Top Soccer Clubs from Around the Globe Compete in Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament

July 10, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
Photo: Disney Photography

Photo: Disney Photography

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (July 8, 2010) – On the heels of the FIFA World Cup, nearly 200 elite youth soccer teams from around the world, including the Haitian National Women’s Under 17 team, will compete in the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, July 12-17.

Clubs featuring boys and girls (ages 9-17) from countries such as Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Malaysia, the United States and others will be joining the Haitian team in creating the largest field in the tournament’s 12-year history.

More than half of this year’s field comes from outside of the continental United States with Puerto Rico leading the international team count with 18 registered clubs. Canada is next (16), followed by Brazil (11). In all, 18 countries are represented.

“This year’s field is one of the most diverse and largest we’ve had in our tournament’s history,” said the event’s tournament director Mark Luster. “The Disney Cup continues to be a great opportunity for teams from around the world to compete against other top young athletes while also getting to relax and enjoy a vacation at Disney.”

Each team will play at least four games before advancing to a single-elimination tournament format. Championship games in various age divisions from under-9 through under-18 take place July 17.

Since 1999, the tournament has attracted teams from more than 20 countries giving participants a unique opportunity to compete on the same fields as teams from the English Premier League and Major League Soccer. For instance, Celtic Football Club, Blackburn Football Club, the MLS Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake have all competed or trained at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

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Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party dates for 2010

July 10, 2010 · Posted in Attraction Tickets, Magic Kingdom, Special Events · Comment 
Photo: Kay Robinson

Photo: Kay Robinson

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is special event held on select dates in the Magic Kingdom theme park.  This Halloween themed event requires a separate ticket to attend (regular park tickets do not allow entry to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

The event will be held on certain dates from 7pm-12am September- November, 2010.

During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Guests of all ages are encouraged to dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes. This is the only time adults are allowed to dress up in costume at the Magic Kingdom! Guests trick-or-treat around Magic Kingdom collecting candy and other treats as you go.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has special themed entertainment including:

* Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade—including Disney Characters and the stars of the Haunted Mansion attraction. The parade begins with a spook-tacular ride by the Headless Horseman.
* Happy HalloWishes—a spectacular fireworks show where the Disney Villains go trick-or-treating in the sky.
* Many favorite Disney Characters and Disney Villains in special Halloween costumes.
* Special lighting, music and theming effects transforms special areas of Magic Kingdom theme park into happy haunted hollows.

The tone of the event is, well, “Not-So-Scary”, and is appropriate for children of all ages.

Dates:

* Tuesday, September 14, 2010
* Saturday, September 18, 2010
* Tuesday, September 21, 2010
* Thursday, September 23, 2010
* Saturday, September 25, 2010
* Tuesday, September 28, 2010
* Thursday, September 30, 2010
* Friday, October 1, 2010
* Sunday, October 3, 2010
* Thursday, October 7, 2010
* Friday, October 8, 2010
* Monday, October 11, 2010
* Tuesday, October 12, 2010
* Thursday, October 14, 2010
* Sunday, October 17, 2010
* Tuesday, October 19, 2010
* Thursday, October 21, 2010
* Friday, October 22, 2010
* Sunday, October 24, 2010
* Tuesday, October 26, 2010
* Thursday, October 28, 2010
* Friday, October 29, 2010
* Sunday, October 31, 2010
* Monday, November 1, 2010

*Advance Purchase Price not available on 10/8, 10/22, 10/28, 10/29, 10/31. All other select nights, when purchased prior to the day of the event: $53.95 + tax (Ages 10+) $47.95 + tax (Ages 3 - 9); Day-Of Event Prices: $59.95 + tax (Ages 10+) $53.95 + tax (Ages 3 - 9); Premium Pricing (10/29, 10/31 ): $64.95 + tax (Ages 10+) $58.95 + tax (Ages 3 - 9)

–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com

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Star Wars Celebration V : August 12-15, 2010

July 9, 2010 · Posted in Special Events · Comment 

Norwalk, CT, December 3, 2009: Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and the ongoing, weekly adventures of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Reed Exhibitions’ PopGroup will partner to produce what’s expected to be
one of the largest official Star Wars fan events ever – featuring cast and crew celebrities, fanrun events, costumes, music, live entertainment, screenings, autographs, collectibles, panels and sneak peaks into the future of Star Wars.

