Holidays Around the World at Epcot

Epcot has never been your average amusement park. It combines the fun and excitement of all the great Orlando theme parks with world geography, culture and fine dining. And during the Christmas season, the Holidays Around the World celebration takes the term World Showcase to a whole new level. DWTickets.com takes discount theme park tickets to another level too. We are your best source for cheap park tickets during the holiday season and through the rest of the year! So get your Epcot park admission tickets here and then head over to enjoy the holidays from a global perspective.

The holiday season is brought to life all over Epcot with beautiful decorations and spectacular seasonal shows. Kids will love to visit the traditional Santa Claus who makes daily appearances at the American Adventure Pavilion. But in the spirit of Epcot’s global environment, holiday icons from around the world share their own special stories and customs throughout the park. France’s Père Noël tells tales of his French history, and La Befana, as he is know in Italy, describes that country’s holiday folklore to the delight and enlightenment of both children and adults. Each country around the World Showcase has something unique and interesting to contribute to this seasonal celebration, and presentations of Hanukah and Kwanzaa can also be enjoyed around the World.

Each night, guests can watch and participate in “Mickey’s Tree Lighting Treat” in the World Showcase Plaza for even more great storytelling, holiday singing and, of course, the lighting of the fabulously worldly Christmas tree. “The Lights of Winter” enliven the World Showcase breezeway bridge and guests are amazed as they wander under this glittering canopy of dancing lights and music. The ever-popular Candlelight Processional has shows nightly with celebrity narrators, a mass choir and a full orchestra revealing the traditional Christmas nativity story to guests at the America Gardens Theater. To complete each holiday night at Epcot, visitors are treated to a super special holiday finale of “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.”

The holiday happenings are going on at Epcot and all across the Walt Disney World Resort through the end of December, and some even into the new year. Also available this holiday are the best prices on theme park tickets for the holidays and all year at DWTickets.com! We are always your first and best choice for cheap theme park tickets, so get them now and start your holiday celebration today!

Florida Governor Makes Gambling Deal

For most people, a trip to Orlando means a visit to Mickey Mouse, splashing with Shamu and riding the movies at Universal Orlando Resort. But a new agreement by Florida Governor Charlie Crist may change that view, or at least broaden it some. When planning your Orlando vacation, DWTickets.com is the first place you should visit for all of your theme park tickets. We always offer the biggest discounts and greatest deals to your favorite Orlando area attractions. When you get your cheap theme park tickets from DWTickets.com, there is no chance involved at all. It’s a sure bet that you will be a winner because you can get all of your cheap Orlando theme park tickets in one place and at the best prices in town!

With all the money you save on tickets, you may want to play some games of chance and take a day trip over to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino just outside of Tampa. The casino has just undergone a $120 million expansion, possibly to make room for new games that will be allowed under a recent agreement made between the Seminole Tribe of Florida that runs the casino and the State of Florida. The new deal will allow the casino to offer even more games of chance to patrons of the hotel and casino. Currently, the casino’s offerings are restricted to low-stakes poker and bingo-style slots, which already provide plenty of bling for your gambling buck. But this new agreement would allow the casino to expand its gaming choices to include Vegas-style slots, blackjack and baccarat, for a fee…$100 million in royalties to the State of Florida.

Some Orlando tourism leaders are not pleased with the new deal, in fact the State House of Representatives is working to have it invalidated. This effort doesn’t look too terribly dangerous, however, because the federal government has already said they will step in to help the state make this work we can’t do it on our own. The casino is about an hour’s drive from Orlando, and it could offer a fun alternative to a vacation filled with theme park rides and character appearances. But for most, Orlando seems to have all they want in a vacation destination. Another thing all vacationers want is cheap theme park tickets, and you can get those at DWTickets.com. And that’s a winning bet!

