When you come up to Central Florida we are pretty sure you have got Orlando theme parks on the mind. After all, advertisements for parks like Universal Studios, Wet ‘N Wild and the Walt Disney World Resort are everywhere. But have you ever thought of Orlando as a sports town? We have the Orlando Magic and just got our own football team thanks to the UFL’s Florida Tuskers, but the great folks at Disney recently opened up a sports spot that blows any other one out of the water.

The ESPN Innovation Lab at Disney’s Wide World of Sports is a brand new lab designed to create sports technology that will enhance the game viewing experience for both players and fans. They’ve already released two special features that have enhanced the Major League Baseball and National Football League experiences. For the MLB the ESPN Innovation Lab created Ball Track. This Doppler-based system tracks the distance, height, speed and duration of home runs knocked out of the park by MLB heavy hitters. It was already used successfully over at the MLB’s 2009 Home Run Derby.

For the NFL, the ESPN Innovation Lab created the Snap Zone. This freeze-frame technology lets fans take in depth views at certain plays and zoom in and out to check out every detail. The great thing about the ESPN Innovation Lab is that it will be open to visitors at certain times throughout the year. This means that guests will be able to take a look at whatever project the “emerging technology staff” is working on.

“The ESPN Innovation Lab is an extension of ESPN’s commitment to being a leader in technology,” said Chuck Pagano, executive vice president, technology, ESPN. “This cutting-edge production house will foster creativity and the development of new tools to provide fans the best on-air coverage of sporting events.”

The Wide World of Sports Complex is the home of the Atlanta Braves spring training program. It also hosts the Chelsea Football Club, the Varsity All-Star Cheerleading competition and the Walt Disney World Marathon. This is a great addition to the Walt Disney World attractions. Who knows what other sports technology they’ll come up with next?

68 years ago this week, the heartfelt tale of Dumbo was released in theatres. Dumbo was Walt Disneys 4th animated film, and although it was his shortest (only 64 minutes) it has long been considered one of Walt Disney’s most legendary pieces of animation. After the studios did poorly with Pinocchio and Fantasia, in which Disney was accused of being too complicated with his animation, Dumbo saw a return to a more simple style of animation. Dumbo is based off of a children’s book written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl.

The movie featured the voice talents of Sterling Holloway (the voice of Winnie the Pooh), Cliff Edwards (the voice of Jiminy Cricket) and Verna Felton (the voice of Cinderella’s fairy godmother, Alice’s Queen of Hearts and Flora the Fairy from Sleeping Beauty.) But their voice work was not credited in the film. That doesn’t mean that the film went unnoticed by the movie community. Dumbo won the Oscar for Original Musical Score and received a nomination for “Baby Mine,” the sad song we hear when Dumbo goes to meet his real mother. Although “Baby Mine” did not win, Dumbo was considered a hit and helped the Disney studios regain some of their financial losses.

Fans of the floppy-eared elephant will love the upcoming Fantasyland expansion at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom. While Dumbo only has one ride at the moment, he will soon have a circus of his own. As part of the planned Fantasyland additions, which will feature brand new meet and greet spots for the princesses, Tinkerbell’s Pixie Hollow and even a dark ride based on The Little Mermaid, Dumbo will also get his own spot. To go with the theme of the movie there will now be a beautiful circus tent environment featuring all sorts of games and not one, but two Dumbo rides. Instead of waiting in line to go on the flying elephant attraction you will be able to play games until it’s your turn to get on and go for a spin. The new additions won’t be done until 2013, but you can get to the store and pick up Dumbo on DVD and Blu-ray to help you get your dose of Dumbo until 2013.

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!

There are plenty of awards ceremonies for certain aspects of the Orlando theme parks. The Golden Ticket Awards are just one of the ways parks are honored for achievements like best dark ride, friendliest staff and best rollercoaster. The Disney Company has its own way of honoring the people behind the parks. It takes thousands of people to make sure the Disney theme parks run smoothly for the guests that go through the gates every day, but it takes an even larger crew to create the Disney parks people visit and the movies people see. Those crews are honored by the Disney Legends Awards.

