Disney World Presents “Fall” Season of Sights, Sounds, Smells and Very Good Tastes

New treats for the taste buds await Walt Disney World guests this fall – a season that also will feature treats for the ears of music-lovers, treats for the eyes of art-lovers and sports fans, treats that make good “scents” and lots of just plain trick-or-treats.

Fall is traditionally a season of special events at the Vacation Kingdom, and 2010 will be no exception as the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Night of Joy, Festival of the Masters, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the Children’s Miracle Network Classic for PGA players and the Old Spice Classic all return – to be joined by an all-new running event.  And to top it off: There will be new dining adventures, new digs for Fido, and a place to make a “new you.”

Here’s a snapshot of what’s in store, beginning with what’s “all new”:

During fall 2010, new culinary adventures coming to the Vacation Kingdom include an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria and a Latin chicken restaurant, while a popular Mexican restaurant reopens with a fresh menu and expanded seating:

Slated for a late-summer opening, a full-service luxury pet care facility on Bonnet Creek Parkway across from Disney’s Port Orleans Resort will provide a comfortable home-away-from-home for Fido, Frisky and all their pet pals!

• The one-of-a-kind facility will be able to accommodate up to 270 dogs in a variety of standard and luxury suites, some with private outdoor patios and play yards.  The separate “Kitty City” pavilion will be able to house up to 30 cats in two- and four-story cat condos.  A special room is also available for the boarding of “pocket pets,” Including pet hamsters and birds.
• The facility, to be operated by Best Friends Pet Care, will comprise more than 17,000 square feet of air-conditioned indoor space plus 10,000 square feet of covered outdoor runs and play areas.  It will replace the five existing pet care facilities throughout Walt Disney World Resort and will be open to both Walt Disney World Resort guests and visitors staying off-property.

In time for fall, Givenchy is opening a shop at the France pavilion in Epcot that will be the only retail location in the United States to offer the full line of Givenchy make-up and skin-care products, as well as a large selection of Givenchy fragrances.

Imagine a foot race that starts at 10 p.m. and finishes, 13.1 miles later, with an exclusive party replete with culinary delights and specialty drinks from around the world.  That’s the scenario for the signature race of the inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend on Oct. 1-2.

• The half marathon on Oct. 2 caps a schedule that also includes a two-day expo, 5K fun run and kids races – all during the opening two days of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  The full details and registration are at www.disneywinedinerun.com.

A star-powered 15-act lineup topped by Casting Crowns, Third Day, mercyme, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder*Band and Family Force 5 will take the stage when Night of Joy returns to Magic Kingdom Sept. 10-11, kicking off the fall season’s special events.  The lineup of Christian artists appearing over the two nights runs the spectrum from Rock, Hip Hop and R&B … to Pop, Adult Contemporary and Gospel – continuing a tradition that has been a hallmark of Night of Joy since 1983 when the event began.

• Admission to Night of Joy requires a special ticket, with concerts taking place during the evening following Magic Kingdom closing.  Entry also includes the opportunity to enjoy many of the park’s popular attractions.  More information is available at www.nightofjoy.com.
• At Epcot, the Eat to the Beat! Concert Series will serve up music as an accompaniment to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  A lineup of recording artists is scheduled to perform Oct. 1-Nov. 14 at America Gardens Theatre.  Night Ranger, Boyz II Men, Taylor Dayne and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are among the musically diverse acts scheduled to appear on designated dates (lineup is subject to change without notice).  The concerts are included with Epcot admission.  More information will be available online this summer at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

When Walt Disney World Resort turned 25 in 1996, it popped the cork on a concept that has grown to become one of the Vacation Kingdom’s signature events: The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

• The 2010 festival, presented by Vanity Fair Napkins Oct. 1 through Nov. 14, is celebrating “15 years of delicious discoveries” with a focus on outdoor marketplaces where everyone from neophytes to epicures and aficionados can nibble and sip their way around the Epcot World Showcase promenade and across six continents of food and beverage adventures.
• While specific details are still in development for the 15th annual festival, expect talented culinarians from across America and around the world to be involved with the marketplaces as well as with specialty dinners, tequila tastings, seminars featuring cooking demonstrations and wine tastings, and the popular Saturday night grand tastings – Party for the Senses.  The festival also will feature the popular Eat to the Beat! concert series each evening.
• Details about the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will be available this summer online at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

If the headless horseman is romping down Main Street, U.S.A. aboard his steed, ghostly apparitions are flitting among the buildings of Magic Kingdom, Cinderella Castle is draped in eerie hues and the night sky is being painted with bursts of orange and green fireworks, it can only mean one thing: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is back!

