Disney for Sports Fans

Sports fans, there is a place for you at the Walt Disney World Resort. We know you often feel overwhelmed by pirates and princesses despite heading to the parks with your football jerseys and baseball caps to proclaim your sports team allegiance. But there are plenty of sports-themed sights to see within the resort world—there’s even a sports resort to stay in.

On your visit to the Orlando theme parks area, sports fans can stay at the Walt Disney World All-Star Sports Resort. This is one of Disney’s value hotels and a great destination for sports fans. Its 1,920 rooms, their cafes and stores all carry baseball, basketball, football, surfing, tennis and even hockey themes. The merchandise at their gift shops features adorable Disney figurines in their own sports getup. You can find a baseball-playing Mickey Mouse or a hockey-playing Goofy, among other cute figures.

Disney also has a 220 acre sports complex known as the Wide World of Sports Complex. This massive facility hosts 200 amateur and professional events every year. It is also the home to the spring training camp of the Major League Baseball Team the Atlanta Braves. The facility just recently added the Jostens Center which is a 75,000 square foot complex that will host a number of indoor sports events. The Jostens Center has 12 volleyball courts, 6 basketball courts and 2 hockey rinks. You can also quench your thirst and grab a bite to eat at the Wide World of Sports Café where you are surrounded by great sports memorabilia.

No trip is complete without a little souvenir shopping. The ultimate mix of Disney and sports souvenirs can be found at Downtown Disney at the Team Mickey Athletic Club. This shop, found within the great entertainment, dining and shopping complex that is Downtown Disney, features a great selection of sports merchandise. Not only will you find Disney related items, but the Team Mickey Athletic Club also features jerseys from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and other national sports leagues. While we may no longer have the ESPN Sports Zone at the Disney Boardwalk, there is still plenty to do for sports fans in Disney.

Orlando Magic Get Some Additional Magic from the Nets

One more abracadabra trick has been added to the Orlando Magic’s arsenal for the 2009-2010 Season! Yes, we just exited the playoff-run season, but looking ahead to the Magic’s upcoming season just got that much more exciting with the addition of NBA All-Star Vince Carter! The Orlando Magic has acquired Vince Carter, as well as Ryan Anderson, from the New Jersey Nets, in a 3-person trade deal. The Orlando Magic gave up players Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie from the playoff-run team, but has in turn gained a true all-around superstar, with hopes of one day holding the National Championship trophy!

The eight-time All-Star, who averages around 23.5 points a game, is a great new asset for the Magic as they look towards the 2009-2010 Season! The 6-foot 6-inch, 220 lb., shooting guard brings the talent and skills needed to execute a championship for the Orlando Magic. Just shy of winning an NBA Championship title this past season, the Magic needed one more “big-shot” player to battle against the NBA powerhouse teams of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the, NBA Championship winners, Los Angeles Lakers. As the current holder of the NBA playoff record for most three-point field goals made in one game and holding the record for the most three-point goals made in one-half during the playoffs, Vince Carter might be JUST what Orlando needs to keep their consistency in the “big” games.

Eight players have definitely re-signed with the Orlando Magic for the coming season. With spots still open, the Magic will look to the free agents to fill the remaining slots, starting July 1. Due to the large inquisition of Vince Carter and still footing the large bill for all-star greats of Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, the Magic have now been backed up against the NBA’s luxury tax threshold. In the simplest of terms, the Magic are tight on what their money will allow for acquiring more players. Magic favorite Hedo Turkoglu might be the next out for the Magic. After turning down a $35 million/4 year contract from the Magic, it appears as if Turk will walk away to teams such as Detroit, Houston, Portland, or Sacramento who might be able to foot his aim for a $50 million/5 year contract.

The upcoming season will definitely be interesting as powerhouse Magic powerhouse players Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and, now, Vince Carter combine their “magical” powers together! After a run at the NBA Championship Title, the Magic will be out with a vengeance wanting to take back the Championship crowning title to their hometown! Tickets will be difficult to attain with the newly attained gems to the team, the All-Star lineup cast, and being still in the spotlight as the runner up to a National title! To see the “Magic” happen, make sure to stay tuned to DWTickets.com for your discount Orlando Magic tickets.

