super Bowl XXX (Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys)

1995 Super Bowl XXIX (Jerry Rice and Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers)

1994 Super Bowl XXVIII (Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys)
Winter Games XVII (Nancy Kerrigan, U.S. Figure Skater)

1993 Super Bowl XXVII (Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys)
Stanley Cup (Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens)

1992 Super Bowl XXVI (Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins)

1991 Super Bowl XXV (Ottis Anderson, N.Y. Giants)
NBA (Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls)

1990 Super Bowl XXIV (Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers)
Graduation (Jim Thompson of Temple University, and
Matt Kaldenberg, Phyllis Kaldenberg and Laura McEwen of Simpson College)

1989 Super Bowl XXIII (Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers)
NHL (Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames)
NBA (Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons)

1988 Super Bowl XXII (Doug Williams, Washington Redskins)
Miss America (Gretchen Carlson)
World Series (Orel Hershiser, L.A. Dodgers)
NBA (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers)

1987 Super Bowl XXI (Phil Simms, N.Y. Giants)
America’s Cup (Dennis Conner)
NBA (Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers)
World Series (Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins)

The Super Bowl has been the catalyst for the most “I’m going to Disney World” spots (23)

There have been four “I’m going to Disney World” repeaters: Joe Montana (1989 and 1990), Emmitt Smith (1994 and 1996), John Elway (1998 and 1999) and Tom Brady (2002 and 2004).

“I’m going to Disney World” spots immediately following the Super Bowl have featured non-Super Bowl MVPs nine times: 1989, 1995 (shared), 1996, 1998, 1999 (shared), 2001, 2003 and 2007 and 2009 (shared)

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Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees going to Walt Disney World
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Sparky Katzenberg rhapsodic about his time at Disney
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If that means The Disney Store can afford to offer better merchandise at lower prices, then by all means go ahead. But closing stores to shift merchandise purchases on line, well they already tried that and it didn’t work so well.

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Another Disney Store closing
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Interview with Andreas Deja
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Actually, there appears to be quite a bit of hiring going on at WDAS right now. Wonder what they’re building up for since a couple of the films once in the pipeline are now on hold (Snow Queen and King of the Elves).

(via WDAS on twitter)

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Hot Job at Walt Disney Animation Studios
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I’ve worked with some people who were employed by VR Services. For the most part, very nice people who are just trying to get ahead in life. Just like all of us.

“The hotel is obviously sympathetic to them, but it is true they’re not employees of the hotel”

I think that this quote from the Swan & Dolphin Resort spokesperson is deliberately ignoring the benefit the workers of VR Services provided the hotel. The S&D benefited from the employee’s hours of labor and now they have a responsibility to make sure they’re paid for that labor. If the S&D contracted with a company that couldn’t fulfill the contract, that’s not the worker’s fault.

This whole situation is one reason I am not in favor of Disney using outside firms to perform duties like valet, housekeeping, and custodial work. Just the mere act of outsourcing shows the company places a lesser value on those roles, even though they’re all part of the ‘Disney Show’. The hotels are basically abandoning their responsibility for that part of the property but receiving all the benefits. They should not be allowed to do that and hopefully the courts will agree.

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Lawsuit targets Swan & Dolphin Resort
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The partly animated Enchanted will be written by Jessie Nelson and directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal, 27 Dresses). Barry Josephson and Barry Sonnenfeld will produce again.

I’m wondering why they didn’t go back to Kevin Lima to direct the movie since it earned a very respectable $340 million at the box office. Lima is one of those directors who has managed to do both animation and live action, and I think it worked very well. I also hope they’re able to bring back many of the original stars like: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, Rachel Covey and Susan Sarandon.

It looks like the rush is on to get this released next year.

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Disney working on Enchanted Squeekgual
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While I can’t say I’m upset to see this particular restaurant location closing, some people might miss the opportunity to pick up a quick burger or some fries. To that end, I hope Disney makes some space for a location something like the Shake Shack somewhere on the Marketplace side of the property.

Instead we’re getting Pollo Campero, which specializes in Latin chicken (the second Latin food restaurant to open in Downtown Disney recently). I hope the food is good and the prices reasonable, which is all you can really ask of a fast food location these days. Free Wi-Fi would be good too.

