The newest Disney World Special Event added to the impressive 2014 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival lineup is called Late Nights Live! and we had the opportunity to attend the inaugural event on September 25th.

Late Nights Live!

Held each Thursday night for the duration of the 2014 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival from 9:45 pm (after Park Closing) until 1:00 am Late Nights Live! is a hard ticket Disney World Event ($79.00/per person) that provides a special way to experience the Food & Wine Festival.

A combination of Food & Drink offerings from the Food & Wine Festival and special entertainment in a less crowded late night setting provided the framework for this event.

Food & Drink

Roughly 1/4 of the World Showcase was used for this event spanning from the main entrance to the World Showcase to the United Kingdom Pavilion.  This included the F&W kiosks for Hawai'i, Deserts & Champagne, Greece, Canada, Ireland, and the Refreshment Port.

Each participant was given a lanyard that was not only their entrance ticket, but it also included 6 detachable tabs that could be redeemed for virtually any item on the marketplace menus.



One of the tabs was special in that it could be redeemed for a special glow cup filed with a White Cranberry Cosmopolitan Concoction that was tasty and a great way to kick off the party.  If you weren't interested in that you could redeem that tab anywhere for a food or drink item like the other tabs.

All of the food stands were well staffed and lines remained relatively short throughout the event, keeping wait time to a minimum.  It was a relief, especially if you have ever experienced an Epcot Food & Wine Festival crowd on a weekend night.  There were no such crowds during this event allowing for a relaxed enjoyment of the evening with the wonderful surroundings.

Late Nights Live! Entertainment

There were three different entertainment zones set up during the event that provided a wide range of entertainment options in an attempt to appeal to the wide demographic of attendees.


Inside of the World Showplace Events Pavilion that was also opened up for this event was a live band called: Martini Pop.  They sang a wide variety of popular hits in their own lounge style that was very entertaining.


Also inside the World Showplace was a bar that was set up and two juggling bartenders that were there to entertain guests.


The next entertainment area was set-up in front of the Mill Stage in the Canada Pavilion (home of Off Kilter).  Here a DJ was pumping out the dance music.  Unfortunately most of the night the DJ was pretty lonely.  The crowd, although ranging from 21 year olds to seniors, did not really appear to be in the dancing mood.


The last musical entertainment act was a guitar/percussion duo with a singer named Brian that was in the DVC booth area near the Canada Marketplace.  He was playing an acoustic set and sounded great although the crowd typically was transient moving from location to location versus standing still to take in the entertainment.

Entertainment Without Description?

The biggest surprise of the evening was the special entertainment that came out at a couple of different times during the event.  It was a troupe of costumed dancers with glowing sticks and LED whips? that performed to high energy dance music that was pumped across all of the speakers across the whole area.

The costumes contained what appeared to be ram horns on all of the dancers and although they appeared to be having fun, most guests were not sure what to make of them.  It was entertaining, but not sure how to described them or understand how they fit in to the event, other than providing a "Never seen that before!" moment.

Review Summary for Late Nights Live!

The Late Night Live! Event delivered what it promised: An after-hours event at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival that provided the opportunity to enjoy the Food & Drink from the Festival in a relaxed, non-crowded setting.

The entertainment reviews are mixed.  I am not sure that the DJ or the dance troupe really fit in with the event.  Another acoustic performer, perhaps like the guitar player that has been performing in Brazil during the day might fit in better to the mood.  Most of the guests appeared to trend to enjoying the food, drink, and discussions, as opposed to looking for a dance party.

For a first attempt I though it went well, and should only improve as it moves through the following weeks.  Disney World had a large number of support staff visibly there observing the event to see how things were going and to make sure it went smoothly.

The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival for 2010 is in full bloom and the results are spectacular.  While touring in person today, I took pictures of the flowers and especially the topiaries.

The Disney World horticultural staff has outdone themselves again.  Each year they keep coming up with more and more impressive displays.

Here are just a few of the Topiaries on display at this year's Epcot Flower & Garden Festival which runs through May 16th, 2010:
Long Live The Lion King
Here the classic scene from Lion King where Rafiki lifts the young Simba up  to the sky is recreated in amazing detail.

