"The most magical place on Earth" is celebrating a "magical" new arrival this week.Disney Parks announced on social media that a white shetland pony was born on Tuesday morning at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground in Bay Lake, Florida.The news of the new arrival means Cinderella won't soon be without a horse, which is important because, as Cinderella's fairy godmother once advised, “You can't go to the ball without a horse.”In the video player above: See images of the foal and her mom, Lady"Give a warm welcome to this sweet, newborn foal at Tri-Circle-D Ranch! Less than 24 hours old, she’s already in the pasture bonding with mom," Disney Parks tweeted Tuesday. "With her beautiful white coat, this Shetland pony will be living out a fairy- "tail” & joining the team who pulls Cinderella’s coach."In Disney Parks' announcement on Instagram, Dr. Mark Penning, vice president of Animals, Science and Environment for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, commented about the pony's birth."This sweet, Shetland pony foal was just born at Tri-Circle-D Ranch! Less than 24 hours old, she’s already in the pasture bonding with mom," Penning wrote in one of the announcements on social media. "She was born with a beautiful, white coat, which means one day she will help pull Cinderella’s coach. For now, though, she’s keeping close to her mom Lady."Births like these are possible thanks to the care and dedication of our ranch hands at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground."According to CNN, the foal has an older sister, Lily — who was born in 2019. The hope is that the sister Shetlands will follow in the hoof steps of their parents, Lady and Ferdinand, who have both served on Cinderella's horse team, which pulls the pumpkin carriage at The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World for weddings and parades. The ranch, according to the Walt Disney World Website, is home to more than 90 horses of a variety of breeds including Appaloosas, Arabians, Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons and Quarter Horses and Shetland Ponies. In addition to being home to Cinderella's ponies, the ranch is home to the horses of Main Street, U.S.A. and Discover the Dragon Calliope.

It looks like those rumors of Johnny Depp reprising his role of Jack Sparrow are not coming to fruition.

A representative for the actor denied recent reports that Depp was slated to return to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, telling NBC News that "this is made up."

In the wake of his defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard, rumors spread like wildfire that Depp was to return as Sparrow, and Disney was set to pay him $301 million, Forbes reported.

Jerry Bruckheimer, famed producer of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, put those rumors to bed by telling The Times that Depp was "not at this point" returning.

But he gave a glimmer of hope when he added, "The future is yet to be decided."

Depp accused his former wife of libeling him with a 2018 Washington Post op-ed describing herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse."

A jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages, and Heard was awarded $2 million in her countersuit.

After Heard's op-ed was published, Depp was dropped from "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Fantastic Beasts."

HONG KONG —

CoCo Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter who had a highly successful career in Asia, has died by suicide, her siblings said Wednesday. She was 48.

The star had been suffering from depression for several years, Lee's elder sisters Carol and Nancy Lee said in a statement posted on Facebook and Instagram, with her condition deteriorating drastically over the last few months.

"Although, CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her," the statement read.

Lee attempted suicide at home over the weekend and she was rushed to a hospital, her sister said. They said that she was in a coma and died on Wednesday.

Born Ferren Lee in Hong Kong, Lee later moved to the U.S. where she attended middle and high school in San Francisco. She became a singer after winning first runner up in an annual singing competition held by broadcaster TVB in Hong Kong, and released her first album in 1994 at the age of 19.

Though Lee initially started off as a Mandopop singer, she later branched out to release albums in Cantonese and English over her nearly 30-year career. She was best known for her powerful voice and live performances.

"CoCo is also known to have worked tirelessly to open up a new world for Chinese singers in the international music scene, and she went all out to shine for the Chinese," her sisters said in their post. "We are proud of her!"

She also was the first Chinese singer to break into the American market, and her English song "Do You Want My Love" charted at #4 on Billboard's Hot Dance Breakouts chart in December 1999.

Lee was the voice of heroine Fa Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney's "Mulan," and also sang the Mandarin version of the movie's theme song "Reflection."

In 2011, Lee married Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian businessman who is the former CEO of Hong Kong supply chain company Li & Fung. While she had two stepdaughters from her marriage with Rockowitz, Lee didn't have children of her own.

In Lee's most recent Instagram post, dated Dec. 31, 2022, she shared several pictures of herself, including tattoos of the words "love" and "faith" as well as a picture of what appears to be a drainage bag taped to her body.

"Love & Faith — my two favorite words that I carry strongly in my heart which I desperately needed to get through this incredibly difficult year," she wrote in the caption.

"Life seemed unbearable at times but I adapted the attitude of a 'female warrior' to face them head on fearlessly," the caption read.

