Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
Disney's Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is, as the name implies, a rather magical place. It's also not a place that is close (or cheap) enough for everyone to attend whenever they want. It was no surprise, then, that when Disney launched an online Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK) back in 2005, kids everywhere wanted to get in on the action. 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Daniel Gaunt said 11:13AM on 4-15-2008
hordes of brain washed disney fanatics!
http://freeextras.blogspot.com/
http://lifeorsomethingnotquitelikeit.blogspot.com/
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Minette Sweeney said 11:53AM on 4-15-2008
I doubt very much that Disney cares what people want or don't want. They do as they please being so huge they can afford to offend 11,000 people.
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Kenny said 4:19PM on 4-15-2008
Hey Tim!
The fight is not yet over! As far as Im concerned and about 12000 others at this point we have not yet begun to fight,so
before you shoot down 12000 kids and their families Let the fight run its course without the negativity. If anything this protest will teach the children involved that if they want to make changes with things in life sometimes they might need to take a stand. Regardless of the outcome these kids(and parents) are taking just that stand.
Dont be so quick to dismiss this fight as if there were no way of making a change. I personally know some adults involved in this protest that it is there primary agenda to get National attention called to Disney as we speak. -Kenny G
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me said 1:02PM on 4-15-2008
typical corporate behaviour, some bean counting little maggot figure out that it mught be costing them 6 cents so screw the 11000 children getting just a bit of joy without
the $73 dollar sodas amnd $576 tee-shirts and crap.
i gaurentee tho that some disney maggot would look you in the face and spew about how disney "cares" abour their kids.
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matt said 1:35PM on 4-15-2008
no matter how good an online game might be. It will never be able to compare to the real thing. It's a bit like being shown a picture of an orange versus actually having a real orange in your hand
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madzion419 said 2:31PM on 4-15-2008
The very point to this game is the fact that kids of all ages, no matter what their economic standing, race, religion, or even a potential disability, can visit the parks through VMK. The Virtual Magic Kingdom has offered an oasis for children away from adult themed websites so easily found on the internet. VMK has also provided levels of safety to its players, limiting their dictionary to keep personal information out of the hands of others. The players have formed deeply rooted friendships over the last three years despite the thousands of miles that separate them.
This has been a FREE game for everyone, so needless to say, Disney doesn't find it profitable. However, thousands who have signed petitions, like the one on savevmktoday.com, have stated that they are willing to pay to keep the game open. For all the tripe children can pick up on the internet, it is experiences such as these that parents seek for their kids while online. It's shameful that Disney does a cost/benefit analysis on that. In this day and age, that kind of thing is priceless.
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Karen said 2:46PM on 4-15-2008
If anyone had told me 18 months ago that I would be petitioning for an online game to remain open, I would have thought they were out of their minds. At 47 years old, I have never been that interested in computer games, I am a cross-word puzzle kind of person, but VMK speaks to me as no other game ever has. VMK is more than just playing games, it has become a community, a family that I share my love of Disney Parks with. It truly has become "more than the sum of its parts".
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Mary said 3:00PM on 4-15-2008
Tell Wild Tangent company to take over the running of this game. They are making nice profits on all their games, even though they are not totally "interactive". They charge minimal fees to play.
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bugdozer said 3:46PM on 4-15-2008
Dear Mr. Iger,
I am writing to tell you about a magical place. A place where young and old can gather to play, learn and enjoy the Disney Magic. A place envisioned by an amazing man who dreamed of places where families could gather and have fun leaving behind the real world when they entered. A place that only the magic and creativity of Disney could build.
Where is this place you may ask? It sounds magical and fun. The first thought you may have of course is that it is Disneyland- but this is not the place I speak of. It is a form of Disneyland in a different technological age. The place I speak of is Virtual Magic Kingdom.
VMK started out as what Disney thought would be a promotion for the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. So they built this amazing virtual world to replicate Walt’s amazing Disneyland.