Disney World Horticultural Staff Does Amazing job
The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival again this year shows off the amazing talent of the Disney World Horticultural Staff.  The topiaries, as you can see, are amazing in pictures and even better in person.  The ones shown are but a taste of all the topiaries that are on display, in addition to the millions of blooming flowers from all of the gardens.  This is certainly a Disney World Special Event that is worthwhile visiting.

The Celebrity Guests that will participate in the 2010 version of Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios have been announced.

Since this year's events start on the 30th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, May 21st, there is a special focus on the Bounty Hunter Boba Fett.

Like in previous years, actors and other people who have played key roles in making the Star Wars movies participate in the Star Wars Weekends at Disney World.  In addition to the autograph signing sessions and participating in the parades, they also participate in talk show format question and answer sessions.  These provide Star Wars fans (and who isn't a Star Wars fan) a unique opportunity to hear first hand experiences about what went into making the various Star Wars movies. 

In my opinion these special sessions are certainly one of the highlights of all of the Star Wars Weekends events.

For 2010 the celebrity hosts for the events will be Jeremy Bulloch (The original Boba Fett from Empire and Return of the Jedi) and Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka from The Clone Wars).  They will be there for all four weekends.

This year each weekend will feature three celebrity guests in addition to the hosts:

Star Wars Weekends #1

May 21-23 -- Temuera Morrison, Daniel Logan, and Dee Bradley Baker
Morrison played Jango Fett as well as the clone troopers in the live action movies, while Daniel Logan played Boba Fett and all the clone cadets in Episode II. Baker is the voice of all the clone troopers in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including the ever popular Captain Rex.

Add host Jeremy Bulloch and you have the ultimate Star Wars Bounty Hunter Reunion! There should be some great photo opportunities this weekend.


Star Wars Weekends #2


May 28-30 -- Matthew Wood, Lorne Peterson and Tom Kane
Matthew Wood (pictured center above) provided the voice of General Grievous and is a sound editor on the Star Wars prequels and The Clone Wars. Lorne Peterson is a veteran ILM model-maker who worked behind-the-scenes on all six Star Wars movies. Tom Kane is the voice of Yoda in The Clone Wars, and also the narrator who begins each show with a rousing introduction.

Disney World realizes that their “inspired” guests would love to take a little bit of this Disney magic and bring it home to their own yards and gardens.

Disney World Guests Learn From the Experts
During each weekend of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, Disney World presents members of their horticultural staff, as well as, nationally recognized gardening experts to lead a series of presentations. Topics such as “Creating Backyard Garden Retreats”, “Disney’s Top Picks For Mixed Containers”, “Easy To Do Water Features”, & “The Small Budget Garden” will be presented during the festival.

The presentations occur on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday with different topics and Gardening experts to speak. There is the “Disney Gardening At Home”(11 am & 2 pm), and the “Great American Gardeners” (12 noon & 3 pm) sessions available to all Epcot guests. These are included for FREE with their park admission. The sessions take place in the festival’s Garden Town which is located next to Mission: SPACE in Epcot.
Here is the full schedule of topics for the 2010 Flower & Garden Festival:

• March 5-7 Disney Gardening at Home: Easy-To-Do Water Features
  Great American Gardeners: Florida Fruit & Vegetable Gardening (Robert Bowden)
• March 12-14 Disney Gardening at Home: Fun Family Gardening Projects
  Great American Gardeners: The Truth about Garden Remedies (Jeff Gillman)
• March 19-21 Disney Gardening at Home: What’s Old Is New
  Great American Gardeners: Gardening with Heirloom Seeds (Lynn Coulter)
• March 26-28 Disney Gardening at Home: Butterfly House-How To Create a Pollinator
  Great American Gardeners: The Small-Budget Garden (Maureen Gilmer)
• April 2-4 Disney Gardening at Home: Disney’s Horticulture Past-Festival Favorites
  Great American Gardeners: Bringing Nature Home (Douglas Tallamy)
• April 9-11 Disney Gardening at Home: Irrigation ‘How To’
  Great American Gardeners: Stylish Sheds & Elegant Hideaways (Debra Prinzing)
• April 16-18 Disney Gardening at Home: Creating Backyard Garden Retreats
  Great American Gardeners: Sweet Herbal Recipes & the Creative Herbal Home (Susan Belsinger)
• April 23-25 Disney Gardening at Home: Disney’s Top Picks for Mixed Containers
  Great American Gardeners: His & Hers–What Makes a Great Garden (Tom & Joani MacCubbin)

