Annette Funicello Pass Away at the age of 70 Sad RIP Annette Funicello
Annette Funicello loved the mouse and Loved Working for Walt Disney It's time to say good bye to Annette Funicello
Pray for her family and friends. Anyone who loves the Disney Company thank of Annette Funicello
she made Disney into a Magical place be full of life and laughter the way Walt Disney himself did. America will miss Annette Funicello RIP
Disney pulls out of Bangladesh factories
@emilyjanefox May 2, 2013: 2:31 PM ET
The Walt Disney Company told licensees and vendors to halt production in "highest-risk countries" like Bangladesh and Pakistan.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
The Walt Disney Company has stopped production of branded merchandise in Bangladesh, in response to the spate of fatal factory accidents last fall.
The company sent a letter in March to vendors and licensees to transition production out of the "highest-risk countries," like Bangladesh, in order to bolster safety standards in its supply chain.The decision was made before last week's devastating collapse of a factory building in Bangladesh that left more than 400 people dead. It was prompted by the November fire at the Tazreen Fashions Factory in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka that killed 112 people, and another fire in Pakistan that killed 262 garment workers last September.
"After much thought and discussion we felt this was the most responsible way to manage the challenges associated with our supply chain," said Bob Chapek, president of Disney Consumer Products.
Related: Shoppers face tough choices over Bangladesh
While Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) is the first brand to completely halt production in Bangladesh after the tragedies, it's a small chunk of what the company sources. Less than 1% of the factories that Disney sources from are located in Bangladesh. Even less are made in the four other counties, according to Disney spokeswoman Tasia Filippatos.
The company said its decision was based on a report from the World Bank that assesses how countries are governed, using metrics like accountability, corruption and violence, among others. The five countries from which Disney pulled production had the lowest scores on those measures.
Disney said it will continue to source from some countries, like Haiti and Cambodia, that didn't get high marks in the World Bank report, but only with factories that partner with the Better Work program run by the International Labor Organization and the International Finance Corporation. The group works to control health and safety conditions.
The company will consider permitting production in Bangladesh in the future if factories agree to partner with the Better Work program, according to Disney's Filippatos.
Disney isn't the only company snapping into action after the latest tragedy.
Earlier this week, a group of retailers, including H&M, Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) and Gap (GPS, Fortune 500), met with nongovernmental organizations and labor rights advocates in Frankfurt to discuss health and safety issues in the 4,500 garment factories in Bangladesh.
Related: "Shame on you," customers tell retailers
On Monday, a trade association representing stores, the Retail Council of Canada, called an urgent meeting to discuss how to address the situation. Joe Fresh and Wal-Mart confirmed that they were participating in the meeting. The companies haven't said if they are taking any concrete action.
The British retailer Primark on Monday said it will compensate victims who worked for its supplier, by providing long-term aid for children who lost parents, financial aid for those injured and payments to families of the deceased. A spokesman for the company said it has also partnered with a local aid group to dole out emergency food to families.
Other companies like J.C. Penney (JCP, Fortune 500), Benetton, and Sears (SHLD, Fortune 500) -- all of which source clothes from Bangladesh -- have reaffirmed their support for worker safety and monitoring conditions in the country.
The corporate reactions come as people are expressing outrage on companies' Facebook (FB) pages over the working conditions that retailers are willing to tolerate in order to sell clothes at cut rate prices.
"Until companies like yours control the working situation and pay decent wages, it will happen again. And again," Linda Bowser Fallis posted on Joe Fresh's Facebook page.
By Laura Bly, USA TODAY
About
an hour west of Waikiki, Aulani is Disney's first hotel and timeshare
development not connected to a theme park. The 8,200-square-foot
Waikolohe Pool includes a volcano-like outcropping with two slides.KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Order a mai tai in the 'Olelo Room lounge at Disney's new Aulani Resort & Spa, and you'll get more than a tropical drink. Also on tap: informal lessons in the Hawaiian language, delivered via labeled shadowboxes, flashing pronunciation guides and bartender Brad Kekuhaupi'ookalani Kalilimoku.
- .
A Native Hawaiian and former University of Hawaii linebacker, Kalilimoku will gladly coach you on the meaning of words like aulani ("messenger of a higher authority"), kama'aina (a local, or "child of the land") and 'iole (rat, unless of course you're referring to Mickey or Minnie).
Fronting
a perfect (and man-made) crescent cove in Oahu's Ko Olina resort area
about an hour west of Waikiki, Aulani is Disney's first hotel and
time-share development not connected to a theme park. It opened last
week with 217 hotel rooms and 73 two-bedroom time-share units in two
facing towers, and will add another 130 rooms and 134 time shares in
mid-November. (When complete in 2013, the 21-acre project will total 359
hotel rooms and 481 time shares.)
