Learn all about the Disney Princesses

If you have a young daughter and are planning a trip to the Walt Disney World resort, chances are you will be trying to track down a few Disney princesses during your time in Central Florida. Luckily for you, there are many chances for meet-and-greets, opportunities to dine with the princesses and even two places on property for you to give your very own little princess the royal treatment with princess makeovers. To experience any of these, however, you and your family will need theme park tickets in order for you to have access to all of the Disney princesses and other characters and attractions inside the four parks. To get these tickets at a discounted price, don’t go anywhere – here at DWTickets.com, we offer discounted theme park tickets to all of the top attractions in Orlando, from Disney to Universal, Sea World and many more. For more details on these discounted theme park tickets, click here now!

Once you arrive in Central Florida, you have many options to get your Disney princess fill. One of the most popular ways to interact with these princesses is through character dining. At Cinderella’s Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom Park, you will dine right in Cinderella Castle’s private dining hall amongst the Disney Royal Family at either the Once Upon a Time Breakfast or the Fairytale Lunch, while this restaurant also hosts a dinner each evening that includes a welcome fit for royalty and a special appearance by the Fairy Godmother. Another option for Disney princess dining is in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion. At the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Disney Princesses join you in a Norwegian castle for a breakfast that is full of smiles and good, family-style American food. This may not be nearly as popular as Cinderella’s Royal Table, but with appearances from many princesses, this is a great way to start off any family’s day.

Once you have hit up a meal with the princesses, you can also find them in the parks as well. The Magic Kingdom Park is the best for princess spotting, as you will find them in the daily parades and frequently around the park for meet-and-greets (try Story Time with Belle and Mickey’s Toontown Fair Hall of Fame). Also at the Magic Kingdom Park, on select days until June 4, 2008, guests will have the opportunity to attend Mickey’s Pirate and Princess Party. This five-hour, special-ticket party, which runs from 7 p.m. until midnight, includes a whole host of new activities designed to bring out your inner princess or pirate! The princess festivities at this party include Disney princess meet-and-greets, where Cinderella, Jasmine, Aurora, Ariel, Snow White, Belle and more gather around the park to meet all of the future princesses in attendance, Sebastian’s Under the Sea Dance Party at Ariel’s Court in Fantasyland and the Dream Along with Mickey show in front of Cinderella Castle, where scores of Disney characters try to stop Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent from turning dreams into nightmares!

No matter what park you are going to or what characters you are in search of, you can always use certain resource inside the parks each day to help you locate exactly who you are looking for. First of all, the Times Guide or Character Location Guide located at the parks’ main entrances are your best one-stop information outlet for finding scheduled Disney princess appearances and show times. Another invaluable resource in the parks each day is the Guest Relations center. Here, a Guest Relations host/hostess can answer specific questions you have on where specific characters will be at all times of the day. While these meet-and-greets are always subject to change (and remember, characters only come out for a certain period of time before they have to go back in), they can give you the most “inside scoop” of when and where to spot your favorite character that day.

Finally, once you have met all of your favorite Disney princesses, your child may be in the spirit to turn into one of them. There are tons of merchandise shops throughout the parks that offer dress-up merchandise, but we would like to suggest that you skip that and head straight for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. This new shop has two locations at Walt Disney World, one at the Downtown Disney Marketplace and a second at the Magic Kingdom Theme Park in Cinderella Castle, and functions as a “salon” where young princesses and princes can get the royal treatment and get transformed into look-alikes of their favorite Disney characters. Packages include everything from a princess hairstyle, makeup and sash to a princess costume complete with accessories and a photo package. If you are considering a trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, however, reservations are highly suggested for both locations and can be made by calling (407) WDW-STYLE.

And remember, no matter how you are trying to find your favorite Disney princesses, DWTickets.com can help you begin your adventure for less! For the best deals on discounted Disney tickets, DWTickets.com is like a fairytale come true! Click here to purchase your discounted theme park tickets and get one step closer to seeing the Disney princesses firsthand!