Take The Disney Gardening Magic Home
Plan to visit this year's Epcot Flower & Garden Festival and take advantage of these great Gardening Seminars.  Then you can be creating some of that Disney magic in your gardens that you can enjoy long after your vacation is over.

• May 21 - 23
• May 28 - 30
• June 4 - 6
• June 11 - 13

The Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary
Of special interest is the fact that not only does 2010 mark the 30th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, but the opening day of the Star Wars Weekends, May 21st, is the exact 30th Anniversary, since the film was first released on May 21, 1980.

Although the details of this year's event have not been released, expect some special tribute to be paid to this great film.  If you look closely, a nod to the film has been given in the use of the double band in the graphics around the title for the Star Wars Weekends 2010 Artwork.

Star Wars Weekends Is For Everyone
Even if you are not someone who is fully versed in the ways of the Force and has their own personal lightsaber, Star Wars Weekends is a fun event to attend.  The activities are included with your admission to Disney's Hollywood Studios.  There are parades, Celebrity Autograph sessions, Star Wars Trivia, and Talk Show format sessions to learn more about the Celebrity Guests and their Star Wars experiences.

It is always interesting to see all of the Star Wars characters that are present during this time and the photo opportunities are plentiful.  You will also see a large number of guests/fans dressing up in their own Star Wars costumes.  It is interesting to see the amazing costumes that some of the fans have created.

Stayed Tuned For More
As the events, celebrities that will be attending, and more details become available we will post them here on Only WDWorld.  For now, you just need to plan to visit Disney World during one of these 4 weekends in order to experience what is for many the best Disney World Special Event of the year.

Each Friday, Saturday, & Sunday during the festival there will be special guest speakers and seminars entitled Great American Gardeners and Disney Gardening At Home. The guide details the topics to be presented each of the 11 weekends.

New For 2010
Here are some of the special new additions for the 17 Annual F&G Festival:
• Celebrate The Great Outdoors! – Topiary display and garden
• Water Wise Herbs & Vegetables
• Classic Disney Couples – Topiary garden
• A Salute to Community Gardens
• Garden Town Breakfast – Mar 21, Apr 18, & May 16 A Welcome Breakfast prepared by Disney Chefs using ingredients from the Land Pavilion while learning horticultural and culinary techniques. ($60 per person)
• Expanded Butterfly Garden.

Epcot Celebrates Spring
Come enjoy the wonderful topiaries and gardens created by Disney’s talented horticultural staff and witness the hundreds of thousands of blooming plants. The Epcot Flower & Garden Festival is certainly not a Disney World event to be missed!

ESPN invades Disney World and takes over Disney's Hollywood Studios again this year for the 2010 version of ESPN The Weekend on February 25th though 28th.



Some of the athletes attending:
Current NFL Players: Chad Ochocinco from the Cincinatti Bengals, Devin Hester from the Chicago Bears, Maurice Jones-Drew from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rashard Mendenhall from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Steven Jackson from the St. Louis Rams, Brian Dawkins from the Denver Broncos, & Adam Vinatieri from the Indianapolis Colts.

