Category — Online

Everybody at home knows that I general don’t move from the couch this weekends as three of the biggest races in NASCAR, Formula 1, and Indy Cars all occur at the same time. It’s been my dream to visit Indianapolis or Monaco for those races. That dream may be out of reach for now, but I can visit the Toontown Online version during its Grand Prix Weekend.

Disney Online will host the Grand Prix Weekend (GPW) over the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, during which players will race in up to four (4) Grand Prix circuits and Disney Online will award the top four (4) fastest players in each circuit, per day. This will result in a minimum of 16 winners per day (64 over the four-day weekend) with the potential for ties.

All players can, and are welcome to participate. This means that Free players will have all of Goofy Speedway/karting unlocked for this four-day weekend. They can kart as much as they like, and their ability to race is not tied to this event.

Also, Goofy will be supporting the event with updated chatter. Starting this week, his chatter will be centered on “fixing” the leaderboard that was broken during April Toons’ Week, and preparing players for the event. Then, during the week of the event, his chatter will be about the fixed leaderboard and the event.

I don’t post about Disney’s MMOs much because, frankly, the chatter has dropped way down since they canceled VMK. Anyone out there an active player?

Three more screenshots below the cut:

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Beginning tomorrow the Walt Disney Company will launch “Disney’s Friends fro Change: Planet Green” a new multiplatform environmental initiative across the Disney Channel, Disney XD, Radio Disney and Disney.com featuring a star-studded lineup of Disney’s young talent pledging environmental stewardship and encouraging other kids to do the same. Along the way kids’ votes will determine how Disney will divide $1 million in donations to green causes.

Disney stars Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, and Demi Lovato are among the 29 young stars participating in outreach messages as part of the Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green initiative. Young people will join together to help the environment across four key areas: climate, water, waste and habitats. Kids will learn practical ways to preserve the planet, track their collective impact and have the opportunity to vote on how $1 million in donations from Disney will be divided and invested in various environmental causes over the course of a year.

If 500,000 kids participate in Disney Friends for Change: Project Green events, together they can:

• Prevent approximately 100,000 tons of CO2 per year from polluting the air by adjusting their home thermostats.
• Save 5 million gallons of water in a single day by reducing shower times.
• Prevent 1 million pounds of waste from entering landfills by bringing trash-free lunches for a week.
• Create new habitats for local animals by planting 500,000 trees.

“With Disney’s Friends for Change, we’re empowering kids to tap into the potential that lies within each and every one of them to make a difference,” said Bob Iger, president, The Walt Disney Company. “Building on our recently announced environmental goals, this program highlights what is possible as we leverage Disney’s reach to educate and inspire environmental stewardship in others.”

Starting tomorrow visit Disney.com and look for this logo to join Disney’s Friends for Change:

For those waiting to hear exactly what Disney’s D23, the new Official Community for Fans, will involve and what it will cost to join, DisneyShopping.com has spilled the beans a few hours earlier than the official announcement was scheduled for.

You can actually visit DisneyShopping right now and enroll or buy a membership for your family or friends.

Here’s an official description for D23:

D23 - Disney’s first official community for fans - celebrates the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his studio in Hollywood. Through the years, Disney’s stories, characters and experiences have captured the imagination of fans everywhere, and now D23 places you in the middle of the magic. Go backstage, behind closed doors, and get the inside scoop, while experiencing the nostalgia, adventure and fantasy of Disney as never before.

What does D23 mean?

“D” stands for Disney, and “23″ represents 1923, the year that Walt Disney arrived in California and founded what was to ultimately become The Walt Disney Company.

The cost of a membership is $74.99 and it can be given as a gift. If you buy your membership in 2009 you’ll become a D23 Charter Member. A one-year D23 Charter Membership includes:

• Disney ”twenty-three” Quarterly Publication: A one-year subscription (four issues) to D23’s exquisite collectible magazine, filled with stunning photography, dazzling illustrations and the ultimate Disney insider perspective. It’s your all-access pass to discovering the magic of Disney’s past, present and future!
• Membership Card and Certificate: Your membership card and personalized, suitable-for-framing charter member certificate feature many of Disney’s most beloved characters drawn by Disney Master Artist David Pacheco.
• Surprise Collectible Gift: A collectible just for D23 members. You’ll receive a gift you’ll cherish from the new Walt Disney Archives Collection.
• Exclusive Special Events and Merchandise: D23 offers its members unique special-event opportunities throughout the year, as well as access to exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles.
• D23 Expo: It’s the ultimate Disney fan experience, taking place in Anaheim, California from September 10-13, 2009. This can’t-miss event will feature guest speakers, celebrity appearances, breathtaking exhibitions, sneak peeks, film screenings, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and so much more! Admission will be discounted for D23 members.
• Subscription to bi-weekly D23 FanFare e-newsletter with breaking news and special offers. (You may opt out of receiving FanFare after your first e-newsletter arrives.)
• Plus, stay connected to D23 every day at Disney.com/D23, featuring up-to-the-minute Disney news, feature stories, event info, merchandise and more.

