Ultimate Disney

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Ultimate Disney Home Page

The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD is a popular website dedicated to covering the Walt Disney Company, focusing particularly on Disney DVD. The site has been online since 2001 and acquired its own domain and online forum in 2003, and has since garnered great popularity. It also features a popular discussion forum.

1 Coverage
2 Recognition
3 Staff
4 Community
5 Support
6 Reviews, Press Releases & Release Types
7 Interviews & Special Reports
- 7.1 Interviewees
- 7.2 Special Reports
8 Countdowns
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] Coverage

The home page normally exhibits the latest Disney-related news, coupled with regular reviews and occasional interviews. Exclusive scoops and breaking news have 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, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, and other divisions of the Disney Studios that genreally produce more adult movies than the typical Disney fare).

In 2005, Ultimate Disney again expanded to cover music releases from Walt Disney Records, special event reports, and the Disney theme parks. These developments were reflected in the message board, where a Disney Theme Parks forum was added. Celebrity interviews also became a staple of the site's coverage.

The site routinely features countdowns, contests, and give-aways, all of which invite audience input to produce results.

[edit] Recognition

The website has garnered acclaim outside of the conventional Disney and animation Internet communities. Film critic and historian Leonard Maltin recommends the site in the "Links" page of his personal website. During Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold'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 was named the #1 Disney Villain by UltimateDisney.com in its Top Disney Villains Countdown.

[edit] 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 primary staff currently consists of:

Luke - The website creator and administrator, who moderates the forum under the handle "Luke"
Aaron Wallace - Writer, reporter, and forum moderator
Renata Joy - Writer, reporter, and forum moderator
James Reader - Writer and forum moderator
Albert Gutierrez - Writer
Pluto Region 1 - Writer and reporter
Ed South - Writer
IndianaJDP - Forum moderator
Richard Gray - Writer
CJ - Forum moderator

Other frequent contributors to the site include Jack Seiley, Lindsay Mayer, "deathiemouse", Kelvin Cedeno, and "Captain Hook".

[edit] 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. The UltimateDisney.com Forum is split into several subforums, including but not limited to:

General Discussion - All topics relating to Disney movies, shows, and DVDs.
Off-Topic - Any topic that doesn't fit elsewhere.
International DVD - Discussion of non-Region 1 DVDs of Disney movies.
Theme Parks - Plan your vacation, post reports, get answers, and discuss the parks from Disneyland to Hong Kong.
Polls & Games - Disney-related polls & games that do not call for discussion.
Trade - Post your lists to trade or sell movies to other forum members.
Disney Movie Club - Discussion pertaining to the Disney Movie Club, including questions and discounts.
Feedback - Feedback for the site and forum - suggestions, questions, comments, etc.

The community has been noted for its friendliness and comradery, and since 2004, members participate in the "UD Forum Awards", where members are nominated and vote for various categories such as "Most Amusing Member", "Friendliest Member", "UD Member of the Year", and site-related categories such as "Best DVD Review", "Best New Forum Idea", and "Controversial Thread of the Year". Other forum-wide activities include an annual Secret Santa, The UD "Movie and Media Awards", and frequent discussions centering around music, DVDs, movies, TV shows, and other miscellaneous topics.

Secret Santa: The forum annually hosts a Secret Santa program, where members can sign up to be assigned another member for whom to buy a gift. Participants can figure out what their Secret Santa assignment would like to receive by checking the forum's Wish List thread.

Movie & Media Awards: The forum also hosts its own online ceremony for film, music, television, and print media during the awards season each year. The nominees and winners are determined by participating members.

"Survivor": The Polls & Games forum on the message board often features online games modeled after the popular "Survivor" TV series. In these games, forum members vote against their least favorite item in a given group until a winner is determined.

New members register with the forum daily. A list of rules, recommendations, and links is made available to these new members at the top of the most popular forums. The "UD Forum Posting Guidelines and Helpful Links" is a tutorial on how to conduct forum searches and navigate the website.

