Magical Kingdoms Disney News & Reviews Centre - Walt Disney World News & Rumours

Prestigious Art Festival Returns to Downtown Disney Nov. 13-15

MK2 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:38:34 GMT

If you think photo-realistic art is across the spectrum from abstract art and �ne�er the twain shall meet,� then you haven�t seen the works of Jeannie Maddox, an artist from Dothan, Ala., who has been making Disney�s Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort a kind of home-away-from-home virtually every fall since 1975.
When the 2009 Festival of the Masters presented by Sharpie takes place Nov. 13-15, Maddox will be among the nearly 150 award-winning artists who will be participating. Some work in clay. Others wood, metal or mixed media. Others watercolors.
Maddox�s specialty is oils on canvas. And while she depicts her style as �photo realistic,� her husband, Sam, isn�t quite sure that�s an accurate description. �She�s an abstract painter who paints realistically,� he says.
To explain: Maddox�s topical passion is swimmers � in the water. Thus, reality is a visually distorted view of the body beneath the surface, with ripples and bubbles adding to the abstract quality of the painting.
As she has done 32 previous years � including the very first Festival of the Masters in 1975 �Maddox will be showing off her works at Downtown Disney. Five of those previous festivals, she claimed a first-place award in painting. Her dream? �Best in show, of course,� Maddox says. For a preview glance at her work, visit www.jeanniemaddox.com.
Festival hours are 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are complimentary. For more information about Festival of the Masters, guests can contact 407/824-4321 or visit disneyworld.com/artfestival.

Mobile Magic Application Transforms Verizon Wireless Phones Into Electronic Tour Guides to Navigate Disney Parks

MK2 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:46:35 GMT

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and BURBANK, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2009) � Imagine having a personal tour guide to lead the way around the vacation magic of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. Now imagine that tour guide is in the palm of your hand and able to point you to a visit with a Disney princess or directly to a Fantasyland attraction.

Starting today, Verizon Wireless customers have exclusive access to Mobile Magic, the first Disney-developed mobile application that enables them to easily navigate Disney parks on both coasts, providing helpful and timely information. With either a swipe of their fingers or the touch of a few keys, guests can access an array of park features on their Verizon Wireless phones, including:

Updated attraction wait times and FASTPASS return times for the park they are in
Locations of their favorite attractions, characters and restaurants, with GPS-enabled maps
Restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks
Tips on what�s happening in the parks
Trivia games to play against other parks guests

New content will continue to be added to the Mobile Magic application as the attractions and opportunities at the Disney parks and resorts continue to evolve.
Exclusive to Verizon Wireless customers, Mobile Magic is available for download and purchase for $9.99 for a 180-day subscription*. Verizon Wireless customers can also text MAGIC to 2777 to purchase the application on a wide variety of feature phones. Download and message charges may apply. Airtime or megabyte data charges may apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications.
Mobile Magic, marking a first in both the travel and mobile industries, is the outgrowth of a new multi-year relationship between Disney Parks and Verizon Wireless aimed at enhancing the park experience. Verizon Wireless continues to invest in its nationwide wireless network, and the relationship with Disney means Verizon Wireless users will benefit from further enhancements to the Verizon Wireless network in the parks.
Guests are currently using Verizon Wireless� technology with Disney�s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, an ultra-interactive attraction at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort.
Guests who are not Verizon Wireless customers can access select information, such as park hours, attraction information, entertainment schedules and dining information, through the new m.disneyworld.com and m.disneyland.com mobile Web sites with their browser-enabled phones.
*Message and data rates may apply. Coverage not available everywhere. Availability subject to handset limitations. If you�re under 18, get your parent�s permission first. Valid theme park admission required.

Magnolia Course No. 17 a Picture-Perfect Place for the Finish of the $1 Million Kodak Challenge

MK2 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:53:31 GMT

When Disney�s Grand Floridian Resort opened in 1988, it created the backdrop for a �postcard� view of Walt Disney World as a golf resort � the palm-lined entrance and the red-shingled, white clapboard-sided elegance of the new resort in the background, with golfers on the 17th tee of the Magnolia golf course in the foreground.
It was a picture-perfect view. Worth a thousand words. A real �money shot� for a photographer.
How seemingly appropriate (or perhaps ironic), then, that 21 years later, a couple of PGA TOUR golfers competing in the 2009 Children�s Miracle Network Classic Nov. 12-15 will be doing some �shooting� of their own on No. 17 � with $1 million at stake. The picturesque and challenging par 4 is the final hole of the inaugural Kodak Challenge, a winner-take-all competition that has been tracking TOUR players� performance on designated holes throughout 2009.
Thirty Kodak Challenge holes � one each at 30 PGA TOUR co-sponsored events � were determined before the 2009 season. For each player, his best performance on the Kodak Challenge hole during a tournament has been recorded on his �Kodak Challenge Scorecard.� For instance, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill earlier this year, No. 18 was the Kodak Challenge hole. If a player scored two bogies, a par and a birdie on the difficult hole, his scorecard for the Challenge would read -1, reflecting only the birdie.
Golfers must play 18 of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes to be eligible to win. When a golfer has played more than 18 of the holes, his scorecard reflects his best 18.
So now it is coming down to a finish at Disney on No. 17. Here, in the words of Disney Head Golf Professional and Classic Chairman Kevin Weickel, is what the golfers face:
"From a peninsula tee 485 yards from the cup, a player must split the fairway guarded on the left and right by water and trees. In doing so, the key is proper positioning in the fairway to gain the most advantageous angle for the second shot, as the hole doglegs left to an elongated green. Even with the biggest of drives, players will be left with a mid iron of some sort to approach a green which slopes from back to front with a tilt to the right � which is guarded on the right by a bunker and beyond that by a mirror lake. As the pin moves further back and to the right on this green, birdie becomes an incredible challenge which has baffled players for 39 years.�
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']It adds up to a hole that has been the third most difficult on the Magnolia course and sixth most difficult in the Classic (including the Palm course) since the TOUR began keeping hole-by-hole statistics in 1983. In 1984, No. 17 played .346 over par to rank as the 36th most difficult hole on the entire PGA TOUR.[/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Par has been the norm for No. 17, with more than two-thirds (68 percent) of players� rounds including a 4 on the long par 4. Another 17 percent of rounds have been over par, while players shoot under par about 15 percent of the time.[/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Kevin Streelman is atop the Kodak Challenge leader board at -16 � two strokes better than Nathan Green, J.J. Henry and Bo Van Pelt. The two-stroke lead means that if Streelman birdies No. 17, he claims the $1 million prize. [/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']If he does no better than par on No. 17, Van Pelt (the only challenger entered in the Classic) still would need an eagle to match his score. How difficult a challenge might that be? Consider these facts:[/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]

There has not been an eagle on No. 17 in the Classic since 1998.

