September and October mean one thing at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom: Mickeys Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! You have got your hotel booked, your discount Disney Halloween party tickets purchased and you’re all ready to go, right? Don’t forget one very important fact! At Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party, you’re allowed to dress up!

There are tons of great ideas for families, kids and even teens or young adults when it comes to dressing up. We’re sure to see plenty of girls dressed up as the new princess on the block: Princess Tiana! Disney’s first African-American princess is sure to be a hit with little girls of all backgrounds. If your little girl is into fairies, Disney has expanded way past Tinkerbell. Why not dress up as one of her friends from Pixie Hollow? Along with Tinkerbell, you can be Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn or Iridessa.

Pirates are always popular with both girls and boys. Parents, why not be Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan while your children dress up as your little swashbucklers? Or if you don’t mind being a bit goofy, dress up the whole troupe Dalmatian style. Your tween kids might not want to do a family dress-up gig, but there are plenty of ideas for them as well.

High School Musical is still going strong. Be an East High School cheerleader or couple up as Troy Bolton (played by Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (played by Vanessa Hudgens). If you’re a loyal Hannah Montana fan, dressing up like the starlet just requires a blonde wig and a cute rocker outfit. Couples have plenty of options; just pick your favorite prince and princess from Disney history and you’re sure to find a great costume online.

If you would rather make your own costume or keep the price low, you can still keep it Disney related. Why not be a super Disney fan? Get the Mickey ears you’ve kept in your closet and all of your pins and put everything on at once. Or, if you want to be more traditional with your Halloween attire, use black eyeliner to paint on a cat nose and whiskers and keep your clothes dark. Cat ears and tails are usually one of the cheaper items at the Halloween shops. There are a variety of great Disney costumes on sale if you have some extra cash. But making your own costume or putting a unique spin on traditional Halloween items is easy if you’ve got a little bit of imagination and a bit pixie dust! Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party runs until November 1st.

We are still middle of summer and it is hotter than ever, but the Walt Disney World Resort is already planning for the holidays. Though many Orlando theme parks put a holiday spin on some of their attractions, Disney takes the cake in terms of decoration and events. There are a number of great things to do at the parks, all of them with a holiday twist. Even celebrities come down to Orlando for the festivities like in one of the most popular events, the Candlelight Processional, at the EPCOT World Showcase Pavilion.

Every year, celebrities from the television, movie and music industries come down to Orlando to read selections from the traditional Christmas story to crowds of guests. Not only will you be able to hear the celebrities read the stories, but the entire experience will be enhanced by a choir and a 50-piece live orchestra playing everyone’s holiday favorites. Fans will be delighted with some of the celebrity appearances Disney has in store for this year’s processional—especially if you’re excited about Disney’s return to 2D animation with The Princess and the Frog!

That’s right, one of this year’s Candlelight Processional guests is none other than Anika Noni Rose. This Tony Award-winning singer and actress will soon become a household name when she makes history as the voice of Disney’s first black princess, Princess Tiana. Disney’s last 2D animated feature was Home on the Range back in 2004, and ever since then 3D has been all the rage with movies like The Incredibles and Up. Now Disney plans to make a comeback with a re-telling of the classic fairytale that also marks the return of the Disney princess. Seeing Anika Noni Rose live and in person will be great for Disney fans of all ages!

Admission to the Candelight Processional is included with your EPCOT tickets and there will be three show times nightly at the America Gardens Theatre. This beloved traditional event runs from November 27th to December 30th. For more news on holiday events at the Walt Disney World Resort check back with OrlandoFunTickets.com where we will have all the information on the best holiday events Disney has to offer. Check out the other celebrities stopping by the Candlelight Processional in our list below!

Nov. 27-29 Isabella Rossellini
Nov. 30 & Dec. 1-2 John O’Hurley
Dec. 3-5 Steven Curtis Chapman
Dec. 6-8 Anika Noni Rose
Dec. 9-11 Andy Garcia
Dec. 12-14 Vanessa Williams
Dec. 15-17 Abigail Breslin
Dec. 18-20 Whoopi Goldberg
Dec. 21-23 Brian Dennehy
Dec. 24-6 Edward James Olmos
Dec. 27-30 Angela Bassett / Courtney B. Vance

Tomorrow is St. Patricks Day, and thousands of people here in Orlando will be celebrating the luck of the Irish with green-tinged festivities and raucous parties. Depending on where you go, however, the celebrations can sometimes get a little too out of control, especially for those who are on vacation in Orlando with family in tow. So what do you do if you want to show your Irish pride but want a casual and family-friendly St. Patty’s celebration? You visit Walt Disney World, of course, which is a fun place to celebrate any event, especially Ireland’s national holiday.