In March, she posted about having to relearn how to walk after undergoing surgery for an old leg injury that was triggered after going overboard during a dance practice in October 2022.

"Successful surgery. Even though I'm in a lot of pain and I have to re-learn how to walk again, I know I can do it," she wrote in a Facebook post. "Yes I can and I will!"

Mandopop singer-songwriter Wang Leehom paid tribute to Lee in an Instagram post, describing her as the "biggest star" whom everyone wanted to work with.

"In the music industry, Coco Lee broke down international barriers, before any other Chinese singer did," he wrote. "Let's always remember her, as a brave pioneer, and an important musical legend."

Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai posted a message on Facebook that read "R.I.P., your bright smile will always be remembered."

If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you can chat online here.

Two of Disney's most successful animated film franchises will be getting another sequel.

CEO Bob Iger said fans can expect new "Toy Story" and "Frozen" movies.

The original "Toy Story" was released in 1995. It featured Tom Hanks as "Woody" and Tim Allen as "Buzz Lightyear." The latest installment in the series was "Toy Story 4," which was released in 2019. It won the Academy Award for best animated feature in 2020 and grossed over $1 billion.

The next "Frozen" film will be the third in the franchise. The first two films grossed over $1 billion each. The original "Frozen" movie also earned the Academy Award for best animated feature.

A date for the new releases has not been released.

The move announcements come as Disney undergoes a "strategic transformation." The transformation includes 7,000 job cuts.

“We are going to a really hard look at everything we make," Iger said.

Disney will try to reduce its non-sports content costs annually by about $3 billion.

"Things in a more competitive world have simply gotten more expensive,” Iger stated.

Disney enthusiasts rejoice — a full look at the live-action re-imagining of "The Little Mermaid" is here.

As part of the 95th Academy Awards telecast, two of the film's stars Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy came out on stage to present the film, before the trailer aired for viewers at home.

Video above: A shorter teaser for "The Little Mermaid" was released in February and gave viewers a first look at Melissa McCarthy cackling as Ursula

The clip gave a fuller glimpse at Ariel's (Bailey) underwater world, as well as the object of her affection, Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King).

More of McCarthy's sea witch Ursula was also seen, with her swirling black octopus tentacles glowing with purple tones.

Even a glimpse of a small red crab — presumably Sebastian, voiced by Daveed Diggs — was shown.

The trailer appeared to show brief snippets from some of the movie's highly anticipated musical numbers, including "Part of Your World" and "Kiss the Girl."

Video below: Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel in "The Little Mermaid," got emotional while unveiling a Barbie doll inspired by the film's main character

The new film is a live-action version of the 1989 animated classic "The Little Mermaid," which won two Academy Awards — best original song for "Under the Sea" and best original score.

The new "The Little Mermaid" swims into movie theaters on May 26.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board, accusing the Republican 2024 presidential prospect of weaponizing his political power to punish the company for exercising its free speech rights.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court minutes after the board appointed by DeSantis to oversee Disney's special taxing district sought to claw back its power from the entertainment giant, voting to invalidate an agreement struck between Disney and the previous board in February, just before that board's dissolution.

"What they created is an absolute legal mess, OK? It will not work," said Martin Garcia, chairman of the DeSantis-picked Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors.

Wednesday's moves are the latest escalation in the fight between DeSantis and Disney as DeSantis moves toward a 2024 presidential bid.

Disney responded by suing DeSantis, the board and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity acting secretary Meredith Ivey, seeking to block the board's moves.

The lawsuit characterizes Wednesday's vote as the "latest strike" in "a targeted campaign of government retaliation – orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney's protected speech."

It says DeSantis' retaliation "now threatens Disney's business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights."

"Disney finds itself in this regrettable position because it expressed a viewpoint the Governor and his allies did not like. Disney wishes that things could have been resolved a different way," the lawsuit says. "But Disney also knows that it is fortunate to have the resources to take a stand against the State's retaliation – a stand smaller businesses and individuals might not be able to take when the State comes after them for expressing their own views. In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind."

Video above: Central Florida Tourism Oversight District votes to declare Disney deal invalid

The board's move Wednesday was expected, and board members in previous meetings had previewed its argument over why it saw the agreement as invalid. In March, the board hired a team of law firms to represent the district in "potential legal challenges" with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, signaling that DeSantis' appointees anticipated the fight was headed to the courtroom.

Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted at the entertainment giant's case against the state when he told shareholders earlier this month that "the company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do."

"The governor got very angry about the position that Disney took, and it seems like he's decided to retaliate against us. ... in effect, to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right," Iger said. "And that just seems really wrong to me – against any company or individual, but particularly against a company that means so much to the state that you live in."

