The Original Wailers, featuring Al Anderson and Junior Marvin, will perform at Universal CityWalk during its annual reggae celebration Saturday, May 15 in Orlando, FL.

The late Bob Marley and the Wailers sold more than 250 million albums worldwide with such hit songs such as “Get Up, Stand Up” and “One Love.”

Saturday’s reggae party, A Tribute to Freedom, at Bob Marley’s within Universal Orlando CityWalk is scheduled to run from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and includes live music and authentic Jamaican food.

Admission to Bob Marley’s is free before 6 p.m., but a $15 cover charge will be assessed after that point. There’s also a $25 VIP ticket available that includes upstairs access, drink specials, an appetizer buffet from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. and free admission to other select CityWalk clubs.

Go to http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/ for details on Universal Orlando theme park, Universal CityWalk and discount Orlando family vacation packages.

Some of the most special Disney moments don’t come within Orlando’s famous Disney World theme parks. Rather, some special moment occur at Disney’s wonderful character meals.Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner at Disney’s spectacular Grand Floridian Resort is one such event that is sure to bring smiles and memories to your little princess.

The delicious meal features Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella all making their rounds to greet dinner guests. While the mean stepmother and her daughters stay in character while meeting the kids in attendance, they offer a lot of laughs. Meanwhile, Cinderella also comes out several times to dance with Prince Charming. The dashing and handsome prince also finds time to dance with many of the little guest princesses.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated with an old-time amusement park theme that includes statues of carousel animals. The centerpiece is Big Bertha, a turn-of-the-century, fancifully designed organ from France that gives concerts while you dine. The instrument simultaneously plays pipes, drums, bells, cymbals, castanets and a xylophone.

While the character meals are as much about the experience as the dining, the food is delightful, plentiful and varied, with offerings ranging from prime rib to strawberry soup.

Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner costs $35.99 plus tax for adults and $17.99 plus tax for children ages 3 to 9. For more information about Walt Disney World Resort and discount Orlando family vacation packages, visit http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/.

Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster and all of your favorite Sesame Street characters can now be found at Sesame Street Safari of Fun within Busch Gardens Tampa.

The new area for children features some new elements along with some repurposed attractions from Land of Dragons.  Safari of Fun fits perfectly with the theme park’s overall African theme. One of the most popular new rides is the all new Air Grover, a mini-sized roller coaster that allows children and parents to ride side-by-side. The coaster is like a “flight” over the Saraha Desert, with captain Grover in the front seat in full aviator gear.

Designed as a child’s first roller coaster experience, Air Grover isn’t quite like the park’s signature coaster ShieKra, but it does include a 23-foot lift hill and two gentle loops that offer plenty of thrill for the little ones.

Another fun new adventure is Bert & Ernie’s Watering Hole, a colorful water-play area and the perfect spot to cool off on a warm day.

You’ll also find two new Sesame Street shows at Busch Gardens. “A is for Africa” is a high energy stage show while “Lights, Camera, Imagination” is a 4-D movie with special effects.

Sesame Street Safari of Fun is included with regular Busch Gardens park admission. And children aged 3-5 can get in FREE throughout 2010 if they first register at www.SesameStreetSafariofFun.com.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for more information on central Florida theme parks and Orlando family discount vacation packages.

The days are dwindling for the long-running Universal Mardi Gras celebration in Orlando. But music fans can get a double dose of Mardi Gras fun this weekend.The weekly party which started back on Feb. 6, continues with two live concerts starting with a Mardi Gras bonus night on Friday, April 9 featuring special musical guest Sheryl Crow.

The bold and free-spirited Crowe uniquely blends her smooth mix of rock, country and pop into one contemporary mainstream sound that has produced a steady stream of hits and nine Grammy Awards.

The very next night there will be more Mardi Gras excitement as musical guest Flo Rida takes the Universal Studios stage on Saturday, April 10. Both musical celebrations include the usual Mardi Gras revelry consisting of Cajun foods, street performers and a parade.

Mardi Gras 2010 wraps up at Universal Studios on Sat. April 17 with musical guest Chicago.

For more information regarding Mardi Gras, go to http://www.universalorlando.com/ or http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/ where you’ll also find discount Orlando family vacation packages, theme park tickets and accommodations including the 5-Star Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa.

