The writer of some of Disney’s most beloved songs, and humanity’s most persistent earworms , Robert Sherman, has died at the age of 86. Sherman was the co-writer of “It’s a Small World (After All),” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “A Spoonful of Sugar,” among other hits (his brother Richard was his songwriting partner). Read full article > >

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‘It’s a Small World’ writer Robert Sherman dies at 86

For tourism, president says during visit to Disney World.

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Obama: ‘America Is Open’

The state’s need for increased revenues puts it at odds with its most powerful company, Disney, which opposes a multibillion-dollar plan for gambling resorts.

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Florida in a Battle Over Casino Bill

An orchestra is a symbol of opulence and musical excellence. The Philadelphia Orchestra, these days, has become a symbol for bankruptcy and a threatened future. And the orchestra’s performance at the Kennedy Center on Friday night was a test of how these seemingly contradictory things could coexist. Obviously no one expected the orchestra, which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, to take the stage in patched evening wear, with broken bows and dented brass, or to pass the hat at intermission. Members of the staff were, though, wearing buttons saying “Listen with your heart,” the slogan of the ongoing fundraising campaign hoping to mitigate a structural deficit of $14.5 million. (One wonders why the architects of the campaign chose to align themselves with the title of a song from the Disney film “Pocahontas,” particularly since the real message they want to convey is less about listening with hearts than with pocketbooks.) Read full article > >

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Financially troubled Philadelphia Orchestra proves its worth

Critics proved powerless to stop the Pirates franchise, as On Stranger Tides made a worldwide total of $346.4 million, the fourth largest global opening weekend ever. The fourth film based on the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean ride made $90.1 million…

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New Pirates Made $346.4M

It took over ten years to get the permits, but Disney CEO Bob Iger finally presided over the groundbreaking of Shanghai Disneyland. Iger was joined by Shanghai’s Communist Party chief and the city’s mayor in an elaborate ceremony featuring gold-toned…

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Work Begins on Shanghai Disneyland

Broadway’s reigning Mary Poppins skipped the Disney tunes for a spin through the American Songbook.

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Music review: Ashley Brown at Kennedy Center

Get your dancing shoes on and your fingers ready to dial: ABC announced the new cast of Dancing With the Stars. On the Season 12 list: ’90s television star Kirstie Alley, WWE champion Chris Jericho, former Disney Channel star Chelsea Kane, Karate Kid…

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New DWTS Cast Revealed

If nothing else, at least it’s fodder for a great country song. Billy Ray Cyrus, the ’90s country star who’s recently been better known as father of starlet Miley Cyrus, says his daughter’s Disney show Hannah Montana destroyed his family. He blames the…

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Miley’s Dad: Show Ruined My Family

Tradition meets cutting edge for Disney’s 50th

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Tangled tale

A Harry Potter park has given new bounce to J. K. Rowling’s literary creation and ignited a rivalry between Universal and Walt Disney World.

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A Wizard Rivals Mickey

Both Sony and Disney claim their movies are the best-reviewed of the year. Who is right?

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Carpetbagger: Full-Page Duel Over Critical Praise

Coming down off the busy Thanksgiving weekend, this week’s box office match-up was a contest of endurance. Tangled, Disney’s animated Rapunzel tale, held up best, dropping 56 percent from its debut to take in $21.5 million and land at No. 1. Harry…

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Tangled Climbs to Top of Box Office

‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to Shoot Back-to-Back Sequels? Disney proved they want to continue their Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise by moving forward with On Stranger Tides, due out on May 20th, but what about past that? Well HitFix claims via a Disney source that the studio is asking cast and crew to set aside a major block of time so that they can shoot Pirates 5 and 6 back-to-back in the same way they shot parts 2 and 3. No word yet on where the stories will be coming from, or how they’ll snag Johnny Depp away from his busy schedule to shoot an additional two movies, but it sounds like Disney is eager to keep making Pirates films in order to capitalize on it being one of their most successful franchises ever. HitFix imagines we’ll start hearing more… Read More Read Comments

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Fanboy Fix: More ‘Pirates’ Sequels, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ‘Super 8’ Alien Revealed?

It turns out that, 14 years later, the town that Disney built is not all that different from many other communities. Its neo-traditional look, straight out of 1950s suburbia, and white rail fences could not prevent crime from catching up to…

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Celebration, FL Deals With First Homicide