Epcot Flower Fest Has April Showers Bringing May Flower Power Concerts and More

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- In May, guests can turn back the clock and rock at the Flower Power concerts during the 11th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival running through June 6. The festival opened April 16.

The lineup of bands and their famous hits:

Also in May, Epcot guests of the International Flower & Garden Festival can enjoy several themed weekends:

To plan a visit, guests can call 407/W-DISNEY; the festival is included in regular Epcot admission.

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Star Wars Weekends Returns to Disney Galaxy May 14 for Five Weekends

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The power of the Force and the magic of Disney combine for Star Wars Weekends, scheduled for five consecutive weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) beginning May 14 at Disney-MGM Studios.

Inspired by the five Star Wars films -- Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace and the most recent box-office smash, Attack of the Clones -- the event is one of the world's largest Star Wars fan-fests.

More than 40 characters -- from Queen Amidala to Greedo -- from all five Star Wars films will roam the theme park greeting guests, signing autographs and posing for photographs. Each weekend, fans also will be able to "star gaze," as Star Wars actors, legends and celebrities take part in autograph sessions and Hollywood-style motorcades.

Also featured: Special Star Wars editions of the popular game show attraction "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!"; the "Jedi Training Academy" for younger fans; event-exclusive merchandise, and rides aboard the famous Star Tours thrill ride.

Star Wars Weekends launch May 14 and will be held five consecutive weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) through June 13, 2004. Activities are included with regular Disney-MGM Studios admission.

For the latest event updates, guests may visit disneyworld.com or starwars.com.

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Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is on Track to Open May 27

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opens May 27 at Walt Disney World Resort, becoming the seventh property to join the growing collection of Disney vacation ownership resorts.

Located just across the lake from Downtown Disney, the resort recaptures the heyday of upstate New York country retreats of the late 1800s. From its colorful Victorian architecture to the historic influence of horse racing, this idyllic lakeside community invites family and friends to enjoy its relaxing atmosphere and amenities, such as a full-service spa, nearby golf and a unique eatery/market venue.

Pre-opening membership sales for the phased Disney Vacation Club (DVC) property began on Aug. 3, 2003. Phase 1, which consists of 184 vacation homes, is already more than 50 percent sold. Upon completion in 2005, Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will have 552 vacation homes and will be the largest DVC development to date.

Editor's Note: The Official Grand Opening of Saratoga Springs is May 27th. The resort opens on May 17th.

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New Online Game of Mission: SPACE Thrill Ride Launches May 5

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Guests at home can now get a taste of the Mission: SPACE attraction at Epcot by playing the new Mission: SPACE Race Online, an interactive game that teams in-park guests with online participants in a race to guide spacecrafts from Mars to their home bases. While guests have already been online using the preview mode, the official launch of the new online game takes off May 5 at disneyspacerace.com.

This marks the first time guests at home can "connect" with in-park guests in a game at a Disney theme park. While theme park guests play the game on giant screens inside the attraction, guests at home play along on their personal computers. Teams enable their spaceships to go faster by hitting the correct keyboard buttons to apply "fixes" to damaged sections of the ship. The more fixes that are applied, the faster the team's ship heads to its home base, with the winner being the team which first guides its ship back to base.

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AAA Honors Walt Disney World Resort with Seven AAA Four Diamond Awards

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Six Walt Disney World hotel properties and one restaurant have won the AAA Four Diamond Award for 2004.

This year marks the first time that three of the Walt Disney World resorts earned the honor -- Disney's Beach Club Resort, Disney's Beach Club Villas and Disney's BoardWalk Villas. Repeaters to the prestigious resort list were Disney's BoardWalk (7th award), Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (15th award) and Disney's Yacht Club Resort (13th award).

Jiko-The Cooking Place, a South African-themed restaurant located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, was honored in the dining category. It was Jiko's second AAA Four Diamond Award.