RISE to the ESPN Occasion

If you are a high school athlete looking to "RISE" to a challege, this it it! ESPN RISE Games are asking talented high school athletes from around the country and world to "RISE" to the challenge at the Inaugural ESPN RISE Games at the Walt Disney World Resort. Held July 19-25, the ESPN RISE Games celebrate the best-of-the-best in student-athletes from around the globe!

"I should state clearly that this is the most inspiring development opportunity I have seen for any field hockey nation in my 35 year experience in the international scene," says Terry Walsch, Technical Director for High Performance. "The ESPN RISE Games can and will be the forerunner to USA's developmment program, rivaling that of the best countries in field hockey."

Same goes for all of the other sports of Baseball, Basketball, and Track and Field offered! This is the tournament for the creme de la creme in high school sports. Treated like Olympic royalty, teams will be treated to an Olympic'esque opening ceremony at the Walt Disney World Wide World of Sports Complex, where all of the games will be held. The opening ceremony will be an elaborate production, showcasing all of the teams in the overall event. ESPN's very own Michael Smoth will head as the Master of Ceremonies and welcome all of the athletes to an exciting week of competition and Disney magic. And, in true Disney fashion, the opening ceremony will end with a vivid firework display for all to enjoy! While at the tournament, teams will even get the opportunity to attend an exclusive ESPN RISE Games special event within one of the Walt Disney World Theme parks!

Other events will be going on around the tournaments, as well. There will be an AAU 17-under Boys Basketball Super Showcase, showcasing the best-of-the-best in AAU club basketball, and a Soccer Training camp. The Champion Gridiron Kings will provide performance training, position specific training, a skills challenge, and 7 v. 7 competitions for the best in high school football. The event will also feature the Under Armour High School All-American Softball Game, which will spotlight the top 30 high school All-Star softball players ihn the nation, as selected by the high school softball experts of ESPN RISE Magazine.

There is a minimum guarantee of six games for those in the team sports and a three event guarantee for those in the Track and Field tournament, so it is definitely worth your trip. Registration has already started for this all-star event. So, if you or your club-team think you have what it takes to compete against the best in the nation, RISE to the occasion and head to Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex for the tournament of a lifetime.

Disney World for the Sports Lover

With the NBA Finals currently playing out at Orlando’s own Amway Arena, we can’t think of a better time to address all the sports lovers thinking about an Orlando getaway. If you’ve been hankering for a great vacation, few places are better than Orlando, which has something for the sports fanatic every step of the way. Whether there’s a major championship in town or not, you can have a blast at Walt Disney World with sports-themed hotels, restaurants, and attractions, including Disney’s very own sports complex, Disney's Wide World of Sports.

First, if you love sports and love the idea of surrounding yourself with them, the place to stay is Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort. A 1,920-room Disney Value hotel, it features five pairs of 3-story buildings whimsically themed after a different sport; there’s the Home Run Hotel, Hoops Hotel, Touchdown!, Surfs Up!, and Center Court. And with two swimming pools, a 1.5 mile walking/jogging trail, arcade, playground, and shopping, there’s plenty to keep the active sports-fiend busy. Rates start at $82 a night.

When it comes time to chow down, sports fans can satiate their hunger and catch a game at the ESPN Club, located on Disney’s BoardWalk on the edge of Crescent Lake. You won’t miss a second of the action at this sports hub, filled with 100 video monitors hooked up to satellite feeds. There are even TVs in the bathrooms! The atmosphere is especially fun on a big game day, when fans pack the seats from wall to wall. And the food is great, too – the restaurant serves American fast food, hamburgers, and deli sandwiches with big pitchers of beer and specialty drinks.