In those 10 �eagle-less� Classics (1999-2008), 2,966 rounds have been played on the Magnolia course.
But between 1983 (when the PGA TOUR began tracking hole-by-hole data) and 1998, there were four eagles on the hole during 3,325 Classic rounds � one in every 832 rounds on average.
Since record-keeping began, then, there have been four eagles in 6,291 rounds. Put another way: The historical odds are more than 1,500-to-1 against it.

Put yet another way: The odds are virtually twice as good for a hole-in-one on the 170-yard No. 3, where there have been seven aces since 1983 and eight since 1982.
Yet viewed still another way: Given that there hasn�t been an eagle on No. 17 in nearly 3,000 rounds � �it�s overdue.�
If two or more players are tied in the competition at the finish of the Classic on Sunday, there will be a winner-take-all playoff for the $1 million prize.

Davis Love III Defends at Disney Against Well-Known Pro Golf Vets and Prowling Youth out to Make a Splash on the PGA TOUR

MK2 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:53:12 GMT

When Davis Love III defends his championship in the Children�s Miracle Network Classic Nov. 12-15 at Walt Disney World Resort, he�ll be in the company of well-known veterans with long professional golf resumes and younger players with big dreams.
The field of 128 players for the final event of the PGA TOUR official-money season was set Friday afternoon featuring names such as Justin Leonard, David Toms, Mark Calcavecchia, Rich Beem, Lee Janzen, Billy Mayfair, Zack Johnson, David Duval and Heath Slocum � all with long resumes. But because the Classic is players� last chance to reach the top 125 in 2009 earnings � and an exemption to play regularly on the PGA TOUR in 2010 � there also are plenty of young players chasing dreams (and a big paycheck from the $4.7 million purse) on Disney�s Magnolia and Palm courses.
Several of the fresh new names are intriguing because they just happen to be playing extremely well right now. At the top of the list: 20-year-old Rickie Fowler, who scored a seventh-place finish at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and then tied for second place (losing in a playoff) the following week at the Frys.com Open.
The back-to-back big paychecks in October vaulted the former Oklahoma State All-American from California to within $70,125 of the current 125th spot on the money list. He�s trying to follow Tiger Woods� route to the TOUR � enough success through limited playing opportunities to avoid a trip to the grueling PGA TOUR �Q School.� A top-10 finish in the Children�s Miracle Network Classic likely would accomplish that goal.
Twenty-one-year-old Jamie Lovemark already has moved through the first stage of �Q School,� but the two-time All-American at University of Southern California could forego the remainder of it via a high finish at Disney. He tied Fowler for second in the Frys.com Open when they were bettered in a playoff by Troy Matteson. It marked Lovemark�s second PGA TOUR payday and gives him enough in winnings that a top-five in the Classic would likely earn him a spot on the TOUR in 2010.
Then there�s Erik Compton, a 29-year-old former two-time All-American at University of Georgia who�s a walking, talking miracle. He�s about a year-and-a-half into his second transplanted heart. His remarkable medical history aside, Compton made news in late October by blowing away the field in a �Q School� first stage event at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He won the 72-hole tournament by seven strokes with a 22-under-par 266 on the difficult Wanamaker course.
For a complete look at the field for the Children�s Miracle Network Classic, visit pgatour.com. On the home page, click on �Tournaments,� scroll down and click on �Children�s Miracle Network Classic,� and then click on �Field� (which will be located near the upper right of the page under �Tournament Overview�). Or CLICK HERE.
Tournament rounds on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 will begin at 6:45 a.m. on both the Magnolia and Palm courses. At the conclusion of the second round, the field will be cut to the low 70 scores for the weekend round on the Magnolia course.
Pre-event ticket sales are available exclusively through ticketmaster.com. Ticket booths will be located onsite during the tournament where weekly badges ($20) or daily tickets ($10) can be purchased. Complimentary guest parking for the tournament is at Epcot, with complimentary transportation provided between the Epcot parking lot and the tournament entrance.
Golf Channel will provide its signature wrap-around news coverage of the Children's Miracle Network Classic live and in high definition from Nov. 12-15. Coverage kicks off Thursday, from 1-4 p.m. ET.
The 2009 Children's Miracle Network Classic marks the 39th year of the PGA TOUR at Walt Disney World Resort. The tournament�s gallery of champions includes 14 players who also have �majors� on their resumes. In addition to Davis Love III, the winner�s list includes the likes of Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart and Raymond Floyd.

Inspiring Heart Transplant Recipient Compton Accepts Children�s Miracle Network Classic Sponsor Exemption

