The Disney Company is not just about its Disney theme parks. There are plenty of community activities the company participates in to get citizens involved in fun activities that don’t necessarily mean going on rides at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Recently, Disney unveiled their Give a Day Get a Day campaign in which completing a day of volunteer service gets you a free admission to any of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks. But did you know Disney also does marathons?

For the runners out there, mixing Disney and running is like a dream come true—especially when you realize your track is one of the Disney theme parks. There are a variety of marathons throughout the year, all of them featuring a different theme and being hosted at a different park. In January there is the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon. In March we have the Disney’s Princess Half Marathon and in September we have the Disneyland Half Marathon over in Anaheim, California.

The fall season also has a few of its own marathons here in Orlando, which is great considering the cooler weather that starts to come around this time of the year. There are three Disney marathons in the fall and Disney is encouraging people to participate with a Fall Race Challenge. If you complete 2 out of 3 of the marathons you receive a special bonus medal along with the medals you receive at each race. Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K just finished over at Epcot’s World Showcase Pavillion. Participants were able to attend the post-race picnic that featured food from the Food and Wine Festival.

Coming up next is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror marathon. This race is a 13k (appropriately) which winds around the streets of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There is a post-race party where runners and their families can enjoy some food and fun at the movie-themed theme park. If you’re a runner then definitely look up some of Disney’s marathons and sign up. We’re sure there will be one that interests you!

Disney is going for a double-hitter this holiday season. Not only are they releasing The Princess and the Frog, they are also releasing their version of A Christmas Carol. Starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, and Colin Firth, the film was directed by award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis. In order to promote the movie, Disney will be sending a custom-made vintage replica train around the nation to bring the Disney’s A Christmas Carol experience to 40 cities in 36 states.

This is a great activity for families of all ages and best of all it’s free! Everyone is going through tough times in this economy and this special Disney event is a great way to experience the Disney magic without having to fork over any cash. This train tour will be both a moving museum and theatre. Dolby will be providing Dolby Digital 3D Cinema for people that visit the touring exhibit to get an exclusive sneak peek at Disney’s A Christmas Carol on DP2000 digital projection. Along with getting the sneak preview of the movie, the exhibit will feature authentic artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum of London. Artwork, props and costumes will be featured along with contests to win HP computers and wireless printers. As you explore the wonderful exhibit you will be surrounded by 'snow,' carolers and Christmas decorations. Dick Cook, the chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, thinks this is a great way to introduce families to the upcoming film.

"Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour is an incredibly fun way to introduce families across the country to the wonders and spectacle that is Robert Zemeckis' unique and spectacular new holiday film…From Los Angeles to New York, and all points in between, guests are going to have a fabulous time discovering things about the making of this extraordinary film, participating in their own festive fantasies, and getting into the holiday spirit all year round. Disney's A Christmas Carol is great entertainment for moviegoers of all ages, and this is the perfect introduction to a fun and exciting new holiday classic."

Along with The Princess and the Frog this is going to be a great movie year for Disney. We can’t wait to see both films.

We all know how important it is to volunteer and serve your community to help those that need it in this tough world. Now Disney is trying to get the entire country to realize how important it is to volunteer…by giving potential “VoluntEARS” one of the best incentives around! Starting January 1, 2010, citizens can sign up for one day of volunteer service. Once you complete your day of volunteer service and have proof of your efforts, you will get one day’s admission to one park in Disneyland or the Walt Disney World Resort. So not only will you get the reward of a job well done and helping someone in need, you’ll get the reward of getting into Disney for free - awesome, right?

Disney is partnering with the HandsOn Network. This is the largest volunteer group in the nation. The HandsOn Network has 250 Hands In Action Centers that will be helping Disney facilitate this great program. Even Annual Pass holders will be able to benefit from this great program. You will be eligible to receive a Disney FastPass, an Ear Hat figurine with special trading pins or you also have the option of donating your ticket to a non-profit organization.

