Posted on Wed, Mar 18, 2009 @ 09:54 AM
Disney's Epcot Center Announces The Great Piggy Bank
T. Rowe Price, the global investment management organization, today announced
that it has signed a sponsorship agreement to create an innovative financial
education and entertainment experience at Epcot Center(R).
Designed in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering, The Great Piggy Bank
Adventure(SM) is scheduled to open this spring at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot Center(R)
at the Walt
Disney World in Orlando Florida. This interactive exhibit will bring basic
saving and investing concepts to life in a fun and captivating way. The
experience will entertain and empower families, while encouraging them to engage
in regular dialogue about the importance of saving and how to manage money
responsibly.
The first-of-its-kind exhibit, in conjunction with a
companion online game and associated web site, broadens T. Rowe Price's
longstanding investor education initiatives. The Great Piggy Bank Adventure(SM)
will offer lessons on four key financial themes: setting goals, saving and
spending smartly, staying ahead of inflation, and diversifying your investments.
Discussions began over three years ago with
Epcot Center(R)
Business Development and Walt Disney Imagineering to bring this experience to
guests visiting Epcot Center INNOVENTIONS.
"Empowering parents to initiate discussion
of the topics of saving and investing with their children is more important than
ever before," said Edward C. Bernard, vice chairman of T. Rowe Price Group.
"Financial awareness and decision-making is heavily influenced by one's early
experiences, making vibrant family discussion a powerful and lifelong
educational influence that can help children develop sound financial values and
habits. In watching families during play-testing of the exhibit, it has been
rewarding to see how
The Great Piggy Bank Adventure(SM) engages families in a
unique way and really does get the conversation started.
"T. Rowe Price
has a long history of educating investors and helping people reach their
financial goals," Mr. Bernard added. "We can't think of a better way to expand
those efforts than by collaborating with an organization that is a true
innovator in turning the ordinary into the extraordinary and whose name is
synonymous with world-class family education, entertainment, and service
excellence."
Dan Cockerell, Vice President of
Disney's Epcot Center(R),
shared his excitement about working with T. Rowe Price to create this unique
experience. "At
INNOVENTIONS, our focus is on encouraging guests to imagine,
invent, inquire and inspire while exploring amazing innovations that make our
lives better.
The Great Piggy Bank Adventure(SM) will give our visitors a better
insight into what it means to save and invest in an innovative and engaging
manner."
Founded in 1937, Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price (Nasdaq: TROW) is
a global investment management organization with $276.3 billion in assets under
management as of December 31, 2008. The organization provides a broad array of
mutual funds, subadvisory services, and separate account management for
individual and institutional investors, retirement plans, and financial
intermediaries. The company also offers a variety of sophisticated investment
planning and guidance tools. T. Rowe Price's disciplined, risk-aware investment
approach focuses on diversification, style consistency, and fundamental
research.
INNOVENTIONS is located in the
heart of
Epcot Center(R)
at the
Walt
Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Creativity and
imagination abound as guests celebrate inspiration and the innovations that
improve their lives and expand their horizons. Hands-on, interactive exhibits
allow children and adults to be immersed into ideas that inform, entertain and
inspire -- conquer the most dangerous house in America, find solutions to
"sticky" problems, experience the most cutting edge products at the "
House of
the Future," protect the environment from the daily waste we create and push the
limits of everyday products as we make the world a safer place. For more
information on
INNOVENTIONS, visit
www.innoventions.disney.com.
Posted on Tue, Mar 10, 2009 @ 03:03 PM
Staying at the Hotels in Orlando Florida
Hotels: Stay at one of the many Orlando area hotels (Irlo Bronson Highway for Disney World, International Drive for Universal Studios and Sea World.) they are cheaper than Disney or Universal resorts, you will save money that way, remember when you travel to Orlando you must be ready to spend the whole day at the parks , you need your room just to go to sleep.
Some hotels offer free limited bus service to the major parks (though most of these shuttles don’t run frequently enough to satisfy most people.) You may really want a car.
Make reservations in advance specially during Summer, Holidays or Special Weekends.
If you like check out our website at www.orlandodiscountticketsusa.com for all your Orlando Disney Vacations and Orlando Hotel Discounts....
Hotel Taxes : Orlando 12.5% Kissimmee : 13%
Posted on Tue, Mar 10, 2009 @ 02:48 PM
Tips for Disney World 1st Timers
So you’ve finally decided to head to Walt Disney World. With so much to see and do, it’s important to come prepared. Here are some excellent tips to make your trip one that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Plan ahead. Decide ahead of time what your priorities are and make a plan of action.