Airlines Cut More Flights Into Orlando

Your Orlando vacation might be harder to plan now, but the news isn’t all bad

Some of the most popular airlines may have put a wrinkle in your future Orlando vacation plans. In light of the outlandish gas prices they are facing, Delta Airlines announced last week that they will no longer fly direct to Orlando out of 5 different U.S. cities.

Of course, this doesn’t have to negatively impact your Orlando vacation, because there are always other options. The best option for a thrifty Orlando vacation is to get all of your Orlando theme park tickets at DWTickets.com, the best one-stop Orlando theme park ticket spot on the Web.

Delta’s latest flight changes restrict travel to Orlando from the following five cities: New Orleans; Nashville, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Asheville, North Carolina and Lexington, Kentucky. These flight eliminations will go into effect by August of this year.

Even with the gas prices what they are, all of these cities are within fairly easy driving distance from Orlando:

• New Orleans to Orlando – Just over 630 miles or about 9 hours.
• Nashville to Orlando – Approximately 685 miles, or a 10-hour trip.
  Birmingham to Orlando – About 525 miles or just over 8 hours.
• Asheville to Orlando – Under 600 miles and close to 9 hours.
• Lexington to Orlando – Around 825 miles or 12½ hours.

If you drive a gas guzzler, look into renting a car for your road trip. Even though you have to pay for the rental car, you may make up the rental fees in gas savings. Another option for traveling to Orlando is Amtrak. They have local stations – one in downtown Orlando and one in Kissimmee – that offer convenient transportation to the theme park areas in town.

Airline Customers Rate Their Favorites
And speaking of air travel, the University of Michigan recently released the results of their annual survey of airline passengers. If you are a frequent flyer, you will not be surprised to learn that most of the ratings have decreased over the past several years.

Southwest is the leader in customer satisfaction, with a rating of 79 (based on a scale of 1-100). US Airways came in last with a score of 54. In between were AMR Corp. (American Airlines and Continental) at 62, Delta with 60, Northwest at 57, and United Airlines rating 56.

This is a difficult time for all of the airlines, but you can still find some good deals out there if you do the research. And the best deals of all are on all of your Orlando theme park tickets at DWTickets.com!

Where to Get the Most Out of Your Orlando Vacation

Gas prices are up, food prices are up, airfare is soaring. It seems we are paying more for everything, and now you are left wondering how you can afford an Orlando vacation this summer. Well, we have good news for you!

DWTickets.com offers the best discounts on Orlando theme park tickets, and we also dish up great advice on how to spend your time – and money – once your Orlando vacation begins. If you want to visit Disney, we have the Disney tickets you need. If SeaWorld is your goal, we have the Sea World tickets you need. And if you can’t wait to check out the new Simpsons Ride at the Universal Orlando Resort, we have Universal tickets for you too!

Save Time and Money on Your Orlando Vacation
There’s no better way to save time when planning your Orlando vacation than to buy all of your Orlando theme park tickets in one place. DWTickets.com has all of the Disney tickets, SeaWorld tickets and Universal tickets you need for a great Orlando vacation.

Where to Stay and Save During Your Orlando Vacation
There are literally thousands of hotels to choose from when planning an Orlando vacation. Since money may be tight this year, you might be looking for a good deal on your hotel accommodations. Surprisingly, you may just find that deal right at the Walt Disney World Resort.

During Disney’s “Value Season,” staying at a Walt Disney World Value Resort can cost as little as $82 during the value season, and a night at a Disney Moderate Resort starts at $149. Value Season dates are August 30-October 1 and November 30-December 18.
During the upcoming “Summer Season” – May 22-August 2 – Disney Value Resorts start at $109 per night and Disney Moderate Resorts go for $179 per night.