MK2 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:52:52 GMT

Erik Compton has received the fourth and final sponsor exemption for the 2009 Children�s Miracle Network Classic Nov. 12-15 at Walt Disney World Resort. Compton joins two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, former PGA Championship winner Rich Beem and former Big Break X: Michigan winner Haymes Snedeker as sponsor exemptions.
Sponsor's exemptions are extended to players who otherwise wouldn't qualify for the field of 128 players that will tee off in the PGA TOUR Fall Series finale on Disney�s Palm and Magnolia courses.
This year�s tournament marks the second consecutive year Compton has received a sponsor�s exemption to play in the Children�s Miracle Network Classic. A former No.1-ranked junior and a two-time All-American at Georgia who has overcome two heart transplants to compete for a spot on the PGA TOUR, Compton finished 60th (tie) at Disney in 2008, including a second-round 68.
�We�re pleased to welcome back Erik for this year�s Classic,� said tournament chairman Kevin Weickel. �Undoubtedly, his story of purpose and resolve has inspired many throughout the golf world, and this year his resolve is proven once again as he will be walking the tournament � showing again strength and perseverance to accomplish your dream.�
A year ago, Compton was granted a release from the TOUR�s stipulation that players walk during tournament rounds, as he was less than six months beyond his second heart transplant. At age nine, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, an enlarging of the heart that hinders its ability to pump blood. Three years later, in 1992, he received his first new heart at Miami�s Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Five years later, Compton lit up Disney�s Palm and Magnolia courses, winning the prestigious AJGA Polo Golf Junior Classic in 1997. He was a member of the 2001 Walker Cup team, then turned professional later that year. Most of his events have been on the Nationwide Tour, but he also has PGA TOUR events on his resume as far back as 2002.
Compton�s most recent eyebrow-raising effort was in late October during the first stage of �Q School� � PGA TOUR qualifying � on the Wanamaker course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He capped a 22-under-par 266 with a final-round 66 to win his site by seven shots. There are 13 sites in the opening stage of Q school, in which nearly 1,000 players compete for about 25 PGA Tour cards.
Before moving on to the second stage of Q school, though, Compton joins a field of players shooting for shares of a $4.7 million purse in the Children�s Miracle Network Classic. The defending champion is TOUR veteran Davis Love III, who last year joined the likes of Tiger Woods, Vijah Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart and Raymond Floyd as winners of the prestigious Disney tournament. The Classic title was Love�s 20th career win, providing him a lifetime exemption on tour.
Tickets for individual rounds ($10) and badges for Classic week ($20) are available at www.ChildrensMiracleNetworkClassic.com or through www.ticketmaster.com. Net proceeds go to Children�s Miracle Network hospitals, including the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, and Shands Children�s Hospital in Gainesville.
The Golf Channel will air the Children�s Miracle Network Classic live, Nov 12.-15.
Children�s Miracle Network
Children�s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children�s hospitals. Each year the 170 Children�s Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind. Thousands of special events and grassroots fund raisers are conducted year-round through a coalition of premier children�s hospitals, media partners and corporate volunteers working together to ensure healthy kids in their communities. To donate or to learn more, go to www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org.

Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort is a contiguous 40-square-mile, world-class entertainment and recreation center featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney�s Hollywood Studios and Disney�s Animal Kingdom); two water adventure parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon); 34 resort hotels (24 owned and operated by Walt Disney World, including seven Disney Vacation Club resort properties and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground); 81 holes of golf on five courses; two full-service spas; Disney�s Wedding Pavilion; Disney�s Wide World of Sports Complex; and Downtown Disney, an entertainment-shopping-dining complex encompassing the Marketplace, Pleasure Island and West Side. Walt Disney World Resort is also included in vacation packages ofDisney Cruise Line. Located at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971. Open daily, year-round.

Disney Raises the Curtain on Rebranding Efforts at Disney�s Wide World of Sports

MK2 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:32:11 GMT

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Nov. 5, 2009 -- Glimpsing into the future, Walt Disney World Resort today provided new details about ongoing efforts to re-imagine Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex with the ESPN brand.

With an expected grand re-opening on February 25, several signature ESPN elements will be added throughout the 220-acre facility, providing new entertainment and immersive experiences for guests and athletes. As part of the plan to take youth sports to a new level, the soon-to-be named ESPN Wide World of Sports will include:

20 video screens, including two JumboTrons that will include customized videos, highlight reels featuring the daily competitions and interviews involving ESPN sports personalities.
A new 2,500 square foot state-of-the-art broadcast center with eight edit bays and a direct uplink to ESPN in Bristol, Conn.
A new ESPN Innovation Lab facility where the ESPN Emerging Technology Group will develop ground-breaking on-air products and test them with the hundreds of sports events and athletes at the complex.
A redesigned and renamed ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill, a sports-themed eatery with high-definition TV screens and live radio remote capabilities.
Complex-wide audio system.

“The collaborative re-branding of Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex with ESPN is part of an aggressive growth strategy for our sports business aimed at leveraging the power of sports with the leisure travel business,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises.

By aligning the world’s No. 1 family vacation destination with the worldwide leader in sports, Walt Disney World Resort and ESPN will create an entertaining and immersive experience for the nearly 2 million athletes, coaches and spectators who come through the Disney sports complex each year.

Video - WELCOME TO MICKEY'S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY- INTERACTIVE STORYBOOK.

MK2 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:10:12 GMT

Magnolia Course No. 17 a Picture-Perfect Place for the Finish of the $1 Million Kodak Challenge

MK2 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:50:46 GMT

When Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort opened in 1988, it created the backdrop for a “postcard” view of Walt Disney World as a golf resort – the palm-lined entrance and the red-shingled, white clapboard-sided elegance of the new resort in the background, with golfers on the 17th tee of the Magnolia golf course in the foreground.
It was a picture-perfect view. Worth a thousand words. A real “money shot” for a photographer.

How seemingly appropriate (or perhaps ironic), then, that 21 years later, several PGA TOUR golfers competing in the 2009 Children’s Miracle Network Classic this week will be doing some “shooting” of their own on No. 17 … with $1 million at stake. The picturesque and challenging par 4 is the final hole of the inaugural Kodak Challenge, a winner-take-all competition that has been tracking TOUR players’ performance on designated holes throughout 2009.

Thirty Kodak Challenge holes – one each at 30 PGA TOUR co-sponsored events – were determined before the 2009 season. For each player, his best performance on the Kodak Challenge hole during a tournament has been recorded on his “Kodak Challenge Scorecard.” For instance, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill earlier this year, No. 18 was the Kodak Challenge hole. If a player scored two bogies, a par and a birdie on the difficult hole, his scorecard for the Challenge would read -1, reflecting only the birdie.

Golfers must play 18 of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes to be eligible to win. When a golfer has played more than 18 of the holes, his scorecard reflects his best 18.

