Category: Disney Co.

Comcast Tops Disney’s Bid For Fox With $65 Billion All-Cash Offer

The bidding war for 21st Century Fox has started. Today, Comcast made a $65 billion all-cash offer for the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s TV and studio assets, topping a previous $52.4 billion bid made by Walt Disney Company.

If successful, the move would bring together Comcast’s NBC broadcast network and the Universal movie studio with 20th Century Fox, the FX cable network and the regional Fox sports networks. The offer is valued at $35.00 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 19% to the value of Disney’s all-stock offer, according to Comcast.

“We have long admired what the Murdoch family has built at Twenty-First Century Fox,” Comcast CEO Brian Roberts wrote in a letter to Fox’s controlling Murdoch family, telling 21st Century Fox Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch and his sons Lachlan and James that Comcast “would be the right strategic home” for the parts of the company that are for sale.

The financial bidding war comes just a day after a U.S. District Judge gave his blessing for AT&T’s to by Time Warner, without any conditions on the $85.4 billion deal. That approval signaled that Comcast might have less trouble getting the deal approved than previously expected.

If Disney comes out on top of the bidding war, the acquisition could cement Disney CEO Bob Iger’s legacy. Sealing a deal for Fox would cap off a slew of massive acquisitions under his aegis at Disney, which include a $4 billion buy of Marvel Entertainment in 2009; a $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm in 2009; and $2.58 billion over three years for BAMTech, the streaming-video unit that is meant to power Disney’s various subscription-based video outlets.

But a deal would benefit Comcast similarly, adding new strength to its Universal movie production operations, its NBC Sports unit, and its cable programming operations.

Comcast’s $65 billion all-cash offer for Fox’s entertainment businesses is higher than the $60 billion that pundits had been predicting. Experts are expecting Disney to make a counter offer.

The battle for Twenty-First Century Fox comes as traditional entertainment companies try to amass more properties to compete better with technology companies such as Netflix for viewers’ attention — and dollars.

June 13, 2018
Walt Disney World Union Loses Battle Over $1,000 Bonuses

The National Labor Relations Board ruled this week that Walt Disney World Resort did not violate the law when the company refused to give $1,000 bonuses to its largest union unless its members approved a contract first.

After the corporate tax cut approved by Republicans in Congress back in January, Disney announced it would give $1,000 one-time cash bonuses to 125,000 domestic workers.

The Service Trades Council Union is a coalition of six unions representing nearly 36,000 Walt Disney World cast members which has been negotiating wages with Disney. The STCU filed an unfair labor complaint against Disney, alleging the company was retaliating against unionized cast members by refusing to give them the $1,000 bonus until they approved Disney’s wage offer. Back in December, Walt Disney World union members overwhelmingly voted ‘No’ on a contract that would have given employees a raise of at least 50 cents an hour. Disney said, they believe the 6 to 10 percent wage increase was fair.

According to a letter from David Cohen, the NLRB’s regional director in the Tampa office, the agency dismissed the union’s complaint, saying there was no evidence Disney showed an “anti-union animus” and because it appeared to not have a history of paying bonuses to union members.

The union plans to appeal the decision. Labor talks between Disney and the union are scheduled to resume June 8.

June 1, 2018
Comcast Challenging Disney For Fox Assets With Estimated $60 Billion Bid

You may want to get some pop corn and get ready to watch the show, because the battle for Fox isn’t over. Comcast is jumping back into the race for Fox with Estimated $60 Billion offer.

On Wednesday, Comcast confirmed that it’s in the “advanced stages” of making an offer. The company provided very few details other than it would it be an all-cash offer. Disney offered Fox a $52.4 billion all-stock deal late last year, and shareholders are expected to vote on the offer this summer. Comcast is hoping to sneak in with this all-cash offer ahead of that vote.

Last year, even though it exceeded Disney’s offer, Fox’s board rejected Comcast’s original bid, because they believed it was more risky with regulators to get approval. Now it seems that another major deal — Time Warner and AT&T — might actually go through. If it does, Comcast could potentially acquire parts of Fox without alarming regulators.

The Fox assets — which range from international pay-TV distribution to cable networks and a stake in streaming giant Hulu — are some of the most-prized entertainment properties likely to come on the market for some time, and the Murdoch family’s willingness to sell these assets has come as a surprise to many in the media industry.

