You can work up an appetite making your way through the Orlando theme parks and standing in all of those ride lines. There are so many great places to eat at the Disney theme parks too. Over at the Magic Kingdom you have the great buffet restaurant The Crystal Palace. For a great hotdog or cheeseburger you can check out Casey’s Corner. There are also a variety of dining locations throughout the parks like the Noodle Stand in Tomorrowland or Mrs. Potts’ ice cream shop in Fantasyland. The great themed restaurants at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are always fun to check out. You have the Sci-Fi Diner where you can sit in a “car” and watch old sci-fi movies while waitresses roller skate up to you. Over at the Prime Time Diner, a 50’s themed restaurant, you can enjoy old-fashioned American food where the waitresses make sure you eat all of your food—just like mom would.

But if you’ve ever eaten at any of these restaurants, you might have had to encounter one of the negatives: overcrowding. Especially during the summer, when park attendance is at its highest thanks to the kids being out of school, the Disney restaurants can be an incredibly stressful experience. Groups usually have to designate people to order the food while the other group goes to reserve the table. If you’re in a large group, it’s especially difficult. Well, the problem was apparently getting out of hand and Disney, always ready to please their customers, is ready to change the system to make dining at the parks a smoother experience.

You will no longer be able to send someone to hold a table for your party. Disney restaurant cast members will now be seating hungry guests in their restaurants much like a waiter would in a regular restaurant. This doesn’t apply to every restaurant in the Disney parks, only the quick service restaurants like the Commissary at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While some guests are complaining about the longer wait times this is causing, Disney feels this will help make the dining process easier, even if it does take a little bit longer.

She won what is considered the toughest cooking competition and cemented her spot in the food world as the only female Iron Chef. Now, Cat Cora will bring her culinary expertise to the Walt Disney World Resort BoardWalk. With Kouzzina (“kitchen” in Greek), Cora plans to bring “time-honored recipes passed down from my ancestors, as well as my favorite Greek and Mediterranean dishes that my family loves” to the Walt Disney World restaurant family. Cora has been working on the restaurant plans since 2008, but it is not her first partnership with Disney. Cora also worked on a series of Disney Video on Demand shows that taught families how to develop healthier eating habits.

While she already has a barbecue-style restaurant, Cora wanted to go back to her routes with Kouzzina and make Mediterranean food more accessible to the guests that visit Disney from all over the world. Kouzzina takes the place of Spoodles, once popular for its breakfast buffet, and will be having a pre-opening with a special menu.

The special menu will have breakfast, kid’s breakfast, dinner and dessert all with the Mediterranean theme Cora loves. Among the many appetizers guests will be able to sample are goat cheese stuffed grape leaves, Vongole (clams, sausage, wine broth and garlic croutons) and calamari with lemon. For dinner guests will dine on cinnamon stewed chicken, char grilled lamb burgers or spiced briami (oven roasted veggies, oregano and Mazithra cheese with orzo). Don’t forget the dessert! Among the delicious offerings are baklava , galaktoboureko (semolina custard in baked phyllo dough and vanilla-praline ice cream) and loukamathes (freshly made Greek doughnuts dipped with warm honey).

Reservations are already open for the big September 17th premiere, so it might be a good idea to check out Disney’s new online reservation system. Disney recently opened up an online portal for its reservation system. Disney restaurants like Teppan Edo and The Crystal Palace are notorious for filling up fast. If a Disney restaurant has a good reputation, you can count on it having long wait times—especially during the upcoming holiday season! So if you want to get a taste of Kouzzina then make sure you call ahead and reserve your spot if you don’t want to wait hours in line for a meal.

With a new family, her title as Iron Chef, celebrity appearances and her job as the editor of Bon Appétit magazine, Cora’s got her hands full. But we’re guessing guests of Kouzzina will keep their stomachs full with the delicious food Cora has planned for the menu.

When most people come down to Walt Disney World, they do so for the sunshine, the rides, the unique attractions and shows, the characters, etc. – the list goes on and on. However, winter is the perfect season to try something that’s a little different from the Disney norm – camping! With the cooler temperatures in Orlando right now, nothing’s more fun than snuggling up to a campfire and roasting marshmallows at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

Since 1971, the campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort have offered classic outdoor fun right in the middle of Walt Disney World. This picturesque campground features more than 700 acres of lush pine and cypress trees, and the scenery is truly beautiful this time of year. Hike through quiet trails beside trickling water canals in a serene forest filled with ducks, deer, and rabbits. You’ll enjoy all the outdoor beauty that would normally be covered with snow in other states during the winter. And unlike other campgrounds that are close together and only have a few trees, you’ll really feel like you’re in your own private patch of forest at Fort Wilderness.

If you don’t want to rough it entirely, Fort Wilderness also features over 400 charming cabins with all the amenities of a typical hotel room. These wilderness retreats are complete with fully equipped kitchens and a charcoal grill. Six people can sleep comfortably in them, and along with the campgrounds, they come with a wood deck and a picnic table. Since Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is the only pet-friendly resort at Disney, you can also bring along Fido or Kitty for the fun.

Though most people enjoy escaping to the parks for the day, Fort Wilderness has plenty of activities to keep you occupied if you opt to hang out at the resort/campground. Normally, swimming is a popular pastime, though the water might be a little too chilly at present. Horse riding is also available, as well as fishing, biking, several sports, and even an arcade for those needing a momentary escape from nature. You can also rent movies at the Meadow Trading Post, which also sells groceries, limited camping supplies, and other sundries.

And since one can’t subsist on marshmallows alone, Fort Wilderness features plenty of dining options. Check out the Trail’s End restaurant for classic American fare or Crockett’s Lounge for a relaxing quick bite. You can also combine dinner with an incredible show at Mickey’s Backyard BBQ or the Hoop-Dee-Hoo Musical Revue.

