Pay Tribute to your Founding Fathers this President’s Day

Visit the classic attraction The Hall of Presidents in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  Experience the theatrical magic that brings all 43 U.S presidents together for the first time. But first, watch an original film that illuminates our country’s origins, the formation of our Constitution and the hard-fought struggles, including the Civil War. President Lincoln recites the Gettysburg Address. Later the curtain rises and each president is introduced on stage, and Presidents Washington and Obama deliver stirring speeches that swell with patriotism.

Fun Fact:  Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton personally recorded their own dialogue for this attraction!

Living with the Land Boat Ride at Epcot has Reopened

Horticulture goes high tech!  Living with the Land is a 14-minute boat ride in Future World at Epcot theme park that explores agricultural advances in the rain forest, Africa and beyond.  Set sail on a voyage of discovery through living laboratories as you cruise past the American plains, a tropical rain forest and the African desert to witness the latest developments in aquaculture and desert farming. Float by experimental greenhouses—where produce is grown for Epcot restaurants—and take a fascinating first-hand look at an aqua environment, the Aquacell, with alligators and fish. The greenhouses grow crops native to many cultures, including rice, sugar cane and bananas.

This thought-provoking ride will leave you amazed at the wondrous ways scientists are helping farmers prepare for the food needs of our world’s nations.

Pardon the Pixie Dust

*  Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom will be closed through Feb. 27th.

* Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios will be closed Feb 15th through Mar 27th.

* Blizzard Beach Water Park will be closed through Mar 20th.

Remember to keep checking our Walt Disney World Weekly Scoop Blog for updated information. 

To purchase Discount Disney Tickets, please visit our website or our Kissimmee location, The Official Ticket Center, or call us toll-free at 1-877-406-4836.

Universal Studios Orlando will be celebrating Mardi Gras not once, but twice this Valentine’s Day weekend!  The annual event will be included with park admission and with your Discount Universal Tickets on both Saturday and Sunday, with live concerts and the parade being shown both nights.

On Saturday, February 13th, Heart will be performing on the Music Plaza Stage at 8:30 PM at Universal Studios.  Over their illustrious career, Nancy and Ann Wilson, otherwise known as Heart; has always made urgent, immediate and compelling music including songs “Barracuda”, “What About Love”, “Never”, “Alone” and “All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You”. Simply put, following their creative impulses has made Heart one of the most innovative and enduring musical partnerships of our time. It’s a creative chemistry that has, to date, yielded sales of well over thirty million albums, with over twenty Top 40 hits and live shows that sell out stadiums whenever and wherever Heart performs.

On Sunday, February 14th, Kool & The Gang will be performing on the Music Plaza Stage at 8:30 PM at Universal Studios.  Formed as a jazz ensemble in the mid-’60s, Kool & the Gang became one of the most inspired and influential funk units during the ’70s, and one of the most popular R&B groups of the ’80s after their breakout hit “Celebration” in 1979. Just as funky as James Brown or Parliament (and sampled almost as frequently), Kool & the Gang relied on their jazz backgrounds and long friendship to form a tightly knit group with the interplay and improvisation of a jazz outfit, plus the energy and spark of a band with equal ties to soul, R&B, and funk.

For more information or to purchase Discount Universal Studios Tickets, please visit our website or Kissimmee location, The Official Ticket Center, or call us toll-free at 1-866-406-4836.

How to get the most out of your Disney Vacation

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – How can a guest get the absolute most theme park fun – and value – out of a Walt Disney World visit?

Per-day ticket costs decrease for longer stays.  A seven-day ticket without optional features brings down the per-day cost to less than half the price, per day, compared to seven individual one-day Base Tickets.  And the per-day cost of a 10-day ticket is less than one-third the price, per day, compared to 10 individual one-day Base Tickets.

The Water Park Fun & More option can produce significant savings for recreation and entertainment outside the theme parks.  Here’s what you need to know about the option:

• It provides admissions to the guest’s choice of Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, DisneyQuest, Disney’s Oak Trail golf course and Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
• The number of admissions it provides varies depending upon the number of days of the Base Ticket (the option added to a one- or two-day Base Ticket provides two visits to the guest’s choice from among the listed attractions; added to a seven-day Base Ticket, it provides seven visits).
• It costs $55.38.  Considering that one-day admission to a water park is $47.93-$41.54 or to DisneyQuest is $43.67-$37.28, substantial savings are possible. Prices listed above are gate prices with tax included.