So now it is coming down to a finish at Disney on No. 17. Here, in the words of Disney Head Golf Professional and Classic Chairman Kevin Weickel, is what the golfers face:

"From a peninsula tee 485 yards from the cup, a player must split the fairway guarded on the left and right by water and trees. In doing so, the key is proper positioning in the fairway to gain the most advantageous angle for the second shot, as the hole doglegs left to an elongated green. Even with the biggest of drives, players will be left with a mid iron of some sort to approach a green which slopes from back to front with a tilt to the right – which is guarded on the right by a bunker and beyond that by a mirror lake. As the pin moves further back and to the right on this green, birdie becomes an incredible challenge which has baffled players for 39 years.”

It adds up to a hole that has been the third most difficult on the Magnolia course and sixth most difficult in the Classic (including the Palm course) since the TOUR began keeping hole-by-hole statistics in 1983. In 1984, No. 17 played .346 over par to rank as the 36th most difficult hole on the entire PGA TOUR.

Par has been the norm for No. 17, with more than two-thirds (68 percent) of players’ rounds including a 4 on the long par 4. Another 17 percent of rounds have been over par, while players shoot under par about 15 percent of the time.

Kevin Streelman is atop the Kodak Challenge leader board at -16 – two strokes better than Nathan Green, J.J. Henry and Bo Van Pelt. The two-stroke lead means that if Streelman birdies No. 17, he claims the $1 million prize.

If he does no better than par on No. 17, any of the three challengers still would need an eagle to match his score. How difficult a challenge might that be? Consider these facts:

There has not been an eagle on No. 17 in the Classic since 1998.

In those 10 “eagle-less” Classics (1999-2008), 2,966 rounds have been played on the Magnolia course.
But between 1983 (when the PGA TOUR began tracking hole-by-hole data) and 1998, there were four eagles on the hole during 3,325 Classic rounds – one in every 832 rounds on average
Since record-keeping began, then, there have been four eagles in 6,291 rounds. Put another way: The historical odds are more than 1,500-to-1 against it.

Put yet another way: The odds are virtually twice as good for a hole-in-one on the 170-yard No. 3, where there have been seven aces since 1983 and eight since 1982.
Yet viewed still another way: Given that there hasn’t been an eagle on No. 17 in nearly 3,000 rounds … “it’s overdue.”

If two or more players are tied in the competition at the finish of the Classic on Sunday, there will be a winner-take-all playoff for the $1 million prize.

Video - Princess Tiana Welcomed to the Magic Kingdom!

MK2 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:14:09 GMT

17th Epcot Flower & Garden Festival Shifts Dates Earlier Than Ever � March 3-May 16, 2010

MK2 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:26:20 GMT

The 17th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival kicks off March 3 � earlier than ever � and continues for 75 days through May 16, 2010, with bold strokes of seasonal color and brand-new topiary whimsy. Last year�s festival began March 18; now Walt Disney World guests get a head start on the gardening season as they explore exhibits and activities geared toward discovery and outdoor fun.

Even before spring has sprung, Donald Duck and his topiary pals set up camp in full floral color to celebrate the Great Outdoors at the Epcot front entrance. The elaborate topiary with a North American theme, live waterfall and pond features Goofy in a fly-fishing misadventure, Daisy Duck roasting marshmallows over a campfire and Pluto in his �pup tent.� It�s a must-stop photo op for guests as soon as they pass through the park turnstiles.

�The advantage of starting earlier is that we�ll be able to feature more brilliant color than ever, with richly hued petunias, violas, snapdragons and other hardy flowers,� says festival horticulture manager Eric Darden. �By starting earlier and going through mid-May, it allows more guests than ever to experience the festival and to plan ahead for their spring and summer gardening.�

New This Year!

Up to 700 butterflies flutter into an expanded and relocated, futuristic-themed Bambi�s Butterfly House � double the size of previous years� Minnie�s Magnificent Butterfly Garden. The new butterfly abode in Future World West, at 3,500 square feet, allows hundreds of the winged beauties to flit among the lush foliage of a larger screened enclosure, where guests can wander and watch as multiple butterfly species light on flowers filled with nectar and as caterpillars emerge from their chrysalis in a special discovery exhibit. Bambi joins butterfly floral topiaries to welcome guests to the enclosure.

Special gardens, events and children�s play areas throughout the park offer more reasons to visit the 17th annual festival:

�New Victory Garden � Disney�s �fab five� topiary pals � Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy � gather at American Adventure to tend tomatoes, beans, peppers, herbs and other edibles in their first Victory Garden as a salute to the history of World War II gardens, the new White House vegetable garden and the many community gardens being planted across the country.

�Newly Expanded Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden � Colorful topiaries of Tinker Bell and friends from Walt Disney Pictures� latest DVD release �Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure� will sprinkle pixie dust over this playful, expanded garden for kids. New characters on display with returning fairy favorites are fast-flying, sharp-tongued Vidia and charming Terence, dispenser of pixie dust. Tinker Bell�s Nook has hands-on activities. In a synergistic turn, the �Lost Treasure� DVD includes a bonus feature on �The Making of the Fairy Garden,� featuring Disney cast members who designed and built Pixie Hollow, along with the movie�s producer and director, who helped plan the garden.

�First-Ever American Gothic Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse � Topiary experts pull out all the stops to create an American Gothic Mickey and Minnie topiary scene based on the 1930 Grant Wood painting. At World Showcase Plaza.

�Pirates Adventure Zone � Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Croc topiaries will lure young swashbucklers to this interactive space designed for exploration and adventure. Next to the Germany pavilion.

Throughout the festival, more than 70 topiaries plus sweeping floral beds and exhibits will decorate the park landscape and showcase the extraordinary craftsmanship of Disney gardeners. A Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion will tell the �love story� of plants and perfume, and the art of bonsai will �wow� guests at the Japan showcase.

Festival highlights also include:

�Flower Power concerts � Popular bands will rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Jose Feliciano is scheduled to kick off the concert series March 5-7. On subsequent weekends, the lineup is slated to feature pop favorites like Davy Jones, Chubby Checker & The Wildcats, Tony Orlando, former Boston lead singer Fran Cosmo, and other top acts.

�Disney Gardening at Home presentations � Disney horticulturists will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity.

�The Great American Gardeners series � Gardening celebrities and authors from across the country will reveal their gardening secrets. Opening weekend, Robert Bowden, author and director of lush Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, kicks off the series.