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Second Annual Walt Disney World Inline Marathon May 2

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- For the past 11 years, runners have had the opportunity to "run around the world" as part of the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon. On May 2 the Vacation Kingdom will give inline skaters a similar thrill with the second annual Walt Disney World Inline Marathon, a 26.2-mile inline skating event that winds through Walt Disney World theme parks and other Disney resort areas.

The event was created by Disney Sports Attractions in conjunction with the International Inline Skating Association and the National Skate Patrol.

Entries ($80 for the Marathon and $60 for the Half Marathon) must be received by April 29. The entry fee is non-refundable and no race day registration will be available.

Disney's Inline Marathon weekend kicks off with a skate and fitness expo on May 1 at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Representatives from the skate and fitness industry will be available to answer questions and exhibit the latest inline products and services.

A series of races for kids are planned for Saturday, May 1, as part of the All Star Kids Classic. Registration for this event is available online. The kid's race entry is $5 and includes the 100-meter dash, 400-meter dash and 1600-meter dash for children ranging from 3-12 years old.

For more information on Disney's Inline Marathon, visit disneyworldsports.com.

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Triathlon Competitions at Walt Disney World Resort

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The month of May at Walt Disney World Resort is busy with a pair of triathlon events -- the Danskin Women's Triathlon (May 16) and the Florida Half-Ironman Triathlon (May 23).

The Danskin Women's Triathlon is geared exclusively to women (all ages 14 and older) and benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which will receive ten percent of all entry fees. In its fifth year at Walt Disney World Resort, the one-day event consists of a .75K swim through Seven Seas Lagoon, a 20K bike ride from Magic Kingdom to Bear Island Road and then a return to Magic Kingdom for a 5K run through the theme park.

The Florida Half-Ironman Triathlon is geared towards extreme athletes. Triathlon competitors will be competing for the top 30 qualifying spots at the 2004 World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, and for another 170 spots in five full Ironman North American events. Philadelphia Insurance Company will serve as presenting sponsor.

This first Florida Half-Ironman Triathlon will challenge competitors with a 1.2-mile swim through Disney's Bay Lake, a 56-mile bike ride around Walt Disney World property and a 13.1-mile run through Disney's Osprey Ridge golf course.

For more information on the Florida Half-Ironman Triathlon, please visit floridahalfironman.com.

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Downtown Disney Pleasure Island Says Bienvenidos to Cinco de Mayo Partygoers

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Guests can put on their colorful best and head to Downtown Disney Pleasure Island on April 30, May 1 and May 5 when Walt Disney World Resort plays host to evenings of Mexican-themed entertainment and activities honoring Cinco de Mayo.

In addition to live music, piñatas, festive stiltwalkers and other Mexican delights, guests can learn fancy footwork from two "Mexican Hat Dance Fanatics" who teach the famous dance and informally award prizes for best (and worst) performance. When Pleasure Island live DJs aren't tossing beads from the stage, they are challenging visitors to Cinco De Mayo trivia contests. And, Pleasure Island's own version of Salute to Cinco de Mayo, Miss Southern de Mayo, shares her southern charm as she strolls through the crowds.

Nighttime entertainment begins at 7 p.m. and requires a Pleasure Island admissions pass. For the latest event updates at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, guests may visit disneyworld.com

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'Behind the Screams' Look at Haunted Mansion Movie Sets Ends Special Engagement at Disney-MGM Studios

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The "behind-the-screams" look at The Haunted Mansion movie will end its "special engagement" at Disney-MGM Studios on May 1, 2004. The multi-media experience, which opened October 2003, features sets and props from Walt Disney Pictures' "The Haunted Mansion" which stars Eddie Murphy in a film inspired by the famous Magic Kingdom attraction.

The film sets were reconstructed on Soundstage 4 at Disney-MGM Studios to replicate the actual film set in California.

Despite closing its haunted doors to theme park guests, the set and attraction will remain available to groups and conventions for use during special events.