Ultimate Disney
Encyclopedia
The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD is a website dedicated to covering Walt Disney home video releases with a focus on Disney DVD and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

. The site has been online since 2001 and acquired its own domain and online forum in 2003. Its sister site DVDizzy.com, which covers general DVD information and reviews, launched in 2007.

Coverage

The home page normally exhibits the latest Disney-related news, coupled with regular reviews and occasional interviews. Early breaking news has earned the site a favorable reputation amongst news outlets and fans. Disney's films, TV shows, and media releases are categorized in a series of indexes, which comprised the website's original structure.

In 2003, the site began to emphasize critical reviews of Disney's DVDs as its primary focus. These initially included only those DVDs officially released under the "Disney DVD" banner. In 2004, the site expanded to include reviews of films and television shows from Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...

, Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...

, Hollywood Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Hollywood Pictures is one of The Walt Disney Company's several alternate movie divisions. Like Disney's Touchstone Pictures brand, it produces films for a more mature adult audience than Walt Disney Pictures.-History:...

, and other divisions of the Disney Studios that generally produce more adult movies than the typical Disney fare.

In 2005, Ultimate Disney again expanded to cover music releases from Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...

, special event reports, and the Disney theme parks. Celebrity interviews also became a staple of the site's coverage. The site routinely features countdowns, contests, and giveaways, all of which invite user input to produce results.

In 2008, Ultimate Disney critics began reviewing Blu-ray movies.

Recognition

The website has garnered acclaim outside of the conventional Disney and animation internet communities. Film critic and historian Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...

 recommends the site in the "Links" page of his personal website. During Roy E. Disney
Roy E. Disney
Roy Edward Disney, KCSG was a longtime senior executive for The Walt Disney Company, which his father Roy Oliver Disney and his uncle Walt Disney founded. At the time of his death he was a shareholder , and served as a consultant for the company and Director Emeritus for the Board of Directors...

 and Stanley Gold
Stanley Gold
Stanley Phillip Gold is President and CEO of Shamrock Holdings, Roy E. Disney's private investment company. He was on the Walt Disney Company's board of directors 1984; 1987-2003. He and Roy resigned to publicly campaign to oust then CEO and Chairman of the Board Michael Eisner. He also helped...

's Save Disney campaign, Ultimate Disney's articles were frequently featured on SaveDisney.com. Additionally, an official Disney book, Disney Dossiers: Files of Characters From the Walt Disney Studios (published in October 2006) notes that Maleficent
Maleficent
Maleficent is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. She is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" who, after not being invited to the baby's christening, curses the infant Princess Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a...

 was named the #1 Disney Villain by UltimateDisney.com in its Top Disney Villains Countdown.

In addition, the site is well-known among the internet community of DVD news and reviews, as other notable sites such as TheDigitalBits.com and TVShowsonDVD.com have cited Ultimate Disney on several news items regarding DVD releases.

Staff

Ultimate Disney is an independent website and not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. It is primarily administered by a small number of journalists who report news, review products, attend special events, and moderate the forum.

The current main staff of writers, interviewers, reporters, and forum moderators consist of:
  • Luke Bonanno - The website creator and administrator (2001-)
  • Amy Braun - Interviewer and event reporter (2008-)
  • Kelvin Cedeno - Writer and interviewer (2003-)
  • JP Chism - Event reporter (2008-)
  • CJ - Forum moderator (2007-)
  • Caitlin Custer - Video reporter (2008-)
  • Christopher Disher - Writer, event reporter, and video reporter (2007-)
  • IndianaJDP - Forum moderator (2003-)
  • Renata Joy - Writer, interviewer, event reporter, and forum moderator (2004-)
  • "Pluto Region1" - Writer and event reporter (2006-)
  • James Reader - Writer and forum moderator (2003-)
  • Aaron Wallace - Writer, interviewer, event reporter, and forum moderator (2004-)


Former main staff of writers, interviewers, reporters, and forum moderators include:
  • "Captain Hook" - Writer (2003–2004)
  • "deathie mouse" - Writer and forum moderator (2003–2006)
  • Gus Frank - Writer (2001–2004)
  • Richard Gray - Writer (2004–2005)
  • Albert Gutierrez - Writer and interviewer (2006–2007)
  • Lindsay Mayer - Writer and forum moderator (2003–2006)
  • Tricia Mayes - Writer and video reporter (2004–2006)
  • Ed South - Writer (2005–2007)


In addition, there have been numerous one-time and infrequent writers and reporters who have contributed reviews and notable articles to Ultimate Disney over the years:
  • Mark Arnold
    Mark Arnold (comic book and animation historian)
    Mark Arnold is an American writer who grew up in Saratoga, California. He has contributed to several publications in the United States, including The Comics Journal, Hogan's Alley, Back Issue Magazine, and Comic Buyer's Guide...