�The Garden Town Festival Center � Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend speaker presentations and demonstrations and ask gardening questions of the experts.

�Special Festival Celebrations � An Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists is scheduled March 26-28; a Florida Farmer�s Market celebration is April 23-25, and the popular I Dig Bugs event is set for April 30-May 2.

More information about the 17th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting disneyworld.com/flower. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.

Video - What's New at the Walt Disney World� Resort!

MK2 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:24:28 GMT

Dateline Disney - November-December 2009

MK2 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:20:48 GMT

�Tiana�s Showboat Jubilee!� Gives Selected Guests Taste of Showbiz as Disney Parks Debuts Disney Princess with Musical Spectacular
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � For more than 6,000 Walt Disney World guests, a 10-week limited engagement of the entertainment spectacular �Tiana�s Showboat Jubilee!� in Magic Kingdom will be an opportunity to get a taste of showbiz � or in Disney parlance, �be part of the magic.�
The swinging musical show being presented in conjunction with the upcoming Disney animated feature, �The Princess and The Frog,� will treat theme park guests to a rousing revue of song and dance from aboard the Liberty Belle riverboat. Three times daily, Oct. 26 through Jan. 3, 2010, the riverboat will pull away from the dock in Liberty Square with a live six-piece jazz band, 22 dancers and 30 theme park guests who have been randomly preselected earlier in the day by Magic Kingdom cast members.
But the park guests will not be �just along for the ride.� As the Liberty Belle glides along and the band plays �Down in New Orleans,� the guests and dancers will be waving hankies along to the music. And when the riverboat, festooned with green, purple and yellow bunting and sparkling beads, stops in Frontierland, the guests continue their role: They move large musical notes in time with the music; and then, dressed in choir robes, they shake and rattle tambourines.
When the show concludes and the Liberty Belle resumes its travels on the Rivers of America, the theme park guests are treated to a meet-and-greet with the newest Disney royalty, Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen � the stars of �The Princess and The Frog,� which premieres in late November.
Three performances of �Tiana�s Showboat Jubilee!� are planned daily. Viewing locations are in Liberty Square and Frontierland.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival �Goes Italian� on Final Weekend
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � The time has come to lift a final toast to the 14th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which concludes a six-week run on Nov. 8 � but not before the celebration has focused on Italy.
The fest�s final Cheese Seminar and Party for the Senses on Saturday, Nov. 7, both will feature Italy:

Max McCalman, America�s first restaurant-based Ma�tre Fromager, will lead a Cheese Seminar, at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 7, during which the cheese of Italy is paired with selected wines. Cost is $75 per person. Theme park admission is required.

Italian cuisine is the thematic focus of Party for the Senses at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7. It�s an evening of entertainment, fine food and tempting libations. Cost is $135 per person. Theme park admission is required.

Reservations for both events can be made by calling 407/WDW-FEST.

The festival�s musical feast � Eat to the Beat! � will feature Taylor Hicks (Nov. 1-2), Billy Ocean (Nov. 3-5) and Los Lobos (Nov. 6-8) during the final week. They�ll serve up their sounds at America Gardens Theatre at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. The concerts are included with Epcot theme park admission.

Mickey�s Very Merry Christmas Party Introduces Rockin� Stage Show on 19 Select Evenings in November and December at Magic Kingdom
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � Walt Disney World Resort unwraps a sleighful of entertainment offerings during Mickey�s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom on 19 select evenings beginning Nov. 10 � including a rockin� new stage show to welcome the winter wonderland season. �A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas!� features Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski and a jubilant cast of party-goers who discover the true meaning of the season during their annual Christmas party. The interactive musical revue features �songs of the season� in the style of today�s hottest Radio Disney hits.
This popular special-ticket event also includes �Mickey�s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade,� �Holiday Wishes-Celebrate the Spirit of the Season� fireworks spectacular plus special shows featuring Disney characters (decked out in their holiday finest), carolers, festive tree lightings and more.
Parties are slated for Nov. 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29 and Dec. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, with the merriment beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing until midnight. Select attractions also are open throughout the evening.
And while forecasters predict the first snowfall of the season will swirl a winter-like effect down Main Street, U.S.A., guests can take heart: there�s hot cocoa and cookies to add a warm spirit, plus apple slices and apple juice as the perfect trimmings for a not-to-miss outing for the entire family.
To purchase advance tickets for Mickey�s Very Merry Christmas Party, guests can visit disneyworld.com/christmasparty or call 407/W-DISNEY. Advance tickets are suggested as some nights are expected to sell out.

Walt Disney World Dining Reservations Now Online,
with Booking Window Expanding to 180 Days on Oct. 27
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � With a new online dining reservations system, guests can now book most Walt Disney World table-service restaurants at www.disneyworld.com. And beginning Oct. 27, the booking window increases to 180 days in advance (up from 90 days).
Reservations can be made for up to 10 guests (more than 10 requires a call to Disney Dining Reservations). The only restaurant that cannot be booked online is Victoria & Albert�s (special dining currently is not included � such as Fantasmic! Dinner Package, My Perfectly Princess Tea Party, Jiko Dinner Series, Wanyama Safari Resort Tour and the Sweetheart Dinner for Two).
Guests also can cancel reservations online if no payment has been made. For booking by phone, call 407/WDW-DINE.

Longtime Festival of the Masters Artist Jeannie Maddox
Bridges Spectrum between Photo-Realistic and Abstract Painting
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � If you think photo-realistic art is across the spectrum from abstract art and �ne�er the twain shall meet,� then you haven�t seen the works of Jeannie Maddox, an artist from Dothan, Ala., who has been making Disney�s Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort a kind of home-away-from-home virtually every fall since 1975.
When the 2009 Festival of the Masters presented by Sharpie takes place Nov. 13-15, Maddox will be among the nearly 150 award-winning artists who will be participating. Some work in clay. Others wood, metal or mixed media. Others watercolors.
Maddox�s specialty is oils on canvas. And while she depicts her style as �photo realistic,� her husband, Sam, isn�t quite sure that�s an accurate description. �She�s an abstract painter who paints realistically,� he says.
To explain: Maddox�s topical passion is swimmers � in the water. Thus, reality is a visually distorted view of the body beneath the surface, with ripples and bubbles adding to the abstract quality of the painting.
As she has done 32 previous years � including the very first Festival of the Masters in 1975 �Maddox will be showing off her works at Downtown Disney. Five of those previous festivals, she claimed a first-place award in painting. Her dream? �Best in show, of course,� Maddox says. For a preview glance at her work, visit www.jeanniemaddox.com.
Festival hours are 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are complimentary. For more information about Festival of the Masters, guests can contact 407/824-4321 or visit disneyworld.com/artfestival.