They threw open the gates and invited us in. We came slowly at first but once word spread we grew. VMK did not become an online park where we entered for a while then left. It became a community built by its players. A community of young and old, sick and well, and people of all races from near to far off distant countries. Here we found a place that evoked the Disney spirit in all of us. We played, danced, built rooms and formed friendships in the spirit of the man himself Walt Disney.
VMK was growing and becoming more popular so that when the promotion ended the gates were left open and our community flourished. There is no place like it on the Web where children and adults can play in a safe controlled atmosphere. I personally found a place where I and my 13 year old son could be together. We shared in this wonderful kingdom built only as Disney can do-amazing graphics, fun games, a sense of being part of the parks and much pixie dust.
They created our characters to look lifelike, like little people. We named them, dressed them, and formed their personalities. They became part of us. We look forward and enjoy seeing our little people everyday.
Suddenly on April 7th we were hit with an unbelievable devastating blow. On May 21, 2008 our kingdom, our community will cease to exist. The shock that took over was beyond belief. I felt numb, weak, and sick to my stomach, like I had been hit by a bat. How can this happen? How can a company as compassionate as Disney allow the doors of our Kingdom to close?
The news crushed my 15 year old son (slinkyman). VMK has become part of his life, part of his daily routine. A day is not complete without seeing his little person who he created to look like himself. After a few moments the shock and reality sank in and the tears started to flow. WE hugged and just cried asking how, why, how can they?
You see VMK is not just a mere game to us. Six months after slinkyman started playing VMK he was diagnosed with cancer. A shocking blow to any family made worst it being a child. I found my strength to get him through this, and then an amazing thing happened. Thanks to the spirit of Disney he took refuge in his Kingdom. In VMK he was not sick. He was a normal kid that still had hair and he had many friends. He had a support team in this community that was not available elsewhere. Cancer scares many people and our family pulled back-offering no support or visits. Here in VMK slinkyman and I have a community of amazing friends. They talked, listened, comforted us, prayed for us and sent mountains of pixie dust our way.
Through out his treatment whenever we were at the hospital slinkyman would take along the laptop with him. During these painful and scary days of treatment he would play VMK as the poisons to kill the cancer were pumped into his body. Doctors and nurses would ask him what he was playing and he would passionately tell them of a place only envisioned in dreams. VMK became an instrumental tool in his recovery. We have made life long friends and have wonderful support thanks to the magic of Disney. So to us it is so much more then a mere game. It is in our soul.
I had a friend tell me the other day the VMK is in slinkyman’s DNA- they could not be more right. I was able to save my son from cancer but I fear I will not be able to save little “slinkyman” from the darkness that is about to be bestowed upon us.
Please I beg you to reconsider this decision. Please hear the cries of young and old and let our little people live. I can not imagine a day without seeing the face of my little person. I like may others are then willing to pay to keep this community of ours alive. Please consider this option. Please show compassion and Disney spirit and show the children you care. After all in VMK the minds of our young a being filled with Disney and they will grow into adults that spend much money on anything and everything Disney.
In this Year of a Million Dreams I ask you to please dry a Million tears and let our dreams come true.
Sincerely,
Bugdozer
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Lisa said 12:28PM on 4-21-2008
Bugdozer,
Your letter was so heartfelt and real and I just wish the Disney people could read it. More than that, I wish they would sponsor a trip for you and your son to Disney.
I also had tears well up in my eyes, as I play it with my son on a regular basis. Although not in your situation, we still loved the comraderie of it all.
I want you to know that my son and I will pray for your family and that the cancer would leave your son's body. We still believe in miracles and will pray for that for you!
Amber said 3:53PM on 4-15-2008
Alright, look. We are definitely not giving up. Don't tell us to start a protest on Facebook. And actually, i believe there is 250,000 of us.. And that would be a major loss to disney thank you very much. Half of the people only went to disney parks to do the VMK quests when they still had them, and to purchase merchandise so they could get VMK goodies. That definitely gave disney alot of money. And the disney movie rewards stuff, don't even get started with me there. (:
We will continue fighting, whether you all like it or not, thanks. (:
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rtrrocket said 3:48PM on 4-15-2008
Get your kids off of the internet, take them to the park or the beach or bicycle riding. No time? Make time.