Another way to save money on Orlando vacation accommodations is to stay in a villa or suite hotel. There are some villa resorts in Lake Buena Vista where you can sleep 8-10 people for around $150 a night. There are also many time-share resorts that offer great rates and plenty of space, not to mention a kitchen so you save money on dining out.

No matter where you stay on your Orlando vacation, you will always save money if you get all of your Orlando theme park tickets at DWTickets.com!

You and Your Tax Rebate Check Are Going To Disney World!

You may think a Disney getaway means big bucks, but now there’s a way for you to take your family’s tax rebate check and say, “We’re going to Disney World!” First and foremost you need Disney tickets, and we have the best discounts in town on Disney tickets (Universal tickets and Sea World tickets too).

Disney tickets are more affordable than you think
So, you’ve always thought that Disney tickets are expensive. Well, if you’re looking solely at the cost of a one-day ticket to Walt Disney World, that is understandable. What you may not realize is that the Magic Your Way Disney ticket gives you multiple days in the Disney theme parks at a huge discount when compared to the price of a one-day Disney ticket.

With the extra money brought in by your tax rebate check this year, you can afford Disney tickets for the whole family and have cash leftover!

Planning your Tax Rebate Disney Getaway
A family of four should get a rebate of about $1800. Here’s what that tax rebate check can get you at the Walt Disney World Resort:

• 2 Adult 5-day Magic Your Way base Disney tickets good for admission to a different Disney theme park each day. (Total = $420)
• 2 Child 5-day Magic Your Way base Disney tickets. (Total = $350)
• A 5-night stay at a Disney Value Resort like Disney’s Pop Century Resort, where room rates start at just $82 per night. (Total = $410)

Now you have your tickets and your hotel and you barely broke $1,000! You still have more than $600 to use for travel, food and gifts on your Tax Rebate Disney Getaway.

Get more from your Tax Rebate Disney Getaway by camping
If you want to get even more out of your tax rebate check, add the Disney water parks to your Disney ticket package and rough it Disney-style at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Try a package like this to enjoy the great outdoors, Disney theme parks and Disney water parks too!

• 2 Adult 5-day Magic Your Way Water Park Fun and More tickets. (Total = $512)
• 2 Child 5-day Magic Your Way Water Park Fun and More tickets. (Total = $445)
  Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness start at only $42 per night, so a 5-night Disney camping adventure is really reasonable. (Total = $210)

At a grand total of about $1170, this campy Tax Rebate Disney Getaway simply can’t be beat. So, grab that tax rebate check, get your Disney tickets and thank God for the IRS!

Disney Cruise Lines in Port Canaveral

A short hour drive from the Walt Disney World Resort, Port Canaveral, Fla., is home to many cruise lines that can take you to exotic destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and beyond. Among those is the Disney Cruise Line, whose two ships, the Disney Wonder and the Disney Magic, make their home base in this port and bring that same Disney magic to guests out on the Atlantic Ocean as they do at the theme parks in Central Florida.

If you are making a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort, you now have the option to book a land and sea package thanks to the Disney Cruise Line. The DCL has both three and four-night cruise itineraries that take guests to Nassau, Bahamas and Disney’s very own private island, Castaway Cay, that can be combined with a three or four-night stay at any Disney hotel to make for an unforgettable week-long vacation. If you book this package, you can also add on additional transportation to and from the port, meaning that you won’t have to worry about transportation at all, since Disney also picks up guests staying at a Disney resort for free from the Orlando International Airport.

New to cruising and don’t know what to expect? As we mentioned above, Disney has worked hard to ensure that guests aboard either the Magic or the Wonder have the same experience that they do on Disney property, so you can expect to see those Disney characters that you know and love from the moment you step on board until you depart the ship. The sailaway celebration starts off every cruise with a bang, with Disney characters and a cast getting everyone on board ready for the days of fun to come. Your first day on every cruise will be at sea, giving you plenty of opportunities to check out the three pools on the top deck (one just for kids, one for families and another for adults only), the many lounges and activity areas or the Broadway-style productions that take place twice every night. Each evening you will also have a seating at one of the three on-board restaurants, which are all Disney themed, or you can choose to forego one evening in favor of the ship’s reservations-only restaurant, Palo. This five-star restaurant carries only a minimal additional charge, but you have to reserve your spot as early as possible to experience the delicacies at this dining establishment.