Get to the parks early! It’s amazing, particularly in busy season, how many of the rides you can knock off before half the “World” gets out of bed.
Take the time to rest in the middle of the day. Stay at one of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot or nearby Resorts allowing a return in the middle of the day for a nap or dip in the pool.
Call exactly 30 days prior at 7 AM Orlando time for priority seating if breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom is tops on your child’s list. The only way you might get away with sleeping in and booking a bit later for this highly coveted character breakfast is if you are traveling in extremely slow season.
Come prepared for an afternoon shower during the rainy summer months even if the sky looks perfectly clear in the morning. Rent a locker to store your raingear and circle back if skies start to look threatening. However, if you’re caught unprepared, just about every store in the parks sells inexpensive rain ponchos.
Use Fastpass, Disney’s free, nifty timesaving device. It’s offered at all four theme parks and is a great way to save hours of waiting in line. Just insert your park pass in one of the machines located at each individual Fastpass attraction and receive a ticket printed with a designated one-hour window in which you may return and enter a special line with little or no waiting.
Pre-arrange priority seating, Disney’s answer to dining reservations, by calling 407-WDW-DINE. On arrival you’ll receive the next table available for your party size, thus saving hours of frustration and waiting.
Allow plenty of time to reach the theme parks each morning. It’s easy to miss your breakfast priority seating if you don’t allocate enough time.
Be spontaneous. If something catches your eye, even if it’s not on your daily list of things to do, stop and explore. If not, you could miss something wonderful.
Realize the limitations of your children. If they’re tired, take a break. If their feet hurt, get them a stroller (forget that they outgrew one years ago). If a ride scares them don’t force the issue. Such precautions will make your day and the day of other park visitors a lot less stressful.
Bring pagers, 2-way radios, or cell phones. If your party plans on splitting up, they are a perfect way to keep in touch.
Wear broken-in, comfortable footwear. Better yet, bring two pairs and rotate them. Nothing is worse than blisters on your first day and then nursing them for the remainder of your vacation.
Most importantly, slow down and enjoy the magic. Resist the urge to see everything at breakneck speed. You can’t possibly cover it all, so think of this as your first trip to Disney, not your last. There will be time to pick up all the things you missed on the next go-round.
Finally, Not sure on how to get the best price for a Disney World Vacation? Check out our website at www.orlandodiscountticketsusa.com for all the latest Orlando Vacation Packages and Disney Vacation Packages.
Posted on Sun, Mar 08, 2009 @ 08:52 AM
Star Wars at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney World's Hollywood Studios Theme Park will once again host Star Wars Weekends,
an immensely popular sci-fi film festival, every Friday, Saturday and
Sunday from May 22 through June 14, 2009.
Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios features
all of your favorite Star Wars characters such as Wookiees, Sith,
droids, Jedi, Ewoks, bounty hunters and Rodians in meet-and-greet
sessions, as well as Jedi Training Academy interactive entertainment
experience, Star Wars memorabilia, Star Wars trivia contests, special
Star Wars parades and star conversations with famous Star Wars actors
and creative geniuses.
Events activities are included in theme park
admission. For more information about Star Wars Weekends, visit
www.disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends.
Posted on Thu, Feb 26, 2009 @ 06:46 PM
Night of Joy
Multi-platinum Christian rock band P.O.D., who was currently on hiatus following
a lengthy world tour, will make its 2009 concert debut as part of a 14-act
lineup announced today for Disney’s Night of Joy Sept. 11-12 at Walt Disney
World. The musically diverse event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios also will feature MercyMe, newsboys, Skillet, Flyleaf, Chris Tomlin,
Kutless, Jars of Clay, Grits, Leeland, NeedToBreath, Superchick, Mandisa and
Family Force 5.
Seven acts will perform each evening between 7 p.m. and
12:30 a.m. at stage locations throughout the park. Night of Joy begins after
regular park operating hours, with concerts and select park attractions
available exclusively for the enjoyment of event ticket holders.
P.O.D.
is among four acts new to Night of Joy (along with Grits, NeedToBreath and
Family Force 5), joining a legacy of 134 Christian music acts that have played
Night of Joy since 1983. While a Disney “newbie,” the southern California-based
band that fuses hard rock with hip-hop, reggae and Latin music is well known in
music circles. They’ve been a hit on MTV, won two GMA Dove Awards, been
Grammy-nominated, had two platinum-certified albums – one triple platinum – and
in past summers played some of the north’s biggest Christian festivals.
