Spring in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Missouri brings a burst of color as well as an accompanying burst of activity around the Branson area.

There’s no better time to experience a Branson vacation. You’ll find fun-filled festivals and thrills rides at Silver Dollar City, dozens of amazing live shows in Branson’s theatres, and amazing outdoor adventures throughout the Branson Lakes area. From spectacular shopping and dining to fishing, golfing and water sports, Branson has something for everyone.

Nestled on 145 wooded acres, Westgate Branson Woods Resort offers convenient access to all of Branson’s most popular activities and attractions.

Rooms at Westgate Branson Woods range from economical traditional accommodations to cozy one-bedroom cabins and even spacious four-bedroom cabins that offer elbow room for the entire family.

In addition, Westgate Branson Woods boasts all a wide variety of special onsite amenities such as indoor and outdoor pools, an exercise facility, scenic hiking trails, daily scheduled activities (seasonal), shuffleboard, horseshoes, basketball and sand volleyball. Guests can also enjoy a lighted playground, campfire area, clubhouse, bike rentals, onsite entertainment, concierge and a convenient shuttle service.

Just minutes from Branson’s live entertainment venues, attractions, outlet malls, outdoor recreational opportunities and family-friendly restaurants, Westgate Branson Woods cabins feature all the comforts of home including large screen TV, fully equipped kitchen, private deck, fireplace and more.

For details on discount Branson family vacation packages and discount accommodations at Westgate Branson Woods Resort, visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/ today.

Break out your light sabers. The annual Star Wars Weekends are returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios May 18 to June 10, 2012.

The popular event celebrates the legendary Star Wars Saga and the animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each weekend, guest are invited to join Star Wars celebrities and characters for special shows, panels, presentations, parades, photo opportunities and more!

It’s all included with regular theme park admission.

Throughout the park, you’ll find droids, aliens, stormtroopers, Sith Lords, Jedi warriors and other Star Wars creatures. Children can attend the Jedi Training Academy to work on their lightsaber skills and prepare to do battle with the one and only Darth Vader. The Academy’s live show features music and amazing lightsaber duels. Kids can train to become a junior Jedi Knight and might even be selected from the audience to put on a brown robe and learn battle skills from a Jedi Master before the arrival of Darth Vader. And in the Padawan Mind Challenge, they can test their wits before the Jedi Council.

You can also blast into the universe of Star Wars aboard the recently enhanced Star Tours attraction. The ride features a 3-D adventure offering a variety of possible missions.

At the end of each day, you can find all your favorite Star Wars characters at Hyperspace Hoopla, a party filled with music, comedy and dancing.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Kendi - the first white rhino ever born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom - has given birth to a baby boy. Kendi, now 13, gave birth to the yet to be named calf on May 4. Mother and baby will remain “backstage” at the theme park for several more weeks before joining the herd on the savannah at Animal Kingdom.

White Rhinos, which are actually gray in color, are considered an endangered species in the wild.

Animal Kingdom is home to more than 1,700 animals from 250 species. The park offers a lush, 500 acre landscape that includes a 100-acre savannah in the African area. The savannah provides the chance to see African animals including giraffe, black rhinos, lions, antelope, baboon, cheetah, crocodile, elephant, flamingo, gazelle, hippopotamus, okapi, ostrich, warthog, white rhino, wildebeest and zebra.

For more information regarding discount Disney tickets and Orlando family vacation packages, visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, Honolulu…and Branson!

Branson, Missouri was recently named as one of the top 25 U.S. destinations in the 2012 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice® Destinations Awards.

Branson made the list alongside major U.S. cities like New York, Orlando, Las Vegas and Honolulu. The awards highlight awe-inspiring travel locations of all varieties and are based on opinions, comments and reviews of travelers posting on TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel websites.

Despite its small size, Branson welcomes millions of visitors to the Missouri Ozarks each year with its unique blend of natural beauty, outdoor recreation, lakes, live entertainment, shopping, dining and attractions.

As number 16 in the list of top 25 U.S. destinations, Branson was cited for its great choices in live entertainment. The Live Music Show Capital of the World offers nearly 100 music, magic and comedy shows daily. Branson was also honored for its great fishing, hiking, biking and water sports plus attractions like the Titanic Museum, lake cruises, golfing and the 1880’s themed Silver Dollar City theme park.

For information about Branson vacations and discount Branson accommodations at Westgate Branson Woods Resort, visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

Epcot’s annual International Food & Wine Festival offers something for everyone. The event, set for Sept. 28-Nov. 11, 2012, offers guests an opportunity to dine their way around the world, cultivate their cooking skills or savor a vintage wine.

With delicious tapas and refreshing beverages from around the world, the autumn festival at Disney World in Orlando is perfect for every taste. Of course, the festival also offers up a full menu of live music with its Eat to the Beat concert series.

The 2012 lineup of musical guests is a wide ranging mix of super groups and astounding solo artists. Concerts are held each night during the festival and are included with regular Epcot admission.

Eat to the Beat Concert Series

2012 Scheduled Performers

Sep. 28-30:   Night Ranger

Oct. 1-3:       Sugar Ray

Oct. 4-7:       Starship featuring Mickey Thomas

Oct. 8-10:     Boyz II Men

Oct. 11-12:   Smash Mouth

Oct. 13-14:   Javier Colon

Oct. 15-17:   Air Supply

Oct. 18-19:   Gin Blossoms

Oct. 20-21:   Survivor

Oct. 22-23:   Hanson

Oct. 24-25:   Pointer Sisters

Oct. 26-28:   Sister Hazel

Oct. 29-31:   Billy Ocean

Nov. 1-2:      38 Special

Nov. 3-4:      Howard Jones LIVE

Nov. 5-6:      Blues Traveler

Nov. 7-8:      Dennis DeYoung formerly of Styx

Nov. 9-11:     Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Scheduled performers subject to change.

