Disney Planner: January-April 2009 - Celebratory Spirit
Reigns at Walt Disney World with Floral-Fest, Braves
Baseball, Disney’s Dreamers and Magical Marathoners
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The party’s ready to begin
at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida with a Disney
Parks “first” – guests can get free admission to a
Disney theme park on their birthday in 2009. It’s all
part of a travel trend called “celebration vacations,”
with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort
asking guests “What Will You Celebrate?” throughout the
year.
But that’s not the only cause for celebration.
In early 2009, Walt Disney World Resort will bloom
with bursting color during the 16th annual Epcot
International Flower and Garden Festival; host 100
exemplary teens from across the country in a
one-of-a-kind enrichment workshop; once again host the
Atlanta Braves on its “field of dreams” at Disney’s Wide
World of Sports Complex; and be the site for the 26 most
magical miles on Earth for the Disney Marathon Weekend.
Here’s a snapshot at what’s springing up in early
2009 across the Florida Vacation Kingdom:
Disney Parks Extend ‘Celebration Vacation’ Travel
Trend: Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, Disneyland Resort in
California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will
invite guests to celebrate their lives’ special moments
– large and small – with family and friends at the place
where dreams come true. New research shows that
families are planning trips with loved ones around
life’s special moments, memories and milestones.
It’s a newly identified, national trend dubbed by
experts as “celebration vacations.
Crowning the celebration is a Disney Parks first:
Guests can receive free admission to one of the Walt
Disney World or Disneyland theme parks on their birthday
in 2009. All it takes is a valid ID including
proof of birth date. (Guests who already hold a
multi-day ticket or an annual pass that they will use on
their birthday can choose an alternate birthday treat
instead, but will not be entitled to a cash refund or
credit.) Guests can get more details and start the
process by registering their birthdays at
www.disneyparks.com.
New for 2009 will be
high-energy in-park parties, new Web planning tools – to
make it easier for guests to customize their celebration
– custom cakes, floral arrangements and dining options,
and magical experiences stretching across Walt Disney
World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival:
An elaborate “Cinderellabration”
topiary featuring four Disney princesses dressed in
“blooming” finery will set the scene for the 16th annual
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March
18-May 31.
Cinderella and Prince Charming, Snow White and the
seven dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, and
Belle and Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” will debut
as the grand front-entrance topiary during the 75-day
festival. Princess Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” also
will greet guests by the front-entrance fountain.
And that’s just the beginning. More than 70 topiaries
in all showcasing the extraordinary craftsmanship of
Disney gardeners will dot the park landscape. Sweeping
floral beds and exhibits will feature 30 million blooms.
The art of bonsai will “wow” guests at the Japan
showcase, and a large “green” garden between France and
Morocco pavilions will reveal the many ways home
gardeners can “go green” with their own landscapes.
Festival highlights also will include:
Disney Gardening at Home presentations: Disney
horticulturists share gardening tips and lead guests in
a hands-on, take-home activity.
The Great American Gardeners series: Gardening
celebrities and authors from across the country will
share their gardening secrets.
The Garden Town festival center: Guests can shop for
festival merchandise, attend speaker presentations and
demonstrations and ask gardening questions of the
experts.
The family-oriented Growing Future Gardeners: A
garden of delight where kids and parents can get
colorful (and tasty) planting ideas.
Kids’ activities and character meet-and-greets.
Flower Power concerts: Popular bands rock the
open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday
and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. The concert
lineup is slated to include Davy Jones, Paul Revere &
the Raiders, Jose Feliciano and other top acts.
More information about the 16th annual Epcot
International Flower & Garden Festival is available by
calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting
disneyworld.com/flower
(beginning February 2009). The festival, including all
gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular
Epcot admission.
Atlanta Braves Spring Training at Disney’s Wide
World of Sports Complex:
Major League Baseball’s Atlanta
Braves return to Champion Stadium for their 12th edition
of Spring Training at Disney’s Wide World of Sports
Complex in March 2009.
The 2009 schedule is expected to feature the most
appealing slate of opponents since the Braves arrived in
1997, along with all-new entertainment and guest
experiences, including the opportunity to view pre-game
batting practice from field level.
Last spring, the Braves finished 10-5-1 at Champion
Stadium, with three of the top all-time home crowds at
Disney, on the way to ranking second only to the New
York Yankees in Grapefruit League attendance.
Individual game tickets for the Braves’ home spring
training season go on sale Saturday, Jan. 10, at 10 a.m.
through Ticketmaster (407/839-3900 and
www.ticketmaster.com).Information on the Braves’ spring training season,
group tickets and mini-packs is available by calling
407/939-GAME (4263) and online at
www.disneysports.com.
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
:
The upcoming Walt Disney World
Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA will be held Jan.
8-11, 2009, and features approximately 45,000 runners
entered in the Walt Disney World Marathon, Walt Disney
World Half Marathon and Family Fun Run 5K and Kids’
Races.
The Walt Disney World Half Marathon is a 13.1-mile
course that will take runners on Saturday from Epcot to
Magic Kingdom and then back to Epcot for the finish.
On Sunday, the 26.2-mile Walt Disney World Marathon
will pass through all four Walt Disney World theme parks
(Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and
Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and finish back at
Epcot. It’s been called the “26 Most Magical Miles on
Earth,” and features Disney entertainment along the
route.
The 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon is currently
sold out. Those interested in participating in the 2010
race can find more information at
www.disneysports.com.
Guests wanting to see if registration is still available
for the marathon event and the Family Fun Run 5K should
check
www.disneysports.com
for the latest updates. Both events are also expected to
sell out.
The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend currently
ranks as one of the popular endurance events in the
United States.
Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey:
One-hundred teens from across
the country with big dreams and aspirations will be
celebrated during Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve
Harvey, Feb. 12-15, 2009, at Walt Disney World Resort.
An event created to inspire and enrich high school
students, Disney’s Dreamers Academy will include
workshops with Disney cast members and executives,
sessions with entertainment celebrities and professional
athletes, and time to enjoy the Disney theme parks –
where student participants can see, first-hand, the
results of people who turned their dreams into careers
as “Disney dreamers.”
The participants will learn about careers in
everything from culinary arts to animation, set design
and show production to the business of sports and more.
During the inaugural Disney’s Dreamers Academy in
January 2008, some of the special guest speakers
included Disney Channel star Kyle Massey, Tampa Bay
Buccaneers Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks, “American
Idol” champion Fantasia, pop/R&B recording artist
Keyshia Cole, Chef Jeff Henderson and ESPN commentator
Stephen A. Smith. In addition to hosting the event,
Harvey also held interactive workshops and presentations
for the teens.
The Disney’s Dreamers Academy class of 2009 will be
made up of teens chosen by a panel of judges including
Harvey, community leaders and Disney executives.
Harvey said Disney’s Dreamers Academy “is about
inspiring our young people who often times don’t have
the chance to be exposed to a variety of job skills and
job opportunities and meet with people in the fields
they’re interested in. We want to give our young
achievers the tools to become overachievers – to make
their dreams a reality.”
An Exclusive rate
offer for readers of this website is being offered and these rates
cannot be found anywhere else for the property. Rates are at least 15% lower
than rates found for this resort through Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity and even
the hotel directly.
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