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Spirit of Africa is Alive at Disney's Kidani Village Resort
 At Epcot, guests can travel around the World Showcase and get a taste of countries like Germany, Italy, France, and even Morocco. But for a true taste of Africa, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is the place to go, and even more so now with the opening of the new Kidani Village Resort. A new Disney Vacation Club property that’s begun opening in phases earlier this month, Kidani Village envelops guests with African-inspired art, authentic African cuisine, and incredible views looking out onto an animal-filled savannah. Families will be able to indulge their taste for adventure at Kidani Village, which is named for the Swahili word for “necklace.” From the moment they step into the lobby and take in the hand-carved columns, intricate patterns, and gold-toned furnishings, guests will feel like they’ve been transported to Africa. Arching windows in the lobby provide an unparalled view of the savannah, and swaying floor lamps and vibrant fixtures add to the splendor and authenticity of the resort. Guests can choose from studio and one, two, and three bedroom accommodations at Kidani Village, each equipped with homey comforts like kitchens, living areas, and more. Each villa features custom-made furnishings and African décor, in addition to a view of the savannah. The Village also includes Jambo House, which opened in July 2007 and consists of 109 remodeled two-bedroom equivalent accommodations on the fifth and sixth floors of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The remaining rooms of Kidani Village are expected to open this fall. Other new amenities in the resort at Kidani Village include Sanaa, a 150-seat restaurant serving African cooking infused with Indian flavors. Named after the Swahili word for “artwork,” Sanaa opened May 1 and features interiors inspired by African art. Guests can also enjoy Samawati Springs Pool, a themed pool area with a 128-foot slide and two whirlpool spas, and Uwanja Camp, a water-play area with three themed zones featuring age-specific activities for kids. More active fun is available on a basketball half-court, a shuffleboard court, and two lighted, hard-court tennis courts located in a sports area, and there’s also a “Survival of the Fittest” fitness center featuring treadmills, bicycles, stair climbers, and limited free weights. To wind down and relax, guests of Kidani Village can utilize the Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center inside Jambo House, which offers spa services. Meanwhile, any shopping bug can be satisfied at Johari Treasures, a merchandise shop with logo and character merchandise, plush toys, sundries, books and magazines, and more. And of course, no resort is complete without handy access to Walt Disney World. Kidani Village offers convenient transportation to all the Disney parks. To book a stay at Kidani Village, one need only call Disney to make reservations. And to begin your escape to the wild savannah, don’t forget to pair your African accommodations with an African-style adventure at Animal Kingdom or one of the other parks by getting your Walt Disney World tickets from OrlandoFunTickets.com.Labels: Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, disney vacation, disney vacation club, Disney's Animal Kingdom, orlando hotels
Disney Offers New Services for Disabled Guests
 Walt Disney World has always taken strides to make its fun available to disabled guests, whether it is through special maps at guest services, sign language interpreters at live shows, wheelchair accommodations, etc. And now, visually impaired guests can take advantage of yet another service designed to help them experience Disney magic in all its glory. Disney has unveiled “audio description,” a new service designed to provide blind vacationers with descriptions of scenes as they unfold through various attractions such as Epcot’s Spaceship Earth and Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion. The service focuses on actions, settings, or scene changes within attractions and works with the existing attraction’s audio. “We want to make our rich stories available to everyone,” said Greg Hale, vice president of worldwide safety and accessibility for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Audio description works by way of a handheld wireless device, which relies on a series of remote, infrared sensors to determine a guest’s location and dispense the appropriate narration. A guest hears the clear, even-toned descriptions through a single earpiece, which leaves the other ear free to gauge one’s surroundings. The handheld device, which is built to withstand elements like rain, diet coke, and accidental droppings to the ground, also features amplified sound and hand-held captions for guests who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Those services have been available at the park since 2005, but it took Disney engineers much longer to perfect audio description, particularly to make sure the narrations didn’t interrupt an attraction’s primary narration. The audio description service has been available for about two weeks, but Disney says it’s working on expanding it to include descriptions of outdoor areas, which is especially pertinent given the International Flower & Garden Festival currently underway at Epcot. Like Braille maps or the Guidemap for Guests with Disabilities, the audio description device is available at Guest Services at each of the four theme parks. There’s no cost for the handheld or the earpiece, but there is a refundable $100 daily deposit. Audio description is currently available at 11 locations in Epcot, 11 locations in Magic Kingdom, 5 locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and 3 locations in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. So if you’re a visually impaired guest, be sure to check it out upon your next visit for extra help in enjoying your favorite attractions at Walt Disney World. And remember to save extra by getting your Walt Disney World tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com. Labels: Christmas in Disney Hollywood Studios, Discount Disney Tickets, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, EPCOT attractions, guest services, Magic Kingdom Attractions