Universal’s Going Green

In Orlando and across the country, conservation is a hot topic, and just like planet Earth, it’s becoming even hotter. If you’re interested in going green, DWTickets.com can help you save both energy and your own green – that cold, hard cash. We save you money by offering the best discounts on cheap theme park tickets on the planet! And you spend less time on vacation planning – and more time on fun with DWTickets.com because we are your one-stop theme park ticket shop. You conserve money and time when you get your cheap tickets for all of Orlando’s theme parks and attractions at DWTickets.com.

Recently, Universal Orlando Resort announced they are going green too. And we’re not talking about the Grinch (although his “Grinchmas” celebration will be back at Islands of Adventure this holiday season). We’re talking about a huge commitment to the new “green is Universal” campaign, wherein the park “will focus on becoming the greenest resort possible,” according to Universal President Bill Davis.

Universal’s jump onto the green bandwagon comes later than fellow theme park giants SeaWorld and Walt Disney World, but combined with the effort from parent corporations NBC Universal and General Electric Co., it promises to be a larger leap with even greater results.

One of the first green actions, is the park’s unprecedented commitment to the use of “green fuels” for virtually all of their service vehicles and mobile equipment. The new fuels used at Universal Orlando include B-20 Biodiesel in diesel-powered vehicles, E-10 Ethanol for gas equipment and vehicles, and E-85 Ethanol for FlexFuel vehicles, according to a recent press release. The conversion to these alternative fuels will reduce the carbon dioxide released by Universal Orlando Resort vehicles by 260 tons.

Other elements in Universal’s commitment to conservation include recycling over 240,000 pounds of cooking oil used in meal preparation around the resort, and then looking for ways to use the recycled oil as yet another alternative fuel source in the park. Additionally, the resort recycles nearly 1,000 tons of cardboard every year which saves hundreds of trees, tens of thousands of gallons of water and limits air pollution.

It’s great to see an entertainment venue vow to take steps to improve the world around them. By “combining amusement and consciousness,” the Universal Orlando Resort is helping to lessen the strain on our environment while setting a great example for future generations. You can follow in their green footsteps by saving time and money now with DWTickets.com!

“Year of A Million Dreams” Extended at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World has always been considered a place where dreams come true, but starting in 2006 and continuing through this year that became more of a reality with the Year of a Million Dreams. Well, Disney Parks recently announced that the first million-dream year has been extended. While the folks at Disney are busy making theme park dreams come true, we here at DWTickets.com are working to grant you your deepest desires when it comes to cheap tickets. If you want to get in on the next year’s worth of Disney dream giveaways, click quick and get your discount Orlando theme park tickets at DWTickets.com now!

Walt Disney World gave away over one million dream prizes during the past year, and they are committed to broaden the dream granting all over their Orlando resort. The “Year of a Million Dreams” has officially been expanded into the “2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway,” and this year park officials boast that they will make even more than a million spectacular guest dreams come true. Disney asked guests what they wanted out of this encore of dreams and overwhelmingly, guests said they wanted “dreams that money can’t buy.” And they will get their wish in 2008 with even bigger, better dreams “that only Disney can make come true.”

At the Magic Kingdom, Disney created a spectacular new family suite that allows chosen guests to spend the night in Cinderella’s Castle smack in the middle of the Magic Kingdom. Now what little girl hasn’t dreamed of that? What about staying on your own private Disney island? In the 2008 Dreams Giveaway, some lucky winner will be Disney’s special guest on Castaway Cay, the private Bahamian island of the Disney Cruise Line. The winner and five guests will spend one day living in the true lap of luxury with sleeping accommodations on a private yacht. Now that is definitely a dream only Disney can make come true.

Other special dreamers will be treated to special VIP viewings of the fireworks in all of the World Disney World theme parks, and there are special resort stays and dining giveaways that will absolutely make vacation dreams come true for many families visiting Walt Disney World next year. DWTickets.com can make your vacation planning dreams come true too. We have the best discounts on them park tickets and you can get them all in one place – and that’s not a dream!