McDonald’s vanishing act should be the final curtain on the parting of the ways that began a few years ago when Disney made the logical choice to associate their brand with food that was not so bad for you or the kiddies. So you’ll find princess logos on apples (the fruit not the mobile device maker) now instead of Happy Meals. No complaints here. I hope somewhere Bob Iger is standing under a banner that reads “Mission Accomplished”

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McDonalds Leaving Orlando’s Downtown Disney
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Finally, don’t wait until Sunday’s Super Bowl to see the commercial for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s available online at Universal Orlando right now.

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Wizarding World of Harry Potter website expands
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The accident only made it to the news because the performer was taken to the hospital for their injuries, but guess what? Injuries come with the job of a stunt performer. A performer injured in the course of a stunt is no news story. Now, if equipment failed, or the accident could have been prevented, or a similar story, now that’s news.

Every time I see the show, I’m impressed by the stunt drivers in LMA. Their ability to perform the same stunts with precision day after day is simply amazing. Even the non-stunt performers do a great job keeping up the shows energy while the long setup and teardown between each stunt occurs.

Next time you’re at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, make sure to catch this amazing show. And, if a performer does get injured, marvel at the professionalism of the safety crew who is there right away to make sure they’re not injured any further and immediately get the care they need.

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In which another Disney Stunt cast member is injured
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Losties. Oh, my losties. We have been apart for eight months! Eight long months! I’ve missed you! And I’ve missed the brain melt I get every week when watching Lost.

And now, just when I thought I understood time travel and resurrections and smoke monsters, I am confronted with a new LOST mystery: TWO REALITIES. Oh, when will it end? (I know, this season. Don’t remind me.)

Let’s get to it. We’ll begin *sob* with the last few seconds of Season 5’s finale where Juliet is smashing the bomb with a rock. Then the famed white screen o’lost appears and we are apparently in…

PRESENT DAY LOS ANGELES

JACK is staring out the window at a white cloud and is transfixed. He comes out of his daydreaming and looks around. He’s on a plane. A familiar looking stewardess walks down the aisle and offers him a drink on the house. Jack looks across the aisle to see ROSE. They feel a little turbulence and begin to talk about planes and how  they like to stay in the air. The turbulence increases and then…nothing. The pilot corrects his course and they are fine.

And at this point my heart is sinking. It worked. They did it. The Island never happened. And now we get to see what WOULD have happened (what DID happen?) to our beloved Losties.

Jack then gets up to go to the restroom. Checks a random bleeding sore on his neck and then walks back to his seat to see DESMOND. (whaaa? whoooo?) Jack racks his brain because he thinks they know each other. But nothing. The camera pans out the window, into the ocean, past a very cartoonish looking shark and straight to the submerged ruins of The Island and the Dharma Initiative.

Now I am sobbing.

Apparently, Jack has to go to the bathroom again because he meets our favorite US Marshall guarding who other than KATE who is just coming out of the lavatory. They exchange pleasantries and Kate is rushed to her seat to eat the lasagna without a knife and fork because of course, she is handcuffed.

Just then a very scruffy (but still wonderful) SAWYER walks by and bumps into the US Marshall. He sizes Kate up and walks back to his seat which just happens to be across the aisle from HURLEY. Hurley is being stalked by Leslie ARTZ our favorite brain splatter. Hurley tells Artz he bought Mr. Cluck because he won the lottery. Artz moves on and Sawyer suggests to Hurley that he shouldn’t tell anyone he won the lottery–because someone might take advantage of him. (FORESHADOWING?) Hurley rebuffs him and says, “That would never happen. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

Soon, our favorite flight attendant asks if there is a doctor in the house. REALLY? So, Dr. Jack (king of all) hits his call button and is led to the bathroom (yet again) where a man is locked inside. SAYID appears to help and kicks down the door (bad to the bone) to reveal an unconscious CHARLIE.  The Doc begins CPR and soon fishes a bag of drugs out of Charlie’s mouth.

Charlie is ticked at Jack and says, “You shouldn’t have done that! I was supposed to die!” (Maybe he was right?!)

The adventure is over, but we still have several more passengers to meet…

BOONE and LOCKE discuss their adventures in Sydney. Boone says he tried to rescue his sister from a bad relationship—but she didn’t want out. Locke tells about his roundabout. Boone is totally impressed and says, “If we crash, I’m stickin’ with you.”