First, a great place to stop by during St. Patrick’s Day for a casual dinner or a bit of live entertainment is Ragland Road Irish Pub, located in Downtown Disney. This charming and laid-back restaurant perfectly evokes a classic neighborhood Irish pub with its custom-made furnishings and delicately carved woodwork straight from Ireland. In addition, Ragland Road’s classic Irish fare is savory and soothing, with dishes like creamy colcannon soup, fish n’ chips, and beef stew with a touch of Guinness. Irish celebrity chef Kevin Donlan heads up the kitchen, and you’ll be transported back to the Emerald Isles with every bite.

The entertainment at Ragland Road’s is particularly fun – every night, the pub lights up with dancing and live music from a foot-stomping Irish band. You just might find yourself participating in a jig if you’re not careful! And with a strictly enforced no-smoking policy and a seating area especially set aside for parties with small children, Ragland’s is a decent environment for a family dinner. But if you come with friends, you’ll find that the pints are fresh and plentiful.

On St. Patrick’s Day, the restaurant should be particularly lively as it usually holds a fairly big celebration every year. And revelers will find the rest of Pleasure Island will also be turning green with “Sham Rock ‘n’ Roll” festivities, featuring live music by Irish artists, leprechauns, and green specialty beverages.

Before or after dinner, stopping by the parks is a must, of course, and we especially recommend Epcot, where you’ll be sure to see plenty of other Irish Disney fans decked out in green. Best yet, if you didn’t arrive to the park decked out in your holiday gear, you can stock up at the United Kingdom pavilion’s shops with St. Patrick’s Day Mickey shirts, plush leprechaun Mickey’s, and St. Patrick’s Day themed Mickey mugs. St. Patty’s Day merchandise can also be found at Ye Old Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom.

When it comes to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or any other special holiday or event, you’ll be sure to have a blast at Walt Disney World, which has a park, attraction, and restaurant that’s perfect for every occasion. Start preparing for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities by getting Walt Disney World tickets from OrlandoFunTickets.com, and you’ll be one lucky theme park-goer.

With Valentines Day just around the corner, some of you might be scrounging around for last minute ideas to surprise your sweetie with on the holiday of love. Here in Orlando though, you need look no further than Universal Studios, where you can enjoy a day of fun and affection with your significant other. After all, what better place than the fantastic realm of movies and TV to make a dream date come true?

Kick off your Valentine’s Day festivities at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel on Friday, February 13, where the Universal resort will hold Harbor Nights Romantico, a wine tasting, gourmet food, and music event. From 6:30 to 9 pm, guests will be able to savor select wines, gourmet food samples, delectable sweets from a chocolate station, and live music by Nova Era, along with romantic arias and duets by Portofino’s opera singers.

Then the next day, head to the Universal parks for some thrills that will bring you closer together. Nothing achieves that purpose better than the rides at Islands of Adventure, where you’ll scream in unison on The Incredible Hulk Coaster, grab on to each other tightly during the Jurassic Park River Adventure, and laugh as you get soaked together on Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls. The other side of the park, Universal Studios, has similar fun for couples. You can take part in a honeymoon adventure along with Shrek and Fiona with Shrek 4D, and see who kills more aliens on the Men in Black Alien Attack, among other cool attractions.

When you’ve had your fill of the parks, there’s no better way to unwind from all those high-adrenaline amusements than with a couple’s spa experience. Head back to the Portofino Bay Hotel and step inside the world-class Mandara Spa, where a suite specially reserved for couples awaits to give you peace and relaxation. Side by side, you can indulge with a facial or ease away tension with a massage.

And after you’re refreshed and rejuvenated, be sure to stop by CityWalk, a great place to stroll hand-in-hand with your loved one while you browse the shops. While you’re there, stop in at the Hard Rock, where Reggae Love Fest 2009 will get underway at 9 pm. Featuring internationally acclaimed Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, Glen Washington, Tony Stephens, Pressure, and Munga, the Love Fest will have you feeling affectionate as you groove to one of the most understated genres of romance, reggae.