     - Writer (2006)
  • Reuben Gutierrez - Writer (2006–2007)
  • Joe Jarvis - Writer (2005)
  • Adam Lutterloh - Photographer (2006)
  • Lester Medina - Writer (2005)
  • Michael Miller - Writer (2005–2006)
  • Alex Pantoja - Writer (2005)
  • Mark Probst - Writer (2006)
  • Matthew Rand - Writer (2005)
  • Aaron Willcott - Writer (2004)
  • David Willis - Writer (2006)
  • Scott Wolf - Reporter (2007)

Community

The community of UltimateDisney.com comprises nearly 4000 registered forum members. Contributors to the forum range from all walks of life and include a large number of international members. Since 2004, members participate in the "UD Forum Awards," where members are nominated and vote for various categories. Other forum-wide activities include an annual Secret Santa, The UD "Movie and Media Awards," and frequent discussions centering around music, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, movies, TV shows, and other miscellaneous topics.

Support

The site is supported by the placement of advertisements, personal donations from visitors, and affiliate links. Like many DVD-based sites, UltimateDisney.com employs an affiliate program with a variety of online stores such as Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...

, BestBuy.com
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...

, and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...

. Members are recommended to help support the site through the sponsored links, or by simply leaving a donation via the Amazon Honor System.

Reviews

There are currently over 900 DVD and Blu-ray reviews written for the site, covering a variety of categories. These categories include but are not limited to - Disney's Animated Classics, other animated films, direct-to-video films, live-action films (both pre-1980 and contemporary productions), TV shows and TV premieres (Wonderful World of Disney, Disney Channel Original Movies, etc.), specialty DVD collections like the Walt Disney Treasures
Walt Disney Treasures
The Walt Disney Treasures is a two-disc DVD set of classic Disney works. They cover work from the studio's earliest days to their more recent work...

, the Walt Disney Legacy sets, and theme park exclusives, as well as Disney studio divisions like Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...

, Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...

, Dimension Films
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...

 and Hollywood Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Hollywood Pictures is one of The Walt Disney Company's several alternate movie divisions. Like Disney's Touchstone Pictures brand, it produces films for a more mature adult audience than Walt Disney Pictures.-History:...

. Non-Disney content includes IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...

 and other documentaries, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...

, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...

, DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...

, Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...

, Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...

, Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...

, United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....

, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...

.

Early reviews for the site were formatted to open in a narrow window, in a way to be unique from other sites, but over time this practice was phased out in favor of a full page layout. There are four types of reviews at UltimateDisney.com, with three regularly used:
  • Forum - forum-only reviews are few and far between and are essentially full-page reviews relegated to the forum rather than an HTML page.

  • Capsule - minor releases, usually from other distribution branches such as Touchstone, Miramax, and the rarely-used Hollywood Pictures. These reviews are much shorter (three or four paragraphs) and offer several titles on one page, with minimal use of screencaps.

  • Full-Page - the main format for reviews, most DVDs and Blu-ray Discs will receive a full page review, offering a generous amount of screencaps, a thorough summary and critique of the film, and an extensive look at the DVD's/BD's audio/video quality and bonus materials. It is known that reviewers will go through each aspect of the DVD/BD, as opposed to other review sites, some of which who pass over the otherwise-child-friendly games and music videos. Also, similar to other sites, UltimateDisney.com employs a star rating for each DVD/BD, and welcomes critical feedback from readers.

  • Two-Page - occasionally, a DVD will be too extensive to cover in one page (usually if it's a major title or a television series), so the review will be split into two pages, covering much more about the release and program than a full-page review. In several rare instances, a third page is utilized, usually as an addendum to the main two-page review.

Press Releases

UltimateDisney.com also features Buena Vista Home Entertainment's press releases
News release
A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy...

 as they are made available. The press releases are replicated on the forum, where members can then discuss the contents of the press release in detail.

DVD Release Types

UltimateDisney.com also details Disney's different DVD release types. The article is updated periodically, ensuring that the most up-to-date information is displayed in its specific area.

Interviews & Special Reports

Since March 2005, UltimateDisney.com has conducted interviews with various celebrities and people involved with the Walt Disney Company. Interviewees ranged from young actors such as Brenda Song
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...

 and Dominic Scott Kay
Dominic Scott Kay
Dominic Scott Kay is an American child actor.He was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician and actor Scott Kay. He is probably best known for his cameo appearance in the Easter egg scene of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann...

 to renowned animators and directors Andreas Deja
Andreas Deja
Andreas Deja is as an animator most noted for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Deja's creations include the Disney villains Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar from Aladdin and Scar from The Lion King. He is a recipient of the 2006 Winsor McCay Award.-Early life:Andreas Deja was born...