SUN admires Rose and BERNARD’s loving banter while JIN grunts and tells her to button her sweater.

SAYID opens his passport and looks at his picture of Nadia.

The plane successfully lands in LA and our friends (who are now people who merely shared a plane) disembark—Charlie with the police, Kate with her Marshall and Locke in a wheelchair.

I am now in the depths of despair realizing that Juliet is dead (or perhaps alive somewhere far far away from Sawyer), Aaron is going to be given to a couple in LA, Jack is going to die of liver poisoning and Locke (oh, Locke) is going to kill himself (yes, I realize the irony). However our time in LAX is not over…

Kate and the US Marshall continue through the airport until Kate requests a visit to the little girl’s room. Strangely, there is no one in the bathroom (I wish that would happen!) and she manically uses a pen to undo her handcuffs. She knocks the US Marshall out and flees into the swarm of people and onto an elevator with Sawyer. He sees Kate’s handcuffs and gives her a little headstart by blocking the police when the door opens.

Kate jumps into a cab (after an encounter with NEIL “FROGURT” and Hurley) and pulls a gun on the driver…while a pregnant CLAIRE sits beside her. (Wait! Was she pregnant? Did we actually see her preggo belly?)

Jack is not having as exciting of a time…he is called to Guest Services because they have lost Christian Shepard. (Hmmm.) As Jack waits, Locke appears looking for his bag (which is strangely filled with knives). They have a very loaded conversation about life and death.

Meanwhile, Jin is taken into custody for carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in his suitcase. Sun looks as her husband is led away, still pretending to know “no english”.

And that  my friends is the WORST possible situation I can think of. My new theory is this “flash-sideways” will continue to our season finale. We will see where our Losites will end up without The Island. And how their lives are better or worse for it. They will, of course, interact as we have already seen. But do I really want to see Sawyer con Hurley? Sun leave Jin? Kate hurt Claire and Aaron? Jack heal Locke? (well, that might be good…) And what about everyone else? Ana Lucia? Eko? Juliet? Desmond and Penny? BEN?

But don’t worry gentle Losties. We have yet to discover the alternate reality of the Losties on…

THE ISLAND

We begin with Kate’s closed eye and very long lashes (seriously! wow, I need that mascara!). She wakes up in a tree and drops to the ground to discover Miles (still in his Dharma jumpsuit!). They find Jack and Sawyer still unconscious beside the exploded Swan station (the Hatch) and realize they are back on the Island in “present day” (does this mean no more time travel?!)

Sawyer (oh, my Sawyer!) realizes Jack’s grand plan to reboot time has NOT worked and that Juliet is dead for nothing. He turns into a crazed animal and jumps on Jack. (This was lovely.) Suddenly, Kate hears something. And they realize that Juliet is under the rubble of the Swan!

They dig her out (by using Dharma’s VW bus…really?) and we encounter the second most heart-felt scene between Juliet and Sawyer (the first, of course, was when she was falling and he yells, “Don’t you leave me!” to which she responds, “I love you James. I love you so much!” *sob*). She tells Sawyer she smashed the bomb so he would never have come to The Island. She then says, “James, I have to tell you something very important…”

And dies.

DIES. HOW DARE THEY? I already… I mean, Sawyer already mourned her death. Then they give us Sawyer a beautiful minute to reunite and now she’s DEAD. DEAD. Well, at least I can console myself with the fact that Jack is a walking dead man.

Meanwhile Hurley is guarding a bleeding (and now unconscious) Sayid. Suddenly he hears a noise and who appears? Jacob, of course. Only this time its dead-Jacob. (How could I have NOT seen that coming?) He instructs Hurley to bring Sayid to the temple so Sayid can be healed.

Remarkably, the rest of the Losties agree and Jin leads the way (remember, he’s the only one that’s seen it…with Rouseau in the 80’s). When they get to the hole in the wall (ha!) Sawyer departs and buries Juliet. He asks Miles to stay. And then demands that Miles tell him what Juliet wanted to tell him before she died.

And Miles does. She wanted to tell him, “It worked.”

WHAAAAAAT? I do not like this. We will be discussing this more.

Soon, our Losties (sans Sawyer & Miles) find themselves in the same cavern where Ben experienced the Smoke Monster. And are suddenly attacked themselves but not by Smokey. Nope. By real people. Dressed like THE OTHERS. Are you kidding me? There are MORE Others? Sheesh.