To further promote this great program, Disney is launching a “Cheers to Volunteers” sweepstakes. Five day trips for four will be given away for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World with Southwest Airlines pitching in for the transportation section of the contest. With President Obama calling on Americans to volunteer and give back to the community as well, it seems all of America is trying to get into the giving spirit. Jay Rasulo, the chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, wants to get as many volunteers invested in serving the community as possible.

“In 2010, we want to recognize and add one more reason for celebration: the contributions people make to their communities every day,” said Jay Rasulo. “We want to inspire one million volunteers – people who will invest time and energy to make their own communities and neighborhoods a better place.”

The Give a Day Get a Day program sounds like a great way to start. Where will you be volunteering?

Okay foodies, you have been waiting for it and now it is finally here. Epcot is presenting its 14th annual Food + Wine festival September 25th through November 8th. For six food-filled weeks guests of the Epcot theme park in Walt Disney World Resort will be able to enjoy tapas-sized portions of foods from around the world. 25 international marketplaces will be set up representing countries from across the globe. Thailand and Brazil are new to the festival this year. They will be joining countries like Japan, India, Italy, Germany, Canada, the US and the UK in presenting incredible foods for guests to enjoy.

You can access most of the activities with your admission to Epcot, so make sure you check out the deals OrlandoFunTickets.com has to save some cash for the delicious food you’re going to want to test out! The Food and Wine Festival also has a number of special events for the crowd to enjoy. Some of these may require a reservation or carry an extra charge, so make sure you check out the Food and Wine guide you can pick up throughout the park for special events, prices and locations.

Over at the American Adventure Pavilion, you can participate in the Walk-Abouts Beer Hop. The name of the event explains it all. You’ll get to sample some of the best beers the US has to offer. If you love cheese, you’ll love The Mouse Catch over at the Showcase Plaza. This section of the festival will feature various cheese samples including Dutch Dorotha, Italian Plave and Spanish Mahon. You will also have the choice of drinking various beers and wines.

Don’t forget this is a celebration. What better way to celebrate awesome food than by pairing it with awesome music? As a special treat at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Epcot will be featuring the Eat to the Beat concert series. Free concerts will be going on throughout the food festival from some of the biggest names in music from the past and the present. You can expect to see acts like Better than Ezra, Vanessa Carlton, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, En Vogue, Kool & The Gang, Jon Secada, Boyz II Men and Los Lobos. This is a great event that’s not to be missed, so get your Epcot tickets today!

Remember watching the Mickey Mouse Club and singing along to the theme as you wished for your own Mousketeer gear? Back then the MMC was the closest thing Disney fans had to a fan club they could call their own. Well things changed this year thanks to D23, the first official community for Disney fanatics all over the world. D23 members get access to special memorabilia, discounts on events and a quarterly magazine featuring incredible articles and inside info on all things Disney.

To mark another “first” in D23 history, this year the first ever D23 Expo will take place in Anaheim, California. The D23 Expo will cover everything from Disney’s beginnings in 1923 to the present and future of the company. There are tons of great events planned for the expo as well as celebrity appearances, merchandise to buy and incredible opportunities to see films and screenings from all aspects of the Disney family—that includes Disney-owned channels like ABC.

Among the many events that will be happening at the D23 Expo are special previews of all the projects Disney has coming up. That means plenty of Alice in Wonderland and TRON: Legacy talk for the movie fanatics. Because Sleeping Beauty is celebrating its 50th anniversary, those who attend the D23 Expo will be able to view it with hundreds of other Sleeping Beauty fans.

Pin trading events as well as screenings of ABC’s newest fall shows will be part of the D23 madness. Celebrity appearances from stars like Donny Osmond, Nicolas Cage and Courtney Cox are expected as well as the Disney Legends Ceremony, which will be honoring important figures in Disney’s extended family like The Golden Girls and the voices of Donald Duck and Goofy. If you’re a fan of ABC’s LOST you’re also in for a special treat.

