Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Fun is the flavor at Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival  presented by HGTV! Savor seasonal foods and refreshing tastes at Garden Marketplaces across World Showcase. Then, enjoy the glow of enchanting topiaries and gardens as they light up the night.

Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House: Eight fanciful fairy topiaries of Pixie Hollow, including Tinker Bell, Fawn, Vidia and Terrence, take over the Butterfly House this year where hundreds of colorful winged beauties flit to life.  On the Imagination Walkway

What’s Budding in 2013
Help us celebrate our 20th year with a bumper crop of brand-new surprises, as we’ve been hard at work to make your visit to the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival more colorful than ever! Here’s just a sampling of what’s in store:

New Topiary Additions: Join the Party with Mickey and Friends, Mike and Sully of Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters Inc.”, Phineas and Ferb, and many others.

Garden Marketplaces: Getting around Epcot is thirsty, and hungry, work! Luckily, you’ll find a robust offering of gourmet bites and beverages, inspired by Spring and the international flair of World Showcase.

Illuminated Gardens: Stay and play as select topiaries and gardens now light up the evening. It’s an extra sprinkling of pixie dust, and a most magical way to end your day.

Land of Oz: Discover an all-new garden and children’s play area inspired by the new Disney film “Oz the Great and Powerful”, featuring Cozy Domes® and Evos® play systems, designed to stretch imaginations and muscles.

Garden Passport, Presented by HGTV: Pick up this complimentary guide to all that’s new this year, with select items labeled “TRY it!”—-encouraging families to see new things, taste new foods, and have fun together!

Truly Dazzling Topiary Displays
The star attraction of the Festival, these Disney character-shaped shrubs are sure to enthrall Guests of all ages:

• NEW! Party with Mickey and Friends!
• NEW! Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” featuring Mike and Sully
• NEW! Phineas and Ferb
• NEW! Disney•Pixar’s “Radiator Springs” featuring Lightning McQueen and Friends
• Beauty and the Beast
• The Lion King
• Disney•Pixar’s Woody and Lotso
• Peter Pan
• Lady and the Tramp
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Winnie the Pooh and Friends
• Plus many more of your favorites!

Over 75 topiaries in all, as well as newly themed gardens, interactive play areas and informational displays—-all awaiting your discovery.

Book your Disney & Orlando vacation with a local travel agency. World famous services, free gifts, guaranteed lowest prices, and all at no cost to you! Book your vacation with the local experts – we live where you’re traveling! Call 877-918-8941 or visit us online

Trying to figure out the ins and outs of Disney dining can be just as overwhelming as planning your actual Disney vacation.  By following these few simple Dos and Don’ts I can help you take the stress and worry out of planning your Disney dining! Every week for the next five weeks I will give you one of my dos and don’ts of Disney Dining.

Week 1 Do and Don’t

Do Make Advanced Dining Reservations.

Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Do get a Disney Dining Plan

The Disney Dining Plan is an add-on to the Magic Your Way vacation packages, which include room and park tickets. The Disney Dining Plan is only available to those guests that will be staying at a Disney Property Resort. Not only can the Disney Dining Plan save you money, it can also take the guesswork out of having to budget for your dining once you arrive at Disney World. When you choose to add the Disney Dining Plan, you are essentially pre-paying for a certain number of meals and snacks. For each night of your stay, each guest over the age of three on your reservation gets an allocation of quick service meals, table service meals, and snacks, the number of which depends on which dining plan you choose. Disney offers three dining plan options: the Quick Service Dining Plan, which provides two quick service meals and one snack per person, as well as one resort refillable drink mug per person. The Basic Dining Plan gives you one quick service, one table service, one snack, and one resort refillable drink mug per person. Finally the Deluxe Dining Plan offers three meals (quick service or table service), two snacks, and one resort refillable drink mug per person. The Disney Dining Plan can end up saving you up to 25% on dining at Disney World. 

Don’t forget to leave enough travel time to get to your dining destination.

Whether you are eating at a restaurant that is in the park you are attending or you are traveling somewhere else within the Walt Disney World resort, make sure you leave yourself enough travel time. For example, if you are attending the Mickey’s Backyard BBQ dinner show at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, you are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior to show time. Not too bad, right?  However, once you arrive at the resort, there is a twenty-minute motor coach ride to the pavilion. So you would want to leave about 90 minutes early in order to arrive on time. If you are dining within the park you are attending that day, you want make sure you leave yourself enough time to walk to where ever it is that you are dining.