Got a Birthday in November or December? Get a Ticket to Visit a Disney Park
If your birthday is in November or December, it�s finally your chance to get in free to a Walt Disney World Resort (or Disneyland Resort) theme park! As Disney Parks embraces the trend
of families hitting the road to mark special occasions � a phenomenon called �celebration vacations� � each person has had the opportunity to receive a free ticket to a Disney theme park on his or her birthday in 2009.
�Birthdays are the one occasion that we all share every year,� said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. �We thought a free birthday ticket would be the icing on the cake as we extend this new �celebration vacation� trend to Disney parks.�
To find out more, go to www.DisneyParks.com, click on either the Disneyland or Walt Disney World icon, and in the search box at your destination type in the keyword Birthday.

Children�s Miracle Network Classic Creates Innovative Wine & Dine Walk along Walt Disney World Fairways
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � This year�s Children�s Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World Resort is sure to leave fans with a good taste in their mouths. Literally.
The 2009 Classic, taking place Nov. 12-15, will feature a culinary twist distinctive among PGA TOUR events. In addition to watching exciting golf action, spectators can sip, sample and savor elaborate dishes, unique wines and select beers along the fairways of Disney�s Magnolia golf course.
Lobster rolls, for example � paired with a Fess Parker Chardonnay. Or crab cakes � paired with a Samuel Adams draft. Anyone for an avocado and citrus salad � paired with a Trimbach Gewurztraminer or Wolover�s Organic Pale Ale?
The Wine & Dine Walk runs Friday through Sunday of tournament week, with food, beer and wine stations positioned on key holes along the back nine of the Magnolia course offering fans the best flavors of New England, Africa and India. Cuisine from some of Disney�s newest and most popular restaurants will be featured, including The Wave (Disney�s ContemporaryResort), Sanaa (Kidani Village at Disney�s Animal Kingdom Lodge) and The Turf Club Bar & Grill (Disney�s Saratoga SpringsResort & Spa). The wine, beer and cuisine offerings will range from $3.25 to $7.50. For more information, visit www.childrensmiraclenetworkclassic.com.
The 2009 Children�s Miracle Network Classic, the season finale of the PGA Tour Fall Series, will mark the 39th year of the PGA TOUR at Walt Disney World Resort. Davis Love III is expected to battle a marquee Fall Series field in an effort to defend his title from 2008 when he joined the likes of Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart and Raymond Floyd as winners of the prestigious Disney tournament.
Pre-event ticket sales are available exclusively through www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket booths will be located onsite during the tournament where weekly badges ($20) or daily tickets ($10) can be purchased.
Golf Channel will provide its signature wrap-around news coverage of the Children�s Miracle Network Classic live and in high definition from Nov. 12-15. Coverage kicks off Thursday, from 1-4 p.m. ET.

ESPN Serving up a Thanksgiving Basketball Feast at Walt Disney World Resort
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � ESPN has cooked up a Thanksgiving weekend basketball feast so big that even if a match-up or two turns out to be a proverbial �turkey� the event still will provide roundball junkies with a memorable holiday treat.
The fourth annual Old Spice Classic at Disney�s Wide World of Sports Complex will feature eight teams � six of which reached the postseason last spring � in 12 games over three days, Nov. 26-27 and Nov. 29. Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Florida State, Iona, Marquette, Michigan and Xavier will compete, each playing a game per day through a bracket-tournament format at Walt Disney World Resort.
First-round games on Nov. 26 (all times are ET): Creighton vs. Michigan, 12 noon (ESPN2), Marquette vs. Xavier, 2 p.m. (ESPN2), Alabama vs. Baylor, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) and Florida State vs. Iona, 9 p.m. (ESPNU). The two teams that remain undefeated through the first two days of play will face off in a championship match on Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2).
Each of the three previous years, the Old Spice Classic has produced a champion from a different conference, including Gonzaga (West Coast Conference) last year with a championship game win over Tennessee (Southeastern Conference). Arkansas claimed the inaugural title in 2006 and North Carolina State won the Classic in 2007.
Tickets for the 2009 Old Spice Classic are on sale at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 407/839-3900. Fans also can purchase travel packages to the tournament. Information is available at AnthonyTravel.com or by calling 800/736-6377.
Epcot Showcases New Celebrity Narrators for Candlelight Processional Nov. 27-Dec. 30
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � Whoopi Goldberg, Vanessa Williams, Anika Noni Rose and Isabella Rossellini join a lineup of 12 celebrity narrators who retell the joyous Christmas story during the Candlelight Processional Nov. 27-Dec. 3 at Epcot.
Accompanied by a mass choir and 50-piece live orchestra, this heartfelt holiday tradition takes place at America Gardens Theatre nightly at 5, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m.
Scheduled celebrity narrators include (subject to change):
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. 24-26 Edward James Olmos
Dec. 27-30 Angela Bassett / Courtney B. Vance

Performances are included with Epcot admission, and guests are advised to arrive early. Dining packages that include guaranteed seating for Candlelight Processional and a special viewing location for �IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth� can be booked by calling 407/WDW-DINE. More information is available at www.disneyworld.com/holidays.