The Latest: Openings, Closings and Other Theme Park News

Orlando has become a virtual behemoth in theme park entertainment over the past several years, and there is so much going on here it is hard to keep up at times. That is precisely why we here at DWTickets.com are so committed to serving up the latest in attraction information while we provide you with the best deals on cheap theme park tickets you can find anywhere. We are truly your one stop shop for buying all of the tickets you will need on your Orlando vacation, and your best source for what is going on where and when.

There seems to be a steady stream of new restaurants coming into the Orlando area, and it was just announced that a new themed dining option will be making its debut next year at the Downtown Disney Marketplace. The T-Rex Restaurant & Store is scheduled to open in the fall of 2008 and will bring with it life-size dinosaurs, a huge dining room, a cocktail bar, 3500 square feet of shopping area and “enough educational and entertainment décor to qualify as an attractions,” according to creator Steven Schussler, who also brought us the Rainforest Café.


Around the corner from Downtown Disney on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, the Regal Sun Resort at Walt Disney World has just completed a $25 million renovation. Formerly the Grosvenor Resort, the Regal Sun boasts 625 brand new guest rooms, complete with amenities like complimentary wifi, a state-of-the-art fitness center, Disney character breakfasts three times per week, world-class dining and easy to all of Walt Disney World’s theme parks, golf courses and entertainment areas.

Also making news around O-town is the name renovation at the Disney-MGM Studios. Starting in January, the Disney-MGM Studios will officially be known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The park will remain the same; only the name will change. And the logo, which was unveiled just last week revealing a clap-board wielding Mickey Mouse, apparently showing that it’s still all about The Mouse.

And in Orlando news, that is usually the case. But not always, and that is why your best source for all theme park tickets and Orlando vacation information is DWTickets.com. We can combine your tickets for all of the Orlando are attractions, not just the Disney parks. So give us a call and let us help you plan your spectacular and diverse Orlando vacation now!

Disney’s Contemporary Resort Is Made Modern Again

Orlando is undoubtedly the theme park capital of the world, and DWTickets.com is the king of the theme park ticket world. We consistently offer the best discounts on Orlando theme park tickets and give you great tips and pointers to make your Florida vacation one-of-a-kind. Once you get your cheap park tickets at DWTickets.com, it's time to research and decide on accommodations, and Walt Disney World is home to several resorts that could qualify as attractions on their own! Here at your DWTickets.com blog, we always give you the most up-to-date information about all of the Orlando theme parks and the best hotels in the area are part of that package.

All of the Walt Disney World resorts are unique and distinctive in their own way, but one of the most spectacular and recognizable icons is Disney's Contemporary Resort. It is gigantic - the tallest thing visible for miles - and its slate gray exterior stacks up to form an enormous A-frame that had its point lopped off by the axe of some fairy tale giant. Even more extraordinary to the newcomer's eye is the fact that the monorail seems to be swallowed up by the hotel as it makes its way from the parking lot to the Magic Kingdom.

When it first opened, the Contemporary Resort stood high and proud as a modern marvel of guest service excellence. It still is quite extraordinary, but like any 30-plus year old facility needed a bit of a face lift. The resort recently embarked on a rehabilitation project that includes the demolition of guest rooms not located in the tower. (This is rumored to be making room for the addition of some Disney Vacation Club Villas.) Some areas are being knocked down and others are being built up. Dining options have expanded, the game room climbed three floors, new shops on the horizon and all of the guest rooms have been redesigned with the latest electronics and up-to-the-minute decorating details. Exclusive to the renovated Contemporary Resort, is Disney's Online Concierge, a feature that puts all of your guest service needs at your virtual fingertips on the computer that graces each guest room in the hotel.

Walt Disney World is a model of guest service, and continues to update their parks and hotels to live up to the vision that Walt Disney himself put forth. Here at DWTickets.com, we also strive to provide all of our customers with the best deals they can find on discount Disney tickets and the latest in Orlando vacation news.