Once your belly’s full and you’re ready for some outdoor fun, check out the events at Disney’s Wide World of Sports (WWoS) complex. A 220-acre sports facility inside Walt Disney World, the WWoS hosts nearly 200 amateur and professional sporting events in a year. It can accommodate more than 50 sports, from aerobics to wrestling, in nine venues and is even the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves. With so much space dedicated to pure sports, chances are there’ll be something fun going on there during your trip. Just check out the schedule online, then head on over.

And of course, no trip to Orlando is complete without catching an Orlando Magic game. The team is in the finals now and tickets are hard to come by, of course, but when the regular season starts up again, you can expect to score tickets right here at DWTickets.com.

So let it never be said that Walt Disney World is just for kids – it’s just as much for sports lovers and other fun-seekers, too. Start planning your sports-tastic vacation by taking a look at the discount Disney tickets here at DWTickets.com.

Princess Half Marathon Weekend at Disney

If you’re secretly convinced that you’re a princess – and it’s simply that no one knows it yet – then Walt Disney World is the place for you. In addition to being known for making dreams come true, Disney is an unofficial meeting hub for princesses, and one such princess meeting is taking place this weekend at the Orlando theme parks. From Friday, March 6, to Sunday, March 8, the Inaugural 2009 Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend will bring all women/princesses together to participate in a magical event designed to prove just how much princesses kick butt.

Disney princesses are the inspiration for the weekend’s events, which will focus on the attributes every princess possesses: commitment, courage, determination, fantasy, perseverance, and strength. And we can’t imagine a better or more fun way to test those attributes (especially determination and strength) than the 13.1-mile Disney’s Princess Half Marathon.

A challenge not for the weak-hearted damsel in distress, the marathon begins at Spaceship Earth at Epcot, heads west to World Drive and Floridian Way toward Magic Kingdom, through Cinderella’s Castle, and past Disney’s Contemporary Resort, then back down past Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to Epcot again. The course will include plenty of water stops, on-course Disney entertainment, and post-race refreshments, as well as a family reunion area with live entertainment and characters. All finishers will receive a Princess Tiara medal.

The weekend also includes the Royal Family 5K, which takes runners on a course around the World Showcase and ending at Spaceship Earth at Epcot, and the Princess Kids’ Races, which gives kids ages 1 to 11 the opportunity to race at Epcot’s Imagine Lot. Even crawling little ones under the age of 1 will be able to participate in a unique ‘Diaper Dash.’

And in an effort to encourage princess health, the weekend will also feature the Fit for a Princess Expo, a two-day celebration of women, health, and fitness. The Expo will be located at the brand new Jostens Center at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. There’ll be appearances by characters and celebrity runners, as well as seminars on training, racing, and nutrition with the opportunity to experience the latest in running and fitness equipment.

More than 10,000 runners are expected to participate in the Princess Half Marathon, making it one of the country’s largest road races geared toward women. Spectators will be able to catch the action from special areas along the route detailed in the Princess Handbook, which can be picked up at the Expo.

So if you’re a princess, meet up with some other royals like yourself at this unique Disney event. Or, if you’re a non-active princess, drop by the parks to watch the fun or visit your castle (you wish). You’re always a princess at Disney, and with Walt Disney World tickets from DWTickets.com, feeling like one is just a mouse click (or magic wand?) away.

ESPN The Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios

March Madness. Football Fever. Hockey Hullabaloo. Whatever you want to call it, sports tend to get people riled up and excited. And only one event captures the excitement of all those sports in one fan-infested weekend. Only at Walt Disney World can sports fanatics unite in one weekend that brings the hottest lineup of athletes, ESPN personalities, and sports fun and activities. That’s right – ESPN the Weekend is upon us, and Disney is ready to create a one-of-a-kind experience for sports fans of all ages at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from February 27 to March 1.

Every year, ESPN the Weekend gets bigger and better, and this year will be one of the best with a veritable “who’s who” of athletic elite. The sixth edition of ESPN the Weekend will feature some of the biggest names in sports, including Super Bowl heroes like Kurt Warner, Hines Ward, Adam Vinatieri, and Brandon Jacobs. There’ll be Major League Baseball stars too, like Rickey Henderson, Jim Palmer, Curt Schilling, and Job Chamberland. Even US Olympic gold medalists will be on hand, such as Shawn Johnson, Misty May-Treanor, and many others. Fans will be able to see them all in daily motorcades through Hollywood Boulevard and at the base of Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat for special dialogues and Q&A sessions.