Star Wars Celebration V will take place August 12-15, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. A website, www.starwarscelebration.com, is dedicated exclusively to
the event, and tickets to Star Wars Celebration V will be available for purchase online starting Thursday, Dec. 10. As always, Celebration will bring together the best of the Star Wars universe in one exciting, dynamic event.

Lucasfilm Ltd launched Star Wars Celebrations in 1999. Since then, the official Star Wars “parties” have become mega events, attracting tens of thousands of loyal and devoted fans and families. To date, there have been four Star Wars Celebrations in America, as well as a Star Wars Celebration Europe (2007) and Star Wars Celebration Japan (2008). Star Wars Celebration V will be the first Star Wars Celebration produced jointly with Reed PopGroup, which is responsible for the successful New York Comic Con, the new Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) and more.

“We’re going to have a blast commemorating the 30th anniversary of fan-favorite The Empire Strikes Back as we welcome an entire new generation of fans watching our animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” said Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm’s head of Fan Relations. “There’s no doubt that Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando will be the ‘must attend’ event for Star Wars fans of all ages and from all parts of the galaxy,” he added. “We’re also very excited to launch our partnership with Reed PopGroup, which has shown great expertise in running large, fun-filled events that satisfy fans, show participants, and exhibitors. We’re expecting the biggest and best Celebration to date.”

“This is an enormously exciting undertaking and a natural partnership,” said Lance Fensterman, Vice President of Reed PopGroup. “Star Wars is arguably the strongest brand in the pop culture world, while Reed PopGroup has established itself as a leader in creating amazing experiences for fans and customers. Additionally, Reed Exhibitions has a strong international presence and is able to create world-class events globally,” he added “We look forward to providing first-rate organizational and programming expertise for a fan-based event that is well established and already attracts an enormous audience. In tandem with Lucasfilm, I’m certain that Star Wars Celebration V will be bigger and better than ever. We look forward to many years of working with Lucasfilm.”

Star Wars Celebration is the official Lucasfilm convention celebrating all things Star Wars. The Celebrations are the biggest Star Wars events held, allowing friends and families to gather to have fun and celebrate their love of the Saga. From fans who first experienced A New Hope in theaters to kids just discovering Star Wars through Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Celebration touches on anything and everything connected with that galaxy far, far away.

The producers promise more interactive events than ever at Celebration V. Celebrity guests will sign in the Star Wars Celebration Autograph area as well as make presentations. The annual Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge prizes will be awarded and there will be a chance for budding filmmakers to get tips from more experienced ones. Star Wars Celebration V will feature scores of crowd-pleasing events that can be found only at an official Star Wars convention.

Tickets are available via www.starwarscelebration.com.

For the latest news on show exclusives and special announcements on featured guests and events, subscribe to the Star Wars Celebration Newsletter at www.starwarscelebration.com. Also follow the news about Celebration V at the Official Star Wars site, www.starwars.com.

