Fans of Epcots Spaceship Earth were offered a surprising announcement last week. While most fans already knew the post show area of the atTRaction was being updated, Walt Disney World and Siemens AG are also plussing the atTRaction itself and its technologies.

The new post show area, dubbed, "Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow" is scheduled to open later this month with broader changes, including updates throughout the ride, being phased in throughout the next several months forcing a closure of the atTRaction later this year. The ride has had minor updates since it opened with Epcot in 1982, but no major overhauls until now.

Three of several planned new exhibits in the post show area will be a 20-foot-high globe offering an ever-changing collage of images of the future; a 3-D game called "Body Builder" enabling visitors to assemble a digital human body; and a driving simulator showcasing motor-vehicle accident and avoidance systems.

Those features and others that will be wired into the ride are based on technologies developed by Siemens. The Munich, Germany-based company with operations in Orlando is involved in a variety of technology fields including automobiles, high-speed rail, water, wind energy, medical equipment and light bulbs. Siemens and Disney signed a sponsorship deal in late 2005, in which Disney pledged to spend $100 million on Siemens' technologies over 12 years.

A Disney spokeswoman said the globe renovations will take place later this year, updating everything from the lighting and audio effects to the exhibits themselves. There even will be interactive touch screens installed in ride cars, enabling visitors to create their own visions of the future.

Disney will use the power of "Pirates" to help make wishes come TRue for kids all over the world. The Walt Disney Company will be donating proceeds from the world premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" to the Make-A-Wish foundation.

The premiere will take place May 19 at Disneyland, with all of the film's stars expected to attend. The event is expected to raise $3 million for the Make-A-Wish foundation, with Disney donating an additional $1 million. This marks the first time the public has been invited to participate in a "Pirates" premiere. Individual tickets are $1,500 and are available at piratespremiere.com.

An environmental group is pushing Disney to go all green in its attempt to keep its parks sparkling clean. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice wants Disney to avoid using toxic cleaning products at all its properties. A Disney spokesperson said the company has no special policy for Animal Kingdom or any of its parks, and that they use safe products at all of its properties.

Disney is in the middle of having all of its hotels declared "green lodging" in the Florida Green Lodging Certification Program. Six are already certified.

Disney Plush Easter Baskets sold at Wal-Mart have been voluntarily recalled. Consumers should stop using the product immediately. Silver beads and ribbons attached to the basket can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

The Easter basket is a pink and purple plush Easter basket decorated with those silver beads and ribbons. "Disney Princesses" is written on top of the basket. Pictures of the princesses are on the front of the basket. They were sold at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from February to March of this year for about $10. Consumers can return the item to the nearest Wal-Mart store for a full refund.

Walt Disney Records has announced that Disneymania 5, the newest addition to the multi-platinum 'tween music franchise, has debuted at #14 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, with sales of 44,300 making it the highest chart enTRy and the biggest first week sales in the franchise's history. As with previous Disneymania albums, Disneymania 5 debuts at #1 on Billboard's Children's chart.

Since their inTRoduction in 2002, Disneymania titles have sold over three million copies, with three gold albums and one gold DVD to date. With each release, the high-quality brand has experienced an increase in sales. Like its predecessors, Disneymania 5 features an all-star line-up of musical artists singing Disney classics their way. The latest in the series features today's hottest tween/teen artists, including Hollywood Records' recording artists Corbin Bleu, Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens, Jonas Brothers, The Cheetah Girls, Jordan Pruitt and more.

An estimated 112 million people TRaveled to Disney theme parks worldwide last year, setting a record, according to a new amusement indusTRy survey.

The report showed that Disney's Magic Kingdom was the most visited theme park in the nation with an estimated 16.6 million guests. Disneyland in California was the second most visited park in the survey followed by Epcot, Disney-MGM and Animal Kingdom.

The report showed that all of the parks welcomed more guests than the year before, Local 6 reported. Universal-Orlando finished in sixth place in the survey, which is up slightly from the year before and SeaWorld-Orlando was also up, the report said. The survey showed that only Universal's Island's of Adventure dropped in attendance. It was also estimated that 62 million people visited CenTRal Florida theme parks last year.