Emerald Island Resort – A beautiful resort, right next to Disney World

Do you plan to welcome the New Year at one of the Disney Parks?  If so there’s a lot to choose from this year — nine parade performances and five fireworks shows. If that lineup has your attention, here are the New Year’s Eve details broken down by park:
Magic Kingdom

• “Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!” parade and street party (11 a.m., 2 and 5:15 p.m.)
• “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” (12 noon and 3:30 p.m.)
• “SpectroMagic” parade of lights and music (7 and 10:30 p.m.)
• “Holiday Wishes” fireworks (8:30 p.m.)
• “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks (11:50 p.m.)
• Park hours on New Year’s Eve: 8 a.m.-2 a.m.

Epcot

• Special version of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” (7:30 and 11:40 p.m.)
• Park hours on New Year’s Eve: 9 a.m.-1 a.m.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• “Fantasmic!” nighttime musical special effects extravaganza (6:30, 8 and 10 p.m.)
• Live performances by in-park band “Mulch, Sweat and Shears,” back-to-back with a DJ at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. (Mulch, Sweat and Shears sets are 8, 9, 10 and 11 p.m.; DJ starts at 6:30 p.m.)
• A special “Lights, Camera, Happy New Year” fireworks show starring Mulch, Sweat and Shears (11:55 p.m.)
• Park hours on New Year’s Eve: 8 a.m.-midnight

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• “Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade” (4:45 p.m.)
• Park hours on New Year’s Eve: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Bay Lake And Seven Seas Lagoon

• The Electrical Water Pageant (9 p.m.; plays to Magic Kingdom entrance area at 10:25 p.m.)

Note: Show times and entertainment are subject to change without notice.

–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com

Aquatica, Orlando

Experience the “coolest” event of the year at Aquatica on Saturday, January 16 when we host Special Olympics Florida’s first-ever Polar Plunge!

Aquatica is usually warm and tropical, but for one day only we’re icing down our Cutback Cove wave pool so you can experience the “thrill of the chill” while supporting a great cause!

Why Plunge? You’ll be freezin’ for a reason! All proceeds support Special Olympics Florida, which provides year-round sports training and competition to children and adults with intellectual disabilities at no cost to the athlete or their caregiver as a means to achieve physical fitness, self-esteem and life skills necessary to be productive, respected and contributing members of their communities.

Event date: January 16, 2010.
Registration begins at 9:30AM.
Opening Ceremony and Plunge at 11:00AM.
Those who Plunge will get to stay and play at Aquatica all day!

Who can Plunge? Those who raise or donate a minimum $50 may come to Aquatica and take the Plunge. Plungers receive official commemorative Plunge gear and bragging rights. The incentives and prizes increase based on the amount of money raised. Minimum age to Plunge is 15.

For full details and to register, visit
www.specialolympicsflorida.org/polarplunge

Aquatica is proud to support the athletes of Special Olympics!

–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com

Aquatica, Orlando

2010 sees an expansion for Aquatica with the addition of a new ride; Omaka Rocka.  Originating from the South Seas, Omaka Rocka means rocking river, and it should be welcoming its first riders in March 2010.

Omaka Rocka consists of two slides each with 3 funnels providing half pipe style maneuvers and a feeling of near weightlessness.  Guests will ride in two-seater floats and there will be no height restriction, although you must be able to hold onto the grips and maintain the riding position.

Portions of the tubing will be semi-transparent, allowing more light and allowing waiting riders to see through.

Omaka Rocka will share a platform with Whanau Way on the wave-pool side of the park.  The Whanau Way tower was built with expansion in mind.

Construction is already underway and guests should see the tubing go up during January.

–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.

Guests staying at the Emerald Island Resort in Kissimmee over New Year, you may be interested in two offerings at The Magic Kingdom.

New Years Eve at Walt Disney World is traditionally a busy time.  This year, The Magic Kingdom is offering two options for guests to take a break from the crowds and enjoy an exclusive event.

The first is a special New Years Eve package which includes a 2 hour all you care to enjoy dinner.  The dinner is from 6.30 p.m. - 8.30 p.m. on December 31st at the Tommorrowland Terrace Noodle Station. Dinner includes dessert and non-alcolohic sparkling beverages. After dinner, you and your family will settle down in exclusive, reserved seating for the holiday Wishes! fireworks show.