Be sure to check back next week to see what my next Disney Dining Do and Don’t will be!

Written by Meghan Blair, the “Disney Foodie” — As a Florida Resident, Meghan combines her love of Disney and her love of food! She will give you the best restaurant and dining tips and suggestions to make your meals, just as magical as the rest of your vacation! Book your next vacation with Meghan at 954-328 7090 or meghan@destinationsinflorida.com.

A short time from now, in a galaxy not so far away… Walt Disney World Resort is throwing a party for the greatest saga ever told!

In honor of Star Wars day, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be hosting “May the 4th Be with You!”—a one-of-a-kind Star Wars-themed celebration for both parents and kids alike on May 4, 2013.

From meeting classic characters to collecting limited-edition merchandise, it’s sure to be an unforgettable extravaganza! Only a Sith would miss this magic event.

Book your Disney & Orlando vacation with a local travel agency.  World famous services, free gifts, guaranteed lowest prices, and all at no cost to you! Book your vacation with the local experts – we live where you’re traveling!  Call 877-918-8941 or visit us online

Get Ready for a Monstrous Summer at Disney Parks!

Three Disney Theme Parks will stay open for 24 hours during Memorial Day Weekend to kick off a Monstrous Summer on both coasts. This first-ever, three-park all-night party is happening at the Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida, and Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure® Park in California. The Parks will stay open from 6 a.m., May 24 to 6 a.m., May 25, 2013, local time.

• In Florida, Magic Kingdom Park will feature a “Monsters University” theme where Mike and Sulley will be the Grand Marshals of the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” day parade and make appearances in Tomorrowland. There will be extra entertainment throughout the day and night, including characters in their pajamas in Town Square during the late night and early morning, and late-night dance parties in and around the courtyard of Cinderella Castle.
• In California, you will be able to party the night away at both parks with special entertainment including: a “Monsters University” “TLT Monstrous” Dance Club and Star Wars characters in Tomorrowland and late-night Character Pajama Party in Mickey’s ToonTown at Disneyland Park. The new Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre atDisneyland Park will become a Royal Dance Hall late at night with a live band and dancing; and Guests of Disney California Adventure Park will find Monstrous photo opportunities with new “Monsters University” “Dorms” inHollywood Land and a new “Monsters University” float leading the Pixar Play Parade.

Beyond Memorial Day Weekend, it’s shaping up to be a Monstrous Summer at Disney Parks, with a colossal lineup of unforgettable experiences, including entertainment enhancements celebrating the characters of “Monsters University.”

• Mike and Sulley are dropping in from MU to scare up fun all summer long. Some of the monstrous surprises in store include all-new, collegiate settings in which you can meet their favorite aspiring scarers. On the Backlot atDisney’s Hollywood Studios®, Guests will find the Monsters University Student Union, complete with a view of the campus. Meanwhile, at Disney California Adventure Park, Mike and Sulley can be found right outside the university dorms, recreated in Hollywood Land.
• Also at Disney California Adventure Park, Mike and Sulley show their MU spirit as they lead daily performances of thePixar Play Parade, and at Magic Kingdom Park, you will chuckle along with the gang at the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, where they’ve been studying new jokes and are ready to graduate to new comedic bits in honor of their alma mater.

It may be summer vacation, but Monsters University will be in session all season at the Disneyland® and Walt Disney World®Resorts!

Book your Disney & Orlando vacation with a local travel agency. World famous services, free gifts, guaranteed lowest prices, and all at no cost to you! Book your vacation with the local experts – we live where you’re traveling! Call 877-918-8941 or visit us online

With approximately 450 hotels and nearly 116,000 guest rooms – including 18 AAA Four-Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star award recepients – Orlando offers more lodging options than nearly any destination in the world.  Accommodations range from luxury resorts and themed hotels to charming bed and breakfasts, economy hotels/motels and campgrounds. Vacation ownership units and private condominiums and homes are also available.

Written by Stacy Gaffney, “Sorcerer Stacy” — Stacy is an expert in planning an affordable Disney and Orlando vacation. Watch out for the magic, as Sorcerer Stacy plans your vacation! Book your next Disney & Orlando vacation with Stacy at 877-918-8941 or stacygaffney@destinationsinflorida.com.