Then, at the end of the day, cap the evening at Chef Emeril Lagasse’s famous Emeril’s Restaurant Orlando; this modern and airy restaurant inside CityWalk makes a romantic setting with a wall of wine, an elegant metal staircase, plenty of open windows, and Gertjejansen artwork on the walls. You’ll enjoy chatting with your date about all the fun you had as you enjoy classic Creole cocktails and dishes.

So forget cliché or cheesy Valentine’s Day plans and go for a unique, fun, and romantic holiday celebration that will really wow your partner. You’ll make all the arrangements you need for the whole day when you purchase discount Universal tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com.

One of the best things about the holiday season is all of the delicious treats. From candy canes to gingerbread houses, there are plenty of seasonal snacks to satisfy your sweet tooth. And at Walt Disney World resorts, you’ll naturally find all kinds of incredible holiday desserts, such as carousels and trains. Wait – you say carousels and trains aren’t edible? Well, stop by some of Disney’s resorts to see some fantastic holiday displays made out of gingerbread, candy, and other sugary goodness. These giant masterpieces of pastry are 100% edible. And though you might cause a scene if you start gnawing on one of them, they’re definitely a sweet sight to see.

One must-stop this holiday season is Disney’s Beach Club Resort, which features a giant gingerbread carousel in the hotel lobby every holiday season. Every visible part of this display is edible, from the gingerbread floor and canopy and sugar poinsettias to the chocolate and fondant horses and star anise and cinnamon accents. The carousel even features white chocolate figures of Mickey Mouse and his friends.

It took a team of pastry chefs ten hours to assemble the carousel, which required 96 pounds of flour, 36 pounds of honey, 50 pounds of dark chocolate, and 100 pounds of icing. The carousel is also made up of 2008 pieces of gingerbread, one for every year. And since this is the ninth year that Beach Club has put up its holiday carousel, there are nine hidden Mickeys in the display. Each year, an additional one is added. See if you can spot them all!

Equally impressive as the carousel is the life-sized gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. This huge piece of sugary real estate draws visitors every year as soon as it opens during November. The holiday centerpiece of the lobby along with a large Christmas tree, the gingerbread house requires even more ingredients than the carousel: 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 800 pounds of flour, 700 pounds of chocolate, and a whopping 1,050 pounds of honey. This is the tenth year that the Grand Floridian has put up this special display, which fills the resort’s lobby with the scent of gingerbread.

What’s most incredible about the almost entirely edible gingerbread house is that it’s actually a gingerbread shop! Guests can actually go inside the house and purchase gingerbread and chocolate cookies, lollipops, gingerbread ornaments, chocolate Disney characters, and more. The Grand Floridian gingerbread house is open from 10 am to 10 pm.

Though it’s worth making a special trip to see the displays at the Grand Floridian and Beach Club resorts, each of the other Disney resorts is also featuring a special holiday display. At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, guests can see a gingerbread holiday village on the fourth floor. At Disney’s Polynesian Resort, the Ceremonial House features an exotic gingerbread village with volcanoes and edible palm trees. At Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, a 15-by-20-foot chocolate and gingerbread boardwalk display greets visitors with a five-foot-tall Ferris wheel and carousel. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boma-Flavors of Africa is featuring an entirely edible miniature African village. And at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, a miniature gingerbread train races around a sugar mountain village in the lobby.

If you’re hankering for something sweet on the eyes this holiday, be sure to stop at Disney Resorts to take in the phenomenal holiday displays and maybe even buy a gingerbread house of your own. Each resort features its own unique holiday decorations and is a great attraction to visit after a day at the Disney theme parks.

The holiday season has arrived, and so has Santa Claus! Though you would think jolly old St. Nick would be too busy, with the holidays coming up and all, to take a vacation, he’s here in town enjoying the seasonal fun of Orlando – after all, the elves can take care of all the Christmas preparations. And everyone, from families to pets, can track Santa down as he stops at a few Orlando Florida locations to hear a Christmas wish or two. You’ll be able to meet the big man in red, pose for a picture with him, and even sit on his lap, at these Orlando spots.

First, since Santa loves to shop for Orlando souvenirs, you can catch him at a few area malls. He’ll be stopping at the Mall at Millenia to take in the spectacular holiday decorations and pose with fans during mall hours (from 10 am to 9 pm on most days). Those who get their picture taken with Santa can opt for a candid color photo or a sepia-hued black and white photo, and every child who visits him receives a complimentary gift. You can also find Santa Claus at the Florida Mall and the Festival Bay Mall, where Santa will be available for pictures and even pets will be able to come and dress up with him on select nights.