The awards were created in 1987 by Robert Iger and Roy E. Disney at The Walt Disney Studios to honor animators, songwriters, actors, Imagineers and business leaders that help the Disney machine run smoothly year after year. In 1997 Disneyland Paris got its own version of the awards to honor the European Disney leaders. There are three elements to the Disney Legend award’s statue. The spiral represents the imagination and the power of ideas. The hand represents the gifts of skill and the discipline required for good craftsmanship, and the wand and star represent the magic of imagination and skill combined to form a new dream.

There are plenty of Disney legends already inducted into this hall of fame. 2009 brought in a new class of equally talented Disney stars. Two men that voiced classic Disney characters are part of the list this year. Tony Anselmo, the voice of everyone’s favorite cranky bird Donald Duck, was inducted alongside Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy. Inductee Robin Williams, famous for his variety of acting roles in movies like Night at the Museum, Jumanji and The Bird Cage, was also the voice of the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin. America’s Golden Girls were also inducted. We lost Estelle Getty, who played Sophia on the Golden Girls, last year. This year we lost Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy. Rue McClanahan (Blanche) and Betty White (Rose) survived Bea and Estelle, but all four of them still received their Legends award. New people are inducted into the Disney Legends group every year and the list of legends grows. It’s great to see the talented members of the Disney community honored for their achievements, even if a lot of them are behind the scenes!

Blu-ray revolutionized the way people watch movies. DVD was a step up from VHS and now Blu-ray has been a giant leap up from the DVD system. Crystal clear quality, incredible sound and beautiful images are all worth the more expensive Blu-ray discs and players available on the electronics market. Disney recently began to release its classic movies on the Blu-ray format, starting off with Sleeping Beauty. Pinocchio, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 and Beauty and the Beast are all in the supposed lineup of Disney’s next Blu-ray offerings. When Sleeping Beauty was released on the high definition format the reviews were unanimously positive. What is already considered one of Walt Disney’s most beautiful films was restored to a clarity and quality never seen before. As with every special release there were never-before-seen featurettes regarding the making of Sleeping Beauty and other unique content.

Now for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, fans of the original Disney princess will get a chance to see the movie restored to Blu-ray quality and get amazing inside looks on the classic Walt Disney film. Snow White fans will get to see new storyboards, two deleted scenes and a music video for “Someday My Prince Will Come.” Along with those extras they will be able to get a sneak peak at what is sure to become the next Disney classic, The Princess and the Frog. Right here in Orlando, Walt Disney World is gearing up for the release of the classic on Blu-ray with special events at the parks.

Over at the Disney theme parks, especially the Magic Kingdom, you will be able to get an extra dose of Snow White as Disney prepares for the movie’s release. The Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort is now holding a “pre-parade” where Snow White and Prince Charming lead the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” parade in order to promote the Blu-ray edition of the 1937 film. Along with Snow White on Blu-ray Disney is also promoting Toy Story 3 and The Princess and the Frog. This is a great season to check out the Disney theme parks. There are special events happening everywhere!

There are many tours you can take at the Walt Disney World Resort, from behind the scenes-themed to character meet and greets. That is the great thing about the Walt Disney World Resort, you can always choose to be in the magic or find out how they make the magic from behind the scenes. While there are some places that are off limits in the Disney theme parks, the people at Disney still try to give guests as many behind the scenes experiences as they can. One of those great tours is “The Magic Behind Our Steam Train” tour.

It’s no secret Walt Disney loved trains. He was always building models and they were a huge influence when designing Disneyland and Disneyworld. Over at the brand new Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco you can see a model of one of Walt’s favorite trains, the most famous being the Lily Belle. But right here in the Magic Kingdom, this special tour will let you enter the park before everyone else does for a three hour tour that will have you meeting one-on-one with Disney’s train engineers. The Backstage Roundhouse will be the first stop on your tour. This is where the trains are stored. At the Magic Kingdom we have the Lily Belle, the Roy O. Disney, the Roger E. Broggie and the Walter E. Disney. All of the trains are antiques, “meticulously” restored by Disney’s Imagineers.

