Dateline Disney August 2006

Walt Disney World's Media Office publishes a monthly Press Release called Dateline Disney,
which highlights WDW activities for that particular month.

August 2006

In This Edition:

Walt Disney World theme parks: Little ones will groove to the music at special kid-friendly concerts Aug. 13-Sept. 30 as part of Magical Beginnings, an exciting new program for families with toddlers and preschoolers.

Disney Sports & Recreation: Walt Disney World guests in the first half of August can check out training camp of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba, the spectacular Cirque du Soleil production at Downtown Disney West Side, welcomes its 5 millionth guest in August.

Disney Dining: With great views and indoor and outdoor seating, The Turf Club Bar and Grill offers great American favorites at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

Late Summer Deal: Lodging from $64 per night makes late summer/early fall a great time to "make it Disney."

Little Ones Can Dance and Sing During Kid-Friendly Concert Series at Disney-MGM Studios

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- "Playhouse Disney in Concert," a seven-week theatrical and musical extravaganza that includes a four-day engagement by the award-winning The Wiggles, will rouse the crowd and have little ones singing and dancing Aug. 13-Sept. 30 at Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World Resort.

The special entertainment, presented by Huggies and Pull-Ups brands, will take place as part of Magical Beginnings, the newly created program for families traveling to Walt Disney World Resort with toddlers and preschoolers. Magical Beginnings, presented by Playskool, features planning tools, services, travel packages and amenities devoted to families with young children.

Disney Channel favorite The Wiggles will perform multiple shows daily, Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The award-winning Australian foursome will entertain the crowd with playful tunes like "Yummy, Yummy" and "Big Red Car."

At other times during the seven-week series, youngsters can dance and sing along with Disney Channel favorites such as The Doodlebops; Johnny & the Sprites, featuring Johnny Tartaglia; Dan Zanes and friends and more. In addition, Disney Live Family Entertainment featuring the new "Mickey's Magic Show" created by Feld Entertainment will make its first-ever park appearances.

The music concerts and other entertainment will take place at various Disney-MGM Studios venues.

Performers scheduled to attend:

* Aug. 13-14: Imagination Movers - ABC Theater
* Aug. 15-19: "Mickey's Magic Show" - Soundstage 1
* Aug. 20-23: The Doodlebops - ABC Theater
* Aug. 24-27: "Mickey's Magic Show" - Soundstage 1
* Aug. 28: Playhouse Disney Dance Party - Sorcerer Mickey Hat stage
* Aug. 29-Sept. 1: The Wiggles - Epic Theater
* Sept. 2-10: Johnny & the Sprites - ABC Theater
* Sept. 11-16: Ralph's World - ABC Theater
* Sept. 17: Playhouse Disney Dance Party - Sorcerer Mickey Hat stage
* Sept. 18-24: Imagination Movers - ABC Theater
* Sept. 25-30: Dan Zanes and friends - ABC Theater

Performance times and acts are subject to change. The concerts are included in general park admission. For more information, contact 407/W-DISNEY, or disneyworld.com/littleones. For more information on Magical Beginnings, visit disneymagicalbeginnings.com.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Training Camp Welcomes Fans to
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex July 28-Aug. 16

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex for their 2006 NFL training camp, July 28-Aug. 16. The Buccaneers, who have trained at the 220-acre sports complex for the past four years, are the first NFL team to conduct a pre-season training camp at Walt Disney World Resort.

Fans will have the opportunity to catch Bucs head coach Jon Gruden and their favorite Bucs players in action when the team takes the practice fields for two-a-day workouts -- daily morning and afternoon sessions -- on the Hess Sports Fields at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Training camp practices are free and open to the public. For more information, visit 407/939-GAME (939-4263), disneyworldsports.com or buccaneers.com.

La Nouba by Cirque Du Soleil Celebrates Its 5 Millionth Guest at Walt Disney World Resort

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- La Nouba, the spectacular Cirque du Soleil production exclusively presented at Walt Disney World Resort, is about to reach the important milestone of having hosted 5 million guests. Audiences have been dazzled by the daring acts, live music and remarkable choreography of La Nouba since its opening in December 1998.

To celebrate its 5-million-guest milestone, the cast and crew of La Nouba will select one lucky guest attending the 6 p.m. performance on Thursday, Aug. 10, to be its honorary 5 millionth guest. This person will enjoy an amazing and one-of-a-kind experience, which includes a personal on-stage recognition by the cast, interaction with select La Nouba characters during the show, unique La Nouba memorabilia gifts, and an exclusive backstage meet-and-greet with the artists.

La Nouba continues to perform twice nightly at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at the Cirque du Soleil theater, by calling 407/939-7600, or on cirquedusoleil.com. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, please visit cirquedusoleil.com.

La Nouba Fun Facts:
-- La Nouba celebrated its 3500th performance on Saturday, May 13, 2006.
--There are 1730 audio cables running through the theater. Placed end to end, they reach a total length of 865,000 feet or approximately 164 miles.
-- When La Nouba first opened to the public, it did not feature the Cycles act, which is now an intricate part of the show.
-- The average age of the cast of La Nouba is 31½. Ages range from 10 to 50 years old.
-- The wardrobe department handles more than 300 costumes and headpieces every day. Most of the 67 artists performing in La Nouba wear three different costumes per show.
-- Over 1200 lighting fixtures are used for each performance of La Nouba.

Outdoor Dining on the Golf Course

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The new Turf Club Bar and Grill recently opened at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, one of just a handful of Walt Disney World restaurants offering year-round outdoor dining. Patio tables overlook the Lake Buena Vista golf course.

Themed with equestrian memorabilia, the casual dining room at the Disney Vacation Club resort is open to the public. The menu offers casual creations including steamed mussels, crab cake bites, spiced salmon salad and a classic Reuben. At dinner, pork ribs with apple-cinnamon barbecue sauce are a specialty.

Specialty drinks include the Preakness Cosmo, Belmont Stakes Martini and Millionaire's Margarita, and dessert drinks like the Espresso Chiller and Mudslide Martini.

For reservations, call 407/WDW-DINE.

Late Summer Deal: Lodging from $64 Per Night Makes
Late Summer/Early Fall a Great Time to "Make It Disney"

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Special events and fewer crowds make late summer/early fall a great time for the Florida Vacation Kingdom. Did we mention special deals? Walt Disney World Resort is offering a late-summer lodging special starting at $64 per night plus tax (standard room) in a select Value resort such as Disney's All-Star Resorts or Disney's Pop Century Resort. Guestrooms are limited at this rate and may be booked from July 10-Aug. 18 for stays Aug. 27 through Sept. 30 (block-out dates Sept. 1-2 ). Visit disneyworld.com or phone 407/939-7427 and ask for package code BPN. In addition, Disney tickets are priced downward the more days a guest spends in the theme parks, thanks to "Magic Your Way" ticketing.