Both the three and four-night cruises dock first in Nassau, Bahamas, where guests can either book one of the many land excursions that are pre-arranged (you can reserve your spot online when you book or cruise on at guests services on the ship) or you can choose to explore the port for yourself. Nassau is home to many historic sites, quaint shops and beautiful beaches, especially at Paradise Island, which is just a short cab ride or water taxi away from Nassau.

Your second day on the DCL will be no doubt your best, as you will experience Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. This small island has separate beaches for families and adults, so the over-21 crowd has a stretch of white sand beach and crystal-clear water with a bar all to themselves. The island also has shore excursions you can book, an activity/sports area, merchandise shops and even several picnic areas for lunch, which is served free of charge on the island and includes soft drinks, fresh fruit, grilled meats and seafood and ice cream and cookies. Castaway Cay also has a great area for snorkeling, where Disney has several surprises hidden underwater, and be sure to keep a lookout for Captain Jack Sparrow wondering around the island and the Flying Dutchmen from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies which is parked just outside the ship on the island’s port.

From Castaway Cay, three-night cruisers will head back to Florida, while four-night cruisers will enjoy either a second day at Castaway or a whole day at sea before returning. If you would like to do an entire vacation just at sea, Disney also has seven-night cruises (and a few special cruises that are longer) that go to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, and each summer, Disney also sends one of its ships on special itineraries to different parts of the world. In the summer of 2007, DCL guests enjoyed sailing around Europe, while this summer, the cruises will depart from California with a Mexican Riviera itinerary on tap!

Whether you save your Disney cruise for the end of your vacation or start it off with a few days at sea, you won’t want to forget about your plans once you do make it over to the Walt Disney World Resort. Most importantly, you can save yourself both time and money if you purchase your discounted Disney tickets prior to your vacation with DWTickets.com! We are your No. 1 online source for discounted tickets to not only Disney, but also to Universal, Sea World and many other area attractions. To see these unbelievable discounted theme park ticket deals for yourself, click here now!

What’s New at Universal Orlando

The theme parks in Central Florida are always trying to re-invent themselves for their guests, offering new attractions, shows, restaurants and yearly celebrations to encourage guests to come back year after year – and to give them something to look forward to! Universal Orlando is no different – over the past year, and in the upcoming year, Universal has several new experiences that have either already opened or are on the horizon for every guest at the Universal Orlando Resort.

Perhaps the most anticipated and newest attraction to open at Universal is The Simpsons RIDE. Having just opened at Universal Studios Florida, guests follow their beloved characters from the hit TV show as they visit Krustyland, a low-budget theme park made by none other than Krusty the Clown! Join Homer, Marge and the gang as you travel through Krustyland for the ride of a lifetime, crashing through Krustyland’s attractions, stunt shows and rides. All of this takes place in vehicles that are before a large IMAX theater screen, as each vehicle creates the simulation of motion, speed and flight for a ride experience like none other!

Another unique experience at Universal is just outside the theme parks’ gates at CityWalk. Here, you can see Blue Man Group, a worldwide phenomenon that opened at Universal Orlando in June of 2007. Thought it may be reaching its one-year anniversary, this show is still making waves in Central Florida, as it combines a unique blend of music, comedy and theatrics that has brought a brand new entertainment option to the entire Orlando area for locals and tourists alike. If you go, plan on seeing a one-hour, 45-minute live stage show that brings an eclectic mix of live music, percussion instruments and humor that amazes and engages its audience with new and unique creativity never seen before. Whether you are seeing it for the first time or are a repeat guest, Blue Man Group should definitely be on your Universal Orlando itinerary!