The show, which will be entering its final season in 2010, will also have a special section of D23 devoted to it. You will get to see props and costumes from the show as well as find out potential clues as to what will happen in the show’s final season. So whatever aspect of Disney suits your fancy, you’re sure to find something to cater to you at the enormous D23 Expo.

Make sure to look for our partner booths at the event! But, if you are not able to make the trek to Anaheim, always remember that the magic of Disney can be celebrated right here in Orlando at Walt Disney World with OrlandoFunTickets.com!

This weekend, in a Walt Disney World theme park not so far away, hundreds of Star Wars fans will gather for a celebration unline any other in the galaxy. It is time for Star Wars Weekends yet again, an annual special event at Disney's Hollywood Studios that brings together an incredible assortment of Star Wars characters, stars from the legendary saga, and fun activities and shows in tribute of the epic Star Wars saga and the new animated TV series The Clone Wars. If you love the films and the show, then this is the place to be as Jedi Masters, Sith Lords, and Wookies get down with their bad selves in special shows and presentations.

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from May 22 through June 14, Star Wards Weekends will take over Hollywood Studios in a very noticeable way. Not only will guests be able to grab photo ops and autographs with dozens of famous Star Wars characters like Princess Leia and Chewbacca, but passionate fans take it upon themselves to dress up like their favorite movie figure as well! You'll feel like you've been suddenly transported to another planet as you navigate a Hollywood Studios filled with Ewoks, Wookiees, Stormtroppers, droids, and more. And each day of the event, those famous figures will star in "Legends of the Force," a Star Wars motorcade.

Fans will also get a chance to get autographs from some real life Star Wars stars during the Weekends. Celebrity guests during this year's Star Wars Weekends include Ray Park, Warwick Davis, and James Arnold Taylor (May 22 - 24); Peter Mayhew and Matthew Wood (May 29 - 31); Jeremy Bulloch, David Prowse, and Matt Lanter (June 5 - 7); and David Filoni and Temuera Morrison (June 12 - 14). To a non Star Wars fan, these names might seem meaningless, but devotees of the series know that Ray Park played Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, Jeremy Bulloch played Boba Fett in two of the films, and Peter Mayhew appreared in four of the six films as the unforgettable Chewbacca.

In addition, each Star Wars Weekend will be hosted by Jay Laga'aia ("Captain Typho") with special guest Ashley Eckstein ("Ahsoka Tano"). Laga'aia will host "Stars of the Saga," a talk show and Q&A about the saga, and Eckstein will host "Clone Wars: Behind the Force," a behind-the-scenes show that explores The Clone Wars.

Other fun highlights to look for during the event include a Jedi Training Academy, where each young Jedi who's chosen will learn a lightsaber combination as they prepare to face the dark side; the Star Tours attractions, where guests will blast through the galaxy on a starspeeder; the Padawan Mind Challenge, where kids under 12 can test their wits before the Jedi Council; and Wicket's Warehouse, where guests can find an abundance of Star Wars themed and limited-edition merchandise developed just for Star Wars Weekends 2009.

At the end of each Weekend day, the fun will wind down with a blast, as Star Wars characters and guests gather for Hyperspace Hoopla - a show filled with music, comedy, dancing, and more.

As previously mentioned, Star Wars Weekends are free to all with regular admission to Disney's Hollywood Studios. So if you want to hang with Luke, Leia, and Han Solo this weekend (can you think of any cooler plans for Memorial Day weekend?), snap up your Walt Disney World tickets from OrlandoFunTickets.com. And may the force be with you!

The third theme park to be built at Walt Disney World, Disney Hollywood Studios, will be celebrating a big event this week - its 20th birthday! It’s hard to believe, but the park dedicated to show business fun and magic will have been open for 20 years this Friday, May 1. And though it certainly won’t be celebrated with Disney’s usual level of enthusiasm (they’ll save that for the 25th anniversary), fans can mark the occasion by visiting Hollywood Studios this Friday for a few commemorative events and some rare information sessions.