Key Disney characters — Mickey and Minnie, Goofy and Donald, Chip and Dale, and Stitch of Lilo & Stitch—
are on hand at Aulani as fellow tourists, making daily scheduled
appearances on the resort grounds and at special "character breakfasts."
Like similar programs at other Disney properties, the
three-times-a-week breakfasts ($32 per person for ages 10 and up, $18
for ages 3 to 9) have been wildly popular, with advance reservations
sold out for several months.
PHOTOS: Tour Disney's newest resort
But while Mickey and his cohorts may be ali'i nui
(ruling chiefs) among the resort's younger guests, Aulani "is a
different model for us," insists Joe Rohde, the project's conceptual
designer.
"When people come here, we want them to get Hawaii," says Rohde, who grew up on Oahu. "We are not an island within an island."
So, along with hidden Mickeys (a Disney parks signature), you'll find plenty of hidden menehunes— mischievous, troll-like creatures native to Hawaii.
USA TODAY
Before spreading out a woven lauhala mat on the lawn on a swath of green lawn for an outdoor screening of Finding Nemo, you can sit in on a Hawaiian storytelling session around a beach-side fire pit.
And
after tackling a 8,200-square-foot pool complex that includes two
slides, a lazy river and an artificial snorkeling lagoon, kids can dry
out with hula lessons at the Aunty's Beach House activity center — or
join their parents on Disney-sponsored excursions like a three-hour surf
school led by Honolulu city firefighters ($154 for adults, $184 for
children's private instruction).
A few glitches at the outset
If
Aulani's first week of operation is any indication, most guests are
content to confine their explorations to the resort itself. Hotel rooms
(which start at $399 per night) include rain-shower bath fixtures and
ample wood accents; the suites and two-bedroom time-share villas cater
to what's expected to be a large Japanese clientele, given rice cookers
and fancy heated toilet seats. One signature draw: an 18,000-square-foot
spa with family treatment rooms and a teens-only area.
"I
would like to live at this hotel," muses 6-year-old Kylie Cox of
Orange, Calif., who has been running her mother, Melanie, ragged during a
three-day marathon of Goofy sightings and trips down the Waikolohe
Stream (aka lazy river).
If you go
Getting there:
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa is about 30 minutes west of Honolulu
International Airport next to the J.W. Marriott Ilihani resort in Ko
Olina, a planned resort community. It’s about a $50-$75 cab ride from
the airport depending on traffic; parking is $35 a day for hotel guests.
Rates: Hotel rooms start at $399 per night for a standard (parking garage and mountain) view and $549 for an ocean view; suites are $1,340 to $2,449 per night.
Dining: Aulani has two full-service restaurants, the beachside 'Ama 'Ama (dinner entrees $31-$53) and buffet-style Makahiki (dinner, $43 per person, ages 10 and up), plus appetizers at the 'Olelo and Off the Hook lounges and salads/sandwiches at the Lava Shack and One Paddle, Two Paddle ($10.95-$13.45, kids' meals $6.95).
Activities: Guest access to Aulani's pool complex and kids' center is included in the daily rate, but examples of other charges include $45 for entrance to the spa (free if you buy a treatment) and $20 for a day's rental of a snorkel set.
Information: 866-443-4763 or resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort.
Rates: Hotel rooms start at $399 per night for a standard (parking garage and mountain) view and $549 for an ocean view; suites are $1,340 to $2,449 per night.
Dining: Aulani has two full-service restaurants, the beachside 'Ama 'Ama (dinner entrees $31-$53) and buffet-style Makahiki (dinner, $43 per person, ages 10 and up), plus appetizers at the 'Olelo and Off the Hook lounges and salads/sandwiches at the Lava Shack and One Paddle, Two Paddle ($10.95-$13.45, kids' meals $6.95).
Activities: Guest access to Aulani's pool complex and kids' center is included in the daily rate, but examples of other charges include $45 for entrance to the spa (free if you buy a treatment) and $20 for a day's rental of a snorkel set.
Information: 866-443-4763 or resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort.
Disney
pixie dust notwithstanding, there have been some early grumblings and
glitches at Aulani, from inconsistent service and steep food prices ($43
per person for a dinner buffet) to murky, algae-filled water in the
resort's hands-on stingray pool (which costs $50 per session for adults,
$45 for kids).
"The attention to detail is
amazing, but they need more food options. And I would have expected more
adult-only areas and programming," says Kari Valley, a Seattle-based
travel agent. (A "quiet pool" off the spa discourages but doesn't forbid
unaccompanied children.)
While "it is a
beautiful resort, and the people are very welcoming," the overall
experience was "less than what I expected from Disney," adds Robert Anderson, a Disney Vacation Club member from Gilroy, Calif., who posted a review to the Disney fan site LaughingPlace.com.