After you learn all about the trains’ inner-workings from your engineer and tour guide, you will then get a chance to ride around the Magic Kingdom as you continue to learn about Walt Disney’s love of trains and how they influenced the Disney parks. This tour is outside, so make sure you plan well according to weather. It’s a great choice for the upcoming cooler months. You have to be 10 or older in order to participate and you have to purchase an admission to the park before taking the tour, so get your discount Disney ticket beforehand! If you’re a train enthusiast this is the perfect tour for you.

Over at the Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom, fans of classic Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto can visit Mickeys Toontown Fair. This adorable section of the Magic Kingdom, located near Fantasyland, has a country fair theme and features adorable décor that fits the Toontown name. The Toontown Fair takes up 2 acres of the Magic Kingdom and was opened in 1988 to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday. Since then it has gone through a few name changes before arriving at its current Toontown Fair name.

In Toontown you can visit both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse’s house. Each of the adorable homes has oversized, brightly colored furniture that your kids are allowed to climb on. As you wind through the adorable houses and see the famous mouse couple’s personal belongings, you eventually make it out into the backyard where Mickey and Minnie await you in a cute gazebo. Here you can take pictures with the famous Disney figures and get your autograph book signed.

If you want to take a ride you can visit Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm to go on the kid-friendly Barnstormer Coaster. Families may also appreciate the Walt Disney World Railroad, where you can take a 15-20 minute ride around the park on an authentic steam train that stops at Frontierland and Main Street USA. Along with shops, a fruit stand and the Toontown Hall of Fame where you can meet Disney heroes and heroines, Toontown is a popular Magic Kingdom spot. But with the upcoming Fantasyland expansion, what will happen to it?

Dumbo’s Circus is going to take up most of the land where Toontown is. Goofy’s Barnstormer will most likely be re-themed into a Dumbo-related ride, but Mickey and Minnie will have to relocate! Their new home will be at the Town Square Exhibition Hall at Main Street USA. Sure the cute houses won’t be there, but fans will be able to meet the mouse couple indoors in a more comfortable atmosphere. Orlando can have some crazy weather from pouring rain to weird cold snaps, so it will be great to meet the Magic Kingdom’s mascots indoors.

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?

Imagine being able to drop everything you are doing right now and hop on a flight to Orlando, Florida to embark on a 67 day adventure through the theme park capital of the world. That is exactly what Kyle Post and Stacy Doornbos got to do when the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau chose them as the winners of the 67 Days of Smiles contest. This contest would bring two people with incredible attitudes, a passion for fun and great smiles to Orlando to participate in an advertising campaign everyone would be jealous of.

As Orlando’s “Official Smile Ambassadors,” Kyle Post and Stacy Doornbos will get to visit over 100 of Orlando’s best attractions and report on them through various social media forums and popular internet sites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and their very own blog. Both of the Smile Ambassadors came to Orlando from New York City. Kyle, originally from Holland, is an actor on Broadway. Stacy works with children in East Harlem and both of them have a passion for living life to the fullest. Contestants had to submit videos to the contest in order to be voted on. Kyle and Stacy’s cheery demeanor and ear-to-ear smiles, as well as the story of their childhood friendship, won over the voters and made them a natural choice to become the Orlando Smile Ambassadors.

Since winning the trip, Kyle and Stacy have been going on a number of adventures throughout the Orlando area. They’ve been hang-gliding and golfing. They dined at some of the best restaurants and checked out flicks at the nicest movie theatres. They got to wrestle with alligators, swim with the dolphins and check out some of the best theme parks the Orlando area has to offer.

That’s the great thing about the 67 Days of Smiles campaign. Stacy and Kyle got to experience things many people overlook when visiting the Orlando area. But that doesn’t mean they skipped over the traditional attractions the city has to offer! Over the duration of their stay, Kyle and Stacy will visit the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure as their mission of happiness continues. We hope they’re having a blast, because they landed the best 67 day job in the world!