The menu includes fresh fruits, assorted cheeses, sushi, salads, seared tuna, artisan breads, beef short-ribs, and carved pork. Kid friendly foods such as macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets will also be available.

The Magic Kingdom’s New Year’s Eve Wishes! dining experience costs $139.99 for guests age 10 and up and $69.99 for guests ages 3 to 9. Children under 3 can dine for free.

The second offering is the Fantasy in the Sky Dessert Party which starts at 9.50pm.  This event features a self service buffet offering a variety of deserts and non-alcoholic beverages.  The dessert party costs $35.99 for guests age 10 and up and $19.99 for guests ages 3 to 9.

Theme park admission is required for both events.

For reservations call: (407) WDW-DINE

The Emerald Island Resort offers a great deal for everyone.  If you are staying at The Manor at Emerald Island or in another vacation rental at Emerald Island over the Christmas day and are a keen golfer, Southern Dunes have an offer for you.

Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club will be open on Christmas Day from 7.00am to 12.00p.m.  18 holes with cart is $45 plus tax and you can reserve a tee time by calling (863) 421-4653

What better way for the avid golfer to spend Christmas Morning?

Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.

Character Dining can be reserved online or by phone

As of the 27th October 2009, advance dining reservations (ADRs) for Walt Disney World restaurants can be now made 180 days in advance. Some popular dining options can sell out in minutes, Cinderella’s Royal Table, located in Cinderella’s Castle in The Magic Kingdom is one such option.

Dining reservations can now be made online here or by calling (407) WDW-DINE. Online reservations can be made as early as 6am Eastern time – earlier than the telephone reservation department opens, bear this in mind when searching for those popular reservations!. Both options are available to you when staying at Emerald Island.

Sometimes it may be better to call for a reservation rather than book online. If you are looking for a dinner reservation at the Contemporary’s California Grill at the same time as the fireworks, only the live operator will be able to tell you what time the fireworks are that night.

Even at slower times of the year, advance dining reservations are a must. If you are a compulsive planner or want specific reservations (for example character dining), you will want to get your Walt Disney World dining reservations in place early. It is feasible to get reservations the day prior, even for large family groups. You have to be flexible on restaurant and time, but it is not an impossible mission.

We tend to be flexible guests at Walt Disney World, preferring not to plan our every day down to the last second. A tactic that has worked for us is to book a couple of key dining reservations for specific events that we definitely wanted to experience during our trip. These might be character dinners or reserved seating at Fantasmic. These days are booked for that event and park, but the other days we leave flexible. Then as our plans firm up during the week (which park we want to go to on which day), we phone up and get perhaps a dinner or lunch reservation for the next day or two. (This has worked, even with a group of 15 of us!) Usually we book lunch in a nice restaurant which gives us a welcome mid day break from the hustle and bustle. Dinner is usually off site at one of the many restaurants in Kissimmee / Orlando or a take out eaten at the vacation home.

Don’t forget about dining options in the resort hotels themselves or at The Boardwalk or Downtown Disney.  Emerald Island Resort guests can still dine at Boma, The Wave and any of the other resort restaurants.  Great for those quiet non-park days.

A cool place

When you think of Kissimmee or Orlando, you think of hot, humid, tropical.  You think of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney World, Universal and Sea World.  In the words or Monty Python “and now for something completely different…” lets transport you to a bar made entirely of ice.  Yes, you read correctly.  ICE.  Frozen water.  Yup, cold.  Welcome to the wonderful, frozen world of ICEBAR.  This bar is carved from more than fifty tons of ice and is kept at a frost 27 degrees farenheit.  Ice carved seating is draped with faux furs.  Pop in, sip a frosty concoction, and enjoy a respite from the usual heat of the area.  Entrance to icebar is $19.95, but you can often find a discount for an online pre-purchase.  Entrance includes use of some unique gear to help keep you warm in the frozen zone!   http://www.icebarorlando.com/ice/ Afterward, you can retire to their Fire lounge to warm up and have a few drinks.