Behind
the scenes, the company suspended sales of Aulani time-share units in
July because of concerns that it underpriced maintenance costs and other
fees, and it fired three key executives over the mistake. (Disney is
"making adjustments to the annual dues forecasts" and has filed new
registration documents with Hawaii; sales are on hold pending state
approval.)
Then, too, some observers question
how far Disney — itself a master of manicured, manufactured experiences —
is able or willing to go in its quest to give visitors more than a
superficial view of Hawaiian culture.
"Just
what is an 'authentic Hawaiian experience,' anyway?" asks Oahu author
Kaui Hart Hemmings, whose novel about the complexities of Hawaiian
identity, The Descendants, has been made into a Hollywood film starring George Clooney, in theaters later this year.
"I
don't think you can pin it down to kapa cloth and taro." (As part of
its emphasis on traditional landscaping, the resort's entrance is
fronted by a patch of the leafy plant that's used to create the Hawaiian
food staple poi.)
Disney takes some risks
A
15-minute drive west of Aulani, the town of Waianae is the kind of
place that most Oahu hotels "would tell visitors to avoid," says Ramsay
Taum, a Native Hawaiian who served as a cultural resource during the
resort's planning stages.
The Waianae Coast is
one of the poorest areas in the state, with a large homeless
population, a strong following among supporters of Hawaiian sovereignty
and a reputation for being anti-tourist. But now, thanks to Disney, it's
also a focus of "Tales of a Moonlit Night," a ghost tour that explores
the legends and lore of Hawaiian "chicken-skin" stories.
In
a "long line of broken promises by offshore developers," Disney's
efforts at Aulani stand out because "they're treating Hawaiian culture
as the main item on the menu, rather than a condiment," says Taum.
"They're
taking some risks," he adds, "but it's a huge departure" from the
plastic lei and tiki torch stereotype perpetuated by other Hawaiian
resorts.
Indeed, there are no Elvis tunes or
coconut bras at Aulani's "starlit hui," a weekly event featuring
Hawaiian artisans and performers. But while dancers from a local halau
(hula school) earn appreciative applause from the audience, the closing
act brings down the house.
Mickey, Minnie and
the rest of the Disney crew take to the stage wearing shorts, loud aloha
shirts and what look suspiciously like artificial leis — and they're
dancing the Electric Slide.
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
Posted 9/8/2011 8:10 PM | Updated 9/9/2011 4:00 PM
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Merida’s Disney Princess Controversial Makeover – Is ‘Brave’ Heroine Really Bad for Little Girls?
By Leslie Gornstein | Movie Talk – 17 hours agoBurning Question: Will the redesign of Disney's Merida negatively affect my daughter's development? Will the sudden appearance of a thinner, sexier version of a cartoon hurt a girl's self-esteem? -- Clara K.Photo: Disney/Pixar
Short answer: Yep.
In case you've been living at the bottom of a loch, the heroine of the animated film "Brave" got a wee bit of a makeover recently. The feisty Scottish archer lass, who debuted at a healthy fighting weight last year, now, inexplicably, has a a sultrier pout, a skinnier waist and a more revealing décolleté. (Stay classy, imagineers.)
The change was unveiled this month, to coordinate with Merida's official crowning as Disney's 11th-ever princess. Or something.
Whatever. Child development experts are not amused, and neither am I.
"This one character may not do any damage to a girl's psychological development, per se," child development expert Dr. Robyn Silverman tells me. "But Merida joins a barrage of thin, sultry characters for girls, making her yet another facet of our sexed-up, thinned down messaging."
Silverman points out that the original Merida "was beloved for her adventurous spirit, her unique look and her disinterest in romance as her 'goal' in life. Her allure was not physical--which sent a strong message to girls that they could be who they are-- and still be beautiful, brave and confident.
"This redesign seems to stick a square peg into a round hole."
Or just a skinnier body into a size-2 gown.
However, just because your daughter's psychological development -- say, the evolution of her conscience at around age 4 -- won't be affected, doesn't mean that Merida's redesign isn't dangerous. It is -- to a girl's self-esteem. Experts see those as two different things. But both are crucial.
"I would say that Brave is aimed at kids ages 5 to 10," mulls Betsy Brown Braun, also a childhood behavior and development specialist. "That's prime territory for being affected in terms of body image. I don't think this one makeover is going to be earth shattering all by itself, but it's an element that contributes to the overall picture."We're seeing body image issues with children as young as 7 years old -- young children who say they're on a diet or that they think they're fat. There's a lot of data showing that children that age already identify with a saucy, sexy image."Such as, say, the new, hot-cha-cha Merida? Let's hope not.Watch the trailer for 'Brave':
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