Lane Merrifield keynotes at Engage! Expo® at Toy Fair

BURBANK, Calif. — (February 16, 2010)

Today in New York Lane Merrifield, EVP of Disney Online Studios and Co-Founder and General Manager of Club Penguin, took the stage at the Engage! Expo® at Toy Fair, to speak about the magic of storytelling in virtual worlds. Lane spoke about continuing the legacy that was first started by Walt Disney — finding a great story with interesting characters and providing new methods of telling it. Lane addressed the shift that is currently taking place in storytelling due to advancements in technology, namely in the virtual world space, which he spoke of as a modern day platform for storytelling. In virtual worlds, Lane explained, storytelling  is a collaboration, written by users. Everyone’s story is unique based on how they guide it, how they choose to interact with it, and whom they choose to partner with in that interaction. Disney  provides the tools and the environment, but the kids write the story. Lane also spoke to the upcoming Disney•Pixar virtual world launching later this year World of Cars, and how it will fit this mold by giving kids the opportunity to create their own car, meet new friends and join Lightning McQueen, Mater and the cast of characters from the Cars movie in a virtual world full of fun and adventure.