The Walt Disney Co. is close to approving the investment of
as much as $2B to expand its Orlando theme park by a fourth
component to join Epcot Center, MGM Studios and Disney World
itself -- tentatively called Animal Kingdom.  In considering the
expansion, Disney is trying to address two problems: "a general
slide in attendance in the last few years and increasing
competition" from Universal Studios/Florida, owned by MCA.  MCA
is planning to add 4,000 hotel rooms at Universal Studios.
Disney execs have been trying to decide whether one or more
additional attractions at Disney World would draw new visitors or
steal customers from other Disney parks in FL.  If the board goes
ahead, Animal Kingdom, featuring animals from Asia and Africa as
well as rides, would be built on 500 acres and open in '98 or
'99.  The failure of the plan to build Disney's America in VA
"might have given Disney's board some incentive to proceed in
Orlando, but the contemplated expansion has been under discussion
for many months" (Geraldine Fabrikant, N.Y. TIMES, 11/14).  In
other news, Disney is preparing a nationwide marketing blitz with
an eye beyond the  "traditional" family in hopes of attracting
young couples without children and seniors (AP, 11/13).

     Foot Locker is completing a deal to expand its sponsorship
of Hoop-It-Up, the NBA's official 3-on-3 tournament, to include
on-site retailing, and facilitating event organizer Streetball
Partners' entry into consumer products.  The sponsorship gives
Foot Locker rights to on-site sales of NBA merchandise and a new
line of Hoop-It-Up licensed merchandise, which will also be sold
at Foot Lockers stores.  Streetball is eyeing 25 markets for the
Hoop-It-Up line and will approach major non-competing retailers
in those markets where Foot Locker does not sell the line.  For
its merchandise, Streetball has signed licensees Champion and
Spalding, and is negotiating with Fruit of the Loom (Eric
Hollreiser, BRANDWEEK, 11/14 issue).

     WE'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING:  This week's
ADVERTISING AGE reports that Coca-Cola Co. "is orchestrating an
international agency shuffle as it reviews brand assignments
around the world."  In Asia and Australia, creative
responsibility for Fanta goes to D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles in
Hong Kong, from McCann-Erickson Worldwide; in Sweden, Hall &
Cederquist and Young & Rubicam will split Coca-Cola and Sprite
assignments, while Lowe Brindfors handles Fanta; in Norway, Coca-
Cola, Coke Light, and Sprite move to Leo Burnett (AD AGE, 11/14
issue).
     HEAD EAST:  Thirsty to match the success of Pabst Blue
Ribbon -- which annually sells 2.8M barrels in China -- the G.
Heileman Brewing Company "has signed an agreement with an
investment group led by Hong Kong Investments Ltd. to brew,
distribute, and market its Lone Star beer through 23 Chinese
Breweries."  John Brennan, Heileman's Int'l VP, says the
company's difficult regional experience in the U.S. has helped
them better "understand fragmented markets like China."  Brennan:
"China is the perfect place for us to expand.  Where we can do
best is where we don't have a major internationally known brand
to compete against and where growth is more opportunity-driven
than brand driven."  Brennan says Heileman chose to market Lone
Star in China "because of the Far East's affinity for Americana,
especially cowboys and Texas."  China is expected to become the
world's top beer market by 2000 -- surpassing the U.S. (Marj
Charlier, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/14).
     PEPSICO SAYS NYET TO VODKA DEAL:  A Boca Raton businessman,
Frank Pesce, claims to have signed a deal with Moscow's Cristall
Distillery granting him "the exclusive right to sell Stolichnaya
Cristall into 'all territories' of the Western Hemisphere for the
next 50 years" -- but PepsiCo says it owns the North American
rights to all Stolichnaya vodkas and the Cristall trademark.
William Finkelstein, PepsiCo VP and intellectual property
attorney, says the company "will do 'everything necessary to
vigorously protect' those rights" (James McNair, MIAMI HERALD,
11/12).

     REEBOK GOES PRO-LINE:  This week's BRANDWEEK reports that
"Reebok is expected to soon gain a top-level Pro-Line license"
from the league, and -- pending approval -- to supply teams in
New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Seattle with sideline
apparel (BRANDWEEK, 11/14 issue).
     BACK TO SCHOOL:  This week is National Education Week, and
several NFL players will be returning to school as part of the
NFL/J.C. Penny 4th annual "Take A Player to School" contest.
Selected K-12 students will take local NFL players into their
classrooms and schools for discussions on the value of education
and Q-and-A sessions (NFL).
     LOVE AND MARRIAGE:  Last night's "Married with Children" on
Fox -- which featured former NFL greats Ken Stabler, Lawrence
Taylor, Bubba Smith, Rod Martin, and Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds --
was written around a promotion for Royal Crown Cola and the Pro
Bowl.  Donald Lenehan, Royal Crown's Senior Marketing VP:  "We
like the fact that [the show] has a bit of an edge -- a slightly
controversial nature.  We're trying to associate ourselves with
something different than our big cola competitors would do" (Jane
Von Bergen, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/12).

     Plans for Wayne Gretzky's ice kingdom at the Boca Raton, FL
Airport "have melted away."  But developers are looking for a new
site, trying to keep the project alive.  Gretzky is working with
Stadium Consultants Int'l of Toronto, which plans to build 25
Gretzky-themed rinks in U.S. cities, including Miami,
Jacksonville and Tampa (MIAMI HERALD, 11/12)....The Big 3 network
revenues were up slightly on combined 3rd quarter totals (AD AGE,
11/14 issue)....The CFL franchise in Baltimore is holding a
contest to name the team with the prizes being a Pontiac Sunbird
or two round-trip tickets on Continental Airlines (Baltimore SUN,
11/13)....Renaissance Golf Products reported net sales of $4.07M
for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 1994 -- an increase of $2.38M
or 103.5% over the comparable period in '93
(Renaissance)....Digital Equipment Corp. will air a TV spot for
its new notebook computers in the Las Vegas market during
tonight's "Monday Night Football" game on ABC.  In January,
Digital will air TV spots during pro and college football
telecasts but not the Super Bowl (AD AGE, 11/14 issue)....Time
Warner Inc.'s MONEY magazine said next spring it will test a
personal-finance monthly magazine aimed at younger readers (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 11/14).... "Seeking to revitalize a slowing video
game market," Nintendo will announce a low-priced "virtual
reality" game system that will begin selling in the U.S. and
Japan in April (N.Y. TIMES, 11/14)....In the current issue of
BUSINESS WEEK, Chris Roush examines George Foreman's new-found
marketing appeal in the context of why older athletes are popular
as endorsers: "For one, there's no chance of an old pro having an
off season injury, staging a contract holdout, or blowing up at
the coach and embarrassing the company.  Also, it's less likely
that old pros will have drug problems, car crashes, or fistfights
in bars" (BUSINESS WEEK, 11/21 issue)....In a front-page expose
in Sunday's N.Y. TIMES, Douglas Frantz and Ralph Blumenthal
examine USAir under the headline: "Troubles at USAir:
Coincidence or More?" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/13).