Speaking of CityWalk, Universal’s newest restaurant is now open right here in this entertainment district. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant & Market is fun for the entire family, with mouth-watering entrees of what else – shrimp – along with other menu selections like seafood, steaks, sandwiches and desserts. And before you can say “Run, Forrest, Run!,” be sure to check out all of the memorabilia throughout the restaurant from the famous Oscar-winning film, “Forrest Gump.”

If you are looking for another new dining adventure at Universal, be sure to also check out Islands of Adventure’s all-new character breakfast. Join a host of animated characters each Thursday through Sunday morning from 9-10:30 a.m. at the Confisco Grille for the most important – and fun – meal of the day! Reservations are required for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (call 407-224-4012), and meal prices are $15.95 for adults and $9.95 for children.

Finally, if you are a wrestling fan, you won’t want to miss Total Nonstop Action Wrestling live at Universal Studios. Universal Studios day guests can be a part of the Spike TV show’s tapings and Pay Per View events for free at Universal Studios’ Soundstage 21 at the park. Tapings are held on select dates (the current schedule goes through May 27, 2008), and all seats are first-come, first served. Even non-Universal guests can enjoy these tapings for free – simply proceed to the SHARP Aquos Theatre at CityWalk, head to the right and follow the signs for the taping. For the most up-to-date information on the show, call 407-224-6000.

If any of the above shows or attractions interest you, all you have to do is one thing – come visit the Universal Orlando Resort today! And for an inexpensive way to see everything at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, including Blue Man Group, you have come to the right place. DWtickets.com is your No. 1 online source for discounted theme park tickets, so be sure to click here to save your family precious money on your next vacation. And, while you are here, check out our discounted ticket options for the other top attractions in Central Florida, including Disney, Sea World and local dinner shows, among others. We hope to see you real soon!

The Force is With Disney’s Hollywood Studios During Star Wars Weekends

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be swarming with Star Wars characters as they host their annual celebration of The Force this June. Star Wars Weekends are fan-packed, family-friendly gatherings that are so popular around Walt Disney World, even Jedi Mickey Mouse shows up. All you need to be accepted into the fold is a Disney ticket.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the home planet of Star Wars Weekends, and the Star Tours attraction is home base. This year your Disney ticket will get you in to see Star Wars favorites like Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Chewbacca, Queen Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, R2-D2 and more droids and villains than you can shake a lightsaber at.

If you call yourself a Star Wars fan, you better get online and get your Disney tickets today so you don’t miss any of the action at Disney’s Star Wars Weekends. Check out these special events happening only during Star Wars Weekends:

• “Behind the Force” gives you an inside peek at how the films were made.
• The “Padawan Mind Challenge” sends kids under 12 before the Jedi Council.
• “Legends of the Force” motorcade cruises with your favorite Star Wars VIPs.

Star Wars Weekends is a great time to check out the “Jedi Training Academy,” which is a regular feature at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The “Jedi Training Academy” teaches future Jedi’s the techniques required for lightsaber battles and then lets them see how much they learned by going up against the super evil Sith Darth Vader or Darth Maul.

Every weekend throughout the month of June, Star Wars Weekends features Star Wars celebrities. One you have your Disney ticket, you can pick a weekend and head out to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to meet & greet your favorites, get a photo or an autograph or participate in a Q&A session. Warwick Davis, aka “Wicket the Ewok” in Star Wars films, is the emcee and host of the entire event.

