First Disney Insider Yearbook -- 2006!

[mPRm]

DISNEY ONLINE AND DISNEY EDITIONS ANNOUNCE INAUGURAL DISNEY INSIDER YEARBOOK, A CLASSIC COLLECTION OF THE YEAR’S MOST NOTABLE DISNEY EVENTS

Disney Fans Can Sign-up Today for
Yearbook News and On-Sale Updates at Disney Online

North Hollywood, Calif. and New York, NY – (Nov. 3, 2005) – Disney Online and Disney Editions are now in production on the first Disney Insider Yearbook, a keepsake collectible book capturing the most notable Disney events each year. The inaugural 2005 edition will be available in print in April 2006. Bound as a commemorative item, the book is being created specifically for Disney enthusiasts under the direction of celebrated creative veterans Jeff Kurtti and Bruce Gordon. The Disney Insider Yearbook will capture the magic of Disney through photos, images and stories from movies, theme park openings and other magnificent “Mickey milestones” of 2005.

Beginning today, Disney enthusiasts and collectors can sign up for future updates and news about the 2005 Disney Insider Yearbook exclusively at Disney Online (www.disney.com/yearbook). The 176-page full-color book will be available for sale beginning April 2006. Two versions of the book will be offered: a soft cover Edition for $24.95 or a Special Edition hardcover that comes with a limited run lithograph and DVD available by purchasing a yearly subscription to future editions of the Disney Insider Yearbook for $49.95 per year.

“We are thrilled to begin this new annual tradition that offers the thousands of Disney enthusiasts a unique look at the most exciting and memorable Disney events of the year,” said Ken Goldstein, executive vice president and managing director, Disney Online. “The yearbook is designed to give fans and collectors alike all-encompassing access to the most unforgettable moments and achievements.”

Building on the popular free weekly email newsletter The Disney Insider, which gives readers an all-access pass to the secrets of Disney’s vaults, the Disney Insider Yearbook will include highlights from 2005, and a sneak peek forward into Disney’s future. Bringing it all together are two esteemed creative veterans, Jeff Kurtti and Bruce Gordon. As the Disney Insider Yearbook’s managing editor and designer, respectively, they will create a truly unique book and classic “must-have” collector’s item for fans that features key highlights including, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Chicken Little, the Disneyland 50th Anniversary Celebration, the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, as well as a preview of 2006 releases including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and the Tarzan stage musical.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to develop and produce an anthology like this, one that is intended for true Disney fans,” said Kurtti. “It’s especially exciting, since both Bruce and I are lifelong enthusiasts ourselves, to be able to create a book that we would buy for ourselves.”

About the Editors:
Jeff Kurtti is the author of more than a dozen books and scores of magazine articles, and a writer-director of*award-winning documentaries. He was the executive producer of several DVD collector’s editions including Beauty and the Beast, Monsters Inc., The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and Fantasia. Kurtti has been a guest speaker and moderator at the official Disneyana Convention and an artist-in-residence at the Disney Institute.

As a respected author, designer and technical and creative consultant, Bruce Gordon was a vital force in the creation of dozens of the most popular and beloved Disney theme park attractions around the world and is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on the history and legacy of Disney attractions. His latest works include famed books, Disneyland: Then, Now and Forever and The Art of Disneyland. He is currently completing books about legendary Disneyland entertainer Wally Boag and Walt Disney’s original corps of Imagineers.

Disney Online
Disney Online (www.disney.com) produces the number one kids' entertainment and family community destination on the World Wide Web. Launched in 1995, the Disney Online network is designed to reflect the vision of an “online theme park,” providing an interactive gateway to all of the company’s many Disney-branded Internet initiatives. Popular Disney Online places to visit include Disney Channel (www.disneychannel.com), Playhouse Disney (www.playhousedisney.com), shopping at Disney Direct (www.disneydirect.com), Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (www.disneydestinations.com) Walt Disney Pictures (www.disneypictures.com), Disney DVD & Video (www.disneyvideos.com) and Radio Disney (www.radiodisney.com).

Among the many magical “neighborhoods” found at www.Disney.com are Disney’s Toontown Online (www.toontown.com), the first 3D massively multiplayer online role playing game for kids and families, and Disney’s Blast (www.disneyblast.com), a premium subscription service for kids ages 3-9. Disney Online also produces FamilyFun.com (www.familyfun.com), the premier online family resource for “great ideas, practical advice, and fun stuff to do” as well as Movies.com (www.movies.com), a leading site that provides a broad array of reviews and information to help movie fans “get movie night right.” Disney Online is a part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, which provides integrated strategic and operational services for Internet, broadband, and mobile initiatives of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS).

Disney Editions
Disney Editions, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, translates the magic of Disney to the written word in a wide range of books published each year. From behind-the-scenes movie tie-in titles to the bestselling Birnbaum guides to the Disney theme parks, Disney Editions is the trusted publisher of all things Disney. Disney Publishing Worldwide is the largest children’s publisher in the world, with 274 children’s magazines published and 120 million children’s books sold each year.* Headquartered in New York, Disney Publishing Worldwide publishes books and magazines in 55 languages in 75 countries, reaching more than 100 million readers each month

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CONTACT: Ayn Allen
mPRm Public Relations
323-933-3399
[email protected]

[John]

Thanks for the info Ayn. Feel free to send future press releases on Disney related items to [email protected].

[Crow]

they sent me questionnaire a few months back asking my opinion of this..ill def think about getting it.

[riding_big_thunder]

This is very cool, hopefully it'll be available online

[Disneydol]

I took part in the survey, too. I'm glad there was enough interest to actually put this Yearbook together. I can't wait to see it!

[mickeyd]

This book sounds like a great idea. I can't wait for it to be published!. I signed up for the email update when it is available!