If you are an iPhone user and like to find out cool facts and insider secrets when you visit the Orlando theme parks, you will enjoy TimeStream’s Walt Disney World Secrets Gold notescast. Kind of like a podcast, a notescast delivers information straight to your iPod, iPhone or iTunes account. But the great thing about Walt Disney World Secrets Gold is that it can be used as a handy, electronic tour guide that will give you information on the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The latest update in the Walt Disney World Secrets Gold notescast is the addition of pictures and more information. It only costs $1.99 at the App store but the updates are free and this little gem of an app keeps getting better and better every time new information is added. Another plus: Hidden Mickeys! Hidden Mickeys can be found in every Walt Disney World Resort theme park and even the hotels. A Hidden Mickey is a Mickey Mouse head carefully hidden in décor and even floor patterns. This practice was originally started by Disney Imagineers as a joke. But now, the hunt for Hidden Mickeys has spawned plenty of websites and even guidebooks. Your Walt Disney World Secrets Gold notescast features Hidden Mickey Tour with over 80 certified Hidden Mickey spots.

This notescast has over 200 secrets about the Walt Disney World theme parks and resorts. Learn about the tricks Imagineers used to make the World Showcase Pavillion’s “Eiffel Tower” look true-to-scale. Or find out secrets about Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom. With this great app you can look up anything you want to know in an instant. It definitely beats having to pull out a guide book and search a long index as you thumb through page after page for one little fact. With walking tours, WDW secrets, and the ability to receive frequent updates on all of the latest news from the Disney theme parks, this little app is a great tool to have on hand. If you’re not an iPhone user you can still download the information onto your iTunes and check it out there before heading to the parks.

The kids are back in school and those with seasonal jobs are back to work. Retailers are preparing for the holidays and the Orlando theme parks are gearing up for Halloween events. What does this all mean for those of you thinking of heading to Orlando now? Shorter lines! That’s right, you can expect to find shortened wait times in all of the Orlando theme parks including SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and the Walt Disney World parks.

There are tons of big rides that have opened up as of late, especially over in SeaWorld and Universal Orlando. Already a hit with coaster lovers thanks to Kraken, the new Manta rollercoaster at Sea World had huge wait times when it first opened. After all, it’s the closest experience you can get to actual flying as you glide around the huge track face down with your arms and legs free to dangle or cling to the bars for dear life (depending on what kind of rider you are, of course).

At Islands of Adventure, The Hulk is one of the most popular rides and always a long wait right along with Spiderman (both of them located on Marvel Superhero Island). Spiderman is definitely a favorite and it even won a Golden Ticket Award for Best Dark Ride. At Universal Studios Orlando Revenge of The Mummy and the brand new Rip Ride Rockit are the big ticket thrill rides you usually need to wait in line for.

At the Walt Disney World Resort, you can always expect the “Mountains” at the Magic Kingdom to have long wait lines. Mission Space and Soarin’ at Epcot and Aerosmith’s Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios usually have packed lines, as well. Such is not the case this time of year. But you can also take advantage of two special holiday parties that will guarantee short lines on just about every ride! Both Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party allow only a certain number of people into the parks to experience holiday fun the way only Walt Disney World can. So if you’ve been thinking of coming to Orlando, check out OrlandoFunTickets.com for the best deals and take advantage of the slow season!

Who does not love a nice piece of cake? Whether you are having a birthday, celebrating a holiday or just having a craving for buttercream frosting or red velvet, there are plenty of cake lovers out there in the world. Disney and Universal fans, if you’ve never had a chance to catch the show Food Network Challenge on The Food Network, you are missing out.

Every now and then this great show comes up with challenges fans of the two biggest Orlando theme parks would love. About four or five of the best pastry chefs from around the nation compete in this show where they are given seven hours to make a three foot cake based on a the theme chosen for that show’s episode. Food Network Challenge has ventured into the world of Disney World magic and Universal Studios Orlando adventure with a number of episodes dedicated to characters from both of these beloved theme parks.