Fans will also get to meet their favorite ESPN personalities, including John Anderson, Colin Cowherd, Jay Crawford, Dana Jacobson, Chris McKendry, Peter Gammons, Stuart Scott, Karl Ravech, and Trey Wingo. This year’s event will also feature live daily telecasts, including First Take, Baseball Tonight, and NFL Live, filmed from a set in front of Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. There’ll also be live broadcasts of the “Mike and Mike” radio show, starring Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg, and The Herd with Colin Cowherd, broadcast live from the ESPN Club at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort.

And it’s not all about the athletes and celebrities – Disney guests will be able to become a sports star themselves with the ESPN Sports Zone. In this interactive area, people of all ages will be able to test their skill in a wide variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, football, and even biking on an X games dirt course. The ESPN Sports Zone will also include an ESPN Play Your Way playground, a fitness initiative designed to let kids use their imagination and create their own physically active games.

Moreover, Disney guests will even be able to try their hand at being a sports personality through a special audition experience. Select contestants will go through a series of “on-air” tasks and the audience will select the best “sportscaster” during each show. ESPN pros and athletes will help mentor contestants as part of the experience.

And a new addition to ESPN The Weekend will be a 5K race through Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Saturday, February 28. The 5K Road Race and Fun Run will challenge runners along the course with ESPN and sports trivia, and more ESPN personalities and athletes will be present for the fun. The race will benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research and will include a Fun Run for kids as well.

Best yet, all the fun and activities of ESPN The Weekend come free with admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so all you need to do to attend is get your Walt Disney World Tickets from DWTickets.com. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now, so you can be part of the ESPN madness and hullabaloo.

Where to Watch the Big Game in Orlando

Sports fans everywhere (and generally anyone with testosterone) are undoubtedly eagerly awaiting the big game this upcoming weekend, also known as the Super Bowl. And for those down here on vacation, figuring out where to watch the game might be a conundrum, especially if you’re used to enjoying it with pals at home, plenty of alcoholic beverages, and food. Thankfully, though, Orlando has no shortage of places where you can enjoy a Super Bowl party atmosphere that will rival anything you could have cooked up back home.

One easy place to go to is Universal CityWalk, one of Orlando’s biggest destinations for dining and entertainment. And you can guarantee that plenty of eyes will be set on the big game at the Nascar Sports Grille and NBA City. Don’t be fooled by their names; though NASCAR and NBA might be the sport of emphasis at these restaurant/bars, each place plays homage to all the major sports. The big game will be on the big screens at Nascar Sports Grille, and at NBA City, you can reserve a table for Super Bowl viewing. Better yet, you can even rent a private VIP room for an all-out Super Bowl party and invite 25 to 800 of your closest friends.

And over at Walt Disney World, the best place to watch the game is most likely the ESPN Club at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, a restaurant, bar, arcade, and shop similar to ESPN Zones found throughout the US. More than 100 video monitors here will ensure that you won’t miss a minute of the big game, with a 90-square-foot HD projection screen in the main dining room and several TV monitors installed in the bathrooms. Be sure to arrive early for all the Super Bowl action, as the fans pack the seats in droves here.

If you find the ESPN Club too full though, the All-Star Café at Disney’s Wide World of Sports is another good sports spot, especially if you plan to take the kids. The whole family can enjoy the game from 20 big screens while they enjoy classic American fare like burgers, buffalo wings, and chicken quesadillas.

Outside of the theme parks, one of the most popular places to watch big games is T.G.I. Friday’s Front Row, located a mile away from the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive. Not your average Fridays, Front Row features two stories of non-stop sports action, with over 140 televisions, a state-of-the-art game room, free wireless internet, and private banquet rooms. And on Sunday, the restaurant will host Orlando’s biggest Super Bowl party at 6 pm, featuring a packed buffet with plenty of beer and wine, and prizes and giveaways all night long. Be sure to call or email for a reservation if you plan to attend.

