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Walt Disney World's Media Office publishes a monthly Press Release called Dateline Disney,
which highlights WDW activities for that particular month.

March 2006

In This Edition:

Epcot:
Whether you say toe-MAY-toe or toe-MAH-toe, we have a plant you've gotta see because it has produced more than 20,000 of them ... and is still growing.

Disney-MGM Studios: Sports fans can put on their game faces as ESPN The Weekend returns.

Downtown Disney: If it's March, then Raglan Road and Pleasure Island must be getting ready to paint the town Irish green; Just like magic, there's a salon coming to the Marketplace where little girls' Disney princess dreams come true.

Magic Kingdom: Arrrrgh! Some new buccaneers are en route to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Disney Sports and Recreation: This is a fish story: Bass excursions coming to Barefoot Bay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort; "Play ball!" rings out in The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex as Atlanta Braves spring training and World Baseball Classic are in full swing.

ESPN The Weekend Returns to Disney-MGM Studios March 3-5

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and record-setting wide receiver Jerry Rice headline a cavalcade of sports celebrities March 3-5 as ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort host ESPN personalities and current and legendary athletes during ESPN The Weekend.

The one-of-a-kind, sports-themed festival will take place at Disney-MGM Studios theme park. Urlacher, the mainstay of the Chicago Bears defense this past season, and Rice, the future Hall of Fame wide receiver and current-season contestant in the ABC-TV hit series "Dancing with the Stars," also appeared at last year's ESPN The Weekend.

Presented by SpeedStick 24/7, ESPN The Weekend will feature live and taped on-site ESPN telecasts including "SportsCenter," "Baseball Tonight" and "Cold Pizza"; star motorcades and Q&A sessions featuring athletes and ESPN personalities; sports shows in the ESPN Theater with ESPN commentators and athletes; a visit from ESPN The Truck; live ESPN radio broadcasts; ESPN Deportes "Fuera de Juego" telecasts; the ESPN Sports Zone interactive area; and a special sports edition of the game show attraction "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!" Guests will also be able to enjoy the popular Disney-MGM Studios shows and attractions, including the new "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show."

Event activities are included in regular park admission to the Disney-MGM Studios theme park. For additional information or to book travel, guests may visit espntheweekend.com or disneyworld.com.

Raglan Road Celebrates St. Patrick's Day the Irish Way and Pleasure Island Joins in Festivities

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney will host an authentic Irish celebration of St. Patrick's Day on March 17. Live Irish music and dance, favorite Irish foods and a wide selection of Irish beers will mark the first-ever St. Patrick's Day celebration at Downtown Disney's newest venue.

Raglan Road's house band Tuskar Rock will perform traditional and contemporary Irish music. Jay Shanahan, Fear an Ti (that's maitre d' in Irish), will entertain guests with a unique mix of Irish music and storytelling. Champion Irish dancer and native Dubliner Danielle Fitzpatrick will dance a repertoire of Irish dance steps. Irish dance troupe Celtic Pulse, led by Myra Waters, a former dancer with Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, will perform high-energy Irish step dancing throughout the evening.

Classic Irish fare with a modern flair will be on the menu, including fish and chips, Irish stew and shepherd's pie. Authentic Irish beers and whiskeys will be on tap. Raglan Road's retail store Shop for Ireland will stock custom clothing and novelty items to help revelers celebrate St. Pat's Day in style.

Raglan Road is open from noon to 2 a.m. On March 17, there will be a $15 cover charge per person from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Pleasure Island celebrates St. Patrick's Day March 16-18, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The island will turn "green" with live music, videos by Irish artists, leprechaun characters and stilt walkers. Pleasure Island club admission is not required for this event.

Captain Jack Sparrow to Join the Audio-Animatronics Crew of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- First the theme park attraction inspired the movie. Now the movie is inspiring the attraction.

Pirates of the Caribbean, the classic Disney theme park adventure brought to the big screen in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, is adding new characters and features from the blockbuster entertainment franchise and debuting when the next adventure begins in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

Both the Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will close the attraction in March to complete the updates in time for the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on July 7. The attraction will re-open at Disneyland on June 24 and in Florida's Magic Kingdom on July 7.

The attraction will feature the addition of two of Hollywood's most infamous buccaneers, Captain Jack Sparrow and his nemesis Barbossa. Joining the wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main, Captain Jack and Barbossa add an exciting new twist to the attraction's original storyline as they race to be the first to claim a cache of plundered treasure.

"Successfully adding the popular characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean films with the mythology of our classic attraction is an example of Disney synergy and Walt Disney Imagineering at its finest," said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "These additions will result in an exciting new chapter for the attraction and an unforgettable experience for our guests, giving them another reason to come and be a part of our continuing 50th anniversary celebration."

Woven into some of the attraction's most memorable scenes, the rival swashbucklers will be seen interacting with some of the more familiar Audio-Animatronics buccaneers found inside the ride-thru adventure. Also making a guest appearance is the ghostly Davy Jones from the second movie in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. But new characters are only the beginning. New special effects will also be added to enhance the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park experience.