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Epcot Food & Wine Festival Special Event Reservations Open July 20

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Dining, EPCOT, Special Events · Comment 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Don’t want to miss the celebrated Party for the Senses grand-food-and-wine-tasting event? Can’t wait to attend the debut of the First Bites Opening Reception? Ladies and gentlemen, set your alarms for 7 a.m. July 20! That’s when the phone lines open to call Disney reservation specialists and book these and other events scheduled for the 15th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which presents Delicious Discoveries Oct. 1-Nov. 14 at Walt Disney World Resort.
Fans of the festival’s special programs and events can choose from among one dozen categories of special wine and culinary events scheduled during the festival’s six weeks. New programming this year includes the Sept. 30 First Bites Opening Reception festival preview, 3-D Disney’s Dessert Discovery and the Taste, Shake and Indulge Like the French Grand Marnier tasting experience. Returning events include favorites like Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen, Epcot Wine Schools, Mexico Tequila Tastings and Food and Wine Pairings.
Throughout the festival, the park will present more than 25 international marketplaces where food, wine, beer and spirits lovers can sample cuisine, culture and entertainment from six continents. The new Belgium marketplace will serve Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream, and the new South Korea marketplace packs plenty of taste into its BBQ Short Ribs with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi.
At least 250 Disney and celebrity chefs will conduct culinary demonstrations and host tasting events. In addition, the Festival Welcome Center will feature Authentic Taste Seminars and Authors without Borders weekend conversations that are included with Epcot admission.

Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information and to make reservations for special events and programs. Festival details will be available at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine before reservations open July 20.

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Eat to the Beat! Concert Series Welcomes Seven New Acts During 15th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Dining, EPCOT, Special Events · Comment 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – They span four decades of popularity. Collectively, they’ve thrilled music lovers with everything from Pop, Techno and Adult Contemporary to Southern Rock, Progressive Rock and Pop Rock. But they have one thing in common: They are seven acts playing the Eat to the Beat! concert series for the first time during the 15th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Oct. 1-Nov. 14 at Walt Disney World Resort.
Appearing for the first time on the Eat to the Beat! stage are:
  • Sugar Ray (Oct. 6-8) “Fly”
  • Air Supply (Oct. 11-12) “Lost in Love”
  • Howard Jones (Oct. 16-17) “No One Is to Blame”
  • 38 Special (Oct. 20-21) “Hold on Loosely”
  • Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp (Nov. 4-5) “Give a Little Bit”
  • Hanson (Nov. 8-9) “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’”
  • Rick Springfield (Nov. 10-11) “Jessie’s Girl”
They are part of an 18-performer concert series that will bring music to Epcot each evening of the Food & Wine Festival. Concerts are included with Epcot admission.

Additional information about the Eat to the Beat! concert series will be available at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

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AAU Championships Showcase Nation’s Top Basketball Talent

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – You recognize the faces from courtside huddles during basketball games on ESPN, but now they’re sitting in the stands just like everyone else. The occasion is the “Super Showcase” – the Amateur Athletic Union National Basketball Championships – an event that annually draws coaches from top NCAA basketball programs to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
And as in years past, a “who’s who” of college basketball will congregate around the courts at The Field House and Jostens Center July 20-27 for showcases in the boys 15-, 16- and 17-and-under categories. Each coach will have a similar two-fold goal: to evaluate the top prep players in the country, and identify the top hoop athletes to target for scholarship offers. Noted AAU alumni include LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade.
The AAU, one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country, sanctions as many as 12 national championship basketball events each year at the complex. In all, the AAU conducts more than 40 national events on Disney property each year, including baseball, girls’ and boys’ basketball, gymnastics, inline hockey, track & field, wrestling and several other sports.

For more information, visit ESPNWWOS.com.

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Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament Begins July 12

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – No sooner will the curtain come down on the World Cup than the next generation of soccer players will be at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament, July 12-17.
Building on the international flavor of the tournament, participating teams will have the opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge of Brazilian style of play at the Zico Soccer Clinic. Zico, a famed Brazilian footballer and former coach, will provide instruction, along with fellow professional coaches and former players from the Zico Soccer Academy in Brazil.
Following the Zico Soccer Clinic, boys and girls in age groups nine-and-under to 18-and-under will play in the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament. Entering its 11th year, the event features 200 teams from more than 16 countries around the globe.

For more information, visit ESPNWWOS.com.

