Up on DVD and Blu-ray (Region 1) became available for pre-order at Amazon.com and other online retailers today, accompanied by cover art, in advance of its newly-set release date: November 10, 2009 (according to DisneyStore.com). Pixar’s tenth feature will be released on 1-Disc DVD and in a 4-Disc Blu-Ray/ DVD set, which will include the film on hi-def Blu-ray Disc, standard definition DVD, and in the portable media player-friendly DisneyFile Digital Copy format. The suggested list prices are $29.99 and $45.99, respectively, but the discs will of course sell for less at many retailers. Currently, DisneyStore.com lists the feature-based short Dug’s Special Mission (details here) and theatrical short Partly Cloudy as being the only extras on the 1-Disc DVD. The 4-Disc Blu-ray/DVD pack, on the other hand, will include much bonus material, ranging from featurettes to alternate scenes, and games on the Blu-ray discs. Click Extended Description on the Disney Store page for a basic list.

DISNEY’S D23 FAN COMMUNITY ANNOUNCES
SUMMER 2009 SPECIAL EVENTS CALENDAR

Unique Experiences Created Exclusively for Charter Members of
“The Official Community for Disney Fans”

BURBANK, CALIF – May 14, 2009 – Disney’s HYPERLINK “http://www.disney.com/d23″ D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans today announced its Summer 2009 Special Events Calendar. From very special screenings and stepping behind-the-scenes with Mary Poppins to visiting the legendary Walt Disney Studios and Archives to being among the first to experience the new Walt Disney Family Museum, D23’s inaugural slate of Members-only events promises outstanding, unforgettable opportunities that are exclusive to the fan community’s Charter Membership.

“D23 Members are Disney’s biggest fans, and they’re always looking for distinctive, memorable ways to celebrate the things they love most about Disney,” said Steven Clark, Head of D23. “For our inaugural season of events and contests, we’ve created an experientially and geographically diverse calendar that we know our Members will enjoy and remember fondly for years.”

SUMMER 2009 CHARTER MEMBER-ONLY SPECIAL EVENTS:

May 28 D23 “Up All Night” at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre (FREE)
(Los Angeles, CA) — Theatergoers across the country will soon meet the unlikely duo of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen and 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer Russell in Disney•Pixar’s latest adventure, Up. D23 Members will be among the first to see the film at this free event at the historic El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on May 28, 2009. The fun begins with a special pin trading event, followed by an all new Disney stage show and a screening of the new Disney-Pixar short Partly Cloudy and the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed Up! And it wouldn’t be a D23 event without a few other special surprises and guests!

May 31 D23’s Flowers & Fireworks Celebration at Epcot (FREE with park admission)
(Orlando, FL) – Join D23 at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate its members in all 50 states and more than 25 countries worldwide! Start the evening at the American Gardens Theatre with reserved seating for the Flower Power Concert Series Finale, starring the legendary Tony Orlando, to close the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Next, head to a VIP location to mix and mingle with your fellow D23 members over desserts and coffee, and then enjoy the spectacular nighttime extravaganza IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth from a private viewing area.

June 24 D23’s Supercalifragilistic Night on Broadway
(New York, NY) — Disney’s award-winning musical Mary Poppins recently celebrated its 1,000th performance on Broadway and on June 24, 2009, D23 Members are being offered the opportunity to meet one another and share in the magic with premium seats, merchandise discounts and an opportunity to stay after the show for a special “behind-the-scenes” experience at the historic New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City. D23 Members also will receive the recently released 2-Disc Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary Special Edition DVD, courtesy of our friends at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

June 24 D23 and Poppins Breeze into The Windy City
(Chicago, IL) — Mary Poppins blew into the Windy City on March 25, 2009 and original Broadway stars Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee have been delighting audiences at the Cadillac Palace Theatre ever since. On June 24, 2009, D23 Members will have the chance to experience the “practically perfect” Mary Poppins like never before, with premium seats, merchandise discounts, complimentary souvenir program and a once-in-a-lifetime “behind-the-scenes” experience. D23 Members also will receive the recently released 2-Disc Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary Special Edition DVD, courtesy of our friends at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