Christmas in Orlando

Halloween is over and the winter season will fall upon Orlando in no time at all. Before things get too crazy, plan ahead to enjoy some holiday fun and get your Orlando theme park tickets right here at DWTickets.com now. We are Orlando's finest discount theme park ticket center, and we give you access to all of your favorite attractions at the best prices. We are also the top location on the Web to grab great info about the hottest holiday happenings all over O-Town, and that includes holiday celebrations that don't feature Mickey Mouse, Shamu or the Grinch.

One of the most talked about out-of-park events is ICE! at Gaylord Palms Resort. ICE! is the ultimate anti-Orlando holiday attraction. It's not a theme park, has no costumed characters and is as far away from hot as you can get this close to the equator. From November 19 through January 3, ICE! will thrill and chill guests with traveling igloos, trains to the North Pole, a ride through Candy Land, ice slides and temperatures that hover around 9 degrees. Paying tribute to the "reason for the season," ICE! also presents a pristine, crystal clear ice carving of The Nativity that has been called "one of the most stirring depictions of the birth of Christ."

Want to spend a day shopping for souvenirs, gifts or just something for yourself? The Mall at Millennia is the place to do it, and at Christmastime you will enjoy lush and lovely decorations, special holiday activities and a storybook village that features giant screens displaying an original, animated holiday short that is sure to delight the entire family.

Another family favorite is Christmas at Dixie, a heart-warming and spirit-stirring celebration at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. This is an incomparable live dinner show that will "warm your heart and touch your soul" with its presentation of the delights of Christmas and the story of the nativity. If pirate action is your thing, then spend a holiday evening at Pirate's Christmas Dinner Adventure as they transform their dinner show into a swashbuckling heroic holiday escapade to save Christmas.

And because we realize that many people want to enjoy other attractions on their Orlando holiday vacation, DWTickets.com is not just your best source when it comes to Orlando theme park tickets. DWTickets.com offers great discount tickets for all of Orlando's great attractions, including special Christmas dinner shows at both Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede and Pirate's Dinner Adventure!

The Holidays are Heading to Orlando

Finally, the weather is breaking and it doesn't feel like the middle of summer in Central Florida anymore. While temperatures all around the country are getting lower and lower, Orlando's thermometer is beginning to show numbers that were made for visiting the theme parks and local attractions. And since the weather here is simply perfect, DWTickets.com is the first place to visit to get your discount theme park tickets and plan a visit. No matter what the season, DWTickets.com is the best place to find the cheapest tickets for all the best parties in town. And the upcoming holiday celebrations abound, so as your number one ticket and insider information source here is your chance to find out the what,s and where,s for spending the holidays in Orlando.

Walt Disney World is the host with the most special and spectacular holiday events, and they aren,t wasting any time getting started. Hot on the heels of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park will be the first to break out their holiday happenings. Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade will begin marching through the park on November 12 and will run daily through January 6. During the same date span, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights will be brightening up the evening skies at Disney-MGM Studios.

The Magic Kingdom Park will also begin celebrating Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in November. This is a separate ticket night-time event that is held on select dates through December 21. Just down the road at Epcot, Holidays Around The World begins its cross-cultural gala on November 23, and this daily event can be experienced all across the park and will run through December 30.

Guests can get a little of that New York City holiday feel when they visit Universal Orlando starting on December 7. This season, they are continuing their annual Macy's Holiday Parade through New Years Day. The Return of Grinchmas is back at Universal's Islands of Adventure, and this year they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Dr. Seuss Christmas classic from December 7 through January 1.

All of the Orlando area theme parks have incomparable decorations and parties to celebrate this special time of year, and it is a wonderful place to spend some cherished time with the family. So get everyone's favorite gift - cheap theme park tickets - right here at DWTickets.com and celebrate the season in Orlando!