Disney's Animal Kingdom is Home for Endangered Animals
 Earlier this January, Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge welcomed the birth of two Ruppells Griffon Vultures. They’re the first hatchings of this threatened species at Walt Disney World. Each chick weighed less than six ounces and was about eight inches long, a far cry from what they’ll grow up to be – up to three feet in height and 15-20 pounds, with a wingspan of nearly eight feet. Over the past twenty years, the population of Ruppell’s Griffon Vultures has been declining, leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature to raise the species’ status to threatened. Members of Disney’s Animal Programs Team hope to increase the species population and generate more awareness of the challenges these birds face. However, the Ruppell’s Griffon Vultures wouldn’t be the first threatened or endangered animal to be born thanks to the efforts of Disney. Though Animal Kingdom is obviously themed around animals, many may not realize that the park is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning that it has met and exceeded the standards in education, animal conservation, and research. In addition to Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Disney welcomed a newborn calf to a herd of African elephants at Animal Kingdom last summer. Twenty-six-year-old Moyo gave birth to a 327-pound male, a significant birth since African elephants are endangered and challenging to breed. And last December, Animal Kingdom saw the birth of its 28th Gerenuk calf, born under the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Gerenuk Population Management Plan. To learn more about animal conservation and see what Disney is doing, the best thing you can do is take a train ride over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Animal Kingdom. There, guests can see endangered cottontop tamarin primates up close at the Habitat Habit!, a fun and educational wildlife trail dedicated to the preservation of animals. You’ll learn about different conservation efforts as you get an up-close look at the inner workings of Animal Kingdom. Also, don’t miss a chance to visit the Conservation Station, the center of Disney efforts to promote wildlife conservation awareness. A behind-the-scenes look at the animals of Animal Kingdom, Conservation Station allows guests to meet with animal handlers, learn about veterinary care, and other day-to-day activities at Animal Kingdom. You’ll also take part in a variety of wild animal experiences, interactive shows, and games. There’s even a veterinary hospital viewing window that allows guests to watch medical procedures conducted by the veterinary staff. Similar to Animal Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is dedicating to giving people a greater appreciation for wildlife. Home to a wide variety of animals that either originated from Animal Kingdom or other zoos, the lodge is a working wildlife reserve with a 33-acre savannah. Its species include Grant’s zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, sacred ibis, Ankole-Watusi Cattle, white-bearded wildebeest, and more. All the animals inhabiting the lodge savannah return periodically to an on-site animal care facility for feeding and routine care. There’s no doubt that when it comes to the conservation and care of animals, whether stable in the wild, threatened, or endangered, Animal Kingdom is the cat’s pajamas – and the cat’s shelter, too. Take a trip into the wild and see what you can do to help; check out Walt Disney World tickets today at OrlandoFunTickets.com. Labels: cheap disney tickets, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World News
Summer Days at Disney World
The heat is on in Orlando and Disney tickets are the hottest buy
Summer is one of the most popular times for a Disney vacation. The Disney theme parks are open later, the attractions are running at maximum capacity and everyone is having a blast. In order to help you be prepared for your summertime Disney vacation, here is what the August schedule looks like around the Walt Disney World Resort.
Disney’s Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom is open late all month long, and that means fireworks and nighttime parades! For most of August, you can enjoy the Magic Kingdom until 11 pm, and later in the month, that changes to 10 pm.
The Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks show blasts into the sky at 10 every night. On the later nights you can see the SpectroMagic Parade at 9 pm and 11 pm, so if this is an important part of your Disney vacation be sure to check the schedule before you pick your Magic Kingdom dates. Don’t forget, you need a Disney ticket to get in to see the fireworks and the parade.