These Star Wars celebs will join him on the following dates:

June 6-8
Jeremy Bulloch (“Boba Fett”)
Daniel Logan (young “Boba Fett”)

June 13-15
Peter Mayhew (“Chewbacca”)
David Prowse (“Darth Vader”)

June 20-22
Amy Allen (“Aayla Secura”)
Matthew Wood (“General Grievous”)

June 27-29
Dave Filoni (director of the upcoming “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”)

A Disney ticket is required for admission to Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Final Flower Fest Weekends at Epcot

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is coming to a close June 1, and the final two themed weekends promise to end this year’s Flower & Garden Festival with a bang. In true Disney style, this year’s Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot has blown Epcot guests away with its gorgeous gardens, fragrant flowers and terrific towering topiaries. Best of all, every Flower & Garden Festival treat is included with your Epcot ticket!

The closing weeks of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival are great times to visit Epcot because the gardens are in full bloom and the weather is warming up but its still not too hot. Here’s what your Epcot ticket will get you during the last two weekends of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival:

May 23-25 – Celebrate “Outdoor Living” at Epcot

• The theme of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Fest for 2008 is ‘Fun in the Sun,’ and the “Outdoor Living” weekend means relay races, beanbag tosses and showing the kids what it means to play outside.
• Gary Puckett (May 23, 24) and The Cowsills (May 25) are the featured Flower Power Concert bands performing at Epcot’s America Gardens Theatre. This year marks the first time The Cowsills have joined Epcot’s Flower Power series.
• The Great American Gardener series features TV gardening personality Melinda Myers sharing tips for creating a super small garden in a tiny space or a warm, friendly garden in a larger area.

All of the Flower Power concerts and the Great American Gardener presentations are included with your Epcot ticket.

May 31-June 1 – Festival Farewell

• Surprise crafting activities will be sprouting up all around the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival during its final weekend.
• Author Jon Carloftis will be chatting with Epcot guests about mixing nature with everyday life at Garden Town as part of the Great American Gardener series. Carloftis has written two popular gardening books: First a Garden and Beyond the Windowsill.
• Tony Orlando will be “tying a yellow ribbon” around the Epcot Flower Power Concerts with nightly shows at the America Gardens Theatre.

Epcot Flower Power Concert Series Continues in May

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival opened on March 19 for its longest run ever 75 days every one of those days features a live Flower Power Concert that will bring you back to the good old days of rock ‘n’ roll. All you need to enjoy your favorite pop music acts from the 60s, 70s and 80s, is an Epcot ticket.

And you can get all of your Epcot tickets, along with whatever other Disney tickets you need, right here at DWTickets.com, your one-stop Disney ticket shop.

May is the final month of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, so this is your last chance to catch a Flower Power Concert. Check out the upcoming schedule, then hurry to get your Epcot tickets and go enjoy the show!

May 1-3: Arlo Guthrie takes the stage at Epcot’s America Gardens Theatre.

May 4-5: The Searchers make their debut appearance at the Epcot Flower Fest.

May 6-10: The Tokens flutter in with their popular hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

May 11-15: Davy Jones stops by just in time to spend Mother’s Day at Epcot.

May 16-17: Jose Feliciano joins Epcot’s Flower Power party.

May 18-20: Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals croon their tune “Good Lovin’” to the Epcot crowd.

May 21-24: Gary Puckett sings another era into the Epcot Concert Series.

May 25-27: The Cowsills hit the Epcot stage for their Flower Power debut.

May 28-June 1: Tony Orlando ties a yellow ribbon on the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival for 2008.

The Flower Power Concert show times are 5:45, 7 and 8:15 pm daily until the last day of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival on June 1. Best of all, these nostalgic musical journeys are included with your Epcot ticket.

And great live oldies aren’t the only thing you will love about the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The luscious landscaping on display at Epcot during the annual Flower & Garden Festival is like nothing else in the world – Disney World or otherwise. Disney horticulturists work for months growing and putting together themed gardens, fragrant flower displays and amazing Disney character topiaries that are more than worth the price of a Disney ticket. So get your Epcot ticket today and experience the music and the beauty for yourself.