And since Santa Claus will be doing plenty of sight-seeing during his Orlando vacation, you can see him at different cities throughout the Orlando area. At Old Town in Kissimmee, Santa will be available for photographs Monday through Friday from 5 pm to 8 pm; you can even receive a complimentary photo with him when you make a $5.00 donation to benefit the children of Devereux, Florida. Santa will also be visiting Uptown Altamonte every Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 pm to hear the strolling carolers, as well as Downtown Celebration during its nightly Now Snowing celebration. And on December 13th, Santa will be seeing the animals at the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, and guests can join him for breakfast or brunch (reservations required).

In addition to all these spots, Santa will be stopping at Orlando theme parks during his vacation. You can catch him at Downtown Disney’s "Festival of the Seasons," where he’ll be posing with kids and pets alike from noon to 10 pm daily. However, if you happen to stop by Universal Studios during "Holiday Cheer You Can Only Hear Here" or Disney’s Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you just might also see Santa enjoying some holiday fun.

Finally, you can see meet Santa at the Gaylord Palms Resort, where he’s staying during his holiday vacation. St. Nick will be visiting with fans in the convention center daily (hours vary), though shy visitors can also opt to send him an e-mail at a kiosk near the ICE! entrance.

If you plan on catching Santa Claus in the parks, be sure to check out OrlandoFunTickets.com for discount theme park tickets. Otherwise, have fun catching Santa during his Orlando visit, and don’t be naughty, or he’ll know!

You can always rely on Downtown Disney to provide excitement, great shopping, dining, and unique entertainment. However, our favorite time of year to visit this Disney hotspot is when the Festival of the Seasons comes to town. From November 28th through December 24th, Downtown Disney fills with holiday cheer, hustle, and bustle as all the stores fill with unique holiday merchandise and holiday decorations dot the landscape. With all the dazzling lights and amazing holiday window displays, you’ll love just walking through all the Downtown Disney shops during the Festival.

In addition to hosting a festive holiday atmosphere, the Festival of the Seasons will feature seasonal carolers, musical acts, and live entertainment on the streets throughout the month. Enjoy the sounds of school choirs performing at the Dock Stage, as well as DJ Dance Parties throughout the season. And at Downtown Disney’s West Side, strolling musicians and Tin Soldier stilt walkers will add to the merriment and revelry.

And no holiday celebration is complete without Santa, who’ll be making daily appearances from noon to 10 pm. There’ll also be Santa previews from November 15th through November 27th, from 5 pm to 10 pm. Kids will be able to get their picture taken with Jolly Ole’ St. Nick at Santa’s Christmas Chalet, located near World of Disney. And if they’ve been good this year, leashed doggies can also pose with Santa – there’ll be a grassy area behind Once Upon a Toy and House of Blues where dogs can be walked. To get your photographs, follow the red-and-green reindeer hoofprints from Santa’s location to Guest Relations.

With an incredible selection of shops at Downtown Disney, you’ll definitely find gifts for everyone on your Christmas list during the Festival of the Seasons. Holiday shopping has never been easier with The World of Disney Store, the world’s largest character emporium; Once Upon a Toy, filled with exclusive playthings from Disney and Hasbro; Virgin Megastore, an expansive musical playground; Team Mickey, the ideal place for Disney and brand-name sports gear; LEGO Imagination Center, a kid paradise with a vast array of LEGO play sets; and the Disney’s Days of Christmas holiday shop, which features Christmas merchandise all-year round. For a truly unique gift, you can also visit the Hoypoloi Gallery, which features hand-crafted holiday gifts, including pieces of Jewish art.

When you’ve worked up an appetite from visiting all the Festival’s stores and seeing all the incredible displays, don’t forget to stop by Downtown Disney’s restaurants, which also get in on the Festival fun with delicious seasonal treats.

Whether you like to shop, dine, or simply people-watch, the Festival of the Seasons is your must-stop destination during the holidays for a fun atmosphere of merriment and holiday cheer. No other place in Orlando manages to capture the holiday spirit that lingers in the air quite like Downtown Disney during the holidays. No matter what holiday you celebrate, you won’t help getting excited by all the Festival’s festivities.