The rare acquisition opportunity, combined with the need to significantly expand overseas and acquire new distribution and content, is adding a dimension of urgency for both Comcast and Disney.

May 25, 2018
6 ‘Incredible’ New AR Emojis Revealed by Samsung and Disney

Samsung and Disney recently teamed up to make messaging a little more incredible by bringing six new classic Disney characters to life as AR Emojis.

The companies have revealed that the already available characters of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck have been joined by all five members of Pixar’s beloved Super family, the Incredibles, and their friend, Frozone.

Galaxy S9 and S9+ users may now personalize their messages with augmented-reality avatars of Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack, as well as fellow Super Frozone.

“By extending our characters and stories to new digital platforms, we are creating daily Disney experiences everywhere our audience goes, and we are able to draw in new generations of fans,” said John Love, Vice President, Apps at Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “The Disney AR Emojis offer an innovative approach to content for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ and a fun way to bring magic to messages.”

To add them, simply access the camera’s AR Emoji mode, tap the plus icon on the right-hand side, and select the Incredibles AR Emoji pack from the Galaxy Apps Store.

Characters from favorite Disney films including Zootopia and Frozen are expected to roll out throughout the year.

May 25, 2018
Unions at Disneyland Are Putting ‘Living Wage Ordinance’ On Anaheim Ballot

Unions representing Disneyland have band together in an effort to gather enough signatures to put a ballot measure before Anaheim voters that would require Disneyland to pay the resort workers a “living wage.”

The coalition is made up of 11 labor unions and they have been pushing for higher wages at Disneyland Resort and nearby hotels. They says they plan to present a petition with about 20,000 signatures to the Anaheim city clerk’s office this morning.

The measure would end up on the November ballot if enough signatures are verified and would ask voters to require Disney and other large Anaheim employers that accept city subsidies to pay workers a minimum of $15 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2019. Salaries would then rise $1 an hour every Jan. 1 through 2022. Once the wages reach $18 an hour, annual raises would then be based on the cost of living.

The petition drive was launched by a coalition of employee unions shortly after a survey — that found that 73% of Disney employees who were questioned said they don’t earn enough to pay for such basic expenses as rent, food and gas — was released in February. It also found that 11% of resort employees have been homeless or have not had a place of their own in the last two years.

The survey was conducted by the Economic Roundtable, a nonprofit research organization in Los Angeles, and the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College.

To qualify for the November ballot, the unions needed to collect the signatures of 10%, or 13,150, of the voters in Anaheim. The coalition of unions says it deployed at least 50 volunteers each day since April 12 to collect the 20,000 signatures.

Disney officials have said that the average annual pay for hourly workers at the resort is $37,000, which calculates to about $17.80 an hour.

May 1, 2018
Disney Filing Discloses Fox’s Reasons For Rejecting Comcast Bid

In a filing made by Walt Disney Co with the Securities and Exchange Commission today, in their efforts to acquire Fox’s film and TV assets, we now know Fox’s reasons for rejecting Comcast’s offer.

Walt Disney Co announced the purchased most of 21st Century Fox’s assets back in December in a deal worth $52.4 billion. At the time it was well-known that Comcast Corp had also been bidding on the assets, but they eventually bowed out.

In documents filed with the SEC today, Disney disclosed Fox’s reasons for rejecting the rival offer without disclosing the bidder.

The documents state that Fox rejected a deal with another entity — that multiple sources have identified as Comcast Corp — due to higher regulatory risks.

April 18, 2018
The Walt Disney Company Makes $1.5 Million Investment to ‘Meet Me at the Park’ Program

This April, NRPA, in collaboration with Disney, ESPN and ABC, will provide 16 communities with resources to improve local parks through projects that connect kids to nature, inspire kids and families to live healthier lifestyles, and increase access to sports for youth through the Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign. The Walt Disney Company will make a $1.5 million contribution to the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to support the Meet Me at the Park program.

As part of the program, NRPA and Disney will provide local park and recreation agencies in all 50 states, U.S. territories and Washington, D.C. with the opportunity to apply for a grant that will help increase the amount of time children and families spend at their local parks and improve access to safe, fun and unique play spaces.