These additional Others lead our Losties to the real Temple (which apparently we’ve never seen. I thought Ben’s encounter with Smoke WAS the Temple. I had forgotten Ben told us this was the wall to protect the Temple.) and a whole slew of Others (including our missing kids from the plane AND flight attendant Cindy!) pour out and approach the Losties.

The leader of the Temple-Others (Dogan, a Japanese warrior who refuses to speak English) asks who they are and why they are there. Hurley insists that Jacob sent him and shows him the guitar case. Which in fact is housing a huge wooden ankh. Dogan breaks the ankh and pulls out a piece of paper. Which I think was another list. *sigh*

Dogan instructs the Others to immerse Sayid into the bubbling springs (which apparently is healing waters but seemed to be a little contaminated at the time). They hold him under until he regains consciousness and THEN DROWNS.

Lovely.

Soon, Sawyer and Miles are also dragged into the temple. And now they are all sitting around the spring dejectedly wondering waht is going to happen to them. Finally Hurley tells Dagon and his Lennon-lookin’ right hand man that Jacob is dead. This news sets off the alarm and the Others go into high gear pouring ash around the temple and reinforcing the walls.

They are protecting themselves. From Smokey.

In the midst of all this. Suddenly, our dead Sayid sits up and says “What happened?”

And as horrible as this situation seems–it makes me deliciously happy.

But guess what? We haven’t even hit upon our OTHER LOSTIES and our OTHER OTHERS. Let’s mosey on over to…

THE STATUE

Ben has just killed Jacob. Jacob’s arch nemesis encased in John Locke’s body instructs Ben to bring Richard inside. Ben approaches The Others and The Other Losties to deliver his message. They are visibly shaken because of course, they have just found the real Locke’s body. This in turn freaks out Ben. (Don’t you love a freaked-out Ben?)

Our new Others (Iliana and the other folks who were toting Locke’s body) storm the Statue with guns blazing. They try to kill this fake Locke but he immediately disappears and we hear scary Smoke Monster noises and Smokey himself appears to kill them all. Which was frightening.

Ben watches the whole thing horrified. He turns to leave but hears footsteps behind him. Ben turns to see the not-really-Locke who says, “I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”

OOOOOOH! OOOOOOH! The Freaky Island Guy/Man In Black is the SMOKE MONSTER! We should have known! Awesome.

Ben and corporeal-Smokey have a conversation about the Losties, about Locke and Jacob. The New-Locke ends with his reasoning for doing everything, “I want to go home.” (Whoa. More on this.)

And it all ends with an angry Fake-Locke parading down the beach to meet Richard (dear Sexy Eyes). Bad Locke says, “So nice to see you without chains.” To which Richard responds, “You?” To which Horrible-Arch-Nemesis responds by killing (or at least mortally wounding) Richard. He throws him over his shoulder and stomps away.

And that my friends is THE END.

Stuff To Talk About

1. The Flash-Sideways. Do you hate this? Alternate realities? I don’t hate it–it’s an amazing story telling device. I hate it because now I’m going to have to go all season thinking this terrible NON-Island life has happened to our Losties. That the whole first 5 seasons never happened simply because Jack didn’t want it to. I read somewhere else that “X” is a sci-fi term for “alternate reality”…which means according to our episode title “LA X”, the LA time line is an alternate reality. Does that mean equal to? Or just possible? Will one reality swallow up another? Or will this end as a choose-your-own-adventure?

2. Allusions. All the allusions during the LA scene—Locke and Jack’s conversation about life, death and things being irreversible, Boone and Locke’s conversation and Charlie’s quip about death. What does this mean? Is Lost just being mean to us? Or are they showing an inter-connectedness and destiny regardless of the crash?

3. Desmond. Having Desmond on the plane was strange. It’s the whole butterfly effect, I guess. When The Island blew, it changed the entire world. Desmond never went to The Island and for some reason was on Flight 851. This is true for the rest of the Losties not on the plane (Ana Lucia, Eko, etc.). Is there going to be more on them? But why did Jack seem to know Desmond? Back to question 2: is there an inter-connectedness and destiny regardless of the crash?

4. IT WORKED. Why did Juliet say this? When she woke up, she didn’t think it worked, did she? And how would she know? Or was it only after she was dead she realized it worked? I can’t remember how Miles gift works. Does he talk to spirits? Or does he just know what the dead person knew? If “it worked” then why are there TWO realities?

