Disney Interactive Media Group laid off ten employees earlier this week, according to a source who is familiar with the situation but was not authorized to speak publicly about the job cuts.
According to this source, the lay offs were in the company’s games publishing team. In a statement, Disney Interactive said:
Disney Interactive continually evaluates its resources to align with the division’s goals and business opportunities. As part of that effort, Disney Interactive made targeted layoffs today.
This latest batch of lay offs seem minor compared to January 2011’s, where over 200 …

Disney Consumer Products have awarded Catapult Action-Biased Marketing with their 2011 Disney Food, Health and Beauty Award. The award was given to Catapult in recognition of their shopper marketing programs for two of their clients – The Kellogg Company and Perdue. The marketing company won in two categories, which included Best Retail Program (Kellogg) and Licensee of the Year (Perdue.)
Said President of Catapult Peter Cloutier:
We are honored to be celebrating this Disney winner, which is the highest achievement that any marketing agency can win with this world-class media …

After being locked away in The Walt Disney Co. archive for 40 years, a 1928 drawing of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was showcased at an event for Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.
Oswald, who was co-created by Disney as a predecessor to Mickey Mouse, was lost in a 1920’s contract dispute with Universal Studios. Years went by before Disney regained the character, but it wasn’t until 2010 when Oswald made his triumphant return and appeared in the original Epic Mickey.
Many of Disney’s early cartoons were destroyed over the …

We let you know a few weeks ago about the economic impact of the current Disney Parks expansions, but new information has recently come out that Disney Cruise Line will be a source of many new jobs as well. According to an economic impact study conducted by Martin Associates, Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, will generate over 500 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in the Port Canaveral, FL area, as well as attracting thousands of additional cruise guests to the port.
“Not only is the arrival of the …

Last Friday, Disney Cruise Line celebrated the arrival of its newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, to Port Canaveral with a donation of $250,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. A special check presentation from Disney Cruise Line to the organization was held onboard the ship, and children from the Boys & Girls Clubs were invited onto the Disney Fantasy to discover some of the magical details and children’s play areas that this brand-new ship has to offer.
The donation will assist in the development of a brand new Boys …

Recently, The Walt Disney Company announced their intentions to set a company-wide initiative to create jobs for 1,000 returning veterans. These jobs are expected to be created/filled within the next three years, and are part of a program Disney has instated to help service members and their families adjust to civilian life.
In addition to hiring veterans for jobs within the company, Robert Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, says the company will also be investing in several nonprofit groups designed to provide training and support for veterans.
Source

Last summer, over 40,000 Disney fans from all over the world gathered in Anaheim, CA for the 2011 D23 Expo. The three-day convention highlighted all different divisions of The Walt Disney Company, with special presentations, performances, exhibits, merchandise, and more. Yesterday, D23 announced that the Expo will be returning to the Anaheim Convention Center once again next year, where it will take place August 9-11, 2013.
“The D23 Expo has become a phenomenal way for Disney fans to see everything they love about Disney all in one place – from Disney’s …

In preparation for the debut of Disney/Pixar’s new film Brave in countries around the world, Disney has joined up with Scottish tourism organization VisitScotland to help promote the film internationally. The partnership marks the first time that Disney has linked up with a country’s tourism organization on such a large scale.
Brave, which is set in the Scottish highlands, uses the voice talents of many Scottish performers, including Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson. As part of the research for the film, the Pixar team traveled to Scotland to gather inspiration …

She has performed at Disney many times during her career, and now superstar and native New Yorker Mariah Carey adds another Disney title to her list:  godmother.
In a lavish, star-studded ceremony Thursday, Carey christened Disney’s latest cruise ship, the Disney Fantasy, which will begin voyages to the Caribbean later this month.
After the ship’s construction was completed at German shipyard Meyer Werft, the Fantasy made its first transatlantic crossing, and was welcomed in New York earlier this week.  Carey uttered the traditional words “I christen thee Disney Fantasy.  May God bless …

Today, Disney Institute announced that Elise Schwarz will be the regional sales manager for New York City, where she will be responsible for building relationships with local businesses that want to focus on leadership, superior customer service and creative thinking and innovation.
Previously, Schwarz held a position at The Corporate Executive Board where she was the director of sales and member services, finance and strategy practice. She moved up to that position after starting as an account executive with the company.
Says Kevin Harry, managing sales director for Disney Institute:
Elise has great …