The fight now shifts to the courts, where Disney, in its 77-page lawsuit, is seeking an injunction that would block the board from exercising the power DeSantis and the Republican-led legislature sought to hand it.

"We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state," DeSantis communications director Taryn Fenske said. "This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law."

The yearlong fight has strained what had long been a cozy relationship between Florida's government and the state's best-known employer and attraction of tourist dollars. DeSantis earlier this month suggested the state could build a prison or competing theme park on what had for decades been Disney-controlled property.

The Florida governor's battle with Disney has become a flashpoint in the early stages of the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Former President Donald Trump and a slew of other candidates and potential rivals, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have lambasted DeSantis for his actions, characterizing them as anti-business.

After a hearing in which several business owners, including those who run restaurants and bars at Disney World locations, urged the board to work with Disney, Garcia said the board would seek to raise taxes to pay for its legal fees in evaluating and combatting what he called "eleventh-hour agreements."

"Because that's going to cost us money, we're going to have to raise taxes to pay for that," Garcia said.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors – the board named by DeSantis and packed with his allies earlier this year – took over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special taxing district that for half a century gave Disney control over the land around its Central Florida theme parks.

But before the DeSantis-selected board was in place, Disney in February reached an agreement with the outgoing board that seemed to render the body powerless to control the entertainment giant. The DeSantis administration was unaware of the agreement for a month and vowed retribution after it became public.

Video above: Florida Gov. DeSantis warns Disney 'there's more to come' in ongoing fight

The agreements Disney signed with the previous board ensured the company's development rights throughout the district for the next 30 years and in some cases prevented the board from taking significant action without first getting approval from the company. One provision restricted the new board from using any of Disney's "fanciful characters" until "21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England."

Its development agreement was approved over the course of two public meetings held two weeks apart earlier this year, both noticed in the local Orlando newspaper and attended by about a dozen residents and members of the media. No one from the governor's office was present at either meeting, according to the meeting minutes.

In Wednesday's meeting, the board's special general counsel, Daniel Langley, walked through its legal argument for nullifying the deal between Disney and the previous board.

He said the board had not provided the required public notice of its meetings, and said the agreement was not properly approved by two municipalities within the district, the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista.

He also argued that previous amendments to Disney's long-term comprehensive plan were not properly vetted and approved by those two municipalities.

"The bottom line is that a development agreement has to be approved by the governing body of a jurisdiction, and that didn't happen from the cities that have jurisdiction," Langley said.

Former Florida Supreme Court justice Alan Lawson, an attorney hired by the district, said that "the old board attempted to act without legal authority to act."

"This is essentially about what it means to live and work in a country governed by the rule of law. Everyone must play by the same rules," he said. "Disney was openly and legally granted unique and special privilege – that privilege of running its own government for a time. That era has ended."

The end of a decades-old agreement

The state legislature created the Reedy Creek Improvement District in 1967 and effectively gave Disney the power to control municipal services like power, water, roads and fire protection around its Central Florida theme parks that didn't exist before Walt Disney and his builders arrived. But the special district also freed Disney from bureaucratic red tape and made it cheaper to borrow to finance infrastructure projects around its theme parks, among other significant advantages.

That special arrangement, though criticized at times, was largely protected by state politicians as both Disney and Florida benefited from the tourism boom.

The unlikely fracturing of Florida's relationship with its most iconic business started during the contentious debate last year over state legislation to restrict certain classroom instruction on sexuality and gender identity. Disney's then-CEO, Bob Chapek, facing pressure from his employees, reluctantly objected to the bill, leading DeSantis to criticize the company. When DeSantis signed the legislation into law, Disney announced it would push for its repeal. DeSantis then targeted Disney's special governing powers.

For DeSantis, who has built a political brand by going toe-to-toe with businesses he identifies as "woke," the latest twist threatens to undermine a central pillar of his story as he lays the groundwork for a likely presidential campaign. An entire chapter of his new autobiography is devoted to Disney, and the saga is well-featured in the stump speech he has delivered around the country in recent weeks.