Atlanta Braves Spring Training in Full Swing During March at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Atlanta Braves, champions of the National League East for 14 straight years, will battle several key rivals during the 2006 Major League Baseball Spring Training season at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. During March, the Braves will play a 17-game home schedule that includes marquee clashes with the Mets, Astros, Cardinals and Yankees, making this one of the club's fiercest spring training schedules ever at The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

After opening the spring schedule with an exhibition game against the University of Georgia on March 1, the Braves face the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 3, and then take part in a special exhibition game against the Netherlands on March 5 that is part of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. The Braves continue their tradition of hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in back-to-back games (March 12-13), marking the fourth consecutive year the teams have faced off in a two-game spring series.

The National League champion Houston Astros are at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex on two occasions (March 14 and March 17) while the division rival New York Mets also make two appearances (March 11 and March 29). The Braves host three American League teams -- Detroit Tigers (March 6), Cleveland Indians (March 23 and March 25) and New York Yankees (March 27).

Individual game tickets for the Braves' home spring training games are currently on sale through Ticketmaster (407/839-3900 and ticketmaster.com) and at the Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex box office. Prices range from $13.50 (general admission lawn seats) to $22 (lower reserved).

Information on the Braves' spring training season, group tickets and mini-packs is available by calling 407/939-GAME (4263) and online at disneyworldsports.com. The popular mini-packs include both three-game and five-game options in 2006. Fans may also purchase Atlanta Braves Spring Training travel packages through Sports Marketing USA. Travel packages include Braves game tickets, accommodations at Walt Disney World Resort and other benefits. Information is available online at springtrainingtours.com/Braves/braves.html.

New Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Downtown Disney Transforms Little Girls Into Disney Princesses

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Young guests visiting the new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Downtown Disney Marketplace will be given the chance of a lifetime -- to be magically transformed into their favorite Disney princess. While the salon begins offering enchanting makeovers and pampering services for youngsters ages 3 and up starting April 5, guests can call now to book appointments at 407/WDW-STYLE (939-7895).

Fairy godmothers-in-training will offer the royal treatment using shimmering makeup, hair styling and nail polish. Prices ranges from $35 for hair and makeup to $175 and up for hair, makeup, nails, plus choice of a Disney princess costume, accessories and photo package.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is located inside World of Disney. Hours of operation will be 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Walk-ins are welcome; however, reservations are strongly encouraged.

Epcot "Tomato Tree" Produces a World Record Harvest

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- There is a new "tomato tree" growing inside the experimental greenhouses at The Land pavilion presented by Nestlé at Epcot. A one-of-its-kind in the United States, the plant yields thousands of tomatoes at one time from a single vine. So far, the vine has produced a world record harvest -- more than 20,000 tomatoes with a total weight of more than 850 pounds. And it's still growing.

The vine was planted in December 2004 and continues to grow golf ball-sized tomatoes, which are harvested and served in restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort. The world record-setting tomato tree can currently be seen by guests on the attraction's Living with the Land boat ride.

Yong Huang, manager of agricultural science at The Land pavilion, discovered the unique plant type while on vacation in Beijing, China. After meeting with scientists responsible for that plant, Huang brought its seeds to Epcot and created the specialized greenhouse for the fruit to grow.

Newest Disney Bass Fishing Experience to Take Guests Onto the Waters of
Barefoot Bay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- There's reel fun in the offing for guests angling for a new Disney bass fishing experience.

Beginning in mid-March, guests can cast their fate to the skills of Disney bass guides on the unfished waters of 42-acre Barefoot Bay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. The two-hour private excursions will be aboard tournament-style Nitro bass boats that can accommodate one or two guests. The fishing is catch-and-release.

Cost is $200-$230 (excursions during the morning command the higher rate) for boat, guide and equipment for one or two guests. For reservations and additional information, guests can call 407/WDW-BASS (939-2277).

The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex to Host
Inaugural World Baseball Classic Play March 7-10

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex will host an array of Major League Baseball's biggest stars as part of Round 1 of the highly anticipated inaugural World Baseball Classic, March 7-10.

The first-ever World Baseball Classic, a 16-team tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), will feature many of the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories for the first time ever. Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex will host one of four Round 1 pools of four teams (six games). The teams scheduled to participate at Disney are the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Australia and Italy as part of Pool D.

The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, which also plays host to Atlanta Braves Spring Training, welcomes a virtual Who's Who of MLB All-Stars. For instance, players scheduled to appear for the Dominican Republic include Albert Pujols (STL), Pedro Martinez (NYM), Miguel Tejada (BAL), Bartolo Colon (LAA), Vladimir Guerrero (LAA), David Ortiz (BOS), Manny Ramirez (BOS) and Alfonso Soriano (WAS), while the Venezuelan roster features Bobby Abreu (PHI), Miguel Cabrera (FLA), Magglio Ordonez (DET) and Johan Santana (MIN).

The three additional Round 1 pools (A, B and C) are scheduled to be played in Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz. Round 2 will feature two pools of four teams each and is scheduled to be played in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Anaheim, Calif. The semifinals and finals will be played at PETCO Park in San Diego.

Individual tickets for World Baseball Classic games are currently on sale through Ticketmaster (407/839-3900 and ticketmaster.com). Information on World Baseball Classic six-game ticket packages is available by calling 407/939-GAME (4263) and online at disneyworldsports.com.

Additional information on the World Baseball Classic can be found at worldbaseballclassic.com.