June 27 D23 and The Lion King Roar in Vegas
(Las Vegas, NV) — After entertaining more than 45 million guests in theatres around the world, Simba and Nala have roared their way onto the world famous Las Vegas Strip. On June 27, 2009, D23 will host a special night at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, with premium seating for The Lion King, a “behind-the-scenes” experience and more, available exclusively to D23 Members.

June 27 & Aug. 15 D23 Day at The Walt Disney Studios and Archives (FREE)
(Burbank, CA) — A rare opportunity for D23 Members to enjoy a 2-hour tour of The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Archives, hosted by D23 and Disney Archives staff. Only two dates are available for the Summer 2009 Calendar and space is limited.

July 17 D23 presents Disneyland, U.S.A. (FREE)
(Anaheim, CA) — Celebrate Disneyland’s 54th Anniversary with a special screening of Walt Disney’s recently restored 1956 “People and Places” featurette Disneyland, U.S.A., as well as a panel discussion including Imagineer Tony Baxter, Disney Legend and Chief Archivist Dave Smith, and Disney Studios Film Archivist Ed Hobelman. The event will take place at Disneyland’s Team Disney Anaheim Theater and will be followed by a D23 Member reception.

Sept TBD The Walt Disney Family Museum Preview (FREE)
(San Francisco, CA) – Prior to its October 2009 Grand Opening, D23 members will have the opportunity to experience The Walt Disney Family Museum, celebrating the life and achievements of the man who raised animation to an art, transformed the film industry, tirelessly pursued innovation, and created a global and distinctly American legacy. This special preview will be hosted by the Museum’s Executive Director Richard Benefield. Dates and details will be available soon.

To find out more about D23’s Summer 2009 Special Events Calendar, including admissions and how to register for events, visit www.disney.com/D23 and click on the “Expo & Events” tab. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice, have varying admission fees and registration processes, and may require advance reservations due to space limitations.

SUMMER 2009 CHARTER MEMBER-ONLY CONTEST:

In addition to D23’s inaugural slate of special events, the fan community is also pleased to announce its first Member-only contest. This summer, one lucky D23 Member and a guest will have the chance to win an incredible getaway package to join the pack at Pride Rock and see The Lion King in Las Vegas including 2-nights accommodation at the Mandalay Bay Resort and much more. To enter, D23 Members are being asked to tell us what they love most about The Lion King in 300 words or less. A complete list of rules/ regulations and more information will be available www.disney.com/D23 in early June.

Woody and Buzz are heading north.

To accommodate a growing slate of nonfeature projects, Disney and Pixar will launch an animation studio in the fall in Vancouver.

The focus will be on Pixar’s legacy characters, including Buzz and Woody from the “Toy Story” films and Lightning McQueen and Mater from “Cars.”

“The operation will be small in size and dedicated to producing short-form quality computer animation for theme parks, DVDs, television and theatrical exhibition … for several different divisions of the Walt Disney Co.,” Disney/Pixar president Ed Catmull said.

Amir Nasrabadi, vp operations and finance at DisneyToon Studio, has been tapped as GM of the new facility, and Dylan Brown — previously a supervising animation director at Pixar, with credits including “Ratatouille” and “Finding Nemo” — will serve as creative director. Darwyn Peachey moves from technical lead on the 3-D versions of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ to chief technology officer at the Vancouver location.

The trio will report to Ali Rowghani, Disney/Pixar’s CFO and senior vp strategic planning.

Pixar GM Jim Morris said he expects the staff to reach 75-100. He added that feature work and all stereoscopic 3-D work will still be done at Pixar’s headquarters in Emeryville, Calif.

