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MAY 2005

In This Edition:

Disney-MGM Studios: The power of the Force meets Disney magic when Star Wars fun returns.

Epcot: Themed weekends bloom at Flower & Garden Festival.

Resorts: The wine flows at Jiko-The Cooking Place.

Recreation & Water Parks: Blizzard Beach celebrates 10 years of icy thrills and chills; golfers are treated to a price slice; Disney's Magnolia course gets a makeover.

Downtown Disney: Harley-Davidson store roars onto the scene; Goofy's Candy Co. serves sweet treats.
Extra!

Throughout Walt Disney World Resort: "Happiest Celebration" fun begins.

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Disney Celebrates Star Wars Films During Annual
Star Wars Weekends Festival in May and June 2005

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As the long-anticipated and newest Star Wars film -- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith -- debuts in theaters nationwide May 19, 2005, Walt Disney World Resort will raise the curtain on its month-long celebration of the most famous saga in movie history during the annual Star Wars Weekends at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park.

Once again, the power of the Force and the magic of Disney are combining for the family-friendly fan-fest, scheduled for four consecutive weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from May 20 through June 12, 2005, at Disney's showbiz-inspired theme park.

Meet-and-greets with famous villains and heroes from all six Star Wars films -- Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith -- bring guests face-to-face with their favorite characters.

Also featured: special Star Wars-inspired editions of the popular attraction "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!"; "Jedi Training Academy," where youngsters have the chance to master skills with a lightsaber; Star Wars parades and motorcades; autograph sessions and star conversations with Star Wars celebrities; a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith; and collectible, event-exclusive merchandise created by Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd.

For the latest Star Wars Weekends updates, guests may visit starwars.com or disneyworld.com.

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Harley-Davidson Store Roars Onto Downtown Disney Pleasure Island

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Now open at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island is an Orlando Harley-Davidson retail location. The Harley-Davidson store features genuine Harley-Davidson T-shirts, jackets, hats, gifts, collectibles and pet accessories. Custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles with one-of-a-kind paint schemes and plenty of chrome are on display for guests to see, touch and sit on.

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Themed Weekends Are Sprouting At the 2005 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Colorful art pieces, nature photography sessions, interactive family fun and special Mother's Day activities add plenty of themed fun to May weekends of the 12th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (which continues through June 5). Here's a snapshot of what's in store:

Art in the Garden Weekend (April 29-May 1) -- Guests observe landscape artists at work capturing the beauty of Epcot gardens. Artists paint at locations around the World Showcase promenade, while other artists paint works for sale.

Mother's Day Weekend (May 6-8) -- Epcot celebrates this special day for Moms with beautiful floral arrangements at the Festival Center. Moms are treated to a flower and a photo exclusively on May 8. Photo locations are at Canada, Germany, Norway and The Land pavilions.

Photography Weekend (May 13-15) -- Photography experts share tips and secrets with guests. Atmosphere entertainment includes Walking Flower Arrangements and Stilt Flowers.

Characters in Bloom Weekend (May 20-22) -- More than 30 Disney characters are everywhere in the park for a character extravaganza that includes the Country Bears, Snow White and friends, Lilo, Goofy and others.

Memorial Day Weekend (May 28-30) -- An old fashioned "field day" complete with fun and games celebrates nature and the great outdoors. Children can take part in beanbag tosses, relay races and other outdoor fun.

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Monthly Wine Dinners at Jiko-The Cooking Place

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Jiko-The Cooking Place at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge has launched a monthly wine dinner, planned the first Thursday of every month in the restaurant's private dining room, Cape Town.

Chef Anette Grecchi Gray will step outside the menu and create dishes from around the globe, with wines paired by sommelier Stephen Shepherd.

"We'd like to branch out a bit," said Gray. She said she envisions featuring an Italian-inspired dish paired with a South African Sangiovese, or a course from the Australian outback paired with a Shiraz from Australia and a Syrah from South Africa.

"Or perhaps French-inspired foods with a South African bordeaux, or a hearty German meal paired with a Gewûrtstraminer from Dehlheim," she continued. "The sky is the limit."

The wine dinners are $130 per person. For reservations, call 407/WDW-DINE.