With their Disney Princess challenge, chefs were assigned princesses like Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Snow White and Cinderella and told to represent their stories the best they could in cake form. Belle was surrounded by her dinnerware friends and Cinderella was in her carriage on her way to the beautiful castle. Ariel was resting on the shore with seashells and her fishy friends as Snow White sang to the birds and Jasmine stood high above a hot air balloon. Another episode featured characters from Pixar movies like Toy Story, Cars, Ratatouille and Monsters Inc.

For the Universal Studios character challenge, we got to see Scooby-Doo, Popeye, Betty Boop and Curious George all brought to life using cake ingredients and the sturdy, edible fondant covering that helps these chefs build the huge cakes. They aren’t allowed to use any non-edible sources on the exterior of the cake, but they can use plastic rods and other items to help get height on the massive 3 foot structures. You always find yourself holding your breath when they have to move the large cakes to the judge’s table—they could easily fall!

If you want to tune into this exciting show that showcases just how difficult it can be to make incredible cake creations, check out the Food Network Sunday nights at 8pm/7c to see if one of the upcoming episodes is dedicated to one of your favorite Disney or Universal Studios characters. Other challenge themes have included castles, fantasy vacations and birthday surprises. What will be next on this great show? We’re thinking favorite theme park ride challenge would be awesome.

Movies have the Oscars and music has the Grammys, but for theme parks, their equivalent is the Golden Ticket award from Amusement Today. Well the 2009 Golden Ticket Awards were just handed out and Orlando theme parks made their mark on the amusement world once more as they took home six awards in some of the biggest categories the Golden Ticket Awards have.

SeaWorld Orlando won the award for Best Marine Life Park. With great rollercoasters like Kraken and Manta, thrill enthusiasts are never disappointed. SeaWorld also has beautiful marine life exhibits that make your regular city aquarium pale in comparison. From the baby dolphin tank to the polar bears and Shamu, there is something for everyone at this fun yet educational park.

Universal Orlando Resort took home a Golden Ticket with the award for Best Halloween Event with Halloween Horror Nights. This year’s “Ripped from the Silver Screen” theme is sure to be a hit with movie fanatics as they see their favorite icons like Chucky, Jigsaw, Frankenstein, Dracula and Wolfman come to life at this great park. Universal Orlando also received a Golden Ticket for Best Indoor Roller Coaster with Revenge of the Mummy.

Over at Universal Islands of Adventure, the superheroes of Marvel Superhero Island were graced with a Golden Ticket for Best Dark Ride with the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. Join your friendly neighborhood webslinger as he takes on villains like Electro and the Green Goblin in a simulator ride every comic book fan (and non fan) will love. Islands of Adventure’s Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls took home the Golden Ticket for Best Water Ride.

Of course no theme park experience is complete without a wonderful fireworks show and Walt Disney World Resort’s Epcot took home the Golden Ticket for Best Outdoor Night Show Production with IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This wonderful show highlights the multicultural feeling of Epcot’s World Showcase Pavillion and the message of unity and cultural harmony the spirit of Walt Disney World encourages in all of their parks.

Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards are further proof that Orlando theme parks are the place to go on your holiday. The best of the best in the amusement park world can be found right here in Orlando, Florida.

If you cannot get enough of the Disney Princesses you are in store for an incredible surprise. Fantasyland at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom will soon become a princess paradise for fans of Cinderella, Belle, Aurora and Ariel. As part of the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center, Jay Rasulo, the Chairman of the Walt Disney World Resort and Parks, finally announced what Disney fanatics and internet experts already knew: Fantasyland is getting a major makeover.

Don’t fret! Peter Pan, the teacups and rides like “It’s A Small World” will all still be there, it’s the area behind Dumbo and Ariel’s Grotto that will change. Unfortunately for Toon Town fans, that area will most likely be gone, but what will take its place promises to be worth the change. Fantasyland will be doubling in size to include many wonderful interactive princess attractions and eventually Tinkerbell’s Pixie Hollow. But first, let’s get started with the classics.

