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.

Get ready to celebrate. While the official Mardi Gras celebration kicks off in New Orleans, Mardi Gras Universal Studios style has already started in Orlando with a a long list of weekly concerts and parades plus fabulous food and plenty of beads.

The party really gets cranking tonight, Feb. 16, at Pat O’Brien’s within Universal CityWalk where the popular restaurant/club is hosting a Fat Tuesday celebration to kick off the Lenten season. From 4pm til close, you can enjoy a live party band, special drink discounts, New Orleans style food specials, stilt walkers, bead girls and plenty of other fun and entertainment.

Admission is free until 7 p.m.

After 7 p.m., admission is $8 per person or $20 for a VIP ticket offering private balcony access, light appetizers from 4-8 pm and free admission to select CityWalk clubs.

This week’s Mardi Gras concert features the music of Blondie and lead singer Deborah Harry. Ranging from disco and punk to new wave and hip hop, Blondie is best known for hits like Call Me, The Tide is High, One Way or Another, Heart of Glass and Rapture.

For additional information on Mardi Gras events at Universal Orlando or discount Orlando vacation packages and theme park tickets, visit http://www.orlandothemeparkvacations.com/. Or to register for a free resort getaway sweepstakes, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

November 10-13, 2009
Enjoy great hoops action as the Orlando Magic take on the Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the state-of-the-art Amway Arena in downtown Orlando! Led by superstar center Dwight Howard, the Magic had surged near the top of the NBA Power Rankings for the 2008-09 season. Come watch these two powerhouse NBA teams LIVE in sunny Orlando! The best prices for Orlando Magic Tickets!

Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Tickets

Metallica was easily the best, most influential heavy metal band of the ’80s. Responsible for bringing the genre back to Earth, the bandmates looked and talked like they were from the street, shunning the usual rockstar games of metal musicians during the early ’80s. Metallica also expanded the limits of thrash, using speed and volume not for their own sake, but to enhance their intricately structured compositions. The release of 1983’s Kill ‘Em All marked the beginning of the legitimization of heavy metal’s underground, bringing new complexity and depth to thrash metal. With each album, the band’s playing and writing improved; James Hetfield developed a signature rhythm playing that matched his growl, while lead guitarist Kirk Hammett became one of the most copied guitarists in metal. Don’t miss your chance to see these heavy metal legends and enjoy the Florida sunshine! Click here for your discount Metallica tickets!

December 5-8, 2009
African-American entertainer Bill Cosby, in his own words, “started out as a child,” the son of an eight-dollars-a-day maid and an absentee father. A product of grinding poverty, Cosby escaped his rundown Philadelphia neighborhood by dropping out of high school and joining the navy. He earned his diploma via correspondence course, then earned a football scholarship to Temple University. Working nights as a bartender, Cosby discovered he had the ability to make people laugh, so he temporarily shelved his plans to become an athletics teacher and set out to become a nightclub comedian. Don’t miss your chance to see this comedy legend live in this amazing theatre! Click here for the Best Bill Cosby Ticket Prices on the Internet!

Walt Disney World in Orlando is one of the most visited destinations in the country. It has a lot of fun activities for the entire family. Disney World in Orlando offers a variety of theme park options, including Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Each of these theme parks offer a different experience and each is big enough that you can spend a full day or more to cover it completely. So, it makes sense to buy your Disney vacation packages which covers multiple park options. You can get packages online to save a lot time that you would otherwise spend waiting in the long lines at the ticket counter.

Orlando is home to many theme parks that offer a variety of family activities. These theme parks so are big and so full of fun that you can easily spend days at each one. However, whenever you go to Orlando, you may also want to experience as many theme parks as you can in the time allotted. Therefore, it is recommended that you consider an Orlando ticket package available online. These convenient vacation packages offer different options depending on how many days you want to spend at each theme park. Not only do these packages save you money, but by getting tickets in advance, you’ll save time and energy by not waiting in line at ticket counters when you get to the parks. For your discount Orlando ticket package, check out http://www.orlandovacationsonline.com