As of now no family memberships are offered. You must be 18 years old to join or purchase membership (so there is no point of a family membership anyway as discounts will probably be applied to something like “up to 4 people” (see D23 Expo details below).

There will be a variety of D23 members-only events throughout the year. Check online at Disney.com/D23 to find out about upcoming events. Special promotional codes and information for some events will be sent out via email and e-newsletters, so once D23 members start receiving D23 emails and e-newsletters, they may not wish to “opt out” of receiving that correspondence.

Finally there are some additional details on the big D23 convention:

D23 Expo
What is the D23 Expo?

It’s the ultimate Disney fan experience, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California (across the street from Disneyland), September 10-13, 2009. This four-day can’t-miss event will feature incredible speakers, celebrity appearances, breathtaking exhibitions, sneak peeks, film screenings, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and so much more! There will be something for children of all ages, fans, the whole family, and friends.

When will tickets go on sale for the Expo?

Tickets will go on sale this spring. Check the D23 Web site for more information. Members will be alerted the day tickets go on sale.

How much will the Expo cost?

General Admission:
Adult 1-day $37
Child 1-day $27
Child 4-day $81 (4th day free)

D23 Member Admission (D23 members may purchase up to four discounted tickets per membership):
Adult 1-day $30
Adult 4-day $90 (4th day free)
Child 1-day $22
Child 4-day $66 (4th day free)

All details are scheduled to change, of course. More details can be found on the official FAQ.

It was not much more than a day ago I was pondering why Disney hasn’t made a stronger entry into online media with its huge and popular library of movies, tv shows, and other properties. I must have been channeling Bob Iger, because today in his speech to Deutsche Bank he said The Walt Disney Company was considering just that.

Of course, Iger wants a subscription service and I think it should be something more akin to Hulu (paid for by advertising). He’s the big cheese, so you can guess what we’ll get.

More from Reuters and FanBoy over at LaughingPlace.com has some good coverage of Iger’s talk in general.

This week Disney Online invited a few Disneyland guests to the new Pixie Hollow attraction for an event celebrating the official launch of the Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow virtual world (www.PixieHollow.com). Teen celeb Debby Ryan, from Disney Channel’s Suite Life on Deck, was at the event and took a break from flying her fairy avatar around and playing games in the Pixie Hollow virtual world to sign autographs for excited fans.

Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow is an online virtual world where guests can create their own Fairy avatar to take flight alongside Tinker Bell and their Fairy friends. In the world, Fairies help bring about the change of seasons through meeting friends, playing games and collecting items in nature. It’s very easy to sign up and get going. It took me about 10 minutes to design my fairy and get going.

Learn more about Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow virtual world in the press release below the cut:

(Photos Courtesy Disney. Photo 1: Debby Ryan and Fan Enjoy Pixie Hollow Virtual World. Photo 2: Fan Meets Famous Fairies – Tinker Bell and Iridessa.)

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Disney has opened to beta play the Pixie Hollow MMORPG based on the Disney Fairies properties. If you previously created a fairy on the site, you can now log in and play that fairy. You can also start a new fairy and join in. I found the creation part easy to follow and the games were fun. Much of the game isn’t open yet, so I expect that area will get even better. But, perhaps due to the flighty nature of fairies, I found the interaction with other players to be difficult at best.

Also, we heard today that The World of Cars will open in beta later in October. Players will get Car avatars in the world created by Pixar’s movie of the same name.

Today The Walt Disney Company’s Family.com announced the launch of a new social networking site for parents called Disney Family.com Community (www.family.com/community). This site allows moms and dads across the nation to connect with other parents who have similar interests or parenting questions. Some of the many features of Disney Family.com Community are: the ability to Join Groups, post Profile Stickers and “Share It” Widgets.

The site provides a customizable online destination for moms and dads to connect with other parents through shared interests such as hobbies, age of child(ren), family setup, parenting tips, geographic location and more. The site also allows guests to interact with each other by posting comments, questions and images about parenting experiences and challenges they have in common, as well as posting reactions to content on Disney Family.com.

“Parents are increasingly sharing experiences, offering support and telling insightful stories about their families online through message boards and social networking,” said Emily Smith, Vice President of the Disney Family Group. “Disney Family.com Community creates a new online forum that combines social networking and insightful content to bring moms and dads together to make important connections while having fun.”

The community has been in beta-testing for a while now. So hopefully they have most of the quirks worked out and a good core of contributors to welcome new users. I hope to get more time to check it out myself this weekend.

Have you been waiting to try out Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean MMORPG, but didn’t want pay for the full version without getting a taste of it first, well batten down the hatches, cause this weekend is the perfect storm.

While PotC has always had a free version, with some abilities and equipment reserved for those who paid for a membership, this weekend (August 15 — 18) all free members will get an upgrade to the full version and be able to do any of the tasks, quests, or other pirates stuff regular paying customers can. Sort of like an open house.

Register your free account today and get ready to enjoy full access this weekend.