Disney Dates – May 2008

The Walt Disney World Resort has so much going on, it really is difficult to keep up. We want to make your vacation planning easier, so along with giving you the best discount Disney tickets, we keep you updated on what’s happening all around the Walt Disney World Resort. Here’s what’s up in May:

Minnie Marathon Weekend is upon us
Disney’s Minnie Marathon Weekend is an endurance racing event that recognizes the strength of women. This year’s marathon has two different events, and both are this coming weekend. Sponsored by Lady Foot Locker, Disney’s Minnie Marathon Weekend “celebrates all things women’s fitness.”

Disney’s Go Red for Women 5K is on Saturday, May 3, and it will benefit the “Go Red for Women” movement of the American Heart Association. Disney’s Women Run the World 15K will take place on Sunday, May 4. It begins at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, runs through Disney’s Wide World of Sports and Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resort, and finally comes to an end in Epcot. A Disney ticket is not required for participation.

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival rocks into its last month
The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival continues through the month of May with special weekends, Flower Power concerts and more gorgeous gardens that you can shake a stem at.

May 11 is Mother’s Day, and the Epcot Flower Fest is getting in on the celebration with a special Mother’s Day Brunch. (Reservations and an Epcot ticket are required.) Davy Jones will be on hand for a Flower Power concert that will have Mom swooning.

The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival will sprout its final blossom with the Festival Farewell Weekend on May 31 and June 1. This will be your last chance to get your Epcot tickets and see what the fuss is all about.

Disney attraction openings and closing for May
Magic Kingdom

• Cinderella’s Golden Carousel is closed for rehab May 4-22
• Jungle Cruise is closed for rehab May 11-24
• Mickey’s Pirate and Princess Party sails in on May 2, 9, 16, 21, 26, 31

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• The American Film Institute Showcase is closed for rehab May 1

The month of May is a great time to visit Walt Disney World. The weather is still pleasant, and the crowds are not nearly as large as they will be come summer. So, go ahead and plan your Orlando vacation this May, and get all of your Disney tickets today!

Epcot Flower & Garden Has More Power Than Ever

The 16th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is well under way. In fact you only have one month left to get in on this spring time ritual for Orlando vacationers. All you need to start enjoying this fabulous flower fest is an Epcot ticket. Luckily, you can get your Epcot tickets and all of the Disney tickets you need – Epcot tickets, Magic Kingdom tickets, Disney’s Hollywood Studios tickets -- right here and now.

Once you have your Epcot ticket in hand, check out the Great American Gardener series, a favorite of many Epcot guests during the Flower & Garden Festival because it brings in the experts to share their gardening tips and tales with you.

So, during the last month of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, your Epcot ticket gets you these superstar gardeners:

May 2-4 – Tom MacCubbin
Tom MacCubbin hosts the “Better Lawns & Gardens” radio show and is the gardening columnist for The Orlando Sentinel. Tom’s presentation, Whole Garden Foods, will show you how to grow a garden you can actually eat.

May 9-11 – Raymond Western
Raymond Western is a perfume expert for Guerlain. In Plants and Perfume, Western will talk about the connection between garden plants and the perfumes we love.

May 16-18 – Robert Bowden
Robert Bowden is the director of the lush and lovely Harry P. Leu Gardens and author of the “Florida Top 10 Garden Guide.” In Bowden’s presentation Maximizing Weekend Gardening he shares curious facts about home landscaping, including how plant texture, color and behavior play a part in your own garden.

May 23-25 – Melinda Myers
Also known as “The Plant Doctor,” Melinda Myers is a nationally recognized garden expert and TV host. Myers will be on hand at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival to share her awesome ideas for making the most of your small garden space or creating a cozy garden within a giant space.

May 31-June 1 – Jon Carloftis
As author of First A Garden and Beyond the Windowsill, Jon Carloftis is a super source for advice on how to merge the elements of nature with your everyday life.

The Great American Gardener series is included with your Epcot ticket and you can see these gardening experts every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the end of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.