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Blizzard Beach Celebrates 10th Anniversary

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Disney's Blizzard Beach has reached a milestone, celebrating 10 years of arctic fun at Walt Disney World Resort. The 66-acre water adventure park is unique with its tropical setting mixed with the atmosphere and excitement of a major ski resort.

The most eye-catching attractions at Blizzard Beach can be found on the slopes of Mt. Gushmore. As guests enter the park, they are greeted by the busy view of "skiers" sliding down the face of the 90-foot snow-capped mountain. It is home to Downhill Double Dipper, the only side-by-side racing water slides that stand 50 feet high and 200 feet long. Mt. Gushmore also features slalom courses, toboggan and water sled runs and the awesome, 120-foot-high Summit Plummet -- the nation's tallest, fastest free-fall speed slide, visible from almost anywhere in the park.

For more information about Blizzard Beach, guests may call 407/824-4321.

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Goofy's Candy Co. Brings Sweet New Treats to Downtown Disney

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Downtown Disney is sweeter than ever with this ultimate destination for anyone with a sweet tooth. The expanded Goofy's Candy Co. features creative and entertaining candy concoctions, including: a centerpiece show kitchen and dipping station where guests create scrumptious confections; Goofy's Glaciers where frozen drinks are made to order; bulk candy assortments served up with a fun, interactive twist; and traditional favorites such as taffy, rock candy, cotton candy, lollipops and chocolate.

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Disney Vacation Club Receives Accolades

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The fast-growing Disney Vacation Club is getting off to a great year, having received several prestigious awards. Accolades and honorable mentions have been received from The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI), Florida Trend Magazine, Hiatus Magazine and the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors.

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'Extreme Makeover' to Improve Putting Surfaces,
Lengthen Disney's Magnolia Course to About 7,500 Yards

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Disney's Magnolia golf course, a PGA Tour event site every year since 1971, is undergoing an "extreme makeover" this summer in preparation for the 35th annual Funai Classic at Walt Disney World Resort in October. The makeover, which begins May 9, will include resurfacing greens, laser-leveling tees, extending tee boxes and building new tee boxes.

When the Magnolia reopens on Sept. 10, the greens will feature TifEagle turf, a hybrid bermudagrass with playability more like northern bentgrass than the previous surface (Tifdwarf). The course will also play about 300 yards longer -- at approximately 7,500 yards from the championship tees. Ten holes will be lengthened, either by enlarging the tee area or by building a new championship tee box.

The Magnolia is the second of Disney's five championship courses to undergo green resurfacing. The Palm course was resurfaced in 2004, and the change is getting favorable reviews from players, according to Gary Myers, manager of golf course maintenance. "Right now, the Palm greens are the best -- which is what we would expect. The six-year program is to bring all the courses up to that standard."

While the Magnolia course is closed for the makeover from May 9 until Sept. 10, players can test the Palm (also used by the pros during the Funai Classic), Osprey Ridge, Eagle Pines, Lake Buena Vista and the nine-hole Oak Trail. To book tee times, players can call 407/WDW-GOLF or go online at www.disneygolf.com.

The 2005 Funai Classic will be played Oct. 20-23. The $4.4 million PGA Tour event will pay $792,000 to the winner from a field of 144 professionals. Ryan Palmer is reigning champion. Advance tickets are available by calling 407/835-2525.

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With Disney's Price Slice, Golfers Hook Special Savings
Beginning May 2

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Most of the time, a "slice" is something golfers would like to avoid. But for nearly five months beginning May 2, Walt Disney World golf is serving up Disney's Price Slice -- special savings on tee times after 10 a.m.

With Disney's Price Slice, golfers can test a championship course for rates as low as $45 after 10 a.m. daily between May 2 and Sept. 29. Rates vary depending upon which Disney course the golfer plays: Palm ($45), Lake Buena Vista ($45), Eagle Pines ($50), Osprey Ridge ($60).

Rates include greens fees and use of an electric cart. Tee times can be booked online (www.disneyworldgolf.com) up to 60 days in advance, or by calling 407/WDW-GOLF.