With rates starting at $43 a night, the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is an inexpensive alternative to staying in one of the pricier Disney resorts, which means you’ll have more money left over for fun at Disney theme parks. Combine that with all the savings you’ll get when you purchase Walt Disney World tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com, and the result is one sweet winter deal.

One of the first two resorts to open on Walt Disney World property back in 1971, the Disney Contemporary Resort was named so for its contemporary design – an A frame built with outer walls which slope inwards around an inner atrium. The rooms are similarly modern, with muted colors and dark woods, a suede headboard running the length of the room, a clear glass desk with computers, a light green day bed/couch, LCD television sets, and Kohler flat sinks. Undergoing a refurbishment to this present day look in 2005, the Contemporary Resort is always trying to stay on top of the latest trends, and Disney guests can now see just a few more of their recently unveiled improvements.

One of the most modern changes guests will find is the new Contempo Café in the Grand Canyon Concourse at the resort. This newly opened eatery has taken the fourth floor space originally occupied by the Concourse Steakhouse and is a high-tech venture into dining. Designed for guests who want to grab a quick snack rather than a full sit-down meal, Contempo Café features some particularly neat technology when it comes to ordering. Instead of ordering from a server, guests will order their food from a self-service touch screen.

Guests will start by perusing the menu on electronic boards; they’ll be able to read descriptions and look at color photos of dishes on these boards. When they’re done, they’ll place their orders at touch screens and head to a cashier to pay for their food. When their meal is ready, a pager will blink, signifying that the food is available for pickup at the counter.

For those who think this new technology might make dining harder, Disney has anticipated every request diners might possibly make. For example, a salad can be ordered with the options of having the dressing mixed in, on the side, or not at all. Prices on the screen change according to your choices, and a running total is displayed at all times so guests can see how much they’ll spend. The Contempo Café is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and features thin-crust pizzas, hearty deli sandwiches, and house-made soups, among other options.

In addition to the new Contempo Café, Disney’s current revitalization of the Contemporary Resort includes the new Wave Restaurant on the first floor, which opened this past summer, and the construction of a new game arcade on the fourth floor concourse. Also, the area that was once the Outer Rim Lounge is being converted into additional seating for Chef Mickey’s, while the new Outer Rim Lounge is being constructed at a different location in the resort.

And for those who are wondering what that construction is next to the Contemporary Resort, that would be the Bay Lake Tower, a Disney Vacation Club property that is set to open in fall 2009. The 15-story building will mimic the Contemporary Resort in design and feature a rooftop lounge and fireworks viewing area for seeing the show at Magic Kingdom. Bay Lake Tower will also be connected to the Contemporary Resort via a pedestrian bridge.

Be sure to stop by Disney’s Contemporary Resort sometime soon to enjoy all the latest improvements and changes. At Walt Disney World, fun new additions are being made all the time, which is why you can never go too long without visiting, or you’ll miss out! So score your discount Disney tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com, and see what’s new at your favorite parks and resorts.

Whether it is a birthday, a graduation, an engagement, a reunion, or a first visit, there is no place like Walt Disney World to celebrate special moments. And these events have just gotten even more magical at Walt Disney World with new products, services and programs that are sure to make a special day truly spectacular. This week, we will be highlighting all the new features Disney has to offer and giving tips on how to celebrate your special event Disney-style, starting with the ultimate Disney birthday.

Beginning in 2009, birthdays everywhere will get a little more special when Walt Disney World begins to offer free admission to one of the theme parks on your birthday. This makes it even easier to take advantage of Disney’s latest features available for birthday celebrations.

One great new option is the Magical Pop-Up Party Pack, available in Spring 2009 at character dining and buffet locations inside Walt Disney World Resort. These packs include goodies, treats, activity sets, and a surprise pop-up centerpiece, and are perfect for the celebration of any special little guy or girl’s birthday.

And for the mini-princess who has gotten a year older, any fabulous princess celebration starts with a makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney's Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney, where girls three and older can be transformed, hair, makeup, nails, clothes, and all, into a princess or a star like Hannah Montana. The perfect follow up is the My Disney Girls’ Perfectly Princess Tea Party, where girls can put on their tiara, sit with Princess Aurora and Rose Petal, and enjoy princess food and tea, storytelling, and sing-a-longs.

Or, for the little Pirate, there’s Disney’s Pirate Adventure or the Island of the Caribbean Pirate Cruise, where the birthday boy can go on a two-hour hunt for treasure and adventure on the high seas of Disney’s Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. Then you can end the day with a Neverland Club Birthday Party at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, which comes complete with crafts, activities, a Disney movie, and games.

And of course, no child’s birthday celebration is complete without a birthday cake! Starting in Spring 2009 at select Walt Disney World restaurants, you can order a Disney Pirate Treasure Chest or a Disney Princess Jewelry Box, each containing surprises and an individual cake.

For a special 15th or 16th birthday, Disney now provides packages for the perfect Quinceañera – whether it’s with the Belle of the Ball, Dancing With A Star, Reflection of You, or custom packages, a magical birthday filled with dinner, dancing, and fireworks is never far away! These packages are available year-round and include entertainment, food and beverages, and linens and centerpieces. You can even choose the location from a variety of choices.

And if you’re not a little pirate, princess, or 15-year old, don’t fret – you too can celebrate your birthday Disney-style with customized parties available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert for groups of 20 or more at select Walt Disney Resort locations. Customize your party however you like it – it’s your birthday, and Disney is determined to make it magical.

With all these new options available, there’s only one question left: how will you celebrate? One thing is certain – you can start your celebration by getting discount Walt Disney World tickets here at OrlandoFunTickets.com. And stay tuned for more tips on how to celebrate your special event at Disney!