On Friday, Hollywood Studios will open at 8 am with a special rope drop ceremony welcoming guests into the park and kicking off the celebration. Then, at 9 am and 10:45 am, there’ll also be two sessions where fans will be able to listen to Walt Disney Imagineers share their insights about the development of the park and the creation of Hollywood Studios.

Taking place in the Premiere Theater, the sessions will feature Bob Weis, Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering, Executive Vice President and Senior Creative Executive Tom Fitzgerald, and Senior Vice President of Creative Development Eric Jacobson. Each session will last one approximately one hour and give fans a rare chance to get insider information behind the magic at Hollywood Studios.

In addition, the park will be full of anniversary merchandise on Friday. Starring Rolls will be selling special anniversary cupcakes, and many of the restaurants will feature menu items that were sold when the park first opened. On Friday, Disney will also release five 20th Anniversary pins, which feature Mickey Mouse clad in a director’s outfit. Each of the five designs will only have 1,500 pins available, so expect them to sell out quickly.

Here are a few fun facts about Disney's Hollywood Studios. Most older Disney fans will likely remember that the park was originally named MGM Studios and grew from the idea for a pavilion that was originally planned for Epcot. Newly appointed CEO Michael Eisner, however, proposed that the pavilion be expanded into a new park devoted to the secrets behind movie and television production, and he cut the ribbon on MGM Studios on May 1, 1989.

“The World you have entered was created by The Walt Disney Company and is dedicated to Hollywood—not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was—and always will be,” Eisner said at the dedication.

And from then on, the park that eventually became known as Hollywood Studios really was a miniature Hollywood, with Disney shows and films being produced at the park. Until Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat was added in 2001, the park’s architectural icon was even a water tower (the Earful Tower) based on those typically found in the backlots of early Hollywood studios. Hollywood Studios eventually stopped being an active production studio, but many of the park’s early sound stages and sets are still there, blended in with attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania!

Today, Hollywood Studios consists of six themed areas modeled after Hollywood sets, studios, and buildings. Guests will feel like they’ve really stepped into tinseltown with attractions like the Studio Backlit Tour, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and The American Idol Experience.

To visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and see why this park has been a Walt Disney World favorite for 20 years, check out Walt Disney World tickets on OrlandoFunTickets.com. And from everyone here at OrlandoFunTickets.com, Happy Birthday, Hollywood Studios! Here’s to twenty more years of making Hollywood magical.

This weekend is the beginning of daylight saving time, which sadly means that most people will lose an hour of sleep when they set their clocks forward one hour on Sunday night. However, instead of mourning the loss of time, Walt Disney World is celebrating it with a series of whimsical activities for the whole family. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests can get a “leap” on the weekend’s time change with some frog-focused events that will remind them to set their clocks ahead.

On Thursday, March 5, the park kicked off their daylight saving time celebrations, which will continue through the weekend. Some of the activities include a frog-leap that challenges children to see if they can jump as far as frogs and a special frog-calling game where guests match the frog to the corresponding “ribbit.” Little ones can also don “frog-wear” with goggles to model amphibians’ transparent eyelids, along with mesh vests that represent permeable skin and special suction-cupped gloves to mimic froggy feat.

The events are part of Animal Kingdom’s efforts to promote conservation and raise awareness of the serious decline in amphibian populations. Some estimates suggest that as many as one-third of known amphibian species may be threatened by extinction because of loss of habitat, climate change, pollution, and disease.

So aside from providing a subtle clock change reminder, the program is also designed to engage guests in conservation efforts. Guests will be given tips on how they can help combat the dwindling numbers of amphibians in the world and create a frog-friendly environment in their own backyard. Some of the suggestions include building a pond with native shrubs, providing an overturned pot or small areas of leaf litter to benefit amphibians, and using fewer chemical pesticides to keep amphibians healthy.