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“Happiest Celebration on Earth”
Kicks Off at Walt Disney World Resort

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Careening, flying, flaming vehicles, from France. Tantalizing sights, sounds and aromas of natural wonders, from California. A joyous musical celebration fit for a princess, from Japan. And one playful dinosaur from the secret labs of Walt Disney Imagineering.

Spectacular attractions are being imported to Walt Disney World Resort from Disney destinations all over the globe as the Florida Vacation Kingdom sets to join the "Happiest Celebration on Earth."

This 18-month jubilee beginning May 5 salutes 50 years of Disney theme park magic, commemorating the 50th anniversary of California's Disneyland, the original Disney park.

In the past five decades Disney parks have become a worldwide phenomenon, so each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks will feature a blockbuster attraction from somewhere else on Earth -- from Paris, Tokyo and California. In addition, a unique attraction will be created just for the Florida resort.

"Disney parks are an international phenomenon -- the most popular in the world," said Walt Disney World President Al Weiss. "During this golden anniversary celebration, we're giving Walt Disney World guests a chance to sample Disney magic from three continents and creating new reasons to visit each of our Florida parks."

At Magic Kingdom, guests will enjoy "Cinderellabration," an enchanting musical spectacular direct from Tokyo Disneyland. Performed several times daily in front of the glittering spires of Cinderella Castle, the icon of Walt Disney World Resort, the live stage show will continue the "happily-ever-after" story of Cinderella as Disney's most beloved princesses gather to celebrate the coronation of this favorite character.

At Epcot, Disney's California Adventure will provide a tribute to the West Coast heritage of Disney theme parks with Soarin' -- one of the most popular attractions at one of the newest Disney parks. Epcot guests will take to the skies in a thrilling hang-gliding journey over the rich wonders of the Golden State, with breathtaking sights of nature's majesty in its many forms -- and even the sweet aroma of citrus blossoms. The "flight" ends, appropriately enough, with an aerial view of Disneyland itself.

Also at Epcot, guests at the China pavilion can get a sneak peek at the start of the next 50 years of Disney theme parks at the Hong Kong Disneyland Preview Center. Guests pass among showcases filled with plans and photos, costumes and models, maps and artwork of Disney's 11th theme park. Inspired by California's Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland is scheduled to open on Sept. 12, 2005, on a picturesque site on Lantau Island, overlooking Penny's Bay.

At Disney-MGM Studios, the "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" from Walt Disney Studios Paris will spotlight the bombastic best of the movie industry's stunt masters several times daily. Filled with high-octane energy and tightly choreographed thrills, the live show will send cars, motorcycles and watercraft careening and jumping across a Mediterranean village set, giving 5,000 guests in a custom-built grandstand a behind-the-scenes look at movie mayhem.

At Disney's Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney Imagineering will showcase Lucky the Dinosaur, the first-ever free-roaming Audio-Animatronics creation. After successful previews at Disney's California Adventure, Lucky will roam DinoLand U.S.A., interacting with guests during a limited engagement. The startlingly lifelike creature -- which can laugh, sneeze, bray and even hiccup -- was named one of 2003's top inventions by Time magazine and represents the next step forward in Disney's pioneering Audio-Animatronics technology.

Later in the celebration year, Walt Disney World Resort will present a new adventure of its own with the opening of the towering Expedition Everest thrill ride in the Asia area of Disney's Animal Kingdom. The legend of the yeti comes to life in a dramatic high-speed train adventure that combines coaster-style thrills with the excitement of a close encounter with the abominable snowman among the icy peaks of the world's highest mountain.

The celebration caps an incredible array of blockbuster attractions and shows that have been added to Walt Disney World Resort over the past two years: Soarin'; "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show"; Expedition Everest; Stitch's Great Escape!; "Wishes" fireworks spectacular; "Mickey's PhilharMagic" and Mission: SPACE.

These new experiences showcase all the ways Disney theme parks entertain guests, Weiss noted, "from classic 'E-ticket' thrills to spectacular live shows to great new adventures with beloved characters."

"Fifty years of Disney theme parks really means 50 years of magical experiences and cherished memories for families around the world," Weiss said. "During 'Happiest Celebration on Earth,' our guests here in Florida will find new magic from all the worlds of Disney, no matter which of our parks they visit."