Animal Kingdom Adding New Character Breakfast!

Hello everyone, this is the DW Blog Man hoping everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day Weekend! Orlando is extremely beautiful this time of year, and the weather could not have been any more perfect. The Disney Water Parks : Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon were rockin' and the Magic Kingdom had an amazing fireworks display every night. Now that it's Tuesday and we're starting to get back to reality, I too did some research and wanted to let you in on a little secret. Disney's Animal Kingdom is creating a brand new Character Breakfast buffet inside the theme park and it should be nothing short of spectacular!

Right now there is a place at Animal Kingdom called Tusker House, and it will soon be converted into a buffet style restaurant where a daily Disney Character breakfast will take place in the mornings. If there is one thing Walt Disney World schools the competition in, it is the Character Breakfast Buffets! From omelet stations to Mickey Mouse waffles to fresh fruit, there is no better way to start your day at the theme park than chowing down with your family while Disney characters pose for pictures at your table and sign autographs for the kids. This new restaurant is slated to open in November of 2007, right around Thanksgiving time. Only 4 1/2 months away, there will be a new reason to Start your Day at Disney's Animal Kingdom for a delicious and fun-filled Disney Character Breakfast. Hope everyone had a healthy, happy, and safe Memorial Day, and stay tuned for more news later this week. This is the DW Tickets Blog Man telling you to enjoy the Summer and come down to Orlando for the most magical experience on Earth!

EPCOT turns 25 Years Old

On October 1, 2007; EPCOT at the Walt Disney World resort will be celebrating its Silver Anniversary. Twenty-five years ago EPCOT was born. "EPCOT" stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, and was a vision of Walt Disney before he passed away. This "community of the future" opened in 1982 and featured a "future world" with innovative approaches to theme park ride technology. It took Disney World Co. three years to build EPCOT, starting in 1979, and the total cost was $1.4 billion.

EPCOT is now called Epcot park and hosts many events such as the Annual Food and Wine Festival as well as the Flower and Garden Festival. The World Showcase at Epcot features countries from all over the world with rides, attractions, shops, and restaurants. Future World is home of Spaceship Earth, the gigantic silver geosphere that is the trademark icon of the park. Epcot is also home to SOARIN', Mission Space, and Test Track. Come to the Walt Disney World resort and help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Epcot Park, and have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Star Wars Weekends at Disney MGM Studios

Buckle up and slide into your Star Speeder vehicles while Jedi knights and droids will join forces as Star Wars Weekends come back to Disney MGM Studios in June. Star Wars Weekends will begin this year on June 1, 2007 and run every weekend until June 24. Guests can come to MGM Studios theme park and take part in this special celebration every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Star Tours attraction at MGM will have special events taking place outside, with Mickey Mouse dressed up as a Jedi Knight outside the queue. Disney-MGM Studios admission is required to attend the event, and discount tickets can be purchased by CLICKING HERE!

Lucky children at the park will be randomly selected to participate in a Jedi Training Academy and learn the skillful art of lightsaber techniques. Besides many collectibles on display, there will also be autograph sessions, Star Wars trivia, and lots more. Star Wars Weekends is at Disney's MGM Studios every weekend during the month of June, so come down to the park and attend this amazing event with your family.

Mission Space at EPCOT

I recently went to EPCOT for something other than eating and drinking - rides! Usually EPCOT has so much going on with the Food and Wine Festival, Flower and Garden Month, and everything else under the sun. So last weekend I actually went there to go on some rides (although the Flower and Garden Festival is still going on through June). Besides the usual SpaceShip Earth, Test Track, and Soarin', I went on a ride that has been much talked about over recent months : Mission Space.

Mission Space launches you into outer space in a simulated shuttle vehicle as you feel the thrust of blasting off into orbit as well as actual weightlessness once into space. The intensity of this ride cannot be descibed in words, other than "WOW!" You will feel like an astronaut and know what it is like to be in a rocket. The video screens feel like you're actually looking out a window into outer space as you see Planet Earth become smaller and the sky changes from blue to black. Mission Space is one of the coolest rides I've been on anywhere, and I just wanted to give kudos to EPCOT for creating such an awesome ride and experience. To buy discount tickets to Disney World, CLICK HERE! See you at Epcot and don't forget to buckle up and blast off at Mission Space!

Summertime at Wet N Wild Waterpark

The skies are clear and blue without a cloud in sight, and Wet N Wild water park is ready to cool everyone in Florida off. Wet N Wild is the best way to relax and chill out while in Orlando, and is also a great escape from the long lines at the parks. There is truly nothing more refreshing than splashing down an ice-cold water slide after spending days walking around on tired feet at Disney World. Wet N Wild, located off International Drive in Orlando and 10 miles away from most Orlando attractions, is the most popular water park in the country. Buy your discount Wet N Wild tickets now by CLICKING HERE!

This summer is going to be an amazing one here in Orlando, Florida and you should take advantage by visiting Wet N Wild. There is a brand new ride called Brain Wash that actually has a 53 foot drop at the end. You will sit in a tube and freak out at the technology as this ride is the first of its kind anywhere. See you at Wet N Wild and don't forget to wear your sunscreen as it is going to be a HOT summer here in beautiful, sunny Florida!