• Following Magic Kingdom closing on select autumn evenings between Sept. 14 and Nov. 1, the park reopens for this special-ticket event featuring trick-or-treating throughout the park, “Happy HalloWishes” fireworks spectacular, “Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade” – including Disney characters and the stars of the Haunted Mansion attraction, and the opportunity to experience popular attractions including, of course, Haunted Mansion.
• Information about dates and tickets will be available at www.disneyworld.com/halloween.

Approximately 150 award-winning artists who turn clay, wood, metals, oils, watercolors and more into creations that treat the eyes – into things such as paintings, jewelry, sculptures and photographs – will show off their works at the 36th Festival of the Masters presented by Sharpie® Nov. 12-14 at Downtown Disney.

• One of the Southeast’s most highly regarded juried art festivals, Festival of the Masters features live entertainment and family-friendly activities each day.
• Admission and parking are complimentary.  For more information, guests may visit www.disneyworld.com/artfestival.

The 40th chapter of a PGA TOUR tradition will be written Nov. 11-14 when the Children’s Miracle Network Classic takes place on Disney’s Palm and Magnolia golf courses.

• If the latest chapter follows the script of recent decades, it will be filled with drama, as 21 of the last 28 Classics have been decided either by a playoff or a single stroke in regulation.
• 2009 was no exception, as Canada’s Stephen Ames parred the second hole of a playoff with George McNeill and Justin Leonard to win the $846,000 winner’s share of a $4.7 million purse.
• The Classic is the final official-money event of the PGA TOUR season, which means some players in the field likely will be hoping for a paycheck big enough to save their careers on the TOUR.  More information: www.ChildrensMiracleNetworkClassic.com.

Five years ago a new early-season tournament entered the college basketball universe, with Arkansas beating Marist for the inaugural Old Spice Classic crown at Walt Disney World Resort.  Since then, North Carolina State, Gonzaga and most recently Florida State have claimed the title.

• This November a new crop of teams will huddle-up at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex with one goal: the 2010 Old Spice Classic championship.  California, Notre Dame, Temple, Texas A&M and Wisconsin – all of which went to the NCAA’s “big dance” this spring – will be joined by Boston College, Georgia and Manhattan for a Thanksgiving weekend basketball feast that will feature 12 games through three days, Nov. 25, 26 and 28.
• Additional information can be found on the Old Spice Classic Web site at www.OldSpiceClassic.com.  For more information about ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, visit www.DisneySports.com.

In TV commercials since 1987, football heroes have beamed and screamed “I’m Going to Disney World!” after they helped their team win a Super Bowl.  In a twist on the storyline, about 2,000 football players from across the country have been shouting the same line each year since 1995 – but with the dream that Super Bowl glory will await at the end of the trip.

• They are the members of the 64 Pop Warner Little Scholars football teams that converge at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the Pop Warner Super Bowl each December.  To reach the Pop Warner Super Bowl, teams nationwide will battle their way through local and regional tournaments.  Teams compete in four divisions based on size and age – Jr. Pee Wee (ages 8-10 yrs.), Pee Wee (9-11 yrs.), Jr. Midget (10-12 yrs.) and Midget (11-14 yrs.).
• In addition to the gridiron action, the spectacle includes hundreds of squads competing in the Pop Warner National Cheer and Dance Championships.  For more information, visit www.PopWarner.com.

During a final fling of fall special-events fun, as Walt Disney World Resort transitions into a winter wonderland, guests can experience one very action-packed weekend Nov. 12-14:

During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom on select evenings in November and December (including Nov. 12), guests can experience the enchantment of Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle plus two special entertainment extravaganzas, “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” and the holiday-themed fireworks spectacular, “Holiday Wishes-Celebrate the Spirit of the Season.”  The special after-hours party, which requires a separate admission ticket, also features live Disney character stage shows, character greetings, cookies and cocoa, and even “snow” on Main Street, U.S.A. More details will be available at www.DisneyWorld.com/holidays.

Walt Disney World Resort sometimes has special offers which may save money and/or enhance the value of an upcoming visit.  To learn about current promotions, guests can visit www.DisneyWorld.com and click on the “Special Offers” button on the home page.