The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) had a great weekend -- a lot better than Tom Brady et al.'s weekend, to be sure. I don't care about football, but I do care about Disney, since I am long the stock. Its Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds concert film grossed about $29 million for the three-day frame. Not too shabby.

I liked the original concept for the release of this film: get in and out, quick and dirty, with a one-week release schedule. Of course, I knew in my gut that, if successful, the run would be extended (I think everyone's gut probably told them the same thing). According to reports, the film will be allowed an extra week of play.

As a Disney shareholder, I obviously want profits maximized to the fullest extent conceivable. But, I wish Disney acted a bit edgier with this one. The company should have released it just for one weekend, taken in the dough (I presume this was a pretty low-budget affair), and then dumped the film on DVD and pay-per-view immediately on Monday. It is time to find out once and for all if near day-and-date release patterns truly can work for major projects. Remember, there's been a lot of buzz in recent years about cutting costs by simultaneously releasing movies to multiple platforms; I think this would have been a great test case for the media industry.

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Maybe I am getting old, but when I hear the name Hannah Montana, I think stripper, not wildly popular Disney (NYSE: DIS) Channel show.

But as countless parents of countless girls will tell you, Hannah Montana isn't just a TV show, it's a lifestyle dedicated to the character played by the spunky 15-year-old Miley Cyrus. There are Hannah Montana DVDs, books, cake decorations, and toys. Oh, let's not forget a concert tour where tickets sell for several hundred bucks a pop. A woman who joined the official Miley Cyrus fan club in the hopes of getting tickets before they went on sale filed a lawsuit after she wasn't able to get them.

Before I watched my first Hannah Montana episode, I decided to check in with two experts: my nieces. "It's the best show on the Disney Channel," said Danielle, 11. "Miley Cyrus is a great actress," said Allison, 9. With those endorsements, I took my first steps into a world I knew little about.

It doesn't seem that long ago that Hilary Duff was The The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Channel's shining -- well more like blinding -- star. Hilary had it all: talent, looks, and an innocence that emanates only from Disney Channel stars. But once Duff's 65-episode Disney series Lizzie McGuire peaked in 2001, she went on to other things, including a 2003 album that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (the project sold 3.7 million copies), an Elizabeth Arden fragrance, a clothing line, and another album that debuted earlier this year. What that meant for Disney was that Hilary was out. It didn't take long for someone else to move in -- Miley Cyrus.

You're probably wondering why that name sounds so familiar. Well, it's because Miley Cyrus is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, best known for his top 40 hit "Achy Breaky Heart." Not only are both father and daughter singers, but they are also actors and show off both of their talents, together, on Disney Channel's new hit show Hannah Montana. The show premiered with 5.5 million viewers and 2.3 million tweens (kids 9-14) and became basic cable's top series in the tween demo in its first seven weeks. On the show, Miley plays a teenager trying to lead a normal life while hiding her secret, alter-ego rock star persona Hannah Montana from her classmates. Billy Ray plays her father (you can't get anymore true-to-life than that).

How are Miley and Hannah doing? According to Fortune, "The Disney Channel Hannah Montana series hasn't just been a huge hit with kids and 'tweens; it's become a ubiquitous franchise." The 2006 Hannah Montana soundtrack entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and has gone double platinum, with 2.2 million copies sold since October. Hannah clothes are already the No. 1 tween brand at Macy's, and her new double-CD set that serves as a soundtrack and showcase for the actress, Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, has outsold American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson's new album, both released June 26, by 34,000 copies.

As if that isn't enough for a 14-year-old, Miley's The Best of Both Worlds tour kicks off October 18 and features songs that showcase Miley Cyrus as an artist as well as Hannah Montana. This best of both worlds concept seems to be a smart move for a budding star, since she is establishing her career as a solo artist (Miley Cyrus) as well as a Disney star (Hannah Montana). In a few years, she may be able to drop the whole Hannah persona and continue a singer/actress career as Miley. But for the time being, It makes you wonder if there will be any room in toy and department stores for anything without the Hannah brand-stamp come holidays. Looks like Disney Channel has become nothing more than Miley's kingdom.