Former NFL Legends: Marshall Faulk, Darrell Green, Thurman Thomas, & Mike Alstott.
Current MLB Players: CC Sabathia & Joba Chamberlain from the NY Yankees
Former MLB Legends: Jim Palmer, Curt Shilling, & Frank Thomas
Former NBA Stars: Scottie Pippen & Robert Horry
Gold Medal Winners: Shawn Johnson - Gymnastics & Misty May Treanor - Beach Volleyball
 
ESPN Personalities Appearing:
Mike Golic & Mike Greenberg, Karl Ravech, Ron Jaworski, Trey Wingo, Mark Schlereth, Tedy Bruschi, Jon Kruk, John Anderson, Colin Cowherd, Sal Palantonio, & Dick Vitale

Events:
Each of the 4 days is filled with events including live versions of the popular shows you watch on ESPN or hear on ESPN Radio. 

Highlights include:

• Mike and Mike in the Morning
• ESPN First Take
• The Herd with Colin Cowherd
• Baseball Tonight
• A performance by the Harlem Globetrotters
• Walt Disney World  Pro Soccer Classic
• Champion 5K
• Inside ESPN Live Athlete Q&A Sessions
• Interactive Sports Zone
• Motorcade with athletes and Disney Characters

For full details visit the ESPN The Weekend Website.

At World Showcase Plaza there will be a first ever topiary of Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse re-enacting the famous Grant Wood painting “American Gothic.”

Besides all of the flowers, topiaries, and gardens there will also be entertainment. The Flower Power Concert Series returns again with 3 free shows nightly during each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the festival. The concerts take place at the America Gardens Theater in the World Showcase.

Epcot Flower Power Concert Series Lineup
• Jose Feliciano March 5-7
• Paul Revere and the Raiders March 12-14
• David Cassidy March 19-21
• Starship Starring Mickey Thomas March 26-28
• Tony Orlando April 2-4
• Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone April 9-11
• The Nelsons April 16-18
• Atlanta Rhythm Section April 23-25
• Fran Cosmo(former singer with Boston) April 30-May 2
• Davy Jones May 7-9
• Chubby Checker & The Wildcats May 14-16

Flowers, Entertainment, & Education
During the 17th Annual Flower & Garden Festival which runs from March 3 – May 16, 2010, a full 75 days, you will get to see beautiful gardens, be entertained, and have a opportunity to learn.

Each year Disney brings in expert gardeners and horticulturists to give seminars during the festival, for the guests that would like to re-create at little of this magic in their own gardens back home.

Pictures never seem to do justice to the splendor that you see when you visit Epcot during the festival first hand. The sights and smells are wonderful. It truly lets you know that Spring has arrived.

If you have never visited during the Flower & Garden Festival please make an effort to see it in 2010. For those that have visited previously, know that this year’s festival is bigger and better than ever before. Take the time to stop and smell the roses, literally, at Epcot this Spring.

There are 11 different Special Events, many with multiple sessions, for you to experience at the 2009 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

These special events are very popular and fill up fast. You may start making reservations on Aug. 11th by calling 407-WDW-Fest (939-3378).

Here is an overview of this year's events. you may get a complete list of Festival Events by downloading: the Official Festival Guide.