Finally, for a more laid-back Super Bowl experience, Miller’s Ale House is a casual and comfortable place to watch the game. There are eleven locations throughout Central Florida to choose from, and you can book early to get reserved seating. With an all-you-can-eat buffet, open bar, and prizes and raffles throughout the game, Miller’s will definitely be a popular spot to watch the game.

With so many places for sports fans to reunite, a Super Bowl party in Orlando isn’t hard to find – the only hard part is deciding which one you want to attend. No matter where you go, you’re sure to have a great Super Bowl Sunday.

Atlanta Braves Will Return to Disney for Spring Training

One thing that is always eagerly anticipated here in Florida is the change in seasons – the moment when winter winds down and the air begins to get a little warmer here in Orlando. And though warmer weather means more beach time and fun outdoors, for sports fans, springtime means the return of the Atlanta Braves. This Major League Baseball team comes to Walt Disney World every year for spring training, and this year, they’ll make their 12th return to Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in March 2009.

After two weeks of workouts, the Braves will prepare for the regular season at Champion Stadium within the Wide World of Sports Complex, one of the leading venues for amateur and professional sports in the country. They’ll play an 18-game home schedule that includes a number of great opportunities for fans to see incredible games, such as the World Baseball Classic Exhibition featuring Panama and Venezuela.

The Braves’ 2009 schedule is also expected to feature the most appealing slate of opponents since the Braves’ first training season in 1997. They’ll go up against the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, and the Boston Red Sox, who’ll be making their second ever trip to the Wide World of Sports. Other teams facing off against the Braves include the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. This spring training season marks the highest number of single spring home contests for the Braves since 1997.

Guests will also be able to enjoy all-new entertainment and experiences, including an all-new On-Field Spectator Experience, which provides fans the opportunity to view pre-game batting practice from field level. There’ll also be appearances by Disney characters, live music, and more fun for the whole family; kids will even be able to run the bases after every game.

Last spring, the braves finished 10-5-1 at Champion Stadium. The Georgia team drew 138,111 fans during 16 games, a total that ranked second only to the Yankees in Grapefruit League attendance. The players will begin arriving in Orlando during the second week of February for individual and full team workouts.

Though the spring training season is still a few months away, sports fans will be able to plan for the games now, as individual and group game tickets for the Braves’ home spring training season go on sale January 10th. The games would be an especially fun addition to any Walt Disney vacation in the spring, and they’re an activity the whole family can enjoy. Start planning your Disney vacation now with discount Disney tickets at DWTickets.com, and get ready to take your family or friends out to the ball game.

Stay Fit with Seminars at Walt Disney World Marathon

Even though the Walt Disney World Marathon is already booked to capacity, meaning there’s no more room for participants, that doesn’t mean that guests of Walt Disney World can’t learn a thing or two about fitness during the jam-packed Marathon weekend. From January 8th through 10th, Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex will play host to the Health and Fitness Expo, which will feature celebrity runner appearances, plenty of running and fitness equipment, and most significantly, the Walt Disney World Marathon Seminar Series. It’s a great opportunity to get the skinny (no pun intended) from experts in fitness and nutrition.

More than two dozen topical sessions, ranging from 30 to 45 minutes long, will be offered during the three-day Health and Fitness Expo, which begins on Thursday at 12:30 pm. One of the day’s highlights includes a presentation at 2:45 by former 10,000 and 20,000-meter world record holder and Mexican Olympian Arturo Barrios. Thursday will also feature great fitness information for kids, with Cigna’s Healthy Kids Challenge Chef presentation at 3:45 and a Making It Fun For the Kids presentation from world-class coach Kevin Hanson and his 10-year-old daughter Samantha at 4:45 pm. Thursday’s presentations will conclude around 6 pm with an hour long session from Disney Marathon Race Director Jon Hughes, who’ll wrap up the day by covering tips and information about this 2009’s running events.