The Park Hopper option can enhance the value of the vacation by allowing a guest to take advantage of special fun offered at different times of day at different Disney theme parks.  Other potential Park Hopper benefits:

• If the vacation stay is longer, “hopping” is perfect for repeating favorite attractions at the various parks.
• If the guest is staying “on property,” park-hopping can be the ticket to extra time in the parks (more about this under “Making the best use of time”).

Disney’s FASTPASS system allows guests to avoid waiting at designated popular attractions in all four Walt Disney World theme parks.  Here’s how it works:

• At the entrance to attractions offering FASTPASS, two times are posted – (1) approximate wait time using the normal queue and (2) return time for FASTPASS tickets currently being issued.
• If the wait in the normal queue is long, guests can choose to obtain a FASTPASS ticket (at no charge) with an assigned return time (an hour-long window) and then use the time until then to enjoy other experiences in the park.
• Upon returning to use their FASTPASS, the guest can hop on the attraction with little or no waiting.

• The exclusive time is one hour prior to scheduled park opening or up to three hours after park closing.
• The park varies from day to day.
• In all, there are up to 16 extra theme park hours available each week.
• The time is exclusively for guests of the 24 Walt Disney World owned-and-operated hotels, and Walt Disney World Dolphin, Walt Disney World Swan, Shades of Green and the Hilton at Downtown Disney.
• Disney water parks sometimes open one hour early for guests of select Disney resort hotels.
• To take advantage of the additional time in the parks, guests must have a Magic Your Way ticket valid for the park(s) offering Extra Magic Hours – and, of course, their hotel ID.
• The Park Hopper option on Magic Your Way tickets allows guests to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours in a park or parks different from where the guest spends the rest of the day.

• Avoiding the busy times likely means shorter waits for attractions and shows and better access to dining reservations.
• Busy times can mean extended operating hours and sometimes special incremental entertainment.
• Disney planners attempt to schedule periodic attraction closures for refurbishment at times other than vacation peaks.

• A length-of-stay rental saves some money.
• Even for a one-day rental, keep your receipt; if you park-hop, drop off the stroller when you leave a park and use your receipt to obtain a stroller when you enter another park.  (The receipt also permits you to claim another stroller if yours “disappears.”)

• A length-of-stay rental ticket is available which offers not only savings but also involves a one-time payment transaction after which the guest simply shows the receipt at the stroller rental location and is expedited through the queue with little or no wait time.

• Whether dining at a table-service restaurant or at a quick-service restaurant, desired dining requests will be addressed.
• In many cases, advance notice is required – usually at the time of your reservation.
• Please call Disney’s Dining Reservation Center at 407/WDW-DINE to discuss arrangements.

•  Disney’s PhotoPass service photographers are stationed at prime photo spots throughout the theme parks.
• The guest’s Disney’s PhotoPass ID card (issued free) is used by the photo team to keep track of images.
• The images can be viewed online; guests can order prints, customized photo albums, T-shirts, mugs and more.
• Additional information is available online by visiting www.disneyphotopass.com.

• Package pickup is available at no charge.  Merchandise is moved to package pickup, conveniently located near the front entrance of each park, for guests’ pickup when they are leaving the park.
• Hotel delivery is available at no charge to guests of Walt Disney World resorts.  Purchases made prior to 7 p.m. will be delivered to the guest’s hotel by noon the following day.  Purchases made after 7 p.m. will be at the hotel on the second day after purchase.
• Shipping is available for an additional charge at the time of purchase.

Typhoon Lagoon Now Open!

Typhoon Lagoon Water Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida is now open.  Every winter season, Disney closes one of their water parks at a time to complete any maintenance or refurbishment tasks.  While Typhoon was closed during December, Blizzard Beach was open, and now Blizzard Beach will be closed – probably for a little over a month.  Typhoon Lagoon is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

You can purhcase Discount Typhoon Lagoon Tickets, or Discount Water Park Fun & More Tickets, here at The Official Ticket Center.

