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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.”
For
more information, guests can go to www.SteveHarvey.com/disneysdreamersacademy.
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