The move marks the latest company to open a VFX or animation facility in Vancouver. Other residents include Rainmaker, an animation company; CIS Vancouver, a Deluxe-owned VFX business; and Moving Picture Co., a Technicolor-owned VFX facility.

Tax incentives, a local talent base and proximity to Pixar contributed to the decision. Pixar will receive incentives offered for animation production and research and development.

“Canada, and Vancouver specifically, has had terrific tax incentives for this type of work,” Morris said. “I think they have a desire to grow this sort of business activity and get a critical mass. This will allow us to do more with the budgets that we have.”

He said the intent is to build the studio as a start-up with local talent. “There is a great animation community in Vancouver, as well as postproduction, visual effects and good schools,” he added.

Morris said Pixar would step up production of its character-based ancillary content at the new venue.

“We have a somewhat unfulfilled demand,” he said. “We wanted to do various things with ‘Toy Story’ to keep the characters alive. People like to see them somewhat regularly.” He pointed to Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter, who would like to do more with the “Cars” characters.

Pixar has a full slate of upcoming titles — some sequels and some introducing new characters. “Up,” the studio’s 10th computer-animated feature and first to release in digital 3-D, opens May 29 and introduces new characters, including elderly Carl Fredricksen and young wilderness explorer Russell.

The 3-D releases of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ bring Woody, Buzz and the toys back to theaters Oct. 2.

Current film projects at Pixar, which employees about 1,000, are the 3-D features “Toy Story 3,” “Cars 2,” “The Bear and the Bow” and “Newt.” The studio also is developing a series of shorts based on the Mater character from “Cars” as well as theme park projects.

Wether it is true or not, it still sounds cool.

Sales of DVDs, by far the most significant contributor to profit at most studios, dropped sharply across the industry over the holiday season. Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, told analysts in a quarterly conference call on Tuesday that the DVD business model needed to be redrawn because consumers appeared to be moving to other forms of home entertainment.

“When the economy rebounds, the normal we see is not necessarily going to be the normal we were used to,” Mr. Iger said.

The retrenchment comes as Disney reported a 64 percent drop in studio income for its fiscal first quarter, largely because of decreased DVD sales around the world. Mr. Iger also said the company, which has so far avoided mass layoffs, was putting into effect “quite significant” cost-cutting measures across the board, but he declined to specify how much the effort could save.

For the quarter ended Dec. 27, Disney reported net income of $845 million, or 45 cents a share, a 32 percent decline from $1.25 billion, or 63 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 8 percent, to $9.6 billion.

Marketing promotions helped Disney avoid steep declines at its theme parks, which have been vulnerable in downturns. To shore up bookings, the company introduced hefty discounts in November, including free park tickets. The maneuvers kept the decline in income at the unit to 24 percent, which the company said was largely because of a real estate sale at the Disneyland Resort Paris in the year-earlier quarter.

Thomas O. Staggs, Disney’s chief financial officer, said spending at Disney World and Disneyland in the last part of 2008 was flat and spending at the company’s resort hotels was up modestly. Theme park attendance dropped just 5 percent. He said the company was extending the booking window for its promotional campaign for several months.

Disney has moved in recent weeks to put its broadcasting division on more solid footing, consolidating operations at ABC and the television studio that supplies it. The move reflects a huge decline in advertising both at the network (partly because of lower ratings, partly because of the economy) and at local stations.

Income at ABC fell 60 percent in the quarter. A bad debt charge related to the Tribune Company’s bankruptcy filing added to the grim result, the company said. Mr. Iger said the company would not seek additional budget cuts at its string of local stations, largely because doing so would come “at the expense of the local news brands.”

For the first time, Disney broke out separate results for its Interactive Media Group, a collection of businesses that includes Disney.com, video games and virtual worlds like Club Penguin. Revenue increased 13 percent, to $313 million, but the division reported a net loss of $45 million because of higher costs. Mr. Staggs said Disney planned to invest about $50 million in video game development in 2009.