Friday’s seminars will kick off at 11 am with a discussion of ChiRunning and ChiWalking, revolutionary forms of running and walking blended with T’ai Chi, presented by creator Danny Dreyer. Hughes will again wrap up the schedule with a session beginning at 4:45.

The series will end on Saturday after another riveting day of presentations beginning at 11 am with 1972 Olympian Jeff Galloway. Galloway will give key tips on how to run a personal best. Hughes and Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray will close the series with a session at 3:15 pm.

Each day of the Expo will feature roughly 8 to 12 sessions, and each session will feature a Q& A session, giving audience members a chance to pick the brains of these fitness and nutrition stars. Best yet, there’s no additional charge to hear the seminar series; to attend, guests need only pay the admission charge of the Wide World of Sports Complex, which is $12.75 for adults and $10 for children ages 9 and under. The seminar series will take place in the Milk House Upper Court, and TV and radio race commentator Creigh Kelley will host.

The Walt Disney World Marathon Seminar Series is one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear writers, coaches, record-holders, and Olympians talk about their experiences and give unique advice and information. So while you’re heading to the Disney theme parks to see your favorite spectators, do take some time to hear fitness wisdom from the experts. With their help, you might just find yourself a little more ready and willing to run the Marathon next year!

Capital One Bowl Kicks Off the New Year

After a wild night of partying to usher in 2009, there is no doubt revelers will want to take it easy on January 1st. And what better way is there to relax and have fun at the same time than with a rousing game of football? No ordinary game will do though – it is the beginning of the New Year, after all. Thankfully, the Capital One Bowl is anything but ordinary; this heated battle between two powerhouse champions from the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference will keep fans on the edge of their seats at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium at 1 pm on January 1st.

This year, the Capital One Bowl will feature the University of Georgia and Michigan State University in their second meeting ever between the two schools. The Bowl will be televised nationally on ABC and is sure to be a heated battle, with both teams vying for their tenth win.

“This will be a showcase for two of the best running backs in the country,” said Steve Hogan, the Executive Director of Florida Citrus Sports. “Both Michigan State and Georgia have something to prove at 9-3 and conference bragging rights are on the line with the Big Ten winning the bowl’s last four games to bring the head-to-head record to 8-8 over the last 16 years.”

The Georgia Bulldogs finished the season 9-3 after suffering losses against two of the nation’s top teams, Alabama and Florida. Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans finished 9-3 after a loss to Penn State that killed all hopes of a Big Ten title, yet they still posted their highest finish in the league since 1999. The Spartans are returning to Orlando for the second consecutive year after playing in last year’s Champs Sports Bowl.

Not only will New Year’s Day promise a great game, but sports fans can also gear up for the Bowl in the days preceding it. It starts as early as December 30th at 11 am with the Spherion Orlando Citrus Parade in Downtown Orlando and the Bowl-a-Palooza Fanfest at Pointe Orlando on International Drive. Part of a weeklong festival that includes the Champs Sports Bowl on December 27th, Bowl-a-Palooza gives bowl fans a chance to unite and enjoy music, food, entertainment, and college football excitement.

The fun continues on December 31st at noon with the Capital One Bowl Kickoff Luncheon at SeaWorld Orlando’s Renaissance, and with the final Capital One FanFest at 9 am on January 1st at McCracken Field. True fans can also ring in the New Year with their favorite teams at the Capital One Bowl’s official New Year’s Eve Party at Universal Orlando. The Michigan State Band will perform at 2 pm at the park, and Georgia’s Band will perform at 3 pm.

Since 2006, more than 100,000 fans flock to Central Florida for the all the Bowl festivities. Though many other cities host bowl games, only Orlando offers this much fun and entertainment in one week. Don’t miss all the action as the Capital One Bowl delivers a fun day of college football that will make for a memorable start to your year.

Florida Classic XXIX at the Citrus Bowl

The end of November means two things: the winter season is nearly here, as is National Stuff-Your-Face Day (also known as Thanksgiving), and secondly, the Florida Classic is returning for another incredible day of fun and football. On Saturday, November 22nd, the historic Citrus Bowl Stadium will fill with nearly 70,000 fans as Bethune-Cookman College and Florida A&M University face off on the field.