5. The Temple Others. I just did not even think about The Temple. And the fact that there might be Other Others there. I can’t believe these people have been on The Island this whole time and have never been mentioned or involved in any situation. But I like. I like these people. They are pro-Island. (Hmmm. That might make a good t-shirt.)

5. Jacob’s Arch Nemesis. What is his name? Bad-Locke? Not Really Locke? Fake Locke? Flocke? Esau? Man in Black? Freaky Island Guy? FIG? Which do you prefer?

My Random Theory

I stick with my assertation that Jacob and his Nemesis are Roman-like gods who have been banished to The Island as a punishment. They must live on The Island and follow certain rules. Rules that prohibit them from killing each other mano y mano. BUT they can apparently reek havok on any and all others—including drawing people from all over the world to themselves. A supernatural chessgame, if you will.

Nemesis uses these years to find the loophole that willlet him kill Jacob. He must use another person. So, he chooses Locke. Possibly because Jacob was pulling him here OR Jacob pulled them here because his Nemesis had chosen him. (This works well with Richard’s early interaction with Locke. He was checking him out for Jacob.)

Now that Jacob’s body is dead, he needed a corporeal being to inhabit. He has to fight for…The Island? For The Others? For himself? So, he manipulates Hurley to bring Sayid’s body to the Temple. And now Sayid is Jacob in the same way that Nemesis is John Locke. The only problem with this is—where is Sayid’s other body?

So, remember how the movie Men in Black ended with aliens playing marbles with our galaxy? I think Lost will end with two baby gods (Jacob & Nemesis) playing chess with our Losties. Blech.

Conclusion
I loved it. Are you kidding me? I have been mourning Lost for eight months! But honestly? I’m sad. I’m so sad that this is our new reality and that we only have one season to see what happens. Our last five seasons seem to be wiped away and it will all come down to this new “LA X” like a baseball game comes down to one pitch.

What did you think? Are you happy? Sad? Confused? Talk to me. I know I missed some stuff.

If you’re on twitter, I’d love to tweet @oohamanda. And feel free to visit me at my daily blog ohamanda.com.

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Lost Season 6: LA X (Episode 1 & 2)
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The Disney Store will host activities all month long to celebrate the world’s most iconic character Mickey Mouse, and his friend Minnie Mouse. Come join the fun with daily activities the entire family can enjoy, and check out the adorable “I Love Mickey” products for under $20 including new lovable Mickey and Minnie plush just in time for Valentine’s Day, stationery, and an assortment of apparel and accessories for kids and adults available at Disney Store and www.DisneyStore.com

“I Love Mickey” Daily Activities Include:

• Mickey Storytime and Sing-along
February 7-13, M-F at 5 p.m. and 7p.m.; Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

• Mickey Trivia
February 14-20, M-F at 5 p.m. and 7p.m.; Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

• Learn to Draw Mickey
February 21-27, M-F at 5 p.m. and 7p.m.; Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Join us February 10 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. for Mickey Valentine’s Craft Activity and Storytime

*Dates and times are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please call your local store or go to www.disneystore.com/updates

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Celebrate “I Love Mickey” in February at the Disney Store
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(click for larger image)

Image Caption: Jeff Bridges, winner of both a Golden Globe® and Screen Actors Guild Award®—and now an Oscar® nominee—for his performance in “Crazy Heart,” stars in TRON: LEGACY, a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Bridges), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of Tron where his father has been living for 25 years. Together, they embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning and exceedingly dangerous cyber universe. The film hits U.S. theaters Dec. 17, 2010.

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New image from TRON: Legacy – Jeff Bridges
The Disney Blog - Disney News and Information -- by fans, for fans

“Each year parks and attractions look for new and innovative ways to entertain guests and provide unique opportunities for friends and families to spend quality time together,” said Charlie Bray, president and CEO for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. “2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year as several multi-million dollar, record-breaking investments have already been announced.”