• Mexico Tequila Tastings - Learn about true Mexican Tequilas from a Tequila Master. Appetizers served with the tequila tasting.
  Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays at 3:00 pm.
  Cost = $35.00 + tax per person. Held at the Mexican Pavilion.
• Food & Wine Pairings - 3 wines are paired with 3 tasting sized portions of cuisine. A representative from the winery will moderate the session.
  Saturdays, 2:30–4:00 p.m. — Tutto Italia Ristorante;
  Mondays, 3:30–5:00 p.m. — Tokyo Dining;
  Tuesdays, 3:30–5:00 p.m. — Restaurant Marrakesh;
  Price: $55.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included.
• Cheese Seminars - Learn about cheese from the experts. Each cheese will be paired with selected wines.
  Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. — 11:45 a.m. in the Festival Welcome Center
  9/26 — Spain — Waldemar Albrecht–Luna
  10/3 — France — Max McCalman
  10/10 — Italy — Erin Hedley
  10/17 — United Kingdom — Waldemar Albrecht–Luna
  10/24 — United States — Max McCalman
  10/31 — France — Waldemar Albrecht–Luna
  11/7 — Italy — Max McCalman
  Price: $75 per person, plus tax.
• Epcot Adventures In Wine Varietals - Each session will focus on a specific varietal with instruction from an expert.
  Saturdays, 1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m. in Wonders Retreat.
  10/10 — Celebrating the Zinfandel Grape
  10/24 — Celebrating the Pinot Noir Grape
  11/7 — Celebrating the Cabernet Sauvignon Grape
  Price: $80 per person, plus tax.
• Sweet Sundays - An acclaimed Pastry Chef or Baker creates 3 signature desserts and serves them.
  Sundays from 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
  9/27 — Rick Griggs
  10/4 — Warren Brown & Mary Meyers
  10/11 — David Guas
  10/18 — Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
  10/25 — Claire Clark
  11/1 — Geraldine Randalsome
  11/8 — Jacque Torres
  Price: $80 per person, plus tax.
• French Regional Lunches - French Wine and Cuisine representing a different region each session.
  Select Sundays, 12:00 p.m. at the Bistro de Paris, France Pavilion at Epcot
  10/4 — Bordeaux
  10/11 — Cotes du Rhone
  10/18 — Alsace
  10/25 — Champagne
  11/1 — Burgundy
  Price: $95.00 per person, plus tax.
• Epcot Wine Schools - A comprehensive program for those who want to further their wine knowledge.
  Select Weekend dates 1:00 — 4:00 p.m. at the Festival Welcome Center Retreat.
  10/3 — Taste Wine Like a Master
  10/17 — Wines from Monterey, California
  10/24 — Exploring the Burgundy Varietal's Chardonnay & Pinot Noir Around the World
  11/8 — Wines from South Africa
  Price: $125.00 per person, plus tax.
• Celebrating Friends & Family In The Kitchen - A 3-course lunch prepared by celebrity chefs and a wine paired with each course.
  Fridays from 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
  10/2 — Suvir Saran
  10/3 — The Deen Brothers
  10/9 — Patti LaBelle
  10/16 — Dean Max and Paula DaSilva
  10/23 — Alan Wong
  10/30 — Cat Cora and Virginia Cora
  11/6 — Andrea and John Robinson
  Price: $110.00-130.00 per person, plus tax.
• Party For The Senses - An event filled with Tasting of Fine Cuisine and Wines from many notable chefs and wineries.
  Every Saturday during the Festival; 6:30 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.
  9/26 — Celebrating Spanish Cuisine
  10/3 — Celebrating Comfort Foods with a Twist
  10/10 — Celebrating South American Cuisine
  10/17 — Celebrating Classical Cuisine
  10/24 — Celebrating Asian Cuisine
  10/31 — Celebrating the Fall Harvest
  11/7 — Celebrating Italian Cuisine
  Price: $135 per person, plus tax.
• Culinary Adventure Signature Dining - A celebrity chef collaborates with a Disney Chef for a special meal.
  Select days at select venues at the Walt Disney World Resort (see below).
  10/1 6:30 p.m. Jiko–The Cooking Place — Suvir Saran
  10/1 7:00 p.m. Portobello Italian Trattoria — Tony Mantuano
  10/13 6:15 p.m. Ragland Road — Kevin Dundon
  10/15 5:30 p.m. Flying Fish Café — Tim Keating
  10/16 6:30 p.m. bluezoo — Todd English
  10/22 6:30 p.m. The Wave — Frank Brough
  10/25 6:30 p.m. Victoria & Albert's — Scott Hunnel
  10/29 6:30 p.m. California Grill — Brian Piasecki
  10/30 6:30 p.m. Wonders Retreat — Jean Claude Boisset vs. Jean Charles Boisset Wines
  11/5 6:30 p.m. Cítricos — Phillip Ponticelli
  Price: $100.00-$375.00 per person, plus tax.
  

Disney World has made the official 2009 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Guide that you receive at Epcot when you attend the festival, available on-line for free.

This 42 page guide lists all of the special activities and presentations associated with the festival, and a schedule of times for all of the events and demonstrations.

This is very handy for planning your Festival visit.