Parades / Showtimes Changes

Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios

Now that we’re out of the busy holiday season, you’ll notice many of the Orlando area theme parks have adjusted their hours.  The parks are closing earlier, and some of them have even altered their parade and show times.  For example, the Spectromagic light parade at Magic Kingdom is no longer being performed every night, and Hollywood Studios has also stopped showing their Fantasmic show on a nightly basis.  Please make sure you refer to the Disney Times and Information brochures so you can ensure you are visiting the parks on the most fun-packed days!

Spectromagic Parade at Magic Kingdom

Spectromagic light parade at Magic Kingdom Schedule

 

January 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30  at 7:00 PM

Fantasmic Show at Hollywood Studios

January 17, 21, 24, 28   at 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM

January 31  at 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM

For updated information, please check our blog Walt Disney World Weekly Scoop on a regular basis.  For Discount Disney Tickets, please visit our Website, The Official Ticket Center, or call us toll-free at 1-877-406-4836.

Understanding Disney's Magic Your Way Tickets

The innovative Magic Your Way ticket plan at Walt Disney World Resort truly empowers guests to create their own tickets for a personally customized vacation.

• The Base Ticket provides admission to one Walt Disney World theme park on one day.  The parks a guest can choose among are: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

• The Base Ticket may be purchased for one to 10 days.

• The per-day cost of admission decreases in steps when multi-day tickets are purchased.  For instance, a four-day Magic Your Way Base Ticket costs less than 75% of the price of four one-day tickets purchased individually.  Per-day cost of a seven-day ticket is less than 45% of the price of seven one-day tickets. And with a 10-day ticket, per-day cost is less than 33% of an equivalent number of admissions using one-day tickets.

• The days the ticket is used for admission do not need to be consecutive.
   
• Magic Your Way tickets expire 14 days after initial use unless the No Expiration option has been added to the ticket.

• The No Expiration option is available on tickets for two days or more.  It simply means that unused admissions on a ticket have no expiration date.  The cost is based on the number of days on the original ticket – not on the number of unused days – and the cost increases in uneven steps to as much as $209 (on a 10-day ticket).

• The Park Hopper option allows the guest to visit more than one park a day.  The price of the feature is fixed (currently $52) whether Park Hopper is added to a one-day ticket or a 10-day ticket.

• Some potential benefits of Park Hopper: (1) taking advantage of the Extra Magic Hours program, which provides Disney resort hotel guests with exclusive time each day in a designated Disney park either before or after regular park operating hours; (2) doing a “sampling” of Disney park experiences during a short visit; or (3) revisiting favorites in several parks “for one more ride” later in a long vacation.

• The Water Park Fun & More option entitles a guest to visit a choice of gated Walt Disney World entertainment and recreation venues – currently Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park, DisneyQuest indoor interactive “theme park,” Disney’s Oak Trail golf course, and Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

• The price of the Water Park Fun & More option is fixed (currently $52), but the number of admissions available to the guest is determined by the number of days on the Base Ticket.  Added to a two-day through 10-day ticket, the option provides a similar number of visits to the guest’s choice of Water Park Fun & More experiences.  On a one-day Magic Your Way ticket, the Water Park Fun & More option provides two admissions to the guest’s choice from among the experiences.

• A guest more than recoups the cost of the Water Park Fun & More option by using it for two adult admissions to any combination of Blizzard Beach (regular one-day ticket is $45), Typhoon Lagoon ($45), DisneyQuest ($41) and Oak Trail golf course ($38).

• Water Park Fun & More considerations: Guests decide which gated attraction(s) they will visit (e.g., if they have five admissions available and love DisneyQuest, they can visit DisneyQuest five times); and the period for use is 14 days from when the Magic Your Way ticket is first used (unless the No Expiration option has been purchased).

• Magic Your Way tickets are available online at www.officialticketcenter.com, by calling toll free 1-877-406-4836 and by visiting our local office at 3148 Vineland Rd. Kissimmee, FL. 34746.

Merry Christmas

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  ~Charles Dickens

Attention Orlando, Florida Theme Park Visitors: New deal could have sweeping implications for SeaWorld and Universal Studios.