Here’s a preview of some of the new developments already announced throughout the world for 2010:
North America:

• In spring 2010, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa Bay, Fla., will welcome families to an all-new, Sesame Street-themed playland featuring Elmo, Big Bird, and all their friends. “Sesame Street Safari of Fun” will feature rides, shows, and adventures that celebrate the spirit of Africa, including a new “Air Grover” family roller coaster. www.buschgardens.com

• Canada’s largest themed waterpark, Calypso Waterpark, is scheduled to open in June 2010 in Limoges, Ontario. The park will span more than 100 acres and feature 35 waterslides and a 50,000-square-foot wave pool. www.calypsopark.com

• Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C., will introduce a new roller coaster inspired by racing legend, Dale Earnhardt. The 232-foot-tall “Intimidator” will send riders plummeting down a 211-foot first drop, then race at 75 miles per hour through more than a mile of high-speed twists, turns, and seven more extreme drops. www.carowinds.com

• Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, will open a new 2,100-foot-long water thrill ride, “Shoot the Rapids,” which simulates white-water rapids. The three-minute ride will take guests on 10-passenger boats through a ride complete with an 85-foot drop and meandering rivers along the Frontier Trail and Millennium Island. www.cedarpoint.com

• A $1 million water slide is planned for Dollywood’s Splash Country Water Adventure Park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Modeled after one of Dolly Parton’s favorite childhood activities, the “Slick Rock Racer” will span 300 feet and feature four side-by-side lanes with riders belly down on mats sliding downhill head first. http://www.dollywoodssplashcountry.com/

• Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., will open the second-largest ride addition in the park’s history in 2010. Touted as the world’s longest water coaster, “Wildebeest” is one-third of a mile long and will cover more than two acres. The new water coaster will feature four-person rafts in which guests will experience a 38-foot drop at a 45-degree angle and travel up and down seven additional hills, three tunnels, and around a helix. http://www.holidayworld.com/

• Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pa., will introduce a new roller coaster for 2010. The new launch coaster “Sky Rocket” will take riders from zero to 50 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The ride will feature a 95-foot vertical climb, a 90-degree plummet, three inversions, and a corkscrew. www.kennywood.com

• Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., will also introduce a Dale Earnhardt-themed coaster, the “Intimidator 305.” This 305-foot-tall gravity-driven roller coaster takes riders along 5,100 feet of steel track at 92 miles per hour. www.intimidator305.com

• “Flying Turns” will open for the 2010 season at Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pa. The thrill ride features a train that rides in a trough guided by the curved walls surrounding it. The cars are allowed to freewheel with the centripetal force creating the effect of a bobsled ride. www.knoebels.com

• La Ronde in Montreal, Quebec, will introduce a suspended roller coaster. The ride features five inversions, more than 2,200 feet of track, and two 20-passenger trains. www.laronde.com

• LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., will open the world’s first LEGOLAND Waterpark this June. The park will include a lazy river, several water slides, a splash tower, spray LEGO models, and two beach areas. www.legolandwaterpark.com

• Nashville Shores in Nashville, Tenn., will expand this year with new attractions including a 25,000-square-foot wave pool and a 1,000-foot-long lazy river. www.nashvilleshores.com

• Noah’s Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., will open a 10-story-high looping tube waterslide, “Scorpion’s Tail.” Riders of America’s first looping water slide will zip through the 45-degree-angle loop-de-loop at speeds up to 40 mph. www.noahsarkwaterpark.com

• Quassy Amusement Park will open “Free Fall ‘N,” a family-friendly drop-tower ride. With a circular seating arrangement, the ride will lift 12 riders to the top of the tower before releasing the ring of seats for a series of thrilling drops. www.quassy.com

• Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, N.Y., will open “Revolution 360°.” Guests will face outward aboard a giant disk which rotates 360 degrees in both directions five stories high. www.seabreeze.com

• Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., kicks off its year long 50th Anniversary celebration with the opening of “Tom & Huck’s RiverBlast.” Raft riders and spectators, armed with water soakers, battle each other raft-to-raft and raft-to-shore. http://www.bransonsilverdollarcity.com

• Opening Memorial Day at Six Flags Great America near Chicago, Ill., is the new “Glow in the Park Parade,” featuring state-of-the-art floats, intricate light design, and Cirque-style music. The “Glow in the Park” nighttime parade will start in Hometown Square and will take approximately 30 minutes to wind through four themed sections, including Carousel Plaza, Orleans Place, and Mardi Gras. www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Jackson, N.J., will open “Tornado,” a seven-story water ride that will send passengers plummeting down a tunnel into a 60-footwide funnel.  www.sixflags.com/HurricaneHarborNJ

• Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter a multimillion-dollar project at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla., will provide visitors with an immersive experience. Opening in spring 2010, the new world within the park will transcend generations and bring the wonder and magic of the amazingly detailed Harry Potter books and films to life. www.universalorlandoresort.com/harrypotter

Europe:

• Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire, England will open “Thirteen,” a roller coaster which will take riders into the Dark Forest. www.altontowers.com

• The “Cobra” coaster will open at Conny-Land in Lipperswil, Switzerland. The shuttle coaster will travel at 52.8 miles per hour and feature more than 705 feet of track with a 118-foot-drop. www.connyland.ch

• De Efteling in the Netherlands will open a new dual wooden roller coaster, “George and the Dragon.” Two separate tracks, “Fire” and “Water,” will comprise the coaster, each a total 700 meters in length, with a maximum height of 21 meters. www.efteling.nl

• The newly reconstructed Grand Pier in North Somerset, England will reopen in the summer of 2010. The attraction will feature a 90 meter-high panoramic tower providing up to 40 guests at a time a spectacular view of the town. The pier will also introduce a new fun house, go-kart track, surf board ride, laser room, and mirror maze. www.grandpierwsm.co.uk

• A mine train-themed coaster, “Tren de la Mina,” will open in Isla Mágica park in Seville, Spain. The steel sit-down coaster cost an estimated €4 million and is manufactured by Vekoma. www.islamagica.es

• At Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany, the new “ring°racer” will take guests from zero to 135 in 2.5 seconds. The Nürburgring is a motorsport race track known in Germany as “The Ring, ” and the new roller coaster is part of a new entertainment area created in 2009 called “ring°werk.” www.nuerburgring.de

• A “Monster” is coming to Walygator Parc in Lorraine, France. The coaster features loops, a zero-gravity roll, cobra roll, and two corkscrews. www.walygatorparc.com

• Zoosafari Fasanolandia in Puglia, Italy, will open the “Euro Fighter,” a steel sit-down coaster that travels at 43.5 miles per hour and features three inversions. The park touts the attraction as a revolutionary roller coaster suited to an audience of real daredevils. www.zoosafari.it

Middle East:

• With more than 20 rides and attractions, including the world’s fastest roller coaster, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is set to be the world’s largest indoor theme park, sitting under a roof designed in the style of a classic double-curve body shell of a Ferrari GT car. www.yasisland.ae/FerrariWorld_en_gb.html

Asia:

• In January 2010, the World Chocolate Dream Park opened in Beijing, China, featuring a life-sized edible Terracotta Army, a replica of the Great Wall of China, and chocolate versions of famous paintings. The park is located at the Olympic Green, which includes the Bird’s Nest stadium and the Water Cube aquatics center used during the Beijing Summer Olympic Games.

• Universal Studios Singapore, a new theme park opening this year, will include a dueling roller coaster and state-of-the-art attractions. “Battlestar Gallactica,” themed after the popular television series, will feature one inverted track for thrill seekers and one sit-down for families. “Madagascar: A Crate Adventure,” will bring DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster movie “Madagascar” to life with an innovative indoor boat ride featuring animated figures, digital projection, evocative sound, and special effects. Far, Far Away Castle — from the movie “Shrek,”— will house attractions such as “Shrek 4-D,” “Donkey Live,” and “Magic Potion Spin.” www.rwsentosa.com/en_universalstudio.html

About IAAPA
IAAPA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions is the premier trade association for the attractions industry worldwide. Founded more than 90 years ago, IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities and attractions and is dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of the attractions industry.IAAPA represents more than 4,000 attraction, supplier, and individual members from more than 90 countries. Visit IAAPA online at www.IAAPA.org.

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New Theme Park Attractions Opening in 2010
The Disney Blog - Disney News and Information -- by fans, for fans

Went to EPCOT this weekend to check out the latest version of the IBM play center at Innoventions. It was quite good and my six year old went back to play it a couple more times later in the day. I was actually, a bit surprised that it was just being officially debuted this weekend as I played a version of the game online about six months ago.

The game itself is a bit of a trip through the history of computing, which IBM and you as the star, of course. Across from the game is a learning center where guess discover the possibilities of building a smarter planet. The exhibit is powered by a news Smarter Data Center, providing a real-life demonstration of optimized computing that reduces energy costs by up to 25 percent.