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at Universal

Wish you could be a part of that long-time holiday magic the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York brings? You can feel that holiday fun and tradition - and not just by watching the floats fly above New York on TV. Universal Studios Orlando and DWTickets.com is your way to cheap, discounted access to The Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Studios Florida.

DWTickets.com is your ticket to all the holiday cheer that literally floats on by. You'll get the chance to check out those famous, full-of-air floats that hover above chilly New York City, but you'll be doing so in unbeatable Florida winter-time weather. Let DWTickets.com help you to an up-close and personal session with fun floats and marching bands from all across the Country. It's where cheap tickets to Orlando theme parks and resorts can be acquired.

While at Universal Studios Florida, you'll be in thick of Orlando resort and theme park heaven. Orlando's most popular hotels, resorts, restaurants and recreational venues will be a short ways away once you make it to Universal Studios Florida for the Macy's Holiday Parade. DWTickets.com and will get you there in a discounted jiffy! The Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Studios Florida will be part of a two-part holiday theme park party: The Macy's Holiday Parade will take place at Universal Studios Florida while it's neighboring theme park, Islands of Adventure offers up it's popular Grinchmas. Both are holiday extravaganzas, and both are available by way of DWTickets.com, which provides the best discounts and cheapest tickets to Orlando theme parks and resorts around.

Once at Universal Studios Florida for the Macy's Holiday Parade, you'll be captivated by traditional floats straight from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It's where you'll find gifted street performers and magnificent marching bands. And can we say it enough? If you're searching for the best and cheapest way to get discounted Universal tickets...DWTickets.com is your one stop shop for everything fun and theme park-related in and around Orlando.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival - The Finale

For weeks now, DWTickets.com has been giving you the best and latest information about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. The chance to wine and dine around the World Showcase at Epcot is quickly coming to a close, but you can still get your discount tickets right here at DWTickets.com and make it to the Food and Wine Festival before it ends on November 11. It may be short notice, but with the cheap tickets at DWTickets.com a spur of the moment trip is easy as pie (and you will find a delicious pecan one at the Oklahoma booth!).

There is still time to enjoy all that this year's delicious Food and Wine Festival has to offer. The food, of course, will be around until the very end. And that is a very good thing, because it is abundant and delicious - worthy of two or three trips around the World. Although some of the Festival's special events are already sold out, there are still opportunities to dine and learn from some of the best chefs around.

Guests still have the chance to visit with and observe Chef Todd English, of bluezoo at The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort during The Odyssey Kitchen Conversations on November 8. Signature Dining around the Walt Disney World Resort also offers a great opportunity to see Chef Todd English in action at The Modern Tableau, featuring a four or five-course dinner at the bluezoo restaurant, delicious wines and a wonderful atmosphere.

Robert Mondavi Winery of Napa Valley will be featured in the last few sessions of Discovering Wine: A Sensory Adventure at Citrico's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This wine and lunch presentation will be a treat for both wine lovers and novices, and it's not too late to sign up.

The Eat to the Beat Concert Series is still going strong, with some great performances left to close out the Festival. Jon Secada will be performing from October 31-November 3 followed by the infamous Chubby Checker and the Wildcats, who take the stage from November 4-6. The Contours featuring Sylvester Potts are the featured artists on November 7 and 8. Closing out the Festival from November 9-11 will be David Sanborn.

The concerts are a great way to end a day of eating and drinking around the World and shouldn't be missed. So get your discount Epcot tickets now at DWTickets.com and make your way out there to enjoy the spectacular Food and Wine Finale!

Festival of the Masters Art Show at Downtown Disney

It seems like it's always crazy busy at Orlando's greatest attractions, but no matter how busy things are, DWTickets.com is your number one source for the best theme park ticket deals. We are also a great source for the latest news on what's going on around the worlds - that's Walt Disney World and Sea World. We always keep you informed on the latest and greatest Orlando events and one upcoming weekend is poised to be a busy one all over the Walt Disney World Resort.