Planing a wedding is stressful and time-consuming, so why would you want to have to worry about planning every little detail of your honeymoon too? Take advantage of the free services offered when you book with a travel agent and you can have one less thing to worry about for your wedding!

• There is NO COST to you!
• Each location certifies Travel Agents
• We are experts in our specialties (Disney, Hawaii, cruises, all-inclusives, and more!)
• We know all the Promotions and Special Offers- Seriously, we get daily emails
• We do the boring research, pricing options, and more, then report back to you
• We offer suggestions and will plan your trip with as much detail as you want
• Free Gifts! – Really, why wouldn’t you want free things?
• No Stress Vacation Planning
• No hours spent researching
• Knowledgeable advice on restaurants, park tours, and more
• Travel Agents work around your schedule and budget

So why wouldn’t you want to book your honeymoon with a travel agent? Contact me for your free quote today!

Written by Siera Duiser, “Disney BridalEars” — Siera has grown up loving all things Disney!  She even had her very own Disney Fairytale Wedding in 2011. Now Siera enjoys Disney World with her own family.  Siera specializes in Disney weddings, honeymoons, and traveling with younger children.  Book your next vacation with Siera at siera@destinationsinflorida.com.

Downtown Disney Free Entertainment

Street performers and musical artists provide free entertainment at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World. Musician Dominic Gaudious performs Wednesday through Sunday 7 – 11pm at Downtown Disney West Side in Orlando, Florida. Admission is FREE and open to the public. He is known for using six & twelve-string acoustic guitars and incorporating exotic instruments such as the Australian Didgeridoo.

Have you seen him play? Did you enjoy his music as much as the kid in this video?

About Downtown Disney
World-class restaurants, dazzling entertainment and unique shops line the waterfront at Downtown Disney area. Shop in the world’s largest Disney store, dine amid life-size prehistoric creatures, bowl a game at the 30-lane alley and more. This fun-filled district includes Downtown Disney West Side, Downtown Disney Marketplace and Pleasure Island. Parking and admission to Downtown Disney area are complimentary.

When you are there, stop by and give him a listen for a good time!
http://www.dominicgaudious.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dominic.gaudious?fref=ts

Book your Disney & Orlando vacation with a local travel agency. World famous services, free gifts, guaranteed lowest prices, and all at no cost to you! Book your vacation with the local experts – we live where you’re traveling! Call 877-918-8941 or visit us online

The Art of Animation Resort was designed with families in mind!  It’s located in the ESPN Wild World of Sports area of the Disney property.

This resort was originally planned to be part of Disney’s Pop Century Resort.  It was going to be called “The Legendary Years” but the project was abandoned after the decrease in tourism after the September 11 attacks.

Disney saw the need to cater to families that wanted value and needed more space than standard rooms allow.  Walt Disney himself began with a drawing of a little mouse so it seems perfect to design a resort around the concept of art!  The resort now offers 1,120 family suites that are themed around the Disney feature films, Finding Nemo, Cars, and The Lion King.  The suites each sleep six people and have a kitchenette, 2 bathrooms, a master bedroom and 3 sleeping areas.  One new feature at this resort is the “Inovabed”, a table that converts to a bed. There are 864 standard guest rooms in The Little Mermaid building.  Rates for standard rooms begin at $118.00.  A bridge connects Pop Century to the Finding Nemo section of the resort making easy access to both resorts.

The courtyards are amazing and provide fantastic and fun photo opportunities!  Giant icons of favorite film characters are bright and colorful.  There are three swimming pools but the main one, The Big Blue Pool is the largest on Disney property!  It features underwater speakers and an interactive water play area for the little ones.

The main hub of the resort is called Animation Hall where check-in, dining and arcades are located. Dining options include the Landscape of Flavors food court featuring 5 sections offering American favorites and international fare.  There’s something for everyone and the food is fresh and tasty.  Pizza delivery is also available.

Your family will love the fun atmosphere and colorful, detailed themes at Disney’s Art of Animation. Consider it for your next Disney vacation!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at 804 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

If you are looking for a hearty Italian meal with great ambiance then head to Mama Della’s Ristorante located in the Loews Portofino Bay Resort at Universal Orlando.  I dined here in February and would  most definitely consider it a “must-do” dining experience when vacationing at Universal Orlando.

