Epcot to Host Food & Wine Festival

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will take place September 30 through November 13, 2011. In addition to more than two dozen marketplaces featuring “six continents of food and beverage adventures,” the festival will include specialty dinners, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, Eat to the Beat! concert series and much more. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.com.

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Top 10 Most Popular U.S. Theme Parks for 2009

1. Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park – 17.2 million visitors

2. Disneyland – 15.9 million visitors

3. Epcot – 11 million visitors

4. Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 9.7 million visitors

5. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park - 9.6 million visitors

6. Disney’s California Adventure – 6.0 million visitors

7. SeaWorld Orlando – 5.8 million visitors

8. Universal Studios Florida – 5.4 million visitors

9. Universal’s Islands of Adventure – 4.5 million visitors

10. Universal Studios Hollywood – 4.3 million visitors

Sources: Themed Entertainment Association, AECOM

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2009 Holiday Guide to Disney World

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – November 10 – December 18, 2009
Celebrate the spirit of the holidays at “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!” This wonderful holiday event takes place at Magic Kingdom® Park on select nights from November 10 to December 18, 2009. The fantastic Mickey’s Merry Christmas Party parade features Mickey and Minnie Mouse with their friends having fun with park visitors as they walk through Main Street. Special performances, “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade,” spectacular holiday wishes fireworks and even falling snow are part of this incredible party. The cheerful “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party” is a great option to explore during your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World® Resort.

Holidays Around The World – November 27 – December 30, 2009
What better way to celebrate all around the globe the joyous holiday season than at the “Holidays Around the World” event at Epcot®? Among the shows featured is a nightly Candlelight Processional, where an invited celebrity narrates the Christmas story accompanied by a fine 50-piece orchestra and a fantastic choir. Another excellent show is the “ IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” which showcases more than 1,000 fireworks, an amazing floating Earth Globe that has state-of-the-art LED screens and lots of great music. Holiday stories from all over the world are told by special invitees, including France’s Père Noël, Italy’s LaBefana and America’s Santa Claus. Other not-to-be-missed events at Holidays Around the World are Holiday Storytellers and Lights of Winter.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – November 27, 2009 – January 3, 2010
If you are looking for a different experience where the holiday spirit shines all over the place, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is the perfect event. Millions of blinking, twinkling and colorful lights decorate New York Street at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ while dancing in a choreographed motion to splendid holiday music. Beautiful Christmas trees, heavenly angels, sparkling snowflakes and various three-dimensional and motion-based displays adorn the streets making visitors feel and enjoy the spirit of the holiday season at Walt Disney World® Resort.

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade – November 27, 2009 – January 3, 2010
Mickey’s Jingle Jungle is a colorful and lively parade that takes place in Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Mickey Mouse, Donald, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and other friends go for a great jungle adventure while fun performances take place and magnificent holiday music plays. The cheerful and exotic Mickey’s Jingle Jungle paradeis known for its outstanding abstract animal images, amazing designs made with natural materials and fabrics, and unique holiday decorations.

New Year’s Eve At Walt Disney World Resort – Dec. 31, 2009
Walt Disney World® Resort has a variety of options to countdown The New Year. Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot® and Downtown Disney® Area will be celebrating the arrival of the 2010 with music, festivities and entertainment.

When it comes to celebrating the holidays at Walt Disney World® Resort with your family, many choices are available. As a result, an organized plan of holiday activities is a great idea to save time and enjoy to the fullest the holiday season at Walt Disney World® Resort. And if you are seeking great deals on comfortable accommodations during your next Disney World vacation getaway, look no farther than Westgate Resorts. For more information about Westgate Resorts, visit www.westgatedestinations.com.

Epcot Set to Host 2009 Flower & Garden Festival

With world-class flower and horticultural displays, specially themed weekends and the Flower Power concert series, the 2009 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever! The 16th-annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival offers something for everyone and is included in Epcot’s regular admission price. And spring is a great time to visit Orlando since the weather is ideal and you don’t have to cope with the summer crowds.

Enjoy endless displays of colorful roses, wildflowers and topiary displays of your favorite Disney characters, as well as gardening seminars, workshops, demonstrations and more than 500 native butterflies in Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden at this immensely popular annual Walt Disney World® Resort festival, which runs 75 days this year – from March 18 through May, 2009.

Plenty of children’s activities will be available at the 2009 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival such as the all-new daily Fairy & Princess Procession, Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden (hands-on activities, play structure and colorful topiaries of Disney characters), Pirates Adventure Zone, Let’s Get Moving recreational garden, Green Garden playground area, Character Topiary Scavenger Hunt and Earth Station.

One of the highlights of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is the Great American Gardener Series that will take place at the new Garden Town Festival Center in Future World East (next to Universe of Energy). Presented in partnership with the American Horticultural Society, the 2009 Great American Gardner Series features some of the most respected gardeners and nature experts in the United States such as Jon Carloftis (March 20-22, 2009), Shirley Bovshow (March 27-29, 2009), Susan Belsinger (April 3-5, 2009), Felder Rushing (April 10-12, 2009), Joe Lamp’l (April 17-19, 2009), Jeff Lowenfels (April 24-26, 2009), Joe Washington (May 1-3, 2009), Tom MacCubbin (May 8-10, 2009), Raymond Western (May 8-10, 2009), Melinda Myers (May 15-17, 2009), Robert Bowden (May 22-24, 2009) and Rita Randolph (May 29-31, 2009). Seminars will take place at 12 PM and 3 PM during the days listed above (schedule subject to change without notice).

In addition, the 2009 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will feature a stellar lineup of live entertainment through the Flower Power Concert Series such as Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Davy Jones, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone and Jose Feliciano. All concerts will take place at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:15 PM, 6:30 PM and 7:45 PM during the dates specified below. Concerts are included with regular Epcot admission.

2009 Flower Power Concert Series

March 20-22, 2009 – Davy Jones (“Daydream Believer”)
March 27-29, 2009 – Paul Revere & The Raiders (“Good Thing”)
April 3-5, 2009 – The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie (“Happy Together”)
April 10-12, 2009 – Herman’s Hermit’s starring Peter Noone (“I’m Henry the VIII, I Am”)
April 17-19, 2009 – The Ventures (“Hawaii Five-O”)
April 24-26, 2009 – Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes (“If You Don’t Know Me By Now”)
May 1-3, 2009 – Chubby Checker & The Wildcats (“The Twist”)
May 8-10, 2009 – Ricky Nelson Remembered featuring The Nelsons (“Love and Affection”)
May 15-17, 2009 – Jose Feliciano (“Light My Fire”)
May 22-24, 2009 – The 5th Dimension (“Up, Up and Away”)
May 29-31, 2009 – Tony Orlando “(Tie a Yellow Ribbon”)

Note: Concerts and show times are subject to change without notice.

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