But in spring/summer 2009, P.O.D. is chillin’: Vocalist Sonny Sandoval
and the rest of the band are home in SoCal enjoying family life following a
seven-month world tour that wound up in South America in December, making their
Sept. 11 date at Disney P.O.D.’s first gig of the year.
“In the past
year we’ve been blessed to play all around the globe but performing at Disney
World excites me most of all,” Sandoval said.
The complete Sept. 11
Night of Joy lineup: P.O.D., newsboys, Kutless, Tomlin, NeedToBreath, Leeland
and Superchick.
On Sept. 12, the Studios’ stages will present: Skillet,
MercyMe, Jars of Clay, Flyleaf, Family Force 5, Grits and Mandisa.
Eight
of the acts are nominated for Gospel Music Association Dove Awards in 2009,
topped by Tomlin with seven nominations including artist of the year. Other
nominees are Kutless, Leeland, NeedToBreath, Skillet, MercyMe, Mandisa and
Grits.
For Mandisa, Night of Joy will mark her second “guest appearance”
at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2009. On Feb. 12, she was among an
unprecedented gathering of 27 “American Idol” finalists – including the winners
from each of the show’s first seven seasons – who participated in a Hollywood
gala-style event to premiere “The American Idol Experience.” The new attraction
immerses guests in the excitement of the hit TV show “American Idol,” with some
guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios auditioning to take the spotlight onstage,
while fellow guests cheer them on from the audience and vote for their favorite
singer with instant results.
With an innovative ticket – exclusively for
groups of 10 or more – that combines a “day” visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
with Night of Joy admission that evening, guests will have a chance to
participate in “The American Idol Experience.” And by booking on or before Aug.
12, the Studios day/Night of Joy group ticket costs just $44.95 plus tax
(beginning Aug. 13, it costs $49.95).
There’s also a two-day ticket
exclusively for groups of 10 or more that combines Night of Joy admission on
both evenings (Sept. 11 and Sept. 12) with two “day visits” to the guest’s
choice of Walt Disney World theme parks (one per day) on Night of Joy weekend
(Sept. 11-13). Booked on/before Aug. 12, that ticket costs just $89.95 plus tax
(beginning Aug. 13, it costs $99.95).
Night of Joy tickets for
individuals also are available. One-night tickets purchased in advance (up to
the day prior to the event) are $49.95 plus tax (on event day, if available,
tickets are $54.95). Two-night tickets (providing admission to Night of Joy on
both Sept. 11 and 12) are $84.95 plus tax.
All the details about tickets
for groups and individuals are available online at www.nightofjoy.com
Posted on Tue, Feb 17, 2009 @ 06:17 AM
Move It Shake It Parade at Magic Kingdom
Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! debuted at Disney's Magic Kingdom in the Walt Disney World resort. I wasn’t sure what to expect after my lukewarm review of the new 3:00 PM parade.
The parade will be performed several times a day. The daily parade times will be in the times guide you can pick up as you enter the park.
It starts down by City Hall and moves down Main Street towards the castle. There are 5 floats. One has a performer on it along with Mickey and Minnie. The other 4 have big boxes with bows on them. They come down Main Street and turn right around the hub. That would be the best place to watch the parade from. They circle the hub once and the main float stops in front of the castle. The Mad Hatter, Lumiere, Sebastian, Genie appear from the boxes. There are some different characters in this parade. But I was surprised to see that Stitch wasn’t in this parade.
Posted on Thu, Feb 12, 2009 @ 10:57 AM
The American Idol Experience
With all the thrills and suspense that have made it a television and pop culture phenomenon, "American Idol" comes to Walt Disney World Resort in a groundbreaking new attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
"The American Idol Experience" captures the energy and excitement of the TV series, with some guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios auditioning to take the spotlight onstage, while fellow guests cheer them on from the audience and vote for their favorite singer with instant results.
The attraction - grand opening Feb. 14, 2009 - was developed by Walt Disney Imagineering in conjunction with FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) and 19 TV Ltd. It is based on the smash-hit television show "American Idol" - produced by 19 TV Ltd. and FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) - and is designed to immerse park guests in the authentic feel of a live television production.
"Disney parks are all about making dreams come true, and that's exactly what will happen at ‘The American Idol Experience,' " said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "Whether they are onstage singing or in the audience cheering on their favorite performer, our guests will feel immersed in a world of instant stardom."
Each show takes place in a 1,000-seat indoor theater that features the twirling neon signs and a multi-layered backdrop inspired by the actual "American Idol" set in California. Building on its hallmark of attention to detail, Walt Disney Imagineering worked with the Hollywood set designer who designed the actual TV show set for "American Idol." The newly designed venue is the most technologically advanced theater found at Walt Disney World Resort.