More than just a football game, the Florida Classic is a day of tradition and Florida in-state rivalry. The final regular-season game for both Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, the Classic is a annual battle between the two teams that has been ongoing since 1925. Every year, the anticipation for this highlight game gets more and more intense as each team hopes to win glory and bragging rights. Last year, Bethune-Cookman won 34-7 in front of a crowd of 65,000 fans. This year, A&M is hoping to take back the Classic victory; they lead the all-time series 44-15-1.

The 29th annual Florida Classic will be a day-long event, starting with FanFare, an official pre-game event for high school and college students, families, alumni, and game attendees. Held at the Citrus Bowl in Lot C, FanFare draws people from all over with its incredible atmosphere of camaraderie and tradition. The Classic is also one of those games where Tailgating is definitely half the fun. Visitors are allowed to use the areas in front or behind their vehicle (not taking over any additional parking spaces) for grilling and drinking.

The Classic also has an incredible halftime show with performances from both teams’ marching bands. Almost more popular than the game itself, the halftime show is the performance of the year for each band, and each team prepares for it extensively. There’s no bathroom breaks or beer runs during this show; fans even stand on walkways near the end zones in order to see the field and performance more clearly.

Due to the popularity of the Bethune-Cookman and A&M marching bands, they’ve even added a second performance, the State Farm Battle of the Bands, on November 21st (the evening before the game) at Orlando’s Amway Arena at 7 pm. These bands are so good, even Hollywood has taken notice – the Bethune-Cookman Marching Wildcats were featured in the film Drumline, which centered on black college marching bands, their drumbeats, and stark rivalry.

For a fun sporting even the entire family can enjoy, don’t miss this annual historic and traditional Orlando game. Kickoff is at 2 pm, though the fun definitely starts with FanFare and other pre-game events. Admission is $40-50 dollars, and since fans are having a harder time attending games due to the economy, upper level seating has been made available for $25. You can also catch the game live on ESPNU, though it’s definitely better to see the game in person among the roaring fans. When the Rattlers and Wildcats face off this year, it’s sure to be one intense and exciting game.

ORLANDO MAGIC TICKETS

March Madness is here, the NBA Playoffs are around the corner, and the Orlando Magic are making their 2007 playoff run in a quest for the NBA Championship. Dwight Howard, Grant Hill, Darko Milicic and J.J. Redick are leading the way for the Orlando Magic, and games are selling out like crazy. There are only a handful of home games left in the regular season, and March and April are the most exciting months to catch an NBA basketball game. DW Tickets is not only offering great discounted tickets, but preferred seating as well. Once again, DW Tickets is going above and beyond the call of duty, and secured an allotment of great seats - in the lower bowl ! Not 0nly are lower bowl seats to see the Magic unavailable at the box office, but DW Tickets is offering great discounts to see one of the NBA's most exciting teams.

The Orlando Magic's remaining home schedule has some of the NBA's brightest stars coming to town. NBA Superstars Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat, Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets, and Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics will all be making their way to Orlando within the next month. Normally, you would have to pay top dollar to see teams like that, but DW Tickets has the best deal in town! DW Tickets is the place to go if you're looking to catch an Orlando Magic game for a discounted price . DW Tickets offers the best of both worlds for NBA Basketball by providing great seats, and cutting the price so it is affordable for the entire family. I took in an Orlando Magic game through DW Tickets in their "I" Section seating, and I was overwhelmed at how great the seats were, not to mention what an exciting game I saw against the Detroit Pistons. Scalpers were selling upper deck seats outside for double the price that I paid for my Lower Bowl seats through DW. If you want to catch a fascinating product at a great price - purchase Orlando Magic tickets right here at DWTickets.com This is the Official DW Tickets Blog Man signing off. Have a great weekend, and GO MAGIC ! To buy discount Orlando Magic tickets, CLICK HERE !