LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Early 2010 is a season when flowers bloom and baseball hopes and dreams spring to life at Walt Disney World Resort. Events celebrating gardening, health and fitness and youthful dreams plus a full "Grapefruit League" schedule of baseball dot the calendar from January through April.
Here’s a snapshot of the season:
March 3-May 16, 2010
2010 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival fills theme park with blooms, tunes & hands-on fun
More than 30 million blooms in artfully designed floral beds, lush rose gardens and floral floating islands plus expertly crafted bonsai trees and whimsical topiaries will grace the 300 acres of Future World and World Showcase during the 17th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, scheduled to blossom at the Walt Disney World theme park March 3 through May 16, 2010.
Beyond the dazzling displays, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is known by gardening aficionados for its celebrity guest speakers, hands-on seminars and innovative planting demonstrations and exhibits.
And for fans of live music, the festival will come alive with Flower Power concerts that rock the park with some of the top names in live entertainment.
More information about the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting
disneyworld.com/flowerfestival. Most festival activities, including gardening programs and exhibits, are included in regular Epcot admission.
March 2010
Major League Baseball returns to Walt Disney World Resort when Atlanta Braves suit up for Spring Training 2010
Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves will return for their 14th exhibition season at Walt Disney World Resort in March 2010.
Led by manager Bobby Cox and perennial all-star Chipper Jones, the Braves have enjoyed nine division titles while training at Disney's 220-acre sports campus, and now feature one of the most promising young teams in baseball.
Champion Stadium at the newly rebranded ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, where the Atlanta Braves will take the field to prepare for the upcoming season, features more than 9,500 seats, four luxury skyboxes, and multiple open-air suites and patios. The double-decker stadium offers many of the amenities of today’s major league ballparks. Stadium seats, bleachers and a grassy knoll all provide fans with an intimate sports experience like no other.
For more information on Braves’ spring training season, group tickets and mini-packs, guests can visit disneysports.com.
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Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend featured 55,000 athletes in magical races for the entire family
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (Jan. 7-10) included a magical 26.2-mile journey through all four Walt Disney World theme parks that was most magical for Brazilian Adriano Bastos. The 31-year-old runner from Sao Paulo broke the tape to claim the overall win for the sixth straight year.
Regarded as one of the top family-destination events (as well as a popular event for marathon “first-timers” and veterans alike), the weekend attract a record 55,000 athletes for a variety of activities – kid’s races, a 5K race, a half marathon, the full marathon and a health and fitness expo.
The magical miles in the half marathon and marathon are highlighted by Disney entertainment, including appearances by Disney characters, providing a special and unique form of motivation for participants. In fact, it’s not unusual to see groups of runners stop along the race course to have their photos taken with Disney characters.
Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey inspires teens from across the U.S to reach for their dreams
Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey, an event created to inspire and enrich high school students, brought together teens from across the country at Walt Disney World Resort (Feb. 11-14) to learn about careers in everything from culinary arts to animation, from set design and show production to the business of sports and more.
During Disney’s Dreamers Academy, the students (chosen by a select panel of judges including national radio personality Steve Harvey, community leaders and Disney representatives) participate in workshops with Disney cast members and executives, hear inspirational stories from entertainment celebrities and professional athletes, and enjoy the Disney theme parks – where they can see, first-hand, the results of people who turned their dreams into careers as “Disney dreamers.”
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