Parades, Fireworks Galore Head Entertainment Lineup
on New Year�s Eve at Walt Disney World Resort
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. � The New Year�s Eve fun at Walt Disney World Resort will include nine parade performances � including one on water � topped off with five fireworks extravaganzas. Here�s a look at what�s in store at the Vacation Kingdom (show times and entertainment are subject to change without notice) �

DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
�"Fantasmic!" nighttime musical special effects extravaganza (6:30 p.m.)
�Live performances by in-park band �Mulch, Sweat and Shears,� back-to-back with a DJ at Mickey�s Sorcerer�s Hat. (Mulch, Sweat and Shears sets are 8, 9, 10 and 11 p.m.; DJ starts at 6:30 p.m.)
�A special �Lights, Camera, Happy New Year� fireworks show starring Mulch, Sweat and Shears (11:55 p.m.)
�Park hours on New Year�s Eve: 9 a.m.-midnight

MAGIC KINGDOM
��Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!� parade and street party (11 a.m., 12:30 and 5:40 p.m.)
� �Mickey�s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade� (12 noon and 3:30 p.m.)
��SpectroMagic� parade of lights and music (7 and 10:30 p.m.)
��Holiday Wishes� fireworks (8:30 p.m.)
� �Fantasy in the Sky� fireworks (11:50 p.m.)
�Park hours on New Year�s Eve: 9 a.m.-1 a.m.

EPCOT
�Special version of �IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth� (7:30 and 11:40 p.m.)
�Park hours on New Year�s Eve: 9 a.m.-1 a.m.

DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM
��Mickey�s Jingle Jungle Parade� (3:45 p.m.)
�Park hours on New Year�s Eve: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

BAY LAKE AND SEVEN SEAS LAGOON
�The Electrical Water Pageant (9 p.m.; plays to Magic Kingdom entrance area at 10:25 p.m.)

The Laughs Are Still Fresh After More than 35 Years and 34,400 Performances at �Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue�

MK2 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:18:32 GMT

Disney�s �Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue� dinner show has been leaving �em laughing in their spare ribs and fried chicken for more than 35 years.

The Pioneer Hall Players � an ever-changing cast of singers, dancers and musicians with a passion for whimsy � have delivered some 34,400 performances, yet the guffaws remain as fresh (and silly) as they were when Disney entertainment gurus created the �Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue� as a college workshop program in summer 1974.

Guest response to the revue was overwhelmingly very favorable. So when summer ended, the show did not. On Sept. 5, 1974, a professional troupe of Disney entertainers continued the roles of Six Bits (and his bear jokes), the darlings Dolly and Flora and giggling Clair, and Johnny Ringo and Jim Handy.

The rest is hysteria. Mass hysteria, in fact � an audience in excess of 9.5 million people laughing and chowing down at Disney�s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground during more than three decades.

Seatings are at 5, 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. daily in rustic Pioneer Hall � where all 360 seats are routinely filled with vacationers for the first two shows. (Even the late show frequently has a big audience � folks who enjoy a late-evening repast of salad, fresh baked bread, smoked BBQ spare ribs, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and baked beans � all topped off by a memorable act that involves the cast delivering strawberry shortcake.)

The dinner show, including tax and gratuity, costs $52.99 to 61.99 for ages 10-up and $26.99 to 31.99 for ages 3-9. Reservations, which are required, can be arranged by calling 407-WDW-DINE.

Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue Quick Facts

�Debuted June 14, 1974, in Pioneer Hall at Disney�s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

�Show was created as a college workshop summer production.

�It was received so favorably, Walt Disney World entertainment decided to continue the show with a permanent professional cast at the end of summer. The new cast performed the show for the first time on Sept. 5, 1974.

�Principal parts in the show are Six Bits, Jim Handy, Johnny Ringo, Dolly, Flora and Clair.

�There have been some 34,400 performances since June 1974.

�More than 9.5 million guests have experienced the show.

�Pioneer Hall seats 360 guests for a family-style dinner served in conjunction with the performance.

�The menu includes salad, fresh baked bread, smoked BBQ spare ribs, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and baked beans topped off by strawberry shortcake � served family style, all-you-care-to-eat.

�Typically there are three performances nightly � seatings at 5, 7:15 and 9:30 p.m.

�Reservations are required by calling 407-WDW-DINE.

�Tickets for the dinner show are $52.99 to 61.99 (for ages 10-up) and $26.99 to 31.99 (for ages 3-9) including tax and gratuity

ESPN Innovation Lab Opens Today at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

MK2 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:17:51 GMT

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Oct. 16, 2009) -- The ESPN Innovation Lab officially opened today at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. The Innovation Lab provides ESPN a real-world testing ground to continue developing new ground-breaking on-air products.

�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 mission of ESPN�s state-of-the-art facility is to enhance the viewer�s experience by utilizing the world-class playing fields and the 250,000 youth and pro athletes who use them annually to develop new products during actual game conditions. This working research facility will also be open at certain times of the year for visitors to view the company�s emerging-technology staff at work and get a sneak peak at upcoming technological advancements.

This past summer, the lab produced two innovative production elements, Ball Track and ESPN Snap Zoom. Ball Track is a Doppler radar hit-tracking system that has the ability to track home runs showing the distance and height of the ball in-flight, updating continuously during the ball�s flight. It debuted on the 2009 �MLB Home Run Derby� telecast on July 13. ESPN Snap Zoom debuted on �Monday Night Football� on Sept. 28 and is a freeze-frame technology that brings the fan closer to the play by zooming in an area of interest and providing insight to a current action on the field, thus giving the viewer a different view on a particular focus of play.

The ESPN Innovation Lab is the first major piece of a re-imagining project involving ESPN and the Disney sports complex, which is already the leading multi-sport venue in the nation. The project aims to create an immersive and entertaining sports experience for athletes, coaches and fans by incorporating the signature elements of ESPN in ways that will connect athletes and coaches with their favorite ESPN programs, personalities and elements. The project is expected to be completed early next year and will provide a one-of-a-kind experience that athletes, coaches and fans can�t get anywhere else except Walt Disney World Resort.

