Disney Season: Spring 2009 – Celebratory Spirit Reigns at Walt Disney World with Floral-Fest, Braves Baseball, Disney’s Dreamers and Magical Marathoners
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The party’s ready to begin at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida with a Disney Parks “first” – guests can get free admission to a Disney theme park on their birthday in 2009. It’s all part of a travel trend called “celebration vacations,” with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort asking guests “What Will You Celebrate?” throughout the year.
In early 2009, Walt Disney World Resort will bloom with bursting color during the 16th annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival; host 100 exemplary teens from across the country in a one-of-a-kind enrichment workshop; once again host the Atlanta Braves on its “field of dreams” at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex; and be the site for the 26 most magical miles on Earth for the Disney Marathon Weekend.
Here’s a snapshot at what’s springing up in early 2009 across the Florida Vacation Kingdom:
Disney Parks Extend ‘Celebration Vacation’ Travel Trend: Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will invite guests to celebrate their lives’ special moments – large and small – with family and friends at the place where dreams come true. New research shows that families are planning trips with loved ones around life’s special moments, memories and milestones.
It’s a newly identified, national trend dubbed by experts as “celebration vacations.”
Crowning the celebration is a Disney Parks first: Guests can receive free admission to one of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks on their birthday in 2009. All it takes is a valid ID including proof of birth date. (Guests who already hold a multi-day ticket or an annual pass that they will use on their birthday can choose an alternate birthday treat instead, but will not be entitled to a cash refund or credit.) Guests can get more details and start the process by registering their birthdays at disneyparks.com.
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival: An elaborate “Cinderellabration” topiary featuring four Disney princesses dressed in “blooming” finery will set the scene for the 16th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 18-May 31.
Cinderella and Prince Charming, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, and Belle and Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” will debut as the grand front-entrance topiary during the 75-day festival.
And that’s just the beginning. More than 70 topiaries in all showcasing the extraordinary craftsmanship of Disney gardeners will dot the park landscape. Sweeping floral beds and exhibits will feature 30 million blooms. The art of bonsai will “wow” guests at the Japan showcase, and a large “green” garden between the France and Morocco pavilions will reveal the many ways home gardeners can “go green” with their own landscapes.
- Disney Gardening at Home presentations: Disney horticulturists 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 share their gardening secrets.
- The Garden Town festival center: Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend speaker presentations and demonstrations and ask gardening questions of the experts.
- Kids’ activities and character meet-and-greets.
- Flower Power concerts: Popular bands rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. The concert lineup is slated to include Davy Jones, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Jose Feliciano and other top acts.
More information about the 16th 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.
The 2009 schedule is expected to feature the most appealing slate of opponents since the Braves arrived in 1997, along with all-new entertainment and guest experiences, including the opportunity to view pre-game batting practice from field level.
Last spring, the Braves finished 10-5-1 at Champion Stadium, with three of the top all-time home crowds at Disney, on the way to ranking second only to the New York Yankees in Grapefruit League attendance.
Individual game tickets for the Braves’ home spring training season go on sale Saturday, Jan. 10, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster (407/839-3900 and ticketmaster.com). Information on the Braves’ spring training season, group tickets and mini-packs is available by calling 407/939-GAME (4263) and online at disneysports.com.
The Walt Disney World Half Marathon is a 13.1-mile course that will take runners on Saturday from Epcot to Magic Kingdom and then back to Epcot for the finish.
On Sunday, the 26.2-mile Walt Disney World Marathon will pass through all four Walt Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and finish back at Epcot. It’s been called the “26 Most Magical Miles on Earth,” and features Disney entertainment along the route.
The 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon is currently sold out. Those interested in participating in the 2010 race can find more information at disneysports.com. Guests wanting to see if registration is still available for the marathon event and the Family Fun Run 5K should check disneysports.com for the latest updates. Both events are also expected to sell out.
The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend currently ranks as one of the popular endurance events in the United States.
Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey: One-hundred teens from across the country with big dreams and aspirations will be celebrated during Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey, Feb. 12-15, 2009, at Walt Disney World Resort.
An event created to inspire and enrich high school students, Disney’s Dreamers Academy will include workshops with Disney cast members and executives, sessions with entertainment celebrities and professional athletes, and time to enjoy the Disney theme parks – where student participants can see, first-hand, the results of people who turned their dreams into careers as “Disney dreamers.”
The Disney’s Dreamers Academy class of 2009 will be made up of teens chosen by a panel of judges including Harvey, community leaders and Disney executives.
Harvey said Disney’s Dreamers Academy “is about inspiring our young people who often times don’t have the chance to be exposed to a variety of job skills and job opportunities and meet with people in the fields they’re interested in. We want to give our young achievers the tools to become overachievers – to make their dreams a reality.”