Worlds of Discovery Florida - SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Discovery Cove Orlando, and Busch Gardens Tampa

After months of negotiations, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) announced Wednesday October 7th that it will sell Busch Entertainment Corp. (BEC) to The Blackstone Group for as up to $2.7 billion.  According to the Orlando Sentinel, the NY-based private-equity giant, Blackstone, “will pay $2.3 billion in cash plus give AB InBev the right to participate in up to $400 million of its initial returns”, with Blackstone owning 100% of BEC.

The deal will surely have sweeping implications for the global tourism industry as a whole, as well as for Orlando tourists and the Orlando theme parks.  Based in Orlando, Florida, BEC is the second-busiest theme-park operator in the U.S..  BEC is the parent entertainment company for the ten Worlds of Discovery theme parks, including SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio, Busch Gardens Tampa and Williamsburg, Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando, Adventure Island in Tampa, Water Country in Williamsburg, and Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.

Blackstone already holds a 50% stake in Orlando’s No. 2 theme-park resort, and a direct competitor to SeaWorld – Universal Studios Resort Orlando.  The firm also owns Merlin Entertainment Group, the British amusement park operator with properties such as Legoland and Madame Tussauds Wax Museums.  Blackstone plans to retain BEC’s senior management and operate the company as a standalone investment.The firm also intends to give BEC execs relatively free reign in day-to-day management.

The Blackstone Group issued a press release with the following statements:

Carlos Brio, Chief Executive Officer of AB InBev, said: “BEC is a high performing asset with a world-class management team, but not a core business for AB InBev.  We are pleased to have reached an agreement with a buyer who understands the industry and has a strategic vision for the business.”

Joseph Baratta, Senior Managing Director of The Blackstone Group, said: “We have long admired the BEC parks.  They are the premier collection of entertainment parks in the United States and offer a unique family experience.  We are pleased to have the opportunity to acquire this business.  We have deep sector experience and look forward to working with the excellent BEC management team to continue to invest and grow the company.”

Jim Atchison, President of BEC, said: “Blackstone is uniquely experienced to help us take the company to new heights, and I look forward to working together to grow this great business.”

Representatives from both parties offer the assurance that visitors are likely to see few changes at the parks – BEC will continue to use the “Busch” name, promotional campaigns such “Here’s to the Heroes” will continue, and AB beers will still be sold.  The most noticeable difference will be the removal of the iconic Clydesdale horses from the SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa in-park stables, which will remain a part of the AB beer marketing division.

Both parties are also insisting that there will be no merger or packages between the Busch, Universal, or Merlin entertainment groups - the firm noted it bought the three out of separate investment funds with separate investors and interests.  It will be interesting to see if this holds true in the future.

The deal is likely to take several months to close.  For updates or information regarding SeaWorld Orlando or Universal Studios Orlando, please visit The Official Ticket Center Blog regularly.

For discounted Orlando theme park tickets, please visit our Web site, The Official Ticket Center, or call us toll-free at 1-877-406-4836.

When Fighting Fraudulent Ticket Sales In Orlando, It’s the Commitment to Tourists that Really Counts; The Official Ticket Center Has Responded to the Problems.

It’s well-known that discount Walt Disney World tickets can be difficult to find at the best of times. Fraudulent ticket sales from off-site theme park vendors have been a problem. Most visitors to Walt Disney World in Orlando can only hope that the availability of cheap Disney tickets exists, when they want them, and at the right price.

The company has a newly revamped blog and also has a daily promotion that brings significant free incentives for ticket sales over $500., including two free Universal City Walk passes or two kids “eat free” cards.

Whenever and wherever they do come to Orlando, The Official Ticket Center will be here to competitively service the traveling public with outstanding, discounted ticket prices to all major Orlando and Central Florida attractions.  One innovative and well-known Orlando entrepreneur, Patrick Pulliam of The Official Ticket Center, has made a success out of ethically offering an abundant supply of in-demand Orlando attraction tickets, including the popular Disney World, at major discounts. Patrick Pulliam, Owner of The Official Ticket Center, has carved out a highly unique niche and strong discount reputation in one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.