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ESPN RISE Games at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex July 14-27

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
LAKE
BUENA VISTA, Fla. – For two weeks in July, the ESPN RISE Games
presented by Target will bring together more than 13,000 student
athletes at the newly re-imagined ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Returning for its second year at the complex, the July 14-27 event
features the country’s premier high school basketball, football,
lacrosse and soccer talent, along with competitive events in baseball,
basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, softball and track & field.
The ESPN RISE Games presented by Target is anchored by four elite high school sports events: 
  • AAU 17-under Boys Basketball Super Showcase presented by Champion
  • Under Armour High School Softball All-America game
  • Champion Gridiron Kings, an elite 7-on-7 high school football event
  • Champion High School Showcase, a US Lacrosse boys and girls event new in 2010.
One
of the first ESPN-themed events since the complex rebranding in
February, this year’s games provide the opportunity for athletes to
experience “the big time” through multiple broadcast platforms. 
The
Under Armour High School Softball All-American game, Champion Gridiron
Kings, AAU 17-under Boys Basketball Super Showcase presented by
Champion and Champion High School Boys Lacrosse Senior Showcase will be
televised on ESPNU live and as pre-recorded shows; and ESPN3.com will
carry live competitive events.
The
ESPN RISE Games presented by Target has grown from hosting 4,000
student athletes in its 2009 inaugural at Walt Disney World Resort to
an expected 13,000-plus this July.

For more information, visit ESPNWWOS.com.

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Walt Disney World Fireworks on July 4

June 22, 2010 · Posted in Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Seasonal, Special Events, Walt Disney World · Comment 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Guests celebrating the Fourth of July at Walt Disney World Resort will have a choice of fireworks shows as Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios present special pyrotechnics, and Epcot adds a patriotic “tag” to its famous “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” spectacular. Here’s what’s in store (entertainment and park hours are subject to change without notice):
Magic Kingdom – “Celebrate America Fireworks” will fill the sky at 9 p.m. July 4 (guests who’d like to begin the celebratory weekend a day early can enjoy the special fireworks on July 3 at 9 p.m.). After the fireworks, guests can enjoy Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” of lights, music and magic at 10 p.m. and midnight on July 4 (on July 3, the parade will be at 10:30 p.m.). Park hours on July 4 are 8 a.m.-1 a.m.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Special fireworks set to a rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack will be presented at 9:50 p.m. on July 4, providing guests with a bonus nighttime entertainment extravaganza to complement “Fantasmic!” (which will be at 9 and 10:30 p.m.). Park hours on July 4 are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Epcot – “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” which features dazzling special effects, colorful lasers, brilliant fireworks, and fiery torches all choreographed to a musical score, becomes even more dynamic on July 4 as the normal show is supplemented with a patriotic finale. The performance begins at 10 p.m. Earlier in the day, guests will be treated to the Voices of Liberty 4th of July Concert – featuring an expanded cast of singers plus the Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps and Disney characters – at 12:30, 1:45 and 3 p.m. on the America Gardens Theatre stage. Park hours on July 4 are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Guests can enjoy all the regular attractions and shows on July 4 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

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Flower Power Concert Series at EPCOT

February 17, 2010 · Posted in EPCOT, Music, Special Events · Comment 

As part of the 2010 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World, the Flower Power Concerts are popular with visitors. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m artists play at the America Gardens Theatre. These shows are free with admission to the park.

This is the current lineup (Entertainment is subject to change without notice):
March 5-7 – Jose Feliciano
March 12-14 – Paul Revere & The Raiders
March 19-21 – David Cassidy
March 26-28 – Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
April 2-4 – Tony Orlando
April 9-11 – Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone
April 16-18 – Ricky Nelson Remembered featuring the Nelsons
April 23-25 – Atlanta Rhythm Section
April 30-May 2 –Fran Cosmo (Former lead singer of Boston)
May 7-9 –Davy Jones
May 14 – 16 – Chubby Checker & The Wildcats

Something for everyone!

–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com

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