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BECAME THE BACKDROP FOR REAL HEADLINES. >> THERE ARE SO MANY EXCITING THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT WALT DISNEY WORLD OVER THE YEARS, IT IS HARD TO PICK ONE. >> WE HAVE PICKED THE TOP FIVE. DISNEY WORLD’S FIRST FOOTNOTE IN HISTORY CAME TWO YEARS AFTER IT OPEN,ED NOVEMBER 17, 1973. >> PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON WAS THERE SHORTLY AFTER WATERGATE AND WAS GIVING A SPEECH TO THE PRESS AT ONE OF THE BALLROOMS. THERE WAS A QUESTION AND ANSWER CTSEION AFTER AND HE BLURTED OUT -- >> I AM NOT A CROOK. >> AND THAT BECAME HUGE IN THE AMERICAN LEXICON AND A BIG POP CULTURE MOMENT. >> EVEN PEOPLE WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT RICHAR NDIXON PROBAYBL KNOW "I AM NOT A CROOK." MOST PEOE,PL HOWEVER, DO TNO REALIZE THAT WAS UTTERED ON THE GROUNDS O WALT DISNEY WORLD. >> PEOPLE HAVE GOTO TKNOW -- >> YEARS LATER, IT WAS THE BACKDROP FOR HEADLINES AGAIN, AND A BREAKUP THAT ROCKED ROCK ' ’N’ ROLL IN DECEMBER OF 1974, THE END OF THE BEATLES. >> THE WRITING WAS ALREADY ON THE WALL BY THE LATE 1960’S. >> BOB THOMPSON IS A POP CULTURE EXPERT AND PROFESSOR AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. HE SAYS THE BREAKUP OF THE BEATLES UNRAVELED OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT BY DECEERMB OF 1970 FOUR, PAUL, GEORGE AND RINGO HAD ALL SIGNED THE PAPERWORK DISSOLVING THE PARTNERSP.HI >> AND THEY ONLY NEED ONE MORE SIGNATURE, JOHN LENNON. WHERE DOES HE HAPPEN TO BE WHEN THE DOCUMENTATIONS ARRIVE? THE POLYNESIAN RESORT IN NONE OTHER THAN DISNEY WORLD. SO WHILE DISNEY WORLD DIDN’T CAUSE THE BREAKUP OF THE BEATLES, THE OFFICIAL LAST CHAPTER IN THE BREAKUP OF THE BEATLES ACTUALLY HAPPENED WIINTH SIGHT OF THE MAGIC KINGDOM. >> CELEBRATIONS,OT N BREAKUPS, ARE MORE DISNEY’S STYLE, SO LET’S GET THE PARTY STARTEDITH W OUR NEXT TOP MOMENT FROM 1987. >> I AM GOING TO DISNEY WORLD. >> WORDS THAT HAVE NOW BEEN FIVE UTTERED BY EVERYONE FROM MI SS AMERICA TO REALY ITTV STARS. IT ALL BEGAN IN EARNEST WITH SUPER BOWL 21 MVP QUARTERBACK PHIL SIMMS AFTER THE NEW YORK GIANTS BEAT E BUTHFFALO BIS.LL >> THE STORY GOES HEAS W PAID, SOME REPORTS SAY $50,000, OTHERS $75,000. >> WHEN I HRDEA HIM SAY THAT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO COLD. -- SO COOL. YOU KNOW, DISNEY WORLD MEA ANS LOT TO NOT ONLY ME, BUT YOUR KIDS AND THE WHOLE WORLD. >> THAT VERY NEXT YEAR, AHEAOFD SUPER BOWL 22 IN 1988 DOUG WILLIAMS, QUARTERBACK FOR WASHINGT,ON D.C.’S TEAM, WAS APPROACHED. >> THE NIGHT BEFORE, ONE OF THE LADIES WHO WORKED FOR DISNEYT A THE TIME CAMTOE ME AND SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WIN, YOU KNOW, YOU, WE WANT YOU TO YSA THIS. AFTER THE GAME, YOU KN,OW WALKING OFF THE GAME PEOPLE WAS AROUND ME. AND I HAD MY HELMET UP IN THE AIR. THE ONLY THING I WAS WORRIED ABOUT WAS THE FACT THAT WE WAS THE WORLD CHAMPION, AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERED, THEN I FELT SOMETHING HIT ME ON THE LEG. SHE WAS A SHT ORLADY. AND SHE SAID, HEY, DISNEY WORLD, DISNEY WORLD. AND I LOOKED DOWN, AND I JTUS TURNED AROUND AND SAID, HEY, I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD. >> IN 2020, DISNEY STEPPED BACK INTO THE SPORTS ARENA HELPING TO GIVE THE NBA A BUBBLE TO PLAY THEIR ASSEON AMID THE CODVI PANDEMIC. >> HAD WE KNOWN WT WHAWEREE ASKED TO DO AT THE TIME, I AM NOT SO SURE WE WOULD HAVE SAID WE COULD DO IT BECAUSEHE TREAS W SO MUCH UNKNOWN. WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW AT THAT TIME -- OR NO ONE DID -- HOW THE VIRUS WAS TRANSMITTED. >> FROM JULY THROUGH OCTOBER, 22 NBA TEAMS PLAYERS, COACHES AND STAFF LIVED, WORKED AND PLEDAY AT DISNEY WORLD’S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS, COMPLETING THE 2019-2020 REGULAR SEASON, THE NBA PLAYOFFS AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. >> THE SEASON IS OVER, THIS HISTORIC CHAMPIONSHIP. >> THE SEASON CONCLUDED WITH ZERO CASES OF COVID-19 IN THE BUBBLE. FARON KELLEY IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF DISNEY SPORTS. >> TREHE WAS A DOCUMENTARYN O ABOUT THE DAY SPORTS STOPPED. AND I WATCHED IT, AND IT HAD FOOTAGE FROM THE BUBBLE D ATAN WE DID HERE. AND AT THAT MOMENT, IT HIT ME THAT WE HAD REALLY -- WERE PART OF HISTORY. >> DISNEY’S NEXT DEFINING POP-CULTURE MOMENT HAS TO DO WITH A PRINCESS. NOT THE ONE FROM THIS CAST BLEUT A REAL-LIFE PRINCESS, POSSIBLY THE MOST FAMOUS WOMAN IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME. >> IN 1993, DIANA, PRINCESS DIANA BROUGHT HER TWO BOYS FOR THEIR FIRST VISIT TO THE UNITED STAT,ES AND OF COURSE, THEY WTEN TO DISNEY WORLD AS A FAMILY, THE THREE OF THEM. >> PRINCE WILLIAM WAS 11 AND HARRY WAS ONLY 8. THE INTERNATIONAL PAPARAZZI AT THE TIME, ANXIOUS TO GET A PICTURE OF THE ROYALS WHO WERE AT THE PARK SSLE THAN A ARYE AFTER PRINCESS DIANA AND PRINCE CHARLES ANNOUNCED THEIR SEPARATION. >> OTHER PAPERS ARE SPECULATING >> THE BUZZ AROUND THEIR VISIT, DOMINATED THE LOCAL NEWS TOO BACK THEN. >> IT WAS REALLY QUITE A THRILL. I>>T MADE A BIG IMPACT ON WALT DISNEY WORLD BECAUSE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD SAY IF THEY CAN HAVE SUCH A GOOD TIME, I WOULD GO THERE TOO. >> OF ALL THE FAMOUS VISITS TO DISNEY AND MOMENTS THAT HAVE UNFOLDED ALONG MAIN STREET, THERE SEEMS TO BE ONE THAT PEOP RLEEMEMBER BEST, THR EIOWN. >> MILLIONS OF IMPORNTTA EVENTS HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS AT DIEYSN WOR,LD BUT THE MAIN EVENTS WERE NOT RECORDED. THEY ARE EVENTS YOU HEAV TO LOOK INTO PEOPLE’S PHOTO ALBUMS. YOU HAVE TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR MEMORIES. A BIG STORY HAPPENS AT DISNEY WORLD EVYER DAYNOT, THE STORIES THEY GET REPORTED. FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD, IT IS THE BIGGEST, SOMETIMES HAPPIEST MEMORY OF THEIR LIFE. >> THAT IS WHAT 50 YEARS OF MAGIC IS ALL ABO