When you enter the restaurant it feels as if you are in your grandmother’s house for Sunday dinner. It is charming and the tables are decorated with mismatched plates and antique tablecloths. The smell of garlic and pasta sauce fill the air as the sounds of Opera singers seranading you at the table make the experience complete.  A dinner  here is certainly an experience in La Dolce Vita’ or “The Sweet Life” as you enjoy Italian specialties from Tuscany, Naples and Piemonte regions.

I dined here with a large group, and we were served a variety of options from the menu. We began the meal with La Mamma Dell’ Antipasto a mixed tray of cheese, cured meats, olives and peppers. This was so wonderful I probably would have finished the whole plate myself. Our next appetizer was the Bruschetta Caprese Con Burrata, again this was flawless. I could make an entire meal just from the appetizers alone at this restaurant!  Next came a salad, the Insalata Mamma Della, fresh crisp and a wonderful palate cleanser for the heavy pasta we knew was coming.

After a short break between the appetizers and salad came the entree’s, holy cow these were amazing. We had the pleasure of enjoying the Lasagna, Rib Eye Beef over egg noodles and Mollusco Fra Diavlo. My favorite dish was the Fra Diavlo ,this included mussels, clams, scallops and shrimp over cappellini in a spicy marinara.  The sauce was the perfect amount of spice and the fresh shellfish was enormous portions.

We finished our meals with a variety of desserts and coffee or expresso. After your meal Mamma herself will pay a visit to your table to ensure that everything was satisfactory. This was a perfect ending to one of the best dining experiences I have had on a vacation.  Be sure to add this to the dining list on your next Universal Orlando Vacation.

Mama Della’s Opens at 5.30pm daily for dinner. Reservations are recommended, casual dress required.

Written by Jennifer Greene–Jennifer is a Universal Specialist with Destinations in Florida. If you are ready to “Vacation Like You Mean It”, contact her today for a free quote for your next Universal Adventure or Disney Vacation at jenniferg@destinationsinflorida.com or 443-424-0181

Disney Cruise Line always makes at least one stop to Castaway Cay on every Bahamian and Caribbean cruise vacation.  Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island.  There are so many things to enjoy at Castaway Cay.  Here are ten places you don’t want to miss:

1. Serenity Bay- Serenity Bay is the adult only area on Castaway Cay.  You can rent a cabana, get a message on the beach, join the yoga class, or just enjoy the peace and quiet of this kids free zone.
2. Pelican Plunge- Look for a thrill?  Try one of the twisting water slides.  You will have to swim out to Pelican Plunge so make sure you grab a life jacket for your little ones before you go.
3. Cookie’s BBQ- No need to get back on the ship for lunch.  Just walk over to Cookies BBQ for ribs, chicken, corn, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, and more.
4. Observation Tower- Rent a bike and ride along the bike trail to the observation tower.  The view is absolutely amazing!
5. Post Office- Castaway Cay has its own special postmark and stamps.  You can mail a post card to let everyone know how much fun you’re having on vacation.  You may also run into some of your favorite Disney pals for a quick photo.
6. Scuttle’s Cove- This is the youth activities area on the island.  You can drop off your kids with the Disney counselors and they can participate in activities like whale digging at Monstro’s Point.
7. Snorkeling Lagoon-   There are two snorkeling trails for guests to explore.  Can you find the hidden mickey?
8. Conched Out Bar- Enjoy an adult beverage.  The conch cooler is delicious!  Check your personal navigator for drink specials.  You can usually find an offer of 2 for 1 drinks.
9. She Sells Sea Shells…and Everything Else – Pick up your Castaway Cay merchandise at this location.
10. In Da Shade Games- Take a break from the sun and enjoy this pavilion where you can play basketball, billiards, ping-pong, shuffleboard, and more.

Written by Shante Carson — Shante is a Disney Cruise Expert with over eight cruises taken on the Disney Dream, Disney Wonder, and Disney Fantasy.  Bon Voyage!  Shante is ready to help you plan your magical Disney Cruise vacation. Book your next vacation with Shante at 252-917-0497 or shante@destinationsinflorida.com.