Designed to reflect the best and brightest elements of the TV show, "The American Idol Experience" includes an audition process open to Disney's Hollywood Studios guests 14 and older (audition slots are limited and interested guests are encouraged to arrive early). These guests perform live in front of a Disney's Hollywood Studios casting director for the opportunity to be cast in one of the preliminary theme park shows that same day.
If shown to have that special "star quality" during the multi-step audition process, it's on to performance training, hair and makeup. Then, the lights come up and it's showtime for the singers as they try to impress an audience of theme park guests - plus a panel of three expert judges.
Fellow park guests will be able to enjoy the performances just like at a live television taping. Then, audience members vote for their favorite performance using the armrest keypads, with their votes tallied to determine the top singer.
Performers with the highest votes during the preliminary shows will return for a high-energy grand finale show that same evening. After their encore performances, the big moment arrives. It's a super-charged, eye-popping scene as audience votes are tallied, the other performers drop off, music builds and the spotlight shines down, amid a blizzard of confetti, on the day's top singer. In addition to their new-found theme park fame, the top vote-getter will receive "The American Idol Experience" Dream Ticket, which allows an eligible holder to schedule a front-of-the-line audition to a future regional audition for the "American Idol" television show. And every member of the audience can take a bow, too, because they had a role in deciding that day's star.
"The American Idol Experience" is the newest attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The showbiz-inspired theme park immerses guests in the glamour of show business with thrilling attractions, Broadway-style shows, world-class atmosphere entertainment and interactive film, music, television and radio production facilities.
Posted on Fri, Feb 06, 2009 @ 07:45 AM
Space Mountain Closing for Refurbishment
Disney World has announced that it will shut down Space Mountain this spring for what the company described as a months-long "refreshment" of the 34-year-old Magic Kingdom roller coaster.
The ride will close April 19, just after the Easter holiday. It is expected to reopen late in the year, Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said, though a specific reopening date has not been set.
The timetable means Space Mountain will be closed throughout the busy summer-travel season.
The construction work will include installing new track inside the enclosed coaster, which carries guests in the dark through a series of sudden drops and sharp turns. The layout of the track will remain the same, however.
Other upgrades will include a new enclosure for the ride's queuing area and a new ceiling inside its signature, white dome, Finger said.
Finger said the renovations are the first substantial work on the ride since September 1999. The project follows a series of other makeovers Disney World has made in recent years to some of its oldest attractions, including the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean in the Magic Kingdom and Spaceship Earth in Epcot Center.
Disney fans have been swapping rumors for more than a year that the company was planning a sweeping overhaul of Space Mountain. In 2005, the Walt Disney Co. completed an extensive, two-year makeover of the Space Mountain at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
But the changes to Orlando's version of the ride -- it's the original Space Mountain, having opened Jan. 15, 1975 -- are likely to be more modest.
"We're retaining many of the classic elements that made Space Mountain a right of passage at the Magic Kingdom that's been enjoyed by generations," Finger said.
Posted on Tue, Feb 03, 2009 @ 06:49 AM
Disney World Boardwalk & Universal's Citywalk
When visiting Disney World or Universal Studios, many people have no idea of the other things that are available while visiting these 2 great theme parks.
Disney World Boardwalk:
Over at Disney Boardwalk there are many very nice Resturants and Night Clubs (over 21) for for you and your family to enjoy. For good food and drinks you may want to stop at ESPN Cafe and catch your favorite Team playing on one of many Big Screens or Wall T.Vs.
Wanna hear great music and have a cocktail, then go on over to Jelly Rolls to watch 2 guys dueling it out with Dueling Pianos.
If that is not enough, then for the little ones, go on the other side of the Boardwalk with the kids and hang out at the Beach where every night there is a different Disney Movie playing on the portable Movie Theater put up right there on the Beach.
Then at 8:45, go right to the bridge and catch the 9pm Fireworks show from Epcot Center. And the best part is that you didn't have to pay to get into the park.
Universal's Citywalk:
Citywalk at Universal Studios has all the entertainment that your hearts can handle. Eat great food over at Emeril's Resturant or Margaritaville with Jimmy Buffet (he does show every once in a while) or jump over to Hard Rock and have great food and awesome drinks.
If clubing is in your blood then you may want to visit the many bars and clubs that Citywalk has to offer for all your night time dancing and drinking. (21 and Over)
Posted on Mon, Feb 02, 2009 @ 08:58 AM
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