Disney risks losing copyright protection on some very valuable characters

Updated: 4:35 AM EST Jan 1, 2022

Winnie the Pooh and Disney are about to run into a spot of bother, as Christopher Robin's friend would put it.The copyright protection for Winnie the Pooh will expire in 2022.Related video above: Disney World's top five moments in pop-culture historyDisney has made billions over the years from author A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books since the company acquired the rights in 1961.While others can use the characters after the copyright expires, they can't just copy the Disney trademarks. They will have to make their own versions.Disney could try to extend the copyright again, but legal experts believe that might be a long shot.Of greater concern, Disney may also lose the copyright for Steamboat Willie two years from now.In case that doesn't ring a bell, Steamboat Willie is the earliest version of Mickey Mouse.

Winnie the Pooh and Disney are about to run into a spot of bother, as Christopher Robin's friend would put it.

The copyright protection for Winnie the Pooh will expire in 2022.

Related video above: Disney World's top five moments in pop-culture history

Disney has made billions over the years from author A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books since the company acquired the rights in 1961.

While others can use the characters after the copyright expires, they can't just copy the Disney trademarks. They will have to make their own versions.

Disney could try to extend the copyright again, but legal experts believe that might be a long shot.

Of greater concern, Disney may also lose the copyright for Steamboat Willie two years from now.

In case that doesn't ring a bell, Steamboat Willie is the earliest version of Mickey Mouse.