Guests will be able to visit Cinderella’s country chateau and watch her transform from servant to princess. Knights and princesses in training (young guests) will get to help Cinderella practice for her big ball event with her prince. Do you love the classic Sleeping Beauty? You will be able to meet the three fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather to help plan a surprise 16th birthday party for Princess Aurora in her cottage. If you’re ready to do some acting, you will love visiting Belle’s village where you can re-enact the story of Beauty and the Beast for Princess Belle and the Beast himself. All that acting will surely work an appetite and the “Be Our Guest” dinner show is set to be a big crowd pleaser in Beast’s Castle.

You will then go under the sea in “Ariel’s Adventure” where guests will relive the magical journey of Ariel and Prince Eric in a ride set to the incredible music of The Little Mermaid. Meet and greets will be a big part of this Fantasyland expansion. Even Dumbo is getting a makeover with a fantastic circus setting and two Dumbo rides operating at the same time. You won’t have to wait in a line anymore; this new ride will let you play interactive games before hopping on for a ride with the adorable elephant.

This expansion is set to be completed by 2012 and 2013 will bring a special treat for Tinkerbell fans. With Pixie Hollow guests will be “shrunken” down to Tink’s size as they wander through a giant world of oversized plants and blades of grass with Tinkerbell and her friends.

Fantasyland is going to be bigger and better than ever—we can’t wait!

No one will ever forget the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. All you have to do is ask someone where they were and they will tell you what was going on in their lives when they first learned about the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The entire nation was affected by the terrible event and the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland were no different. It’s no secret Walt Disney was an incredibly patriotic man and that is a sentiment still very much engrained in the Disney family today.

The day of the attacks, Disneyland kept their parks closed. Because of the time difference no one had gone to visit the parks, but there were still people at the resorts. Food and beverage stations remained open and all telephone charges were suspended so visitors could call their families. Groups that had been stranded were entertained by free Disney movies over at Downtown Disney.

Here at Walt Disney World, Cast Members were instructed to link hands and form a human wall to gently guide visitors out of the parks. Hotels let stranded visitors stay in and also suspended telephone charges so people could try and connect with their loved ones. The closing of the Disney parks on September 11th marks only the second time in history the Disney parks closed. The first was when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

There are plenty of ways to salute America and be patriotic in the parks. Over at the Magic Kingdom you can visit the refurbished Hall of Presidents. Over at Epcot you can visit the American Adventure Pavilion at the World Showcase. Check out Voices of Liberty, an eight singer group that sings classic American songs or check times for the next performance by the The Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps. This incredible group marches right into the streets with incredible renditions of “Yankee Doodle” and “God Bless America” all in colonial costume. You can also view the 30 minute American Adventure which features music, film and Audio-Animatronics of important figures from American history like George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. Despite the country’s ups, downs and tragedies the spirit of Walt Disney and patriotism will always be found at Walt Disney World.

Disney theme parks are incredibly fun, but they are also incredibly big! The Walt Disney World Resort parks are huge and can take up an entire day if you plan to see every attraction possible. But the size of these theme parks can create many safety issues that can affect the entire family. So we’re here to bring you some tips to keep the entire family safe while on your visit to the Orlando theme parks whether you visit Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld or any other attraction.

One of the best things to do once you enter the park is pick up a map. Take some time with your group to get oriented on where everything is and pick a spot where you can meet up in case the group becomes separated. Nowadays it’s easier to find each other thanks to technology like cellphones, but for children that don’t have these tools picking a meet up spot is important. If your child is very young, you can put a sticker on the meetup place and instruct the child to tell a cast member their parents are waiting for them at that spot in case they get lost.

When you are entering busy lines try to keep your family together. It’s easy to separate while everyone is making the rush toward the ride entrance. A lot of this has to do with being polite. A simple “excuse me” or asking someone to let your group enter in an orderly fashion goes a long way. If there is a taller member of the group or you are traveling in a family unit, have one person assume the responsibility of letting the younger ones in first before entering the line and as always, thank the people around you.

Thanks to modern technology, strollers have become an even safer option to transport your kids within the park. Big Leap GPS has partnered with Orlando Stroller Rentals to provide you with the ultimate experience in safety technology. If anything were to happen to your stroller you would be able to utilize the GPS tracking system to locate it. But technology can only do so much.