�The versatility of the complex and the enormous diversity of sports events we have there make it the perfect place for ESPN or any company to develop and test their latest product innovations,� said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. �We are thrilled to provide our athletes and coaches with the opportunity to potentially be a part of the development of ESPN�s newest and most exciting on-air products. It�s just one of the many ways this ESPN re-imagining project will help take our youth sports experience to a new level.�

The Disney sports complex has hosted more than 200 annual events in 60 different sports involving athletes from more than 70 countries since opening in 1997. Among those events are the Atlanta Braves spring training season, Chelsea Football Club events, the Pop Warner Super Bowl, AAU National Championships, Varsity All-Star Cheerleading competitions, USSSA events, ESPN RISE Games, Old Spice Classic and the Walt Disney World Marathon, one of the top marathons in the nation. ESPN televised 20 sporting events from the complex in the last year. Walt Disney World Resort and ESPN also annually work together to host the popular ESPN The Weekend event at Disney�s Hollywood Studios. To download photos of Disney�s Wide World of Sports Complex, please visit http://photos.wdwnews.com/espn/

Did you know?

�ESPN�s Active Player Tracking for the Arena Football League was first tested at the Wide World of Sports. The technology debuted during the 2007 Arena Football season but has also been implemented at the Summer X Games enabling ESPN to capture heights achieved by athletes in the BMX and Big Air event which are then displayed on the ESPN �Huck-o-Meter.�

�The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex was the testing bed for ESPN�s Ball Track technology that debuted at the 2009 MLB Home Run Derby. This was the first time that radar had been utilized to track a baseball in real-time in a broadcast environment.

�At ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, ESPN has access to 16 baseball fields, 25 football/soccer fields, two indoor basketball arenas, one baseball stadium and four tennis courts for real-world testing. Just a short distance from the facility there are lakes and golf courses also used in testing scenarios. Over the past three years, ESPN has taken full advantage of these facilities testing technologies for tennis, golf, baseball, basketball, football and even BASS fishing.

�The Emmy-winning EA Virtual Playbook was first tested at ESPN Wide World of Sports during the summer of 2008 in preparation of the 2008-09 NFL season. Its overwhelming success led the team to develop an NBA version utilized during the 2009 NBA playoffs.

About ESPN Technology:
ESPN Technology develops the ideas and applications that bring the fan closer to the game with new, innovative production enhancements. ESPN�s technology team designed and supports two of the most technologically advanced production centers in the world, the Digital Center in Bristol, Conn., and the Los Angeles Production Center which is the first 1080p capable production facility. In addition, the Emerging Technology Group has developed many on-air advancements over the past 30 years, including virtual graphics applications, �Huck-O-Meter,� and the Emmy-winning EA Virtual Playbook.

About ESPN Wide World of Sports:
Opened in 1997 at Walt Disney World Resort, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is the premier sports venue for amateur and professional sports in the United States. The sprawling 220-acre state-of-the-art complex features The Milk House, a 165,000-square-foot field house which seats 5,500 for basketball; the 10,000-seat Champion Stadium ballpark; the Hess Sports Fields, which include multiple baseball, softball and soccer fields; and Jostens Center, a multi-sport field house that opened in 2008. In addition, the complex has a tennis compound, including a stadium court, and a track & field complex. Please visit www.disneysports.com for more information.

Disney�s Newest Royalty, Princess Tiana, Makes Debut at Walt Disney World Resort

MK2 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:12:28 GMT

Starting Oct. 26, Walt Disney World guests will be treated to first-ever appearances by Princess Tiana, star of the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated feature film �The Princess and the Frog.�

Besides meet-and-greets with guests, Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and other characters from the motion picture will star in �Tiana�s Showboat Jubilee!,� a rousing, colorful procession with a jazz-filled Mardi Gras theme. The good times will roll as festively dressed, bead-tossing revelers lead Magic Kingdom guests to the Liberty Belle Riverboat dock.

The party moves onboard and the Liberty Belle paddlewheels her way along the river with singing and dancing to the sounds of a six-member jazz band. Nearly two dozen Disney dancers join 30 randomly chosen park guests to be part of each show. Original songs composed by Randy Newman for the film liven the production, which will be performed three times daily. Daytime pyrotechnics and whimsical puppetry round out the spirited, 15-minute production.

The 10-week experience at Walt Disney World Resort will run through Jan. 3, 2010. �Tiana�s Showboat Jubilee!� also will dazzle guests at Disneyland Park in California, beginning Nov. 6.

A hilarious movie adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana, �The Princess and the Frog� will open in limited release in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 25, 2009, before expanding nationwide on Dec. 11, 2009.

Beginning Oct. 15, little princesses can enjoy a new Princess Tiana makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at both the World of Disney store and Magic Kingdom locations at Walt Disney World Resort.

Fairy Godmothers-in-Training sprinkle their pixie dust on aspiring princesses with three makeover packages ranging from a combination of hair, nails and makeup to the royal transformation complete with Princess Tiana costume, tiara, wand and more. All children must be at least three years or older to receive the regal treatments.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Magic Kingdom is open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; theme park admission is required. The Downtown Disney Marketplace salon is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. There is no admission or self-parking fee required at Downtown Disney.

Advance reservations are recommended and can be made up to 180 days in advance by calling 407/WDW-STYLE (407/939-7895).

When guests age 10 or olderentera Disneyland theme park or Walt Disney World theme park from Oct. 5 through Nov. 22 and present their valid theme park ticket at select merchandise locations, they will receive a special card with details on how to get an admission voucher good for up to $8 toward the purchase of one child�s movie ticket when they purchase an adult movie ticket to see �The Princess and the Frog� at participating theaters from Dec. 11 through Dec. 31, 2009, or until �The Princess and the Frog� is no longer in theaters, whichever comes first.

Card quantities for this promotion are limited. Limit one card per adult ticket or annual pass. Admission voucher toward the purchase of a child�s movie ticket to �The Princess and the Frog� is valid for use from Dec. 11 through Dec. 31, 2009, at participating theaters in the fifty United States and District of Columbia. Guests must activate the code printed on the card by registering at www.activaterewards.com/frog to obtain an admission voucher. Only persons 18 or older may activate the code. Parent or legal guardian must activate certificate held by persons ages 10-17. Card, code and admission voucher may not be sold, traded, copied or replaced, or redeemed for cash. Admission voucher may not be transferred. The promotion is not valid for complimentary cast member theme park tickets. Offersubject to restrictions and change without notice. Visit www.hollywoodmoviemoney.com for a list of participating theaters and further conditions and details.