Tech Shout!

On Tuesday Walt Disney Co. unveiled an online subscription service aimed at preschool children, completing its plan for what a Disney executive called “an online theme park.”

According to said Disney Online Executive Vice President and Managing Director Ken Goldstein, Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online costs $49.95 per year and is the most learning-oriented of Disney’s Internet subscription services for kids.

Developed with the assistance of educational experts, Preschool Time focuses on pre-kindergarten skills, such as letter and number recognition, and features “fun learning” tools such as interactive story books.

Goldstein said, “When you’re dealing with preschoolers, there really isn’t a difference between education and entertainment at that age level.”

He continued, “This is all part of our age-banded strategy where we are looking to follow the consumer through all their age levels and have something for them at every age.”

Disney Online offers Disney’s Toontown Online, a multiplayer game for ages 8 to 12, and Blast, a multiplayer game for 5 to 9 year olds. Goldstein claims that the emphasis in these products is on action and strategy.

The older game players needn’t become sad as the company is also developing broadband services for them, with a multiplayer game based on the hit film “Pirates of the Caribbean” due to launch this year.

The new preschool broadband service, which features no advertising, is based on characters and shows from Disney Channel’s “Playhouse Disney” programming block, such as “JoJo’s Circus” and “Higglytown Heroes.” Its content will be updated every two weeks.

Preschool Time Online can be purchased only through Disney, but the company has plans to include it into Disney Connection, a free kids “channel” offered to subscribers of high-speed Internet services provided by Comcast, Adelphia, MediaCom and Verizon.