Common sense plays a big part in park safety. Don’t leave small children unattended. Make sure you pay attention to all safety regulations provided by the parks before going on a ride. If you have health conditions or you are pregnant, getting on thrill rides is the worst possible thing you can do! To make sure your trip to the Orlando theme parks is fun, follow the rules and stay together—that’s the best safety tip of all.

What Walt Disney is to the West, Hayao Miyazaki is to the East. Miyazaki is the most famous Japanese animator in the history of the nation. His films have won Oscars and his animated movies have brought more people to the movies than "Titanic" did on this side of the world. Some of you might be familiar with previous movies like “Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away" (which won an Oscar in 2003), or "Howl’s Moving Castle"; but if you aren’t Disney is planning to change that with Miyazaki’s latest film “Ponyo."

“Ponyo” tells the story of Ponyo, a little half-girl, half-goldfish that wishes to be human. Sound familiar? While there are hints of “The Little Mermaid” in this tale, there aren’t any singing crabs or musical numbers. “Ponyo” has similar elements to the classic tales but the similarities end when Miyazaki’s infusion of Japanese imagery comes into play. Water plays a huge part in Japanese imagery and mythology as it does in “Ponyo." There is an ocean wave sequence in the movie animators are raving about and there is a sea witch by the name of Lady Eboshi, but she is nothing like Ursula. The characters in Miyazaki’s world are never fully evil or fully good. Just like in real life there is plenty of grey area in this film that will have the older crowds thinking. Kids will love the adventure and story of true friendship, adults will love the deeper life themes that are always weaved into every Miyazaki story.

Everything is hand-drawn, so don’t expect any Pixar 3D animation here. Miyazaki has stated before that he plans to draw by hand as long as he can, and his animators will be doing the same. “Ponyo” also features the voice talents of Disney kids Noah Cyrus (Miley’s little sister), Frankie Jonas (the youngest Jonas brother) and star actors like Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett and Tina Fey. As for Ponyo’s presence at the Disney theme parks, we’ll have to wait and see. Disney is presenting this great movie to American audiences, but whether or not this adventurous little girl will be featured in the Disney theme parks or not is still unknown. OrlandoFunTickets.com is guessing we’ll see Ponyo merchandise at Epcot’s Living Seas or near Ariel’s Grotto. After all, Ponyo is now part of the undersea world in the Disney film family. “Ponyo” is playing in theatres across the US now, so make sure you check it out!

Want to ride a Segway but can not afford the price tag? EPCOT theme park has announced a fantastic tour that will give you backstage access to the World Showcase and other great EPCOT pavilions. There are various tour times throughout the morning, so your tour time will depend on the reservation you make. Remember, the price of the tour is not included in your theme park admission, so make sure you purchase your discount EPCOT tickets with OrlandoFunTickets.com to save some cash before booking the tour.

Every “Around the World on a Segway” tour begins with a 45 minute training session. This session is meant to teach riders the operation of the Segway vehicle as well as the necessary safety measures needed to keep riders from getting hurt. The training is provided by EPCOT cast members who ride along with your group to make sure everyone stays safe and to provide great insight and tidbits on the EPCOT theme park throughout the experience.

After your training session, you will leave Future World and head off to the World Showcase on your Segway. Your journey will take you through all of the pavilions: France, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Japan, China, Morocco, Norway, Canada, USA and the UK. Your Disney cast member tour guide will let you know about the parks history as you watch other cast members prepare the World Showcase for the day. Since the World Showcase doesn’t open until 10 am, the earlier you take your tour the better. These early hours will give you clear views of all of the pavilions without the hordes of tourists snapping pictures or waiting in line for rides. You will get to see, in detail, the amount of work put into the facades of the buildings and learn how Disney keeps authenticity in mind when replicating these foreign landmarks.

The Segway tours run for two hours, four times a day at EPCOT. The minimum age for the tour is 16 years old, and if you are under 18 a parent or legal guardian must sign the waiver for you. Also, because of the vehicle, there is a weight limit of under 250 lbs. You are standing on the Segway for long periods of time as you motor around EPCOT, so make sure you are in good health before signing up for the tour. This is a great addition to the EPCOT theme park and sure to be a hit with guests to the Walt Disney World Resort.