Epcot
There is always something special going on at Epcot, and for at least some of August that means the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series, which continues through Aug.10. There are three shows every night, at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 pm, at the America Gardens Theater. The line up for August includes: - Captain Fantastic, a tribute to Elton John, performs July 28 – Aug. 3
- The Sounds of the Supremes, a tribute to the Supremes, performs Aug. 4-10
A Disney ticket is required for all Sounds Like Summer concerts at Epcot.
Everyone’s favorite Epcot event is just around the corner. Mark your calendar for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – Cities in Wonderland, which starts on Sept. 26 and runs through Nov. 9 this year. Disney tickets are also needed for the Food & Wine Festival.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The Animal Kingdom theme park is open late till 8 for most of August. Toward the end of the month they return to regular hours, closing at 5 pm.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Just like the other Disney theme parks, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has late summer hours. They’re staying open till 10 pm until late August when they will start closing at 8. The Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey attraction is closed for refurbishment from Aug. 1-5. Labels: Discount Disney Tickets, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, EPCOT, illuminations, wishes firework show
Disneys Animal Kingdom Turned Ten on Earth Day
 Disneys Animal Kingdom theme park turned 10 years old this month on Earth Day April 22 and a lot has changed at this innovative not a theme park and not a zoo attraction that Walt Disney World introduced to guests a decade ago. One thing that never changes is the great deals on Disney tickets you will always find here at OrlandoFunTickets.com! Ten Years of Animal Kingdom Innovation and ExpansionDisney’s Animal Kingdom theme park has added a whole new dimension to the word “attraction” at the Walt Disney World Resort. - Dinosaur crashes Animal Kingdom visitors back 65 million years into some seriously dangerous dino days.
- Kilimanjaro Safaris gives you a never-the-same-trip-twice ride through a real African savannah.
Amazing Animal Exhibits Make Animal Kingdom Much More Than A Zoo
Gorillas have been added in the midst of all of the other African creatures you can discover on your journey through the Animal Kingdom. - Pangani Forest Exploration Trail brings Animal Kingdom ticket holders up close and personal with Nile hippos, exotic birds and fish and a family of gorillas.
Rapids, Tigers and Yetis, Oh My!
Animal Kingdom Asia section has seen a lot of action over the past 10 years with the addition of an awesome tiger exhibit, Expedition Everest, and Kali River Rapids white water rafting ride. - Kali River Rapids plunges you into the swirling waters of the Chakranadi River. Warning: you will get wet.
- The Maharajah Jungle Trek brings you on a one-of-a-kind adventure into the depths of the Anandapur Royal Forest where you can spend time with Komodo Dragons, Tapirs, amazing avian creatures and sulky tigers.
- Expedition Everest is worth the price of your Disney ticket by itself. This innovative coaster has got to be the most unique thrill ride at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Adding to the excitement of this year’s birthday party, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is celebrating a 6% attendance spike in 2007, making the Animal Kingdom the most improved Disney theme park when it comes to park guests.
All you need to say Happy 10th Birthday to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and experience all of its fabulous attractions is a Disney ticket. And we’ve gotcha covered there with the best deals on the Web for all of the Disney tickets you need. Labels: Discount Disney Tickets, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, disney's animal kingdom's 10th
The Most Popular Rides at Walt Disney World from the best online source for discount Disney tickets
 Walt Disney World is one of the trendiest vacation spots in the world, and you can get in on the hype when you get your cheap Disney tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com. Once you have your Disney tickets, hit those Walt Disney World theme parks and experience the hottest happenings for yourself! Really Rad Rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
- Space Mountain® - Become a “rocket jockey” and blast into the cosmos.
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin - Aim your laser at the lightning bolts and fire away.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Not called the “wildest ride in the wilderness” for nothing. - Splash Mountain - Bring a towel, ‘cause yer gonna git wet.
- Pirates of the Caribbean - Can you find Captain Jack Sparrow hiding in the dark?
Wild and Wacky Travels at Disney’s Animal Kingdom - Dinosaur - Darkness, dinos and asteroids. Get the picture?
- Expedition Everest - You have to ride it to believe it.
- Kali River Rapids - Bring a bunch of towels, ‘cause your all gonna get wet!
Drop and Roll at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ - Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith - A 0-60 mph limo loop across L.A.
- Tower of Terror™ - “Never the same fear twice.”
Even Epcot Has Excellent Thrills - Soarin’ - Take flight in the newest addition to Epcot’s pop attraction list.
