Kids, Disney | featured news

What do you call a gathering of princesses? A pack? What do you call a gathering of princesses? A pack? A gaggle? A bevy? We don’t know, either, but travelers heading to Disneyland may find themselves pondering that question when the theme park’s newest attraction, Fantasy Faire, opens on Tuesday, March 12. With the likes of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” on hand to meet and greet little visitors, it promises to be a regular princess-palooza.

Walt Disney Co. will stop accepting some junk-food ads on TV programs, radio shows and websites aimed at children, according to sources with knowledge of the plan.

The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay a $3 million settlement stemming from charges that online virtual worlds once operated by Playdom, now a Disney subsidiary, violated the Federal Trade Commission rules designed to protect the online privacy of children under age 13. According to the FTC, several Playdom sites that were aimed at young audiences illegally collected and then disclosed personal data in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). These sites included Pony Stars, 2 Moons, 9 Dragons, Age of Lore, and My DIva Doll.

Disney (DIS) has acquired Rocket Pack, a Helsinki-based start up producing HTML5 video games, TechCrunch reports. Terms weren’t disclosed, but TechCrunch says one source said the deal was valued at between $10 million and $20 million. The story adds that the company’s software allows the creation of games that run in Web browsers, with no plug-in or Flash required.

Authorities say a 9-year-old boy has been hit and killed by a Walt Disney World bus in Florida.

Any kid can dream up a roller coaster. But those who visit a new exhibit at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park can actually take a ride on their fantasy creations.