The Mardi Gras party keeps on rolling at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. The popular spring Mardi Gras celebration continues now through mid-April with a variety of rocking musical guests appearing each weekend. This week’s artist is the amazing Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Her list of achievements goes on and on, including a dozen million-selling singles, 20 Number 1 R&B hits, a cover story in Time magazine, the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 15 Grammy Awards with a lifetime achievement award in 1995, and a roll in the movie, The Blues Brothers.

Now the legendary singer brings her smooth voice to the big stage at Universal Studios Florida starting at 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 13, 2010.

You can go to http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/ for additional details on Universal Studios, Mardi Gras and the many other Orlando area theme parks and attractions. Or check out the list of discount theme park tickets and money-saving Orlando vacation packages. If you would like information on discount Orlando resort and hotel lodging, you can also visit www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

Major League Baseball is back and better than ever in Central Florida. Orlando might be the theme park capital of the world, but when it comes to Spring Training baseball, there’s no better place to catch all the Grapefruit League action.

A total of 14 different major league teams call Florida their home for spring training. As a result, baseball fans visiting Florida don’t have to look far for the next game throughout the month of March.

The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros both feature training camps right in the greater Orlando area. The Braves play at Disney’s beautiful ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista while Astros’ fans can catch their team in nearby Kissimmee.

Just a short drive down I-4 from Orlando takes you to into Lakeland, spring training home of the Detroit Tigers. Meanwhile, there is a host of teams situated along the Gulf coast, including the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, the New York Yankees in Tampa, the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte and the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater.

Back on the Atlantic coast side of Florida’s peninsula, you’ll find the spring training homes of the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter as well as the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.

There’s no better way to see and interact with your favorite MLB stars up close than at a highly affordable spring training game. You can get spring training schedules of your favorite team, or for any of the Grapefruit League teams, by visiting www.MLB.com.  

For details on discount theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation package specials, please visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. For discount resort or hotel packages, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

The party goes on and on at Universal Studios Florida as the popular Mardi Gras celebration continues through mid-April. This week’s musical guest stara is Akon, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter and one of the music industry’s fastest-rising stars.

Akon’s special mix of hip-hop, R&B and rap includes a number of chart-topping hits like Lonely, I Wanna Love You, Don’t Matter and Dangerous. He’s the first artist to accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

A frequent guest on TV’s American Idol, Akon brings his act to Universal’s Mardi Gras at 8:30 pm on March 6, 2010.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on Universal Studios, Mardi Gras and other Orlando area theme parks and attractions, as well as details on discount theme park tickets and Orlando vacation packages. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm for information on discount Orlando resort and hotel lodging.

ESPN’s annual fan-fest continues this weekend (Feb. 26-27-28) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL.

 With 35 superstar athletes, two dozen sportscasters, live shows, special motorcades, interactive sports zone and more, it’s sure to be a fun-filled weekend for sports fans of all ages.

Don’t miss your chance to get up close and personal with stars from the NBA, NFL, major league baseball, golf and more. Plus look for all of your favorite ESPN personalities.

Of course, you’ll also enjoy a full day of fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park which offers a wide range of thrill rides, shows and other attractions.

For information on Disney’s Hollywood Studios, discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando theme park tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for discount Orlando resort and hotel accommodations, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

Legoland® Florida, slated to open in the fall of 2011 on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park, will feature a unique mix of attractions. The largest Legoland park in the world, the Central Florida version will feature more than 50 rides, shows, attractions as well as spectacular LEGO models and other interactive elements for the entire family.

For information about the new park and the LEGOLAND sister park already open in California, please visit www.legolandfloridaresort.com. Or you can visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for more information on all the Orlando area theme parks and attractions as well as discount Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando hotels and resorts.

The big day is drawing near!

Universal Orlando is currently promoting special theme park vacation packages featuring the soon-to-open Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Islands of Adventure. Deals are valid for travel beginning May 28, 2010, meaning the long awaited and eagerly anticipated Harry Potter adventure should be open no later than late May.

The $200 million theme park expansion project is taking shape at the popular Orlando theme park with Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village as the central attractions.

For more information on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com. For details on discount theme park tickets, discount Orlando, Florida vacation packages and more, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.westgatereservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.