SmarterPlanet presented by IBM offers visitors to the park a “behind-the-scenes” glimpse of how technology is helping solve the world’s most complex problems – from reducing road traffic and city crime to improving food safety and local water supplies.

The experience encourages guests to think about their individual role in creating a smarter planet as well as understand how smarter data centers are the heart of a more sustainable, technology-enabled world.

For example, hands-on interactive kiosks offer guests a “match” game that reveals societal and technological implications of creating a smarter planet. Guests will discover how more than two billion people are using mobile phones to open and use bank accounts for the first time; or that only 11 percent of the United States money supply is cash; or that by unplugging household appliance while not in use homeowners can save cash, up to $286 every year; or how smarter food systems track the temperatures of foods from one location to another to prevent spoilage. From the same kiosks, guests can take a Smarter Planet poll and compare their answers with those of other visitors.

The exhibit also features Runtime, created by Walt Disney Imagineering, which transforms guests into personalized avatars as part of the video game experience. Players run, jump and dance through a timeline of IBM’s achievements in the history of computing, journeying from the Babbage computer, through vacuum tubes and chips and bits, to the Internet. Guests can also email their personalized version of the game to any computer, extending the Runtime experience to their home.

Smarter Data Center
The exhibit’s glass storefront invites guests to peek into a functional IBM Smarter Data Center, responsible for running the SmarterPlanet exhibit and demonstrating the advanced technology required as part of the Smarter Planet transformation.

Implemented by hundreds of IBM clients around the world over the past three years, the exhibit’s version of IBM’s Scalable Modular Data Center is a quick-to-deploy, cost-effective, energy-efficient data center built on a combination of IBM hardware and software as well as partner offerings. Using this type of data center – equipped with highly optimized servers, storage, switches and smart software – IBM has helped organizations reduce their overall IT costs by up to 25 percent, including reducing overall energy costs.

In addition to providing the computer power for the exhibit, the Smarter Data Center will donate unused computing resources to the World Community Grid to help in various types of medical, humanitarian and environmental research. This project joins together thousands of individual computers worldwide, establishing a large system with massive computational power equivalent to a supercomputer, thereby reducing research time from decades to months.

The Smarter Data Center also includes an IBM Cloudburst™ demonstration environment. This emerging and massively scalable compute model allows a data center to rapidly deploy a workload with a high degree of integration, flexibility and resource optimization. It also helps to drive down costs and accelerate time to market for businesses.

“The new SmarterPlanet experience brings to life the many ways in which IBM technologies are invisibly woven into the way people live, work and play,” said Gary Cohen, IBM General Manager, Global Communications Sector. “The objective is for guests to walk away understanding how forward-thinking solutions can solve our greatest societal problems, and the increasing role technology will play in improving the quality of life for people across the world.”

SmarterPlanet presented by IBM also serves as a key venue for several of IBM’s community outreach programs, including Engineers Week, an annual program created by The National Engineers Week Foundation to reach out to current and future generations of engineering talent. The Engineers Week program, which IBM has hosted at its exhibit since 2000, engages visiting elementary school children in activities designed to inspire and motivate them to excel in math and science. The program also seeks to reduce the digital divide, especially for children from low-income communities where access to computers and technology may be limited at home and in school. This year, IBM will host Engineers Week April 13-15, 2010.

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IBM makes a Smarter Planet at EPCOT
The Disney Blog - Disney News and Information -- by fans, for fans

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Yep, it’s another cute baby from the wonderful world of the animal kingdom, er the nature’s animal kingdom, not Disney’s theme park. This baby anteater was born to mom, Adelhi, on December 23, 2009 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Weighing about 3 pounds at birth, the little boy will ride on his mother’s back for about four months until he is ready to walk, explore and find food on his own.

Giant anteaters detect insects with their powerful sense of smell, which is 40 times stronger than a human’s and allows them to find and eat up to 30,000 insects a day. They tear apart anthills and logs with their strong claws and lap up the insects with a tongue that can reach 2 feet long.

Give it a few years and you’ll be able to zoom down to Tampa on High Speed Rail. Your tax dollars at work.

(Photo by Matt Marriott/Courtesy Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)

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Cute Baby Alert – Giant Baby Anteater
The Disney Blog - Disney News and Information -- by fans, for fans