Many fads and slang terms have originated from the forum as well. These are considered inside jokes among many of the forum members, and range from the obsessive collecting of cardboard slipcovers, to the prospect of a certain Australian member going commando and beyond (i.e., no pants whatsoever). Several slang terms that originated at (and are likely limited to) UD are 'Coustom', 'Tree-Killing DVD Condom', and 'Cage-Tastic'. Also, popular discussions range from new DVD purchases, forthcoming DVD purchases, and the rabid fanaticism of cardboard slipcovers.

[edit] 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, BestBuy.com, and eBay. Members are recommended to help support the site through the sponsored links, or by simply leaving a donation via the UD Amazon Honor System Support Page.

[edit] Reviews, Press Releases & Release Types

[edit] Reviews

There are currently over 550 DVD reviews written for the site, covering a variety of categories. These categories include, but are not limited to:

Disney Animated Classics
Other Animated Films
Direct-to-Video Films
Live-Action Films: Pre-1980
Live-Action Films: 1980-Present
Television Shows
Television Movies (Wonderful World of Disney, Disney Channel Original Movies, etc.)
Documentaries & IMAX
The Walt Disney Treasures DVD Series
The Walt Disney's Legacy Collection DVD Series
Disney Theme Park Exclusive DVDs
Touchstone Films
Miramax Films
Hollywood Pictures Films
Dimension Films

Occasionally, DVDs from other studios, such as Warner Bros., A&E, and Paramount have been reviewed when their content pertains to Disney. In most cases, the earlier releases of various live-action Disney films distributed by Anchor Bay have been reviewed in comparison to the later Disney release.

Additionally, music CDs from Walt Disney Records are regularly reviewed.

There are four types of DVD 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 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 audio/video quality and bonus materials. It is known that reviewers will go through each aspect of the DVD, 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, 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.

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 the current design. Titles usually are received a few weeks before the street date, and reviews often get posted online at least a week before the street date. Occasionally, DVDs will get held back from review by the reviewers, either because of the large workload or because of other personal issues. Often there will be notice in the Review Feedback thread alerting readers if a review is being delayed or upcoming, though now there is a new section devoted to titles that simply may never get reviewed within the near future.

[edit] Press Releases

UltimateDisney.com also features Buena Vista Home Entertainment's press releases as they are made available. The press release section can be found on the left-hand side of the home page, directly under the "Title Listings" section. An example of a press release, which can be found on the home page, is the "Peter Pan" Press Release, giving the aspects of the DVD, and where it stands on the Platinum Edition line. Note that all DVDs are not on the Platinum Edition line.

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

[edit] Different Types of Releases

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.

[edit] Interviews & Special Reports

Since March 2005, UltimateDisney.com has conducted interviews with various celebrities and people involved with the Walt Disney Company.

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", who has covered such events as a tour of the Animation Research Library, the High School Musical DVD Launch Party, and the 2006 DVD premiere of 1941's Dumbo at the El Capitan.

In the summer of 2006, Ultimate Disney attended the world premiere of Disney/Pixar's Cars, interviewing celebrities from the red carpet. Among those interviewed were John Lasseter, John Ratzenberger, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Richard Petty, Katherine Helmond, and Jenifer Lewis.

[edit] Interviewees

2005

2006

2007

[edit] Special Reports

Disney's Christmas Films
2004: Year in Review
Disneyland's 50th Anniversary
The Ultimate Guide to Pooh
Lady and the Tramp's Platinum Edition DVD Premiere
A Tour of Disney's Animation Research Library
The Stars of Disney/Pixar's "CARS" Tour the US
High School Musical DVD Premiere
Dumbo's Big Top Edition DVD Premiere
Cars' World Premiere
A Guide to Cars Tie-Ins
Peter Pan Platinum Edition DVD Premiere

[edit] 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.