It’s only May, but Disney World wants to make sure you have ample time to get ready for three of its biggest parties of the year. Tickets for three annual Disney events are now on sale:

Night of Joy - Sept. 7, 8

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party - Sept, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28, 30; Oct, 4, 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31; Nov. 2

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party - Nov. 9, 12, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29 and 30; Dec. 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21

All three events require separate tickets other than regular Magic Kingdom admission. The after-hours Halloween and Christmas events feature special parades, festive decorations, seasonal shows and fireworks, plus special treats. Night of Joy is a two-night celebration featuring multiple Christian rock music performers.

Pricing for the events vary based on when you purchase tickets. For more information or to buy tickets online, go to http://www.disneyworld.com/.

Get ready for a night of joy.

Walt Disney World has announced that tickets are now available for its popular two-night Christian music extravaganza at Magic Kingdom. The after-hours, separate ticket event scheduled for Sept. 7-8, features two nights of music with multiple performers each night. A number of select attractions will also remain open inside Magic Kingdom throughout the event which runs from 7:30 pm to 1:00 am.

The Night of Joy lineup of performers on Sept. 7 includes Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Francesca Battistelli, Brandon Heath, Needtobreathe, Disciple and Royal Taylor. The Sept. 8 list of performers includes Third Day, MercyMe, Chris August, Kutless, Lecreae, Thousand Foot Krutch, Yolanda Adams and Dara Maclean.

Tickets are available in advance for $52.95 (all ages) or on the day of the event for $62.95. Two-night tickets are selling for $94.95. For information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.nightofjoy.com/ or call 407-934-7639.

Best known for its early Colonial history and the modern day thrills at Busch Gardens, the Williamsburg area is also becoming one of the nation’s most popular destinations for golf.

Williamsburg boasts more than a dozen courses designed by some of the world’s most notable golf architects, such as Pete Dye, Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Arnold Palmer, Curtis Strange and Jack Nicklaus.

With spectacular weather, scenic woodlands and rolling hills, these courses provide a wide variety of challenging holes designed to test the skills of any golfer – from weekend duffer to professional. Several area courses are also considered Audubon-certified sanctuaries known for a wealth and variety of birds that fill the treetops.

Williamsburg’s exceptional layouts include the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, Kingsmill Resort, Kiskiack Golf Club, Traditional Golf Club at Stonehouse and Williamsburg National.

Best known for having the “greatest snow on Earth,” Park City’s snow-covered slopes have given way to wildflower covered hillsides and cool mountain breezes. Yet with miles of wooded trails for hiking and mountain biking, more than 100 restaurants, top attractions and a variety of world-class events, Park City remains a perfect summer destination.

Park City’s three major ski resorts convert their lifts and runs into some of the nation’s best hiking/biking trails or race down the slopes on Park City Mountain Resort’s thrilling alpine coaster - an elevated track that winds through nearly 4,000 feet of curves, bends and loops.

Nearby Utah Olympic Park was once a competition venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Now those same courses for Nordic jumping, and the sliding sports of bobsleigh, luge and skeleton, still offer an incredible Olympic experience.

The 400-acre park hosted 14 Olympic medal events and now serves as a U.S. Olympic Training site. Visitors can watch athletes in training and visit the Alf Engen Ski History Museum and the 2002 Eccles Winter Olympic Museum. You can also race down the track in a bobsled, or learn to steer your own skeleton or luge.

Admission to the Olympic Park is free and daily guided tours of the Olympic competition sites are available. For example, you can head to the top of the world’s highest altitude ski jumps. Take a chair lift to the top at 7,130 feet elevation and look down from the start house.  

For additional thrills, try out the Xtreme Zip Zipline, offering a 435-foot vertical drop. Hop aboard the QuickSilver, the park’s stainless steel alpine slide. Or zoom down “The Comet,” a summer bobsled ride.

Of course, you’ll also find plenty of activities for the not-so-brave of heart in Park City, as well. Treat your cultural side to one of many entertaining arts and music festivals held throughout the summer. Or simply explore the eclectic shops, art galleries and restaurants along Park City’s historic Main Street.

Gatlinburg and the surrounding Great Smoky Mountains offer up the perfect setting for a family vacation. From a fun-filled town loaded with shops, eateries and attractions to the spectacular national park, Gatlinburg is designed for you to step back and enjoy a leisurely getaway.

Natural beauty abounds and the Great Smoky Mountains provide the ultimate backdrop as well as ample recreational opportunities. Head up the aerial tramway of Ober Gatlinburg for a breathtaking view from the top. Or simply jump in your car and drive through the national park where you’ll also find hundreds of miles of hiking trails. From easy and moderate pathways to more difficult climbs, you’ll find trails that will take you through the woods along rushing mountain streams or up a rocky hillside to a scenic vista overlook.

Check out a zipline adventure and experience the woods, hills and hollers with an exhilarating flight over the wooded canopies of the Smokies. Or kick back and relax while casting your fly in a trout-filled mountain stream.

Of course, you’ll also find plenty to do while just strolling through Gatlinburg. Stroll along the riverwalk or visit Herbert Holt Park or Mynatt Park. Walk down the parkway where you’ll find restaurants and sweet fudge shops, museums, artisan & craft shops and more. Look further and you’ll discover attractions like an Aquarium, mazes, mini golf, go-carts and more.

With original artworks and more than 400 shops, you’ll find everything from jams and jellies to leatherwork, woodcrafts, clothing, jewelry and more.