Column by Derek Burgan It’s a good news, bad news situation for Florida residents as Walt Disney World announced it has brought back a very popular four day ticket option from last year, but it has raised the price almost 20 percent. The new “Wild 4 Disney Pass” allows Florida residents four visits to any [...]

By Don Gworek Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is one of the biggest group events in the Orlando area with a registration of more than 50,000. This is the size of some of the major conventions that come to town. When you factor in non-running guests who join their family members on the trip, it’s [...]

Jan. 6, 2011 – This week’s show comes to you from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum on International Drive. Join hosts Jessica Steele Allen and Greg Hutson as they bring you Orlando theme park and attraction news. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6PNSlVJ6aA This week’s show covers these topics and more: • Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! • Fire [...]

By Don Gworek It was interesting to watch the staging for New Year’s Eve at Epcot come together this week. Stages were set up at the central fountain, Italy and China by Thursday. It looked like it was going to be a great party.

Dec. 31, 2010 – This week’s show brings you 2010 in review. Join hosts Samantha and JD as they bring you all the Orlando theme park and attraction highlights of the past year, with some news thrown in. We’ll review all the big news at Disney World, Universal, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld. Then they’ll let [...]

It was a year dominated by The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening and musical performances. So instead of only looking at the most viewed videos uploaded this year, we’re going to look at the top 2010 videos a couple of different ways. Yesterday we presented the Top 10 most read theme park stories for [...]

The Winter 2011 issue of Orlando Attractions Magazine is now available to order. The magazine is at the printer and will be shipping out within the next week or two. Look for it in our iPad app soon, and in major bookstores nationwide sometime in January. Subscribers should receive their copy within the next four [...]

Dec. 23, 2010 – It’s an all Disney, all Christmas episode of The Show. Join host Greg Hutson and special kid reporter host Mindy Strater as they bring you the week’s news and more from many of the holiday events at Walt Disney World. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeuhqonQ7io This week’s topics include: • Santas around the world at [...]

Dec. 16, 2010 – Join hosts JD Trussell and Samantha Sanders for Episode Three of Orlando Attractions Magazine – The Show. They’ll bring you this week’s theme park and attraction news, viewer feedback, fan videos and more. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uozPnoghr0 This week’s topics include: • Celebration Concert and interview with Kicking Daisies and Allstar Weekend. • Clarion [...]

Details have been released on the 18th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2 through May 15, 2011. Look for Disney movie characters throughout the park in playgrounds and as topiaries. Plus new musical acts and an expanded butterfly garden. Toy Story 3 stars Woody and Buzz Lightyear will meet their arch-enemy Lotso in [...]

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas pose with their children, Dylan, left, age 10, and Carys, age 7, yesterday, along with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in front of the Epcot Christmas tree. The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary on Nov. 18, 2010. Photo by Kent Phillips/Disney

Disney has taken Duffy the Disney Bear to new heights at Epcot – literalry. But it’s all for a good cause. Guests at the park can check out the 20-foot-tall Christmas tree made from 1,200 stuffed Duffy bears. The tree starts Disney cast members’ annual collection for Toys for Tots. Topping the “Cuddliest Christmas Tree” [...]

It’s time for the Christmas decorations to start popping up all around Walt Disney World. You may be saying to yourself, “Wait a minute … Wasn’t it just Halloween?” Yes, but forget about all that scary stuff, Mickey’s first Christmas Party starts in less than a week. The current Fall 2010 issue of Orlando Attractions [...]

After Storck, the makers of Werther’s Original Caramels, shot a commercial in the Germany Pavilion at Epcot in which they made-over one of the storefronts to look like their original shop, they decided “why not make a real store here?” And so they did. Storck held the grand opening of Karamell-Kuche on Oct. 26, 2010. [...]

Duffy the Disney Bear made his debut at Walt Disney World today. You can meet Duffy, buy a Duffy and color a Duffy at his new home, Epcot. But what’s Duffy’s story? Read on. As you walk through Epcot, you’ll first see Duffy near the left of World Showcase Plaza. The store here carries a [...]

Article, photos and video by Don Gworek Disney introduced a new Halloween 5K race as part of the opening weekend events of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. This is the first time the Magic Kingdom has been the site of a 5K race. The race started in the twilight of 7 a.m. Saturday at [...]

A new candy store has opened in Epcot. Look for hand-crafted caramel treats at Karamell-Küche in the Germany Pavilion. The new shop opened without much fanfare yesterday, Sept. 30, 2010. Karamell-Küche means caramel kitchen in German. The shop is run by Storck USA, makers of Werther’s Original. Look for the full line of Werther’s candies [...]

Like a fine wine that improves with age, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival celebrates 15 years in 2010. The fan favorite returns Oct. 1 through Nov. 14. 2010 with more than two dozen countries represented in a 1.3-mile stroll around World Showcase promenade. This year, Disney and celebrity chefs are teaming with winemakers [...]

It may sound a bit confusing but Parfums Givenchy has opened their first U.S. store in France – the France Pavilion at Epcot. The small shop features the full range of Givenchy make-up, skincare and fragrances. Minnie Mouse was on hand as Disney’s vice president of development and corporate alliances, Carlos Castro, and J.C. Gandon, [...]

A new restaurant and a rebuilt old restaurant, both under the same roof, are now open in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot. Overlooking World Showcase Lagoon, La Hacienda de San Angel is a 267-seat table service restaurant, while the reopened La Cantina de San Angel is now a 150-seat quick service restaurant. La Cantina opens [...]