Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

It’s that time of year when Disney & Epcot springs to life… the 18th Epcot Flower & Garden Festival started this week and it’s already proving to be a massive hit with visitors to the theme park.

The event is filled with over 75 Disney character topiaries among the over 100 topiaries located around the park as well as a colorful array of flowers, gardens, live music and special presentations.  Plus, for the very first time, the festival includes Disney·Pixar character topiaries as Buzz, Woody and Lotso from Toy Story 3 and Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars 2.

You also get the chance to see how green your thumb can be as some of the nation’s top designers help you plan everything from planting your first garden to enhancing your home’s curb appeal. With opinions from HGTV stars like Vern Yip and Genevieve Gorder—plus Epcot gardening experts—you’ll have new ideas blooming around your home in no time!

Rounding off the festival is some fantastic live music from the 1960s and 1970s during the Flower Power Concert Series where you’ll find different artists  including Melissa Manchester, Davy Jones and Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone every weekend during the festival at the America Gardens Theatre!

Flower Power Concert Series

The event runs to  May 15, 2011 and we’ll have regular updates for you all through the festival season. Here’s some video…

Disney has completed the renovation of one of it’s restaurant areas in the Mexico area of World Showcase and it’s very much a case of in with the new and upgrade the old!

La Cantina de San Angel previously occupied the space and has now been turned into a 150 seat quick service restaurant while the all new La Hacienda de San Angel is a 267-seat table service restaurant overlooking the lagoon.

La Cantina opens daily at 11 a.m. and will serve lunch and dinner and guests will enjoy sitting under the covered patio area or relaxing inside with full air conditioning until mid-afternoon. The inside dining area then closes to make way for the 4 p.m. opening of La Hacienda for dinner.

La Hacienda (menu above – click to open larger image) features mouth watering starters like queso fundido (warm cheese with poblano pepper and chorizo) accompanied by homemade tortillas ($12.50). Entrées include a mixed grill for two with flank steak, chicken, chorizo and vegetables or a seafood version with grouper, shrimp and scallops ($49.95); flank steak with spring onions, refried beans and cactus leaves ($25.95); and grilled talapia with roasted corn and cactus leaves ($23.95). Dessert specialties include chocolate churros ($7.95), sweet tamales ($7.95) and Mexican Ice Cream ($6.25).

La Cantina’s menu features many traditional favorites including; chicken and beef tacos on fresh handmade corn tortillas ($10.95-$11.95), nachos ($9.95), cheese empanadas ($10.95), guacamole and chips ($7.25), warm churros ($3.95) and Mexican popsicles ($3.95).

Naturally, margaritas are available as you wander through Mexico on your World Showcase journey, or you can save this treat until your evening meal later in the day. La Hacienda will also have its very own “tequila ambassador” and will feature tasty tequila flights ($18).

With the new architectural design, guests can enjoy the panoramic waterfront views of the IllumiNations fireworks as they dine. Combining two of Mexico’s most important cultural gifts, art and food, the idea is to transport guests back to a different time and place, one in which they are welcomed into the old-world countryside home of their gracious Mexican hosts.

Original pieces of art adorn each room in La Hacienda, which are set to resemble different living areas, such as the living room, grand salon, pantry and artist’s studio.

“It’s an honor to bring the traditions, style and flavors of Mexico to the World Showcase at Epcot,” said Richard D. Debler, president of San Angel Inn. “This project is filled with passion, inspiration and pride.”

Guests can reserve seating through Disney’s main reservation line at 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463).

After rave reviews from Disneyland, the classic 3-D film experience “Captain EO”  is returning  to Walt Disney World  this summer.  The 17-minute musical space-fantasy adventure film is scheduled to start at Epcot on July 2.

“Captain EO” saw its original run at Epcot from 1986 -1994, so this will be a new experience for many visitors. The film features Michael Jackson as “Captain EO” and a crew of Disney-created space characters. During their journey, the group uses the power of dance, light and music to turn a colorless planet into a world of color and happiness.

Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror adds new effects… and a summer-only drop sequence to the mix for guests daring to step into the attraction’s infamous service elevator for a ride into the “fifth dimension.” And on Hollywood Boulevard, in the shadow of the 122-foot-tall Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat icon, guests are invited to the Rock n’ Glow Dance Party, where a DJ and live rock band keep popular tunes coming five nights a week.

Epcot is one of the attraction parks I always enjoy visiting and it was nice to get back there yesterday for Mother’s Day and take a look around at the International Flower & Garden Festival. For someone like me, who suffers from hay fever, there’s always some anxiety about coming down with an attack on the senses but I decided to risk it and I’m glad I did. Not only did I survive but I also came to appreciate why people love visiting Epcot at this time of year.

The festival started on 3 March and ends on 16 May so we’re into the final week and not much time is left to get over there and enjoy it…. so if you can’t make it just carry on reading this blog to discover what you’re missing!

This year the festival started a little earlier and runs a bit longer (75 days) and it really is a spring special event filled with a colorful array of flowers, gardens, topiaries, live music and educational events.

What’s more, you don’t have to be a gardening expert to love this event. It’s perfect for guests of all ages who enjoy the beauty of mother nature! You can see millions of blooming flowers and a vibrant collection of Disney-themed topiaries, and get up close with hundreds of colorful butterflies inside Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden. At the weekends there’s been the chance to meet with top horticulturists at one of the many Garden Town Programs and to learn helpful gardening tips and advanced techniques from around the world.

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the festival its even been possible to finish off the day with a melodious evening at the America Gardens Theatre adjacent to the American Adventure Pavilion and enjoy music from the 1960s and 1970s during the Flower Power Concert Series as people and bands like David Cassidy, Davy Jones, Herman’s Hermits, Ricky Nelson and Chubby Checker & The Wildcats have all entertained.