Here is the link: Official 2009 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Guide

The theme for this year's festival is: "Celebrating Culinary Adventures".

Highlights for the 14th annual F&W Festival running from Spetember 25th through November 8th include:

• Culinary Demonstrations
• Wine Tasting Seminars
• Over 25 Special Food and Drink Kiosks set up throughout the World Showcase offering tapas-sized portions of food from $2 - $7.
• "Eat To The Beat" Concerts nightly from nationally acclaimed musical acts.
• Numerous special events involving guest Chefs and speakers.

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is a wonderful reason to visit Disney World in the fall. Check out the Guide to get all of the details on this year's event.

This year I have decided to represent Only WDWorld by running in Disney World's Race For The Taste 10K on October 11th. The race is part of the Disney Endurance Series and is held in conjunction with the 14th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

The Race For The Taste 10K has become a popular event over the last few years with nearly 4,000 runners competing in last year's event.

One of the most appealing attributes of this race is the fact that the course works its way through two different Disney World theme parks: Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot.




The Course

The 6.2 mile race starts at Disney's Wide World of Sports and heads to Hollywood Studios where they enter at the rear of the park.

The runners get to run through the set of “Lights! Motor! Action! Extreme Stunt Show” as they work their way through the park and exit near the front.

Runners will then trek past the Boardwalk Villas, Swan & Dolphin Hotels, Disney’s Yacht Club and Disney’s Beach Club resorts before passing entering Epcot at the International gateway.

Finally it's a trip around the World Showcase at Epcot, the epicenter of the Food & Wine Festival, and out the front of Epcot to reach the finish line.

At the finish line, runners – along with ticketed friends and family members – will have an opportunity to sample international cuisine from the Food & Wine Festival at a post-race picnic.

Competition
The race starts at 7:00 am on Oct. 11th and is for both the competitive and the casual runner.

The race is a timed event that will have the results posted on-line. Awards are presented to the top three male, female, military, and age group winners and male and female champions in the masters and wheelchair divisions .

Each runner also gets a unique medal for completing the race.

Last year's overall winner, Cobi Morales,34, of Miami Beach, FL, finished the 6.2 mile course at 35:53 besting the nearest competitor by 45 seconds.

Even if you are not a competitive runner, as long as you can stay ahead of the 15 minute per mile pacing requirement, you will be allowed to complete the race.

I am expecting my time to be somewhere slightly north of the one hour mark for the race, so I won't be challenging Cobi for this year's title, but I will be loving every step of this opportunity to run through the parks before opening.

Helping Others
The race also has a charitable side to it. Last year, Cast Members, guests, and runners donated 3,872 pounds of non-perishable food at Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K , benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

Second Harvest received the collected food—equivalent to 2,581 meals—to distribute to partner agencies in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia County. “It’s important for all of us to find some meaningful way to pitch in and help our neighbors get through this tough time,” said Greg Higgerson, vice president of Development at Second Harvest. “The food from Race for the Taste will land on the plates of thousands of children, seniors, working poor families and others who were struggling even before this economic crisis began—it represents hope for these folks.”

Hope To See You There!
Hopefully you are also interested in joining me and participating on October 11th at this fun Disney Event.

At this moment the pre-registration indicates that the race is 50% full. Don't wait until the last minute or you may be shut out. You can register by going to: http://www.disneyraceforthetaste.com/

This September and October Halloween is celebrated at Disney World for 24 spooky, but not so scary nights.

Each of these nights the Magic Kingdom is transformed into Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (aka MNSSHP).

True to its name, this is definitely an event for the entire family. The emphasis is on fun and is not very frightening or scary.

You will see your favorite Disney characters decked out in in Halloween costumes, and guests are invited to do the same.

This is the only time that all guests, young and old, are encouraged to wear costumes to the park.

Keep in mind the Florida weather can still be quite warm when choosing your costume. You should also wear something that is easy to move around in and safe while enjoying the rides. Costumes are optional, but they help you get into the Halloween spirit.

Special activities include Trick-or-Treating, Villains Mix & Mingle, "Boo To You" parade, and a Special Halloween Fireworks presentation.

