It’s never too early to start thinking about the 16th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in Orlando. The popular event kicks off on September 30 and runs through November 13, 2011.This year’s theme is “Passport to a World of Flavors” and the event is set to offer up more than 25 international marketplaces featuring tapas-sized portions of regional foods paired up with beer, wine and cocktails.

While many of the standard favorites will be back for this year’s festival, Epcot also promises a variety of new treats, including new marketplaces for Hawaii, Portugal and the Caribbean islands set up along the World Showcase Promenade.

The Food & Wine Festival offers a great opportunity to explore all Epcot has to offer while also enjoying special programs and demonstrations from renowned chefs and winemakers and sampling exceptional food specialties from around the globe. You can also enjoy the Eat to the Beat Concert Series featuring an exceptional lineup of musical guests ranging from Taylor Dayne and the Pointer Sisters to the Gin Blossoms and The Orchestra with former members of ELO. It’s all included with regular Epcot admission.

Other new additions for 2011 include the Odyssey Lounge where guests can charge mobile phones and electronic devices, play games, get on the Internet and communicate with friends and family while enjoying a refreshing beverage.

This year’s festival will feature more than 270 chefs including top chefs like Cat Cora, Jeff Henderson, Alan Wong, Suvir Saran, Rock Harper, Celina Tio, Gale Gund and many others.

You can visit www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.com for complete Festival details. Or go to www.Westgatereservations.com to get the latest on discount theme park tickets and discount Orlando family vacation packages.

SeaWorld Orlando’s sister park, Discovery Cove, will enjoy its first expansion when the new Grand Reef opens to the public on June 10. The new 2.5-acre artificial reef represents the first new attraction at Discover Cove since the park opened in 2000.

Guests will be able to swim and snorkel amidst about 125 species of sea life including rays, sharks and urchins - and nearly 10,000 animals in all. 

A limited-admission park, Discovery Cove plays host to a maximum of about 1,000 guests per day. Visitors enjoy a scenic, tropical setting with options like snorkeling, swimming, interacting with birds in an aviary and the park’s signature dolphin swim.

Sometime later this summer, Grand Reef will add an underwater walking tour called SeaVenture, allowing guests to wear diving helmets and enjoy up close adventures with some of the sea life. SeaVenture will cost an extra $59 per person in addition to the regular admission. For more information about Grand Reef and Discovery Cove, go to www.discoverycove.com. Or visit www.westgatereservations.com for details on discount Orlando family vacation packages and theme park tickets.

Get ready for another Jack Hanna Weekend at SeaWorld® Orlando, April 29 - May 1, 2011.The celebrity animal expert affectionately known as Jungle Jack, makes regular appearances at the Orlando theme park and is recognized worldwide for his knowledge and enthusiasm for wild animals and wildlife conservation.

Hanna will host two shows per day during his long weekend at SeaWorld. He will introduce guests to exotic and endangered animals in his own special way, answer questions and provide exclusive up-close encounters.

Show times will be at 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. each day in Nautilus Theater at SeaWorld.

For a complete list of other shows, attractions and events at SeaWorld, please visit http://www.seaworldorlando.com/. Or you can go to http://www.westgateresevations.com/ to find discount SeaWorld tickets and discount Orlando family vacation packages.

 In NASCAR, they save the best for first!

Unlike most sports, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series begins, rather than ends, its season with its biggest, richest and most prestigious event - the Daytona 500.

Forty-three of the world’s best stock car drivers will tour the 2.5-mile track at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL in search of the season’s top prize. The winner will receive the year’s biggest purse while garnering the season’s first Sprint Cup championship points.

The Speedway was recently repaved for only the second time in history, offering drivers an entirely new racing experience than what they have become familiar with over the years. The only previous repaving came in 1987.

The winner of the Daytona 500 is presented with the Harley J. Earl Trophy and the winning car is displayed, in race-winning condition, for one year at the Daytona 500 Experience, a special museum and gallery located adjacent to the Speedway.

Of course, Daytona Beach also sits less than an hour’s drive from Orlando. Speed enthusiasts can head to the theme park capital of the world to enjoy a different kind of thrill aboard one of the many high flying roller coasters found in Orlando.

From SeaWorld Orlando to Universal Studios to Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando offers myriad coasters to satisfy the most ardent speed fans.

This year’s Daytona 500 is scheduled to be held Feb. 20, 2011, weather permitting.

For more information on central Florida discount vacation packages and discount theme park tickets, go to http://www.westgatereservations/ or visit http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/.

Central Florida’s theme parks never seem to stop bringing new excitement to the Orlando area, from new rides and new shows to the unveiling of the epic Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Now, as we look ahead to 2011 and beyond, you can be sure to expect even more new excitement!

Two of the most highly anticipated new rides in the theme park industry are slated to open in Central Florida in 2011. One is the Cheetah Hunt, a unique launch coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa that features a 130-foot drop into an underground trench and an accompanying animal exhibit.

The other is the new Star Tours simulator ride that is being revamped at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Star Tours will be offering a storyline that continuously changes the beginning, middle and end to create a new journey every time.

Not to be left out, SeaWorld Orlando has announced plans to launch a new killer whale show in spring 2011. The new concept show will replace “Believe” - now in its fifth year - as the theme park’s signature attraction featuring Shamu.

Meanwhile, Legoland Florida will make its debut in 2011, as well. And Disney continues to move ahead with its massive expansion of the Fantasyland section of the Magic Kingdom park and a new Voyage of the Little Mermaid ride scheduled to debut in 2012.

If you would like additional details on discount Orlando theme park tickets or discount Orlando family vacation packages, go to www.Westgatereservations.com or www.OrlandoThemParkVacations.com.

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.