, Jon Turteltaub
Jon Turteltaub
Jonathan Charles "Jon" Turteltaub is an American film director and producer. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the USC School of Cinematic Arts...

, and Henry Selick
Henry Selick
Henry Selick is an American stop motion director, producer and writer who is best known for directing The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline...

, as well as notable Disney Legend Alice Estes Davis
Alice Estes Davis
Alice Estes Davis is an American costume designer. She is most famous for her work with Walt Disney, who employed her to develop costumes for films, television, and theme parks. She was married to Marc Davis, a Disney animator and Imagineer. Alice was named a Disney Legend in 2004.-Early life and...

 and football player Vince Papale
Vince Papale
Vincent Francis Papale is a former professional American football player. He played three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League following two seasons with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League...

. A full list of interviews can be found here

UltimateDisney.com has also participated in various press events for the Walt Disney Company, often publishing them as the "UD Special Reports". Many of these are handled by forum member "Pluto Region1," a California resident who has covered such events as a tour of the Animation Research Library, the High School Musical
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...

DVD Launch Party, and the 2006 DVD premiere of 1941's Dumbo
Dumbo
Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures.The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a...

at El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is owned by Pacific Theatres and operated by the Walt Disney Company. It serves as the venue for many of Walt Disney Pictures' movie premieres...

 in Hollywood.

In August 2008, UltimateDisney.com published its very first Video Report, as reporters Christopher Disher and Caitlin Custer attended the DVD premiere of The Little Mermaid III: Ariel's Beginning, and interviewed various celebrity attendees such as voice actress Jodi Benson
Jodi Benson
Jodi Marie Benson is an American actress, voice actress, soprano singer, and Disney Legend. She is best known for providing both the speaking and the singing voices of Disney's Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid and its sequels. In 2002 and 2006, she reprised the role of Ariel in the English...

 (voice of Ariel). However, video reports were not new to the site. On March 8, 2005 the site began offering a "Weekly Video Update", in which forum member snowhite8 hosted brief one-minute videos which discussed recently-released and upcoming Disney DVDs. The video updates ceased on November 15, 2005.

In the summer of 2006, Ultimate Disney attended the world premiere of Disney/Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...

's Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...

, interviewing celebrities from the red carpet. Among those interviewed were John Lasseter
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter is an American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering....

, John Ratzenberger
John Ratzenberger
John Deszo Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his role as Cliff Clavin in Cheers.-Early life:...

, Bonnie Hunt
Bonnie Hunt
Bonnie Lynne Hunt is an American actress, comedian, writer, director, television producer and daytime television host.- Early life :...

, Larry the Cable Guy
Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney , better known by his stage name and character Larry the Cable Guy, is an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality....

, Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...

, Katherine Helmond
Katherine Helmond
Katherine Marie Helmond is an American film, theater and television actress, who played Emily Dickinson on Meeting of Minds, as well as such fictional characters as Jessica Tate on Soap, Mona Robinson on Who's the Boss?, Doris Sherman on Coach, and Lois Whelan on Everybody Loves...

, and Jennifer Lewis.

Countdowns

In 2003, the site started a series of countdowns. Each countdown dealt with the ranking of a specific, Disney-related theme, and forum members listed their top favorites. For most of these countdowns, members were chosen to comment on specific films, characters, and songs that made the lists. The number one entry of each is noted in parenthesis.

DVDizzy.com

On April 20, 2007, UltimateDisney.com announced plans to launch a spin-off website. As Ultimate Disney covers Disney news and reviews, the new site would cover all other studios. On July 2, 2007, the new website's title was confirmed as DVDizzy.com. Befpore the site's launch, its content was temporarily hosted at Ultimate Disney while DVDizzy.com was being developed. After the site's launch in April 2010, it "co-exists" with Ultimate Disney, with the two sites linking to one another and sharing message board forums.

DVDizzy.com content that has appeared on UltimateDisney.com includes a DVD/Blu-ray release schedule for all major studios and various reviews.

See also

  • Walt Disney Home Entertainment
    Walt Disney Home Entertainment
    Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is the home video distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment also operates as Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Also, "Buena Vista" translated in Spanish is "Good View"...

  • Walt Disney Platinum Edition DVDs
    Walt Disney Platinum Editions
    Walt Disney Platinum Editions are a line of 2-Disc DVD sets released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a follow-up to the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection. The Platinum line features newly restored digital versions of 13 of the most popular and successful Disney animated features of all...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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