Incidentally, at Animal Kingdom, which is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, members of the Animal Programs teams are studying the nutritional needs of the Puerto Rican Crested Toad, a species native to Puerto Rico where it is threatened by extinction. Hopefully, the teams will help conservationists determine alternate habitats where food is abundant for the toads. Researchers are studying the amphibian population in Orlando’s backyard as well, in Disney's Wildlife Management and Conservation Area.

To learn more about Animal Kingdom’s conservation efforts, guests can also stop by the Conservation Station at the Rafiki’s Planet Watch area of the park. There, animal handlers and exhibits offer a behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day activities of the park, and guests can get more information on what they can do to help in the preservation and conservation battle.

There’s no extra cost to participate in the froggy fun this weekend; you only need a Walt Disney World ticket, which you can get at discount rates right here at OrlandoFunTickets.com. Don’t forget to stop by Animal Kingdom for an educational amphibian experience, and don’t forget to make your clocks leap forward on Sunday, March 8.

A new year means many things: new opportunities, new experiences, new resolutions to try to keep, and a whole year filled with new chances to celebrate whatever might be important to you. One particularly fun celebration we all share is birthdays, and at Walt Disney World Resort, you can really make your birthday a day you’ll always remember. We here at OrlandoFunTickets.com are especially determined to your birthday magical – and not just any kind of magical – Disney magical.

In 2009, your birthday will be a true milestone when you purchase Walt Disney World Resort tickets from OrlandoFunTickets.com. When you do, not only will you guarantee an amazing day of fun at Disney, but you’ll also get to choose one of three incredible treats: a birthday fun card to use for merchandise, recreation, and fun at participating Walt Disney World Resort locations; a special FASTPASS for certain attractions at the park you visit on your birthday; and a 1-day Magic Your Way base ticket for you to use any time until your next birthday.

Simply bring your ticket to the gate on the day of your birthday along with a valid photo ID (including proof of birth date) in order to take advantage of this super-cool offer. The only hard part is deciding which treat to choose!

The birthday fun card, for example, can be used towards merchandise items at participating Walt Disney World or Disneyland resorts. It’s great for buying a unique birthday gift for yourself, one that you’ll always have to remember your special birthday at Walt Disney World. (The birthday fun card cannot be used towards the purchase of food or beverage items, personal services such as face painting or caricature drawing, or Disney resort room charges.)

However, the FASTPASS is great for skipping all the long lines on your birthday. With it, you can make sure to cram the most fun into your birthday at Walt Disney World. It can also be used for the birthday boy or girl and up to five members of his/her party, ensuring that everyone with you gets in on the fun. If you do wish to choose the FASTPASS, you may want to pick it up early, as the number of these special birthday passes is limited and may not be available after 11 am.

And though a birthday fun card and FASTPASS are fun, a 1-day Magic Your Way ticket might be the ultimate birthday gift. After all, the only thing better than a day at Walt Disney World is two days at Walt Disney World! Best yet, you can use it anytime after your birthday until your next one. It’s perfect for seeing all the sights and attractions you couldn’t fit in the first time around.

There are some important things to remember in order to make sure you’re eligible for these amazing birthday gifts from Disney. First, you can only receive birthday benefits on the actual day of your birth. Similarly, the birthday fun card is only valid on your birthday – so be sure to spend it all! And finally, proper identification is required in order to redeem your birthday benefits; if you’re 18 or older, a Driver’s License, Government-issued photo ID, or passport will do. If you’re a minor and don’t have these forms of ID, a birth certificate or notarized copy of a birth certificate can be used.

So what are you waiting for? Even if your birthday is in December, there’s no rule that says you can’t start planning and looking forward to it now. Get discount Disney tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com, and you’ll be on your way to a special Disney celebration where you’re the guest of honor. Have a very happy and magical Disney birthday!