Additionally, this is the fourth year Meet Me at the Park has come to life to celebrate Earth Month when Disney and NRPA team up to help fund local park improvement projects in 16 U.S. cities.

That’s where you come in. YOU and your friends can get involved in the Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign by voting for projects in 15 select cities, including Los Angeles, Orlando and New York, to receive $20,000 in grant funding. You also can nominate any city or town for the chance to receive a separate $20,000 grant to support a local park within that community.

Voting is taking place now and will continue through April 30. You can vote daily online at www.nrpa.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark. The park project with the most votes in each city at the end of the month will receive $20,000 in grant funding. Similarly, the write-in-city with the most nominations at the end of the month will also receive $20,000.

Parks benefit everyone in the community. They benefit the economy. They provide important habitats for many animals. As more people move to urban areas, it’s more important than ever to have green spaces where kids, families, and friends can enjoy time with each other and connect with nature.

April 15, 2018
Homeless Disney Worker Who Died Living in Her Car Becomes Center Of Wages Debate

The homeless Disney worker who died alone, living in her car, has recently been put in the center of Disneyland’s wages debate.

Yeweinishet “Weini” Mesfin kept her struggles mostly to herself and it took 20 days of frantic searching by friends and family before her body was found around noon on Dec. 19, 2016. She was found dressed in exercise clothes and clutching her keys, in the driver’s seat of her dark green 1999 sedan parked at the gym where she showered.

Mesfin lived out of her Honda Civic for seven years but all she wanted was privacy and hid her struggles from almost everyone, according to a report by The Orange County Register. Mesfin decided not to tell family and coworkers that she was homeless, outside of one or two people.

The homeless Disney worker who died alone in her car became the face of a public debate, but all she wanted was privacy https://t.co/0mNS7ZT6id pic.twitter.com/tVjY5E56kw

— OC Disney (@ocdisney) March 30, 2018

Now Mesfin’s private struggle is the subject of public debate more than a year after her death. A recent union-commissioned survey of 5,000 Disney employees showed that the vast majority of respondents stated they were being paid less than $15 an hour, and about 3/4 of those surveyed said they run out of money by the end of month, according to the study. Headlines about the about the findings quickly spread and soon she was the subject of social media posts and stories claiming she died because of her paycheck.

Disney officials, however, dispute the surveys findings as “deliberately distorted,” calling them an “inaccurate and unscientific survey … paid for by politically motivated labor unions,” according to a statement from Suzi Brown, the vice president of communications for Disneyland Resort.

However on the issue of Mesfin’s disappearance, Brown said, Disney security also requested a welfare check by Anaheim police. They also made calls to multiple police departments and maintained Mesfin’s status as a cast member until she was found dead.

Employment records show Mesfin began working part-time at the Anaheim theme park in 2007, according to Brown. Mesfin became a full-time cast member in 2009.

Co-worker said, Mesfin was third-shift custodial at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, with typical hours starting at 11 or 11:30 p.m. and ending around 8 a.m. Her pay was most likely was around $13 or $14 an hour at the time of her death, according to the report.

The 61 year-old passed alone almost a week after her birthday.

March 31, 2018
Walt Disney Co. Investing $100 Million To Reinvent Experience For Children’s Hospitals
Over the next five years, The Walt Disney Company will be investing more than $100 Million to help reinvent the experience for children’s hospitals around the globe. The plan is to completely transform the patient and family stay at children’s hospitals around the world with the creation of personalized, distinctly “Disney” experiences featuring beloved Disney characters and stories. And Walt Disney Imagineers will be leading the creative design work at each hospital!

Disney Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger and Mark A. Wallace, President and CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital were joined by Mickey Mouse for the big announcement at Texas Children’s Hospital – the first hospital to work us and this new approach.

Imagineers will be working with patient care experts to help create a supportive atmosphere that’s personal, warm and entertaining at the hospitals. The combination of customized experiences with favorite Disney characters and our legendary creativity will help inspire young patients and their family and ease the stress of a hospital stay.