"Haunted" High School Musical

The Disney Channel hit a major chord in a very big way with their "High School Musical". Already having major success with a best selling soundtrack and astounding viewership numbers, "Haunted High School Musical" is slated to open on the big-screen in 2008. The new motion picture is in pre-production at the current time, and should be out just in time for Halloween of 2008 to go along with its scary theme. The entire cast will be back including Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel for the motion picture, and High School Musical 2 will be going straight to DVD later this summer.

The Walt Disney Co. is extremely excited about the enormous success of this project, and it looks like the High School Musical franchise is off and running. Other Disney movies set to be released onto the big screen this summer include : Ratatouille, and The Game Plan featuring "The Rock". It should be a very exciting summer for the Disney movie production studio as many projects are in the works. I will keep you posted for any other news regarding release dates of these movies and future Disney projects. Have a great week and enjoy the Year of a Million Dreams at the Walt Disney World resort.

Kraken at Sea World

Sea World is Orlando's most dynamic theme park, with an array of attractions, shows and thrill rides. Kraken is starting to get a lot of attention, so I thought you should be aware of how amazing a ride this really is. First of all, Kraken happens to be the longest, tallest, and fastest roller coaster in all of Orlando. That is a pretty cool fact, since Orlando is home to Disney's Space Mountain, Islands of Adventure's Hulk and Dueling Dragons, and MGM's Rock N Rollercoaster. Kraken reaches the heights of a 15 story building, and is also the only floorless roller coaster in Orlando. Save big with discounted Sea World tickets and CLICK HERE!

Kraken takes you 150 feet in the air and spins you upside-down 7 times for a blood-rushing thrill ride experience of a lifetime. While Sea World once was all about Shamu and the dolphin pools, the creative engineering teams have gotten together and started building some spectacular roller coasters. Kraken is not to be missed, so come to Sea World - Orlando and see what all the buzz is about. The next time you come to Orlando and are looking for a great roller coaster ride to get your kids screaming and hearts pounding, check out Sea World and climb onto Kraken - the fastest roller coaster in town.

Dining at Disney World

Coming down to Disney World for the rides and attractions is one thing, but you have to know where to eat. Dining at Disney World is a top priority, not only for the guests, but for the Walt Disney World resort as well. If you are looking for someplace cheap to eat like fast-food, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe inside the Magic Kingdom park is a pretty cool place. There is always lots of seating available, tasty sandwiches and salads as well as hamburgers and chicken are available, and it won't be that expensive. Tusker House at Disney's Animal Kingdom has healthy and nutritious meals for the foodie, and is right in the middle of it all. At Epcot, Sunshine Seasons is a restaurant with different cuisines at every counter, so you have a grand variety of meals to choose from.

If you are looking for something a little more quiet for you and your spouse at night, try California Grill on the top floor of Disney's Contemporary Resort. Not only is the food amazing, with a sushi bar and panoramic views, but you can even see the Magic Kingdom fireworks show at night. Victoria and Albert's is as elegant as it gets over at Disney World, stationed at the posh Grand Floridian Hotel. Jiko is a fancy South African restaurant with an extensive wine list and a very intriguing atmosphere.

OK - so you have the cheap fast-food options, and the elegant romantic restaurants to take your significant others to. Disney World is a lot more than rides and lines - there are also world-class dining options available, and now you know exactly where to go. Enjoy your trip to Disney World and check out these amazing restaurants, all within the beautiful Walt Disney World resort.

Dancing With the Stars Comes to Orlando

ABC's hit show : "Dancing With the Stars" will be making it's long anticipated arrival in Orlando, at the Amway Arena, home of the Orlando Magic. The show will be coming to town on June 25, and will be featuring most of the popular show's most famous dance stars, including Joey Lawernce, Cheryl Burke, Drew Lachey, Joey Fatone, formerly of N'SYNC, and Edyta Sliwinska. This is a very exciting time for the city of Orlando and there will be many more events coming into town this summer. With NFL Hall of Famers such as Jerry Rice, Emmit Smith, and NBA Hall of Famer Clyde "The Glide" Drexler participating in past contests, Dancing With The Stars has become a must-see event, and the City of Orlando is very proud to be hosting one of their tour stops on June 25th, 2007.

The Blue Man Group will be arriving next month at Universal starting on June 7th, and Tony N Tina's Wedding is already in full force over in Kissimmee. School will be out in a few weeks, so this is the time to get your kids, load up the mini-van, and come on down to Orlando, Florida - where you can take the happiest vacation on the planet. Buy discount Disney World tickets by CLICKING HERE and take advantage of big savings for the entire family. See you in Orlando, and don't forget to bring your bathing suit.

Shopping at MGM Studios

When going to Disney's MGM Studios, there are so many different places to see if you are looking to shop for some Disney-related merchandise. Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards in MGM Studios are two places that have some very interesting memorabilia. You have to check out the stores outside Aerosmith's Rock N Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. They are right next door to each other, and have some really sweet looking t-shirts and jackets. I was even able to find a book of original music from Aerosmith to play guitar to. Click Here to get your MGM tickets at a discount and pass the savings along to your kids by getting them some cool merchandise at the Disney stores.

Other great shops at Disney's MGM Studios are Villains in Vogue where you can get Disney World villain apparel and gifts, as well as cool trinkets for your home. The Writer's Stop is a very unique book store at MGM, and Tatooine Traders has all the Star Wars collectibles and merchandise. When coming to Disney World, and especially MGM Studios, don't just go on the rides and buy food, but check out the retail stores too. I promise you there is something in there for everyone, and it is always interesting to browse around and see what they have going on.