Are you the next American Idol?  Here’s your chance to find out.The American Idol Experience, which officially opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Feb. 14, offers you the opportunity to audition in front of a Disney casting director.

Contestants who make the cut must then audition for a Disney producer. Those selected by the producers will get a chance to take the stage and perform in front of an onstage panel of judges and an audience of theme park guests who vote on the winner.

Performing guests with the highest votes compete in an end-of-day grand finale show. The winner of that competition gets a guaranteed reservation - a Dream Ticket - with no waiting in long lines, for a future regional audition for the real American Idol TV show.

Dream Ticket recipients must satisfy American Idol TV program requirements in effect at time of use, such as age and residency stipulations. Dream Ticket does not include travel, meals, lodging or other expenses.

Qualified guests 14 or older inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios may audition to sing that day at The American Idol Experience attraction. Auditions are limited and only a few singers will be chosen for each preliminary show.

Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure is an ultra-interactive quest at Epcot Theme Park based on the Disney Channel animated series, Kim Possible.

Epcot guests can transform into secret agents, join Team Possible and help save the world from super-villains with the help of a high-tech “Kimmunicator.”  Upon registering, they’ll receive a special mission assignment and be sent out into the park to thwart evil with the help of a super-secret Kimmunicator - an interactive, handheld, cell-phone-like device that help maneuver agents through their mission.

The Kimmunicator connects agents with a variety of Kim Possible characters who provide clues to help stop super villains from carrying out their dastardly plans.

Different missions are available throughout Epcot’s World Showcase area. Exciting quests for clues are possible at the Mexico Pavilion, Norway Pavilion, China Pavilion, Germany Pavilion, Japan Pavilion, France Pavilion and the United Kingdom Pavilion. Missions are designed with groups in mind and can last anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes.
With 7 different experiences, the program allows guests to match wits with 7 unique super villains. In the China Pavilion, for example, agents must rescue the precious Jade Monkey from Lord Monkeyfist and his monkey ninjas.  In the Germany Pavilion, the goal is to stop Professor Dementor from using his evil mind-control device to influence world leaders.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park is preparing to debut an all new show, beginning in mid-February 2009.  The all new, Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party will be performed several times on most days at the theme park.

The magic begins with an emcee enticing guests to join the fun as favorite Disney Characters, floats resembling giant gift-wrapped packages, stilt-walkers and other performers promenade toward Cinderella Castle.

When the street party reaches the front of Cinderella’s Castle, the packages will burst open to reveal more Disney Characters, including Genie, Lumiere and Sebastian.  It’s all accompanied by an upbeat and contemporary musical score that will keep guests dancing and singing along.

One of Walt Disney World’s most iconic attractions is scheduled to receive a substantial facelift beginning this spring.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park will close its popular indoor roller coaster, Space Mountain, for a months-long “refreshment” of the 34-year-old ride.  Disney plans to close the coaster on April 19 until sometime late in 2009.

Renovations of Space Mountain, which opened in 1975, will include new track, an upgraded queue area and a new ceiling for the mountain shell.

Disney is proud to honor the U.S. military with its “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” program.  Throughout the year, all active and retired U.S. military personnel are eligible to receive a free 5-day pass to Walt Disney World Resort.

The offer is good through Dec. 23, 2009. Military personnel need only to show their military ID at a ticket window to receive the free 5-day ticket.  They may also buy additional 5-day single-park passes for only $99 each.

 A total of 28 hotels in Florida are on the newest list of the 500 Best Hotels in the World, according to Travel & Leisure magazine.  The annual list features seven hotels in Orlando and includes three Disney resorts. 

Orlando hotels on the exclusive Travel & Leisure list are:

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Grand Bohemian Hotel
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando
Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes

From fireworks to football, there is sure to be plenty of action in Orlando for New Year’s. 

All of Orlando’s famed theme park attractions are preparing for a festive night of fun and adventure on Dec. 31.  Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios Resort and SeaWorld Orlando will all offer extended hours and fabulous fireworks displays to help ring in the New Year.

Then on Jan. 1, 2009, all eyes will be on Orlando’s Citrus Bowl Stadium for the Capital One Bowl pitting the Georgia Bulldogs against the Michigan State University Spartans.

Don’t miss all the excitement that Orlando has to offer. For information on additional activities and attractions, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

With Christmas just around the corner, the special celebrations continue at all four Disney World theme parks throughout holiday season.  And what better way to catch the holiday spirit than by experiencing the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 

Millions of holiday lights flash, flicker and glow in perfect sync with your favorite holiday music, creating an epic winter wonderland. You’ll be amazed by twirling carousels, sparkling bells, majestic trees and heavenly angels. And the electrifying extravaganza happens every 10 minutes after dusk now thru January 4, 2009.

Catch Wildcat Fever with the newest rendition of the show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios - High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Right Here! Right Now!

It’s the latest update of a rolling musical stage show that sets up at the theme park’s iconic Sorcerer’s Hat and debuted the same day as the big-screen movie version of High School Musical 3.  This high-energy concert celebrates the hit songs from the movie and offers a gleaming set, concert lighting, pulsating music and choreographed dance routines.  

Like the previous two incarnations of the show, HSM 3 features plenty of upbeat music and dance - though all the music (six songs) is from the current movie - there are no flashbacks to earlier movie favorites like “We’re All in This Together” or “What Time Is It?“

The votes have been cast and the Hall of Presidents at Disney’s Magic Kingdom will soon be receiving a new addition, namely Barack Obama, the 44^th President-elect of the United States.

The 37-year-old animatronics-based attraction closes its doors today to undergo an extended eight-month refurbishment, including the addition of Obama as the next President.  The attraction will reopen after Disney completes updates to the hall’s lighting, sound, mechanics, projection and show systems.
The Hall of Presidents originally opened in 1971 and features a 10-minute panoramic film of American history, followed by the roll call introduction of every U.S. President in the form of life-size, robotic figures.
The show features a speech by the Abraham Lincoln figure and also a second speech by the current president - a tradition that started with Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. 

Disney hopes that when the show reopens on July 4, 2009 the next president will also have recorded a new speech.  In addition, it is expected that the George Washington figure will be given a speaking part.

Enhancements to the attraction include new digital projection systems, state of the art technology and controls, LED lighting and a longer spotlight during the introduction of each President.