So if you are looking for something a little bit different during your stay at The Manor located on the Emerald Island Resort, you might want to check out the Icebar.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Low-cost airline, Allegiant Air, LLC, a subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company (Nasdaq: ALGT), today announces it will establish a new base at Orlando International Airport (MCO) beginning Feb. 1, 2010. The low-fare carrier will initially serve 10 U.S. cities from the base.

Allegiant currently offers nonstop, scheduled service to Orlando from 31 U.S. cities via Orlando-Sanford International Airport. The 10 selected cities reflect a portion of the company’s current operation at Sanford, Fla. which will move to Orlando International Airport, starting Feb. 1, 2010. The move provides Allegiant customers with more convenient access to the popular theme parks in Orlando and allows the carrier to remain competitive in the markets it serves. Allegiant will continue to offer flights to Orlando-Sanford International Airport from the other 21 cities currently served by the airline.

Robert Ashcroft, vice president of planning for Allegiant Air, said, “Moving these markets from Orlando-Sanford to Orlando International accomplishes two things for Allegiant. First, it allows us to be responsive to the many Orlando travelers who prefer the proximity of Orlando International to the most prominent attractions in the Orlando area, including, most obviously, Walt Disney World. Second, it improves our position relative to competitors with service to Orlando International.”

“The decision by Allegiant to launch service from Orlando International Airport adds new air service options and access for Central Florida travelers,” Vicki Jaramillo, director of marketing for Orlando International Airport, said. “It also positions this airport as Florida’s leader in service by low-cost carriers by adding the Allegiant’s schedule to the current 2900 flights operating per week.”

To kick off the new service, Allegiant is offering introductory fares as low as $45.99* each way to/from MCO (listed chronologically).

1. Knoxville, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 1, 2010 with fares as low as $49.99* each way
2. Lexington, Ky. — flights begin Feb. 1, 2010 with fares as low as $57.99* each way
3. Allentown, Penn. — flights begin Feb. 8, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
4. Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. — flights begin Feb. 8, 2010 with fares as low as $45.99* each way
5. Grand Rapids, Mich. — flights begin Feb. 12, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
6. Springfield, Mo. — flights begin Feb. 15, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way
7. Tri-Cities, Tenn. — flights begin Feb. 15, 2010 with fares as low as $47.99* each way
8. Huntington, W.V. — flights begin Feb. 16, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
9. Youngstown, Ohio — flights begin March 4, 2010 with fares as low as $59.99* each way
10. Des Moines, Iowa — flights begin March 5, 2010 with fares as low as $79.99* each way

By March 5, 2010, the leisure-focused carrier will base five, 150-seat, MD-80 series jet aircraft at MCO. The new base is the carrier’s eighth scheduled service base, the airline also has scheduled service bases in Las Vegas; Sanford, Fla.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Bellingham, Wash.; Phoenix; Los Angeles and St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Fla. Allegiant currently provides nonstop scheduled service to/from 69 U.S. cities.

Reservations can be made on the airline’s website at www.allegiantair.com, through the airline’s Reservations and Information Center at 702-505-8888 or through professional travel agents.

About the offer:

Seats are limited. Fares are one-way and not available on all flights. Must be purchased by December 16, 2009 for travel completed by May 31, 2010. Offer not available Dec. 22-31, 2009; Jan. 1-4, 2010; Feb. 12-15, 2010; March 31, 2010 and April 1-2, 11-12 and 18, 2010. Seven-day advance purchase required. Prices do not include PFC, segment tax or Sept. 11 security fee of up to $10.60 per segment. A segment is one take-off and one landing. A convenience fee of $14 per passenger will apply when booked on allegiantair.com. A convenience fee of $14 per passenger, plus $10 per segment, will apply when purchased through Allegiant Air call centers. Purchases made at any Allegiant Air Airport Ticket Office will not incur a convenience or call-center fee. When purchased at the time of booking, a first checked bag fee of $15-$20 per bag and second checked bag fee of $25 will apply per person, per segment. If purchased at flight check-in, a fee of $35 per checked bag, per person, per segment will apply for the first two bags checked. Additional higher fees will apply for three or more checked bags. Fare rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Restrictions apply.