- Test Track – Strap in and hold on.
- Mission: SPACE – Ever wanted to be an astronaut? Here’s your chance.
These aren’t the hottest Walt Disney World attractions for nothing. They draw big crowds, so take advantage of Disney’s FASTPASS® service and you can bypass long lines later.
FASTPASS® stations are located at the entrance to each ride. These tickets save you a place in line, and you usually have to come back for your ride within 2 hours. (We’ve heard that some Disney cast members will stretch this a little bit, though.)
Before any of that, though, you need Disney tickets to get into all of these Disney parks. Find the Disney ticket that best suits your needs right here and get it today. Then get ready to test the best and see how they rank with your family. Labels: cheap disney tickets, Christmas in Disney Hollywood Studios Attractions, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, EPCOT attractions, Magic Kingdom Attractions, mission space, test track
Adult Adventures Abound at the Walt Disney World Resort
 Disney is not just for kids its for lovers too for daytime dalliances with a romantic edge hit one of the theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort and celebrate each other with an amorous lunch or dinner. Show yourself some love too by taking advantage of the discount Disney tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com, your one and only source for cheap Disney tickets! At the Magic Kingdom, get close in the dark on the Haunted Mansion or take the plunge down Splash Mountain. Flavor your romantic Magic Kingdom date with a once-upon-a-time dining experience at the incomparable Cinderella’s Castle. Play the parts of Cinderella and Prince Charming at the “Once Upon a Time Breakfast” or the “Fairytale Lunch” in the private dining hall of the princess’s charming castle. Or share dinner at “Cinderella’s Royal Table” for the ultimate in romance dining. At Epcot, you can cuddle in the dark while checking out the changes on Spaceship Earth, which just completed a months-long refurbishment. Dine back in time at Mexico’s San Angel Inn, or spice it up with the mysterious delicacies you will find at Morocco’s Restaurant Marrakesh. After the sun sets, gaze up at the Eiffel Tower as you take a romantic stroll through the streets of Paris at the France Pavilion. Before you leave, stop by the Boulangerie Patisserie and enjoy a sweet treat for two. Treat your Valentine like a super star, and grace the stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If it’s screaming and grabbing you desire, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror delivers. Then step into your role as Hollywood glitterati at the Brown Derby. Their famous Cobb Salad replicates the Hollywood original with Oscar-caliber perfection.  For lovers that love animals too, the Animal Kingdom is sure to bring out your wild side. The dark excitement of “Dinosaur” will generate the closeness you desire, while Expedition Everest will rev up your engine and get that heart beating. An exotic Pan-Asian dinner at the brand new Yak & Yeti Restaurant will leave you purring with contentment. All four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort have something unique for cozy couples looking for some sizzling Valentine’s Day fun. And whichever Disney theme park you choose, you will fall in love with the discount Disney tickets available at OrlandoFunTickets.com. Our cheap theme park tickets are the heart’s desire of every Orlando vacationer. Labels: adults at wdw, Discount Disney Tickets, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, EPCOT attractions, fairytale lunch, Magic Kingdom Attractions, spaceship earth changes, Yak and Yeti
Top 10 Attractions at Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is very well known for their world class theme parks and attractions but with so much to choose from how does one possibly choose a favorite ride or attraction? The answer may be simple – you can’t have just one! Below you will find a list of the 10 most popular attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort – and while some of them (ok, most) are thrill rides and not for the faint of heart, most of these are also attractions that the entire family is sure to fall in love with… and want to experience again and again! It is important to note, however, that everything below has one prerequisite for you before you can experience it – theme park admission! Yes, Disney has the best attractions of any theme park resort in the world, but if you don’t have any tickets, you are missing out. This is where OrlanfoFunTickets.com can help out – we are your No. 1 online source for discounted Disney tickets, offering you deals that you can’t get anywhere else. Click here now to see all of our unbelievable discounted prices on Walt Disney World tickets so that you can start experiencing these attractions for yourself – and coming up with a top 10 list of your own! Without further ado, here is OrlandoFunTickets.com’s top 10 attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort. 10. Summit Plummet at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park – What goes up must come down! We start off the list with perhaps the biggest thrill ride of them all. Climbing 12 stories in the air, Summit Plummet is a 120-foot ride that is the world’s tallest and fastest free-fall body slide. If that isn’t enough to get you excited (or scared out of your mind!), then you may also want to know that while you take the plunge, you can reach speeds of up to 55 mph. But don’t worry – even if you are scared, it is over in less than five seconds!  9. Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – This show is still fairly new at the Walt Disney World Resort, and it is as popular here as it was at Disneyland Paris where it originated. Featuring incredible stunts using specially-designed cars, motorcycles and jet skis, plus tons of other special effects, this stunt show also gives the audience a rare look at how car chases and collision scenes in movies and on TV are created and filmed.  8. The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot – This pavilion in Epcot is based after the loveable movie and begins as you cruise in a clammobile and ride along with all of your favorite friends from the animated feature “Finding Nemo.” Afterwards, all kinds of treats await guests, including up-close views of marine wildlife and the opportunity to interact with your favorite sea turtle, Crush, in Turtle Talk with Crush.  7. Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom Park – An oldie-but-goodie, Space Mountain has entertained millions of guests since the Magic Kingdom Park opened and will continue to do so for decades. This attraction is a six-passenger, high-speed roller coaster that is completely in the dark and makes you feel as if you are seated in a rocket that is racing through space. While this thrill ride may have one of the longest wait times you will find in any park, any hard-core Disney enthusiast will tell you that it is well worth the wait!  6. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – “Walk this way!” That’s right – thrill seekers have found plenty of reasons to walk on over to the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster! Guests jam along to their favorite Aerosmith tunes as they rocket from zero to 60 mph in under two seconds at the beginning of this action-packed ride. The entire coaster is inside and primarily in the dark, and there are plenty of twists and loops along the way to make even the most die-hard thrill ride fans keep coming back for more.  5. Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – A trip to the Walt Disney World Resort would not be complete without a visit to the Kilimanjaro Safaris. On this 32-passenger guided safari adventure through more than 100 acres of re-created African terrain, you can expect to see exotic animals such as giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, crocodiles, lions, hippos and more, as they all roam free throughout the land. There really is no other attraction like this at the Walt Disney World Resort, and whether you are an animal lover or not, we promise this will be a welcome respite from the chaos that awaits you back in the park after your return from the safari.  4. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – This attraction is perhaps the best themed ride in the entire world. From the moment you approach the Hollywood Tower Hotel to the trek you make into the lobby, everything at this attraction will make you believe that you really are entering a hotel from Hollywood’s Golden Age. And once inside, things really start to get scary! Guests will board elevators that have four different random sequences of drops – so you never know which sequence you will get once you get on board. In all, each ride will plummet down 13 stories in matter of just three exhilarating seconds. This attraction never seems to get old, as can be seen by the number of people who ride it daily – and the number of people who repeatedly keep coming back for more.  3. Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – This welcome addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a high-speed train adventure that takes guests through the 20-story towering Forbidden Mountain. While onboard, riders will travel both forward and backward through mountain caverns and canyons as you head for a face-to-face encounter with the yeti – otherwise known as the Abominable Snowman! The first real thrill ride at Animal Kingdom, this ride fits in perfectly at this theme park and has finally given thrill seekers another reason to shout – literally!  2. Festival of the Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – Consistently rated as the top show at Walt Disney World, this approximately 30-minute intimate production features dancers, singers, characters, and larger-than-life puppets of Simba, Pumba, an elephant and a giraffe in a spectacle that is worth of Broadway. You can expect to see and hear all of your favorite songs from the movie performed, as well as some ballet, acrobatics, fire twirling and a lot of fun for the whole family.  1. Soarin’ at Epcot – Soarin’ came to Epcot in 2005 after becoming one of the most popular attractions at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif., and this attraction has been marveling guests in Florida ever since. This unique attraction is great because it is enjoyable for literally everyone in the family, no matter what your age or what kind of rides you like to go on. Soarin’ simulates hand gliding over the natural wonders of the state of California, and guests will literally feel the wind in their hair and experience smells such as the California orange groves as they soar across the state. No matter what the wait time, this is one attraction you can’t leave the Walt Disney World Resort without visiting! Labels: Christmas in Disney Hollywood Studios Attractions, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, disney world, EPCOT attractions, Favorite attractions, Magic Kingdom Attractions, New attractions
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