The weekend of November 9-11 will be the last weekend for Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival. Walt Disney World will also play host to the PGA Tour and at Downtown Disney, more than 150 artisans will gather for the 32nd Annual Festival of the Masters Art Show.

This spectacular event has grown every year until it has become one of the area's most important cultural and artistic gatherings. Held at Downtown Disney's Westside, the annual Festival of the Masters gives voice to over 175 of the most prominent artists of the day, and it showcases a variety of artistic media from sculpture and jewelry to painting, photography, glass and digital art. The artworks will be judged and an awards ceremony will be held at the Virgin Megastore on Saturday at 3 p.m.

One of the highlights of this year's Festival will be the street painting. More than 6,000 feet of sidewalk will be artistically decorated by the Central Florida Chalk Artists Association. This is annually one of the favorite displays, but a great tip is to try and see it during the day. Downtown Disney is not terribly well-lit at night, so the beauty of the sidewalk art can be best enjoyed in the bright light of day.

Another Festival favorite is the live performances that take place throughout the weekend. This year the House of Blues is playing host to a its own folk art festival, "Where the Art Meets the Soul." Live Performance Art Shows can also be seen outside the Virgin Megastore at 10 a.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday. And there will be live entertainment at locations throughout the Festival including Virgin Records, Bongo Cuban Cafe and Fulton's Crab House.

Park admission is not required to attend the Festival of the Masters Art Show, so it's a great alternative to do on a day you are not going to the parks or a day when you are visiting the parks later in the evening. Of course, whenever you do visit the parks, you must get your tickets right here at DWTickets.com, where the best discounts are always on display.

ESPN The Weekend

Many of the special events at the Walt Disney World Resort require a special ticket for admission, but there are some, like ESPN The Weekend, that are included with the price of admission to the park. ESPN The Weekend takes place every year at the Disney-MGM Studios, and sports fans from all over the country flock to Walt Disney World for a chance to see their favorite athletes and ESPN personalities up close and in person. And of course, the best way to see these stars is with tickets from DWTickets.com, the No. 1 place online for all of your discounted tickets to Central Florida's top attractions. DWTickets.com offers tickets to not only the Disney-MGM Studios, but to all four Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks, and also to Universal Orlando and Sea World Orlando as well. Be sure to check out our great prices for all of your vacation needs!

Taking place on February 29-March 2 2008, ESPN The Weekend features live ESPN telecasts, conversations and interactions with star professional athletes, celebrity motorcades and an interactive zone where fans can step right in and play some of their favorite sports on-site. Dozens of well-known athletes highlight the event throughout the weekend, and this event is like a non-stop SportsCenter highlight reel for every sports lover. Last year, celebrities such as Dwight Howard from the NBA, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Adam Vinatieri from the NFL and several MLB stars were in attendance. The NFL and MLB by far have the biggest number of stars there, as it is there off-season.

At the celebrity motorcades and conversations, these stars will take center stage right in front of Sorcerer Mickey's hat. Here guests in the audience will ask questions to these stars before they drive off in a celebrity motorcade down Hollywood Boulevard. Similar to this is the Inside ESPN - Live on Stage presentation inside the theater to the right of the big hat. Here, guests will also line up to ask questions to the stars, giving fans the opportunity to see these world-class athletes in a whole new light.

The Disney-MGM Studios also has an interactive sports zone set up near the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Featuring Aerosmith, which gives fans the opportunity to shoot hoops, swing a golf club or even mingle with some of these high profile athletes before getting behind the desk and anchoring your own SportsCenter highlight reel. And speaking of SportsCenter, don't forget that the show broadcasts live from the Disney-MGM Studios live several times per day - so get ready for your close-up!

All of this excitement at ESPN The Weekend can be brought to you at a discounted price if you purchase your tickets here at DWTickets.com. These tickets are such a good deal, you could easily call them a slam dunk!