“We have been very successful in forging a consumer friendly service,” Pulliam says. “We always felt that Orlando-bound tourists need not pay top dollar for prime attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando resort, SeaWorld , Kennedy Space Center and other popular Central Florida attractions. Especially in today’s economy, when high prices have kept families away.”

Pulliam and his staff work hard to provide Orlando tourists with a wide variety of information regarding visits to Orlando as well.

“We help to distribute an interesting weekly report about the best deals in Orlando,” Pulliam says, “and The Weekly Scoop is a very popular summary that our current and previous customers always look forward to.”

A recent “Weekly Scoop” included hot advice on Disney Water Parks, and a listing of special events in Orlando of interest to area visitors.

“Disney attractions have been especially competitive in the slow economy,” Pulliam observes.

He does not expect area theme parks to immediately begin pulling back on the discounts that have helped to maintain attendance during the recession.

“The essential issue is really how fast tourists continue to book aggressively,” Pulliam says. “Whenever and wherever they do come to Orlando, The Official Ticket Center will be here to competitively service the traveling public with outstanding, discounted ticket prices to all major Orlando and Central Florida attractions.”

Pulliam additionally pointed out that current Orlando area promotions have reached a lot of first-time families. He indicated he is committed to moving forward with a focus on servicing first-time and repeat visitors with optimum service and extremely competitive ticket pricing.

For more information and Disney vacation plan, please visit Pulliam’s website:

http://www.officialticketcenter.com

Or Call

1-877-406-4836

Twitter Connect

http://twitter.com/oticketc

2009 Epcot Candlelight Processional

Changes in Epcot’s Candlelight Processional lineup include Angela Bassett, Courtney Vance

Actors Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance have joined the lineup of narrators for Candlelight Processional, the part of Epcot’s holiday offerings. The couple, who have been married since 1997, will read during the performances of Dec. 28-30, according to www.disneyworld.com. Bassett is lending her voice to the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated project, The Princess and the Frog, currently set to be released Dec. 25, 2009.

Bassett and Vance will also be appearing together as a married couple in the upcoming season of ER on NBC.

Their addition at Epcot moves Marlee Matlin earlier in the lineup. She’ll now be at Candlelight Dec. 10-12, which in turn relocates Monique Coleman a few days to Dec. 13-15.

The Candlelight Processional and Massed Choir began in 1958 at Disneyland in California. Thirteen years later, Walt Disney World presented its first Epcot Candlelight Processional in the Magic Kingdom with Rock Hudson as the guest narrator. In 1994, the event was moved to the America Gardens Theatre at Epcot. Thousands of guests continue to share in each of the 100+ performances that are presented throughout the holiday season.

Each evening, nearly 400 performers fill the stage to create this mainstay of Disney’s holiday festivities. The orchestra consists of 51 professional musicians from the central Florida area. The choir members dressed in gold represent high school groups from 30 states. A total of 21,000 amateur vocalists participate in this massed choir during the five weeks of performances. The performers dressed in green (the “tree”) are Walt Disney World cast members from all departments and areas throughout the Company.

The singers in red and black (the base of the “tree”) are the nationally acclaimed Voices of Liberty The centerpiece of the cast is a guest celebrity who narrates the story of the Nativity. Guest narrators over the years have included acclaimed actors, astronauts, vocalists, news commentators, and sports celebrities. The show is approximately 40 minutes long. There will be three daily showings from November 27 through December 30 at 5:00, 6:45 & 8:15 PM.

NOTE: There will be no 5 p.m. performance on December 6, 2009.

2009 Schedule of Narrators*:

Celebrity narrators scheduled to appear include;

November 27 – 29: Isabella Rossellini
November 30 & December 1 – 2: John O’Hurley
December 3 – 5: Steven Curtis Chapman
December 6 – 8: Anika Noni Rose
December 9 – 11: Andy Garcia
December 12 – 14: Vanessa Williams
December 15 – 17: Abigail Breslin
December 18 – 20: Whoopi Goldberg
December 21 – 23: Brian Dennehy
December 24 -26: Edward James Olmos
December 27 – 30: Angela Bassett / Courtney B. Vance