Beyond the dazzling displays of blooms and topiaries, special gardens, events and children’s play areas this year the park offered more reasons to visit the festival than ever.

To start with there was a  tribute to the many community gardens being planted across the country as a new Community Garden sprang up at the American Adventure in Epcot’s World Showcase. Disney’s “fab five” topiary pals – Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy were all present and they were in charge of  tending the tomatoes, beans, peppers, herbs and other edibles.

The popular Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden was expanded to include even more magical pixie dust. The playful garden area features colorful topiaries of Tinker Bell and friends from Walt Disney Pictures’ latest DVD release, Ticker Bell and the Lost Treasure.

Hundred’s of butterflies can be found among the lush foliage in Fawn’s Butterfly House, formerly known as Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly House, which was been named after fairy Fawn, from the popular Tinker Bell films.

The Garden Town Festival Center was the home of gardening experts ready to answer all your questions while Disney horticulturists shared gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity during Disney Gardening at Home presentations. These presentations were a first-come, first-served event and quickly grew in popularity.

During The Great American Gardeners series, gardening celebrities and authors from across the country also revealed their gardening secrets during weekend sessions.

The English Tea Garden featured the history and blending of tea as you strolled through the elegant tea garden.

You could also let your senses experience the pleasure, radiance and sensual perfumes of Guerlain in the Fragrance Garden as you discovered the “love story” between plants and fragrances.

The Festival and Flower Power Concerts are included in regular Epcot admission and you have just a few days left to enjoy the rest of the event otherwise you’ll just have to wait until next year. The 2011 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival begins on 2nd March 2011 and runs until 15 May 2010.

More Photo’s Here!

Are you planing to ring in the New Year at Disney this year? If so,  there’s a lot to choose from this year with nine parade performances and five fireworks shows. 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.

One of the “must do” things that was on my “Bucket” list for 2009 was to take a flight over the Disney area on a small plane. I’d done this trip by helicopter a few years ago so that whetted my appetite for repeating the experience this year and I was lucky enough to do that this week…just a week before the year ends. Close call!

Flying over the Walt Disney World area certainly gives you a different appreciation for the Central Florida area and you really get to see how things are laid out. It’s a great thing to do as not only do you see a wonderful landscape but you also enjoy a fun and exciting experience.

A flight like this can make for a great gift or present for that someone special so I thought you may like to find out a little more on today’s blog.

The trip begins with a short drive to Kissimmee Gateway Airport… just minutes from your vacation home. We can arrange to pick you up or you can choose to drive there yourself. Once you’re at the airport you’ll meet your pilot and then get strapped in for a dream flight that will last about an hour. (Longer flights can be arranged)

Magic Kingdom and Contemporary

You will fly around the Disney area where you will get a great view of the local area and the theme parks. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that you will fly right over the theme parks because this is controlled by Orlando air traffic control but sometimes they do allow this and if so, you’ll really never get a better chance to take some fabulous pictures of places like Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios and Blizzard Beach. If you’re not so lucky and they don’t allow it, then don’t worry as you’ll still get close enough to take some good photos and of course, see the parks as you’ve never seen them before. It’s really a win – win, no matter what air traffic control decides that day!

Sunset Lakes                                              Cumbrian Lakes

After your flight, the rest of the day is yours to do as you wish. The concierge at Florida Leisure would be pleased to arrange this trip for you and your family and also they can plan a meal around the flight to make it even more memorable. The only thing you need to remember is that it does take some advanced planning in order to book the airplane and the pilot.

Here’s a video I shot just to give you a taste…

Just recently a great new book was released that covers some of the hidden facts behind Walt Disney World. The amount of research that went into this book has been incredible and Disney expert and author, Susan Veness told me  “it’s taken around 20 years to put together”.

Susan Veness & Nigel Worrall

It’s a fascinating read and certainly makes you look at Walt Disney World in a different way. It’s amazing how things were planned out and then delivered to become the wonderful place we see today. Susan covers so much in her book that you’re sure to be spell bound.

Make sure you get yourself a copy of the book and discover over 600 secrets of Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom … it’s fantastic.

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival continues through April until May 31. This year you can see an elaborate “Cinderellabration” topiary and an environmentally friendly Green Garden amid the colorful flowers and plants that feature all over Epcot.

Make sure you check out the grand front entrance topiary of Cinderella and Prince Charming, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, and Belle and the Beast when you visit. Also the Green Garden shows you how you can create an environmentally friendly garden and you can also see the Floral Floating Gardens with 8 foot floaters of brilliant blooms that serve an eco function of drinking excess nutrients like nitrates and phosphates to keep pesky pollutants at bay.

Overall, you can see over 30 million blooms and over 70 topiaries as you wander around the park. Enjoy.

Some good news at last! Orlando is THE place to visit in 2009. While everyone else in the travel industry is in free fall, Orlando is bucking the trend. The first week of 2009 saw a 14.75% increase in hotel occupancy according to Smith Travel Research and here at Florida Leisure Vacation Homes we were in excess of 20%.

It seems Orlando is THE place to visit and there’s a long list of reasons for that. First we have the world famous theme parks. Walt Disney World with Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, then there’s Sea World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Discovery Cove and hundreds of smaller places to visit to entertain the family.

We then have the beaches…within 90 minutes you can spend a day on the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Coast. You can visit Kennedy Space Center and watch a shuttle launch or you can simply chill and do nothing.

Rounding it off, we have some world class shopping and a lot of really great dining experiences.

So while the rest of the country sees their numbers dropping, it seems now is the time to take a long weekend break and enjoy the sun and some down time.