LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – 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.  Packing more floral punch this year, the festival showcases more than 100 expertly crafted topiaries — including a new American Gothic Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

“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.”

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2010) – The “Main Street Electrical Parade” lights up the streets of Magic Kingdom and headlines a season of after-dark excitement coming to Walt Disney World Resort.”After the sun goes down, our Walt Disney World parks will light up the night with ‘Summer Nightastic!’, ” announced Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort, at a media event Wednesday.
Disney magic will shine and shimmer in a whole new light.  Here’s a look around:

• With floats and characters appearing for the first time at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” returns with its joyous sights and sounds.  Direct from Disneyland and marking its first engagement in Florida since 2001, the cherished parade will be led by Tinker Bell waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new float.  Pinocchio and Snow White join the parade this summer, aboard bright new floats.  Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” is set for its summer-long nighttime premiere in early June at Magic Kingdom.
• The Twilight Zone^TM Tower of Terror welcomes “drop-ins” this summer with even more pulse-racing surprises.  New lighting effects and the addition of a new drop sequence, created especially for “Summer Nightastic!”, will bring unexpected frights to guests who step into that infamous service elevator.  If they dare.
• What could be more summery than fireworks on a star-studded night?  Magic Kingdom will treat guests to a special summer fireworks spectacular.  The night sky will explode in vivid colors and brilliant visual effects as whimsical music fills the air.
• Other fun!  The return of the Sounds Like Summer concert series to Epcot and extended evening hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom several times a week add up to summer fun as only Disney can do – at all four Walt Disney World theme parks.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Aligning the world’s No. 1 family vacation destination with the worldwide leader in sports, Walt Disney World Resort and ESPN have joined forces to re-brand Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex with the ESPN brand.  This partnership will take youth sports to a new level by creating an entertaining and immersive experience for the nearly 2 million athletes, coaches and spectators who come through the Disney sports complex each year.

The project incorporates the signature elements of ESPN throughout the 220-acre facility, which will be renamed ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex starting Feb. 25, 2010.  The project aims to take youth sports to the next level by enhancing the experience of athletes and spectators, making them feel like they’ve reached the big time, while also connecting them to their favorite ESPN programs, personalities and elements.  It also will provide advertisers new sponsorship opportunities at the grass-roots level.

“Our involvement in the Disney sports complex will provide greater opportunities for us to connect directly with athletes, coaches and fans in a highly immersive way,” said George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports, and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks.  “Our involvement also provides us with a unique and exciting new media platform that will enable our advertisers and sponsors to reach new customers and bring their products and services to life.”

The re-branding of the Disney sports complex is the latest initiative in the growing sports business at Walt Disney World Resort.  In late 2007, the sports complex added additional outdoor playing fields for football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey competitions.  And in 2008, the sports complex opened Jostens Center, a state-of-the-art field house that allows Disney to accommodate twice as many indoor sports events each year.  Additional expansion ideas are in development, including a planned state-of-the-art bowling facility.

Disney Sports annually stages more than 250 events and has accommodated approximately 60 different sports involving athletes from more than 70 countries.  Among those events are the Atlanta Braves spring training season, Chelsea Football Club events, the Pop Warner Super Bowl, AAU National Championships, Varsity Cheer events, the World Cheerleading Championships, USSSA events and the Walt Disney World Marathon, one of the top marathons in the nation.  ESPN televises more than 20 sporting events from the complex, and Walt Disney World Resort and ESPN also annually work together to host the popular ESPN The Weekend event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.