How will it happen? Here are a few concepts:
- Addition of a new RFID-based system allowing patients to customize their hospital visit by choosing their favorite Disney stories and characters. The system will also unlock special elements to further personalize and enhance the experience, such as “enchanted” artwork that comes alive.
- Themed treatment and patient rooms featuring interactive murals of Disney stories, bed linens and gowns featuring each child’s favorite characters, and personalized in-room entertainment. Also, well stocked mobile “play carts” will include Disney-themed games and activities to give families something to do together to help alleviate stress and boredom.
- Disney first-run movies and television shows, available both in-room and in themed pop up movie theaters in the hospital, along with other Disney entertainment options.
- Disney customer-experience training for doctors, nurses and staff. Disney Institute will create a customized program for healthcare professionals designed to foster a less stressful, patient and family-centric hospital experience.
Disney teams are already working with a panel of medical experts, including doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, parents and child life professionals from around the world, to advise on the best ways to help hospitals create a more personalized and comforting experience for patients and families.

This new patient-focused initiative will expand the Company’s rich legacy of supporting children’s hospitals, which dates back to Walt Disney.
March 8, 2018
Walt Disney’s Plane Found Safe and Sound on Satellite Imagery

Have you ever wondered what happened to Walt’s plane after it was removed from the Studio Back Lot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Well after the famous plane, known as “The Mouse”, was recently spotted from high above, we now have the answer. Satellite Imagery shows the plane in good condition and out of public sight.

There were some initial reports that the plane was severely damaged and maybe even crushed, while it was being moved to a backstage location elsewhere on property. We now know that isn’t the case thanks to recent satellite images.

The twin prop plane is surrounded by barricades and being kept safe in a restricted backstage area.

The area is easily recognizable as the wastewater treatment plant operated by the Reedy Creek Improvement District. As we mentioned the area is off-limits so it’s best not to try to sneak a peek.

If you’ve ever experienced The Backlot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, chances are you’ve seen “The Mouse” – a white airplane with a Mickey Mouse icon on its tail. Before it made its home as part of the attraction the plane was actually used by Walt Disney himself.

The plane has a storied past and was used from everything from giving Walt a bird’s eye view to survey the future Walt Disney World property to shuttling Imagineers over to Florida to start their work on the project.

Walt purchased the Grumman Gulfstream 1 (G1) in 1964, and worked with his wife, Lillian, to select the plane’s interior design and color scheme. The plane seated 15 and featured a galley, two couches and a desk. Walt even designed his own special seat in the plane, which was in the rear left cabin. The seat was equipped with a special altimeter and air-speed gauge, which Walt added to satisfy his endless curiosity about flying.

The tail number on the plane has been N234MM since 1967, but it was N732G back when Walt Disney used the plane. Back then the plane was known as “George”. The new tail number of N234MM was originally called by the proper designation of “two three four metro metro,” but soon the FAA replaced the “metro metro” with “Mickey Mouse,” and so it was known for the remainder of its life.

The plane’s first trips took Walt and his Imagineers to and from California and New York to oversee the final preparations for Disney’s contributions to the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Later that year, Walt (pictured above, center) began surveying land in Central Florida, considering the site a possibility for his second theme park.

The plane also led Walt to find inspiration for the look of one classic Disney attraction. According to Mark Malone, son of Pilot Chuck Malone, Walt spotted El Morro fortress while flying over San Juan, Puerto Rico, and remarked that it would be the perfect look for his new Pirates of the Caribbean, which at the time was still in the planning phase.

In addition to taking Walt on his secret trips, the plane also took Disney characters on goodwill tours and visits to children’s hospitals around the United States. An estimated 83,000 passengers have flown aboard the plane, including Disney animators and several famous faces, including former Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, as well as Disney Legends Julie Andrews and Annette Funicello.

One of the most exciting things you may notice is the fact that it appears as though the plane has been repainted to its original colors. In some photos found on Nearmap by Blog Mickey you can see a much closer look at the plane and it looks like it’s in great condition.

Take an inside look at this amazing piece of history in the video below.

The airplane’s last flight took place Oct. 8, 1992, when it touched down on World Drive, west of Disney’s Hollywood Studios before it became part of The Back Lot Tour. What is most important is that it looks like Disney is taking good care of it and we hope the fact that it’s been repainted means that it will eventually end up on display again somewhere.

February 21, 2018