All guests (not just children) are encouraged to trick-or-treat at the 13 stations set up around the park. You will collect a variety of candy treats in miniature sizes typical of what is handed out for your local treat-or-treaters.

If you are a person that can’t get enough of the Disney villains then this is the event for you. They have their own special area in front of Cinderella’s Castle where they perform what is called the “Villains’ Mix & Mingle” 4 times nightly and are available for autographs and photo opportunities.

The Boo-to-You parade is well done and can only be seen by attending one of these events. It is performed twice nightly at 8:15 pm and 10:30 pm.The 2nd parade is usually less crowded, because those attending with young children will often go home before the 2nd parade.

The fireworks include special Halloween music and lighting effects, including Cinderella's Castle lit up with eerie Halloween colors and effects.

This after-hours event (7 p.m.-midnight) is what they call a hard ticket event, meaning that a separate admission ticket is required to attend. Adult tickets are $59 and Children (3-9) are $53. Discounts are available , and advance purchase for most nights will save $7.

These special evenings have a limited number of tickets available for each night guaranteeing that the park will not be crowded and lines for rides will be very reasonable.


Seeing all of the characters in their Halloween costumes is quite enjoyable. Even if you are an adult, consider wearing a costume to get into the spirit of the event.

Parties are slated for Sept. 4, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29; Oct. 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and Nov. 1.

To purchase advance tickets, guests can call 407-W-DISNEY or visit www.disneyworld.com/halloween now.

One of the features of the annual Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival held at Disney World each Fall is the Eat To The Beat Concert Series.

Each evening during this Disney World festival there are three performances by a nationally acclaimed musical act at Epcot's American Gardens theater. Admission is first come first serve and free with your Epcot park admission.

This year's lineup includes 6 acts that have never performed here before.

Schedule:
9/25–9/27 — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
9/28–9/29 — Richard Marx (NEW!)
9/30–10/3 — Starship starring Mickey Thomas
10/4–10/6 — En Vogue
10/7–10/8 — Better Than Ezra (NEW!)
10/9–10/11 — Sister Hazel
10/12–10/13 — Kool & The Gang
10/14–10/16 — Spyro Gyra
10/17–10/18 — Jon Secada
10/19–10/20 — Sister Sledge
10/21–10/22 — Vanessa Carlton (NEW!)
10/23–10/25 — Taylor Dayne
10/26–10/28 — Boyz II Men
10/29–10/31 — John Waite (NEW!)
11/1–11/2 — Taylor Hicks (NEW!)
11/3–11/5 — Billy Ocean (NEW!)
11/6–11/8 — Los Lobos

Make a note of when your favorite performer is appearing and make your reservations for this popular fall event. The festival runs every day for 6 weeks from September 25 through November 8th.

The Walt Disney World Resort is known for its fireworks presentations, so it should be no surprise that it would have amazing presentations for America's Independence Day, July 4th, 2009.

Through the magic of YouTube, Only WDWorld is able to present 4th of July fireworks from 2009 at all 3 parks (Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot, & Magic Kingdom) that had them. As a special bonus, we are showing the Magic Kingdom fireworks, from within Magic Kingdom and from across the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Polynesian Resort.

Enjoy the special opportunity to enjoy 3 different spectacular fireworks presentations from the same night as only Disney World can present them!

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Enjoy this video by stagermonkey on YouTube. Disney's Hollywood Studios rarely has fireworks so this is a special event.




Epcot

Video by caseytodt on YouTube. This video shows highlights of the fireworks presentation focusing on the special parts added for the 4th of July celebration.



Magic Kingdom Fireworks from the Polynesian Resort

Video by DadeJvon on YouTube. Here is a view of the special Magic Kingdom 4th of July Wishes Presentation from the beach at the Polynesian Resort. This captures the boats and floats on Disney World's Seven Seas Lagoon.




Magic Kingdom

Video by DisneyProjectTracker on YouTube. This is the highlight of all Disney World fireworks, the 4th of July Wishes fireworks presentation at the Magic Kingdom.