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Brandon said 7:53PM on 4-15-2008
You have to be kidding? People are complaining about a video game? Are you really complaining that your kids might not be couch potatos and actually do something productive? I love video games too, but come on. There are other games. There are other things in life. Learn that all things come to an end and life moves on. I can't believe that I'm seeing people actually complain about some video game.
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VMK Player said 10:38PM on 4-15-2008
There are kids who play VMK with Mental or Physical disabilities. And some parents said that VMK has improved their childs behavior. So to some it's not just a online video game.
Karen said 4:22PM on 4-15-2008
A note to those who would criticize others for playing on the internet instead of playing outside etc., maybe you are not aware that there are many people in the world who cannot get outside. Maybe they are in hospital receiving chemo or radiation, or have some other life threatening illness that prevents them from living a 'normal' life. VMK means so much to these kids, and brings a measure of happiness to their limited world. Think outside the box people, and for heaven's sake have some compassion for other peoples needs!!!
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VMK Player said 4:34PM on 4-15-2008
Just a little note.
Not all VMK players are Kids, there are PLENTY of Adults playing this game.
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Chris D said 11:20AM on 5-04-2008
they TARGETED adults with the start promotion of this game, they promoted it on Ebay with the Dreams sweepsteaks, the ppl that entered that has to be 18 years old, and registareds ebay users or sellers. so it is a known fact there are adults who play it too soo what ? that magic of Disney is for everyone. And the protest is moving forward and growing, permits have been obtained and they will protest Disney dispite Disneys efforts to stop the protest.
Disney knew exactly what they were doing. the got adults with kids to join, promoted the parks with quests and in game items you could only win at the parks, and then after they build the customer base for theier new games they pulled the game that started it all.
Now they hope that ppl will stay and jion the othergames? ....Hello Disney we see what you did, and you can and will do it again to our kids,so...NO my kids will NOT be playing ANY disney game on line, you gave them enough tears for a life time......
They have even Gender seperated the kids with the new games, and pushed out the adults that played VMK. here is what they said about Cars the new game do not let the name of the game fool you, guys will not want to play this game.....
Disney Cars ONLINE, a new massively multiplayer ONLINE game for girls ages 6 -10 based on the popular Disney franchise featuring Tinkerbell and all her famous fairy friends.
they are gender based games now and they will continue to do that as they build new games.
Disney, now that they have built a game base, using the adults money, are now is pushing away the adults that PAID for the trips to the parks and bought thier tickets and food and goodies at the parks. so.. protest at DLR, you darn tootin, WE the adults that PAID for it all and now are getting the shaft from Disney and have our kids asking ..why? we WILL be there. And so will CNN and several other NATIONAL news agencys and Disney will have mud on thier faces , and the investors and stock holders will now know what they did, they threw away the chance for a pay to play site and a profit based games, with a player base that was already built?
Who voted on that one? Walt would be flipping right now.......
Lisa said 4:36PM on 4-15-2008
This game was a money maker for Disney. They sold many items in the parks for which you received a card with a code for a Virtual items in the game. Many of us purchased those items, only to get the codes for the game. Many of us booked vaction packages through Disneyland.com ( when we could have gotten discounts from other places) just to get the VMK travel cards. There were many ways that VMK made money.
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Penny said 4:46PM on 4-15-2008
As a teacher, VMK was a place I could connect with my students after school for some Disney fun. I was able to build rapport with families and childern. My test scores SOARED because I took the time to make connections with my students.
What angers me most, Disney did not listen to their fan base. We want our game!
We would pay to play VMK!
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Beth said 9:57PM on 4-15-2008
Just a little note.
Not all VMK players are Kids, there are PLENTY of Adults playing this game.
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These are the adults that need to grow up and get a job. :)
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