The smart people over at Disney.com – the top internet destination for children’s entertainment – are in the midst of their second major site overhaul in a relatively short amount of time.

According to the New York Times, staid, old-school primary navigational options like “Movies,” “TV,” and “Live Events” are being phased out in favor of more action-oriented choices like “Games,” “Videos,” and “Characters.”

That’s not to say that Movies will no longer be represented at the site.  Actually, it’s the opposite… instead of unsatisfying short movie clips, the site will present full-length theatrical releases – cementing the sites’ role as a bona fide entertainment destination and migrating away from its former role, primarily serving as a crass promotional portal.

There’ll also be virtual worlds, sophisticated games, and plenty of ways to interact with your cell phones. 

All of these new offerings, combined with Disney’s embrace of its position as a bona fide web entertainment destination, help illustrate a seismic shift in the way that young people are spending their time.  This also heralds an important shift in diversions and amusements for the rest of us.

Steve Wadsworth, president of the Walt Disney Internet Group explained “our initial instincts were right, we just need to take it much further.” – There’s little doubt that the general public is eager to come along for the ride.

- Jon Fox