Not everything in the Walt Disney World Resort has to be done early. Unlike other Orlando theme parks, the Walt Disney World Resort takes advantage of their customers wanting to spend as much time in the parks as possible. Most people come to Orlando on vacation and who likes to wake up early during their vacation when you can sleep in and charge up for the day? For the night owls out there, the Disney parks have Extra Magic Hours available to all guests of the Walt Disney World Resorts.

Here’s how it works. If you’re staying in a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you’ll be given special access to stay at the park three hours after it closes. Just approach a cast member at the wristband locations set up throughout the parks with your hotel key and admission ticket for a wristband. Once the park closes during its official hours, everyone without a wristband must leave. This will weed out a large majority of the crowd and make certain park attractions easier to visit. Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT all participate in the Extra Magic Hours. Many times you will be able to ride your favorite attractions back to back as the lines are greatly diminished.

Most of the parks most popular attractions remain open at this time. At EPCOT, rides like Soarin’, Mission Space and the Gran Fiesta Mexico ride remain open. Tower of Terror, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and Star Tours are open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom maintains Splash Mountain, It’s A Small World and the Haunted Mansion operating for the Extra Magic Hours time. If you aren’t sure what is open during your time in the parks, just ask a Disney cast member for assistance.

Another great bonus of staying late is the characters. The lines for character greetings and photo opportunities will be far shorter than they are during the day. Nights also provide relief from the warmer day temperatures one might experience in Orlando, so waiting in line will be a lot less troublesome. You’ll be able to get photos with many characters you don’t see in the parks earlier during the day. Late night Extra Magic Hours are a great way to experience the Disney parks without the larger crowds, so make sure you check out the Walt Disney World Resort hotels to ensure you can get in on the fun.

This weekend America lost one of the most legendary journalists in our history. Walter Cronkite, at the age of 92, passed away in his New York home this past Friday night. Both print and media news have been covering the death and remembering the enormous contribution he made to the journalism world. Many of today’s news anchors and reporters called into shows on CNN and MSNBC over the weekend to recount how Cronkite inspired them to join the exciting, yet rocky world of journalism.

Walter Cronkite led America through the challenges the nation faced from World War 2 onward. He began his career as a young man, covering America’s participation in the war and even the Nuremburg Trials. He was there during the Vietnam War and the chaos that erupted because of it back home. He wiped away tears from underneath his thick-rimmed glasses as he announced to the country that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated, and he held back child-like joy as Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 mission 40 years ago. Because of his character and his integrity, Cronkite was nicknamed “the most trusted man in America.”

But Cronkite also lent his talents to other media outlets. Along with hosting special news reports and documentaries, “Uncle Walter” leant his image and his voice to various Walt Disney projects and a classic ride in the Disney lineup: Spaceship Earth. It makes sense that Cronkite would lend his distinct voice to the educational ride. As a man which America welcomed into their living rooms every night to inform them on the country’s on goings, Cronkite was a fitting choice to narrate the progress of communication throughout the history of civilization on EPCOT’s signature ride.

From 1986 to 1994, it was Cronkite’s voice that one would hear as they began their spiraling ascent through history and into the future on Spaceship Earth. He was the only American to narrate the ride, as he was then replaced by Brits Jeremy Irons (Lion King) and Dame Judy Dench. Cronkite continued his work at EPCOT by narrating the special Holiday Illuminations fireworks show that ran from 1994-1999.

Over at Disney Hollywood Studios, which was then known as Disney MGM Studios, he worked with Robin Williams on the video “Back to Neverland," a feature that would play to visitors of the Backlot Tour. Together, Williams and Cronkite demonstrated how Disney animators worked hard to bring classic stories to life through the animation process. He was as much a part of the Disney family as he was part of the American news world.

OrlandoFunTickets.com and Disney fans across the globe mourn the loss of this news legend and Disney contributor. As Walter Cronkite would say, “that’s the way it is.”