Here’s your chance to be in the band! At Universal Orlando CityWalk’s Rising Star karaoke club, you take center stage as the lead singer of a band. This is real music, played live while you belt out your favorite songs in front of a live audience!

The karaoke club debuts March 22 and will be open nightly from 8pm – 2am. 

• Tuesday – Saturday: Live band with backup singers & host
• Sunday & Monday: Backup singers and host

There is a cover charge of $7 to enter the Karaoke Club, however, there is no charge to sing.  (CityWalk Party Passes accepted.)  The club is open to anyone age 21 or older (18 or older on Thursday nights).

Mardi Gras at Universal Studios continues this Saturday night with a live concert performance by KC and the Sunshine Band.  (Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons had previously been scheduled for the March 15 concert series date.)

KC & The Sunshine Band remains as popular today as they were when they first danced onto the music scene 35 years ago. Harry Wayne Casey – KC, for short – developed a unique fusion of R&B and funk, with a hint of a Latin percussion groove.  That sound resulted in a string of hits like Get Down Tonight, That’s The Way (I Like It) and Shake Your Booty.

The concert is just one piece of the Mardi Gras fun.  You’ll also enjoy festive street performers, cajun’ New Orleans style eats and a rocking parade with lots of Mardi Gras beads.

Mardi Gras is included with your daily admission price to Universal Studios.

Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is best known for its theme parks, water parks and entertainment centers such as Pleasure Island and Disney Marketplace.  But Disney also offers some of the best championship golf opportunities that you can find anywhere in Florida.

With four different championship courses, there are plenty of challenging options for golfers of any level.

At Osprey Ridge, a serene and elegant wilderness course designed by Tom Fazio allows you to explore dramatic fairways that cut through forests of scrub oak, pine, palmetto and cypress trees. 

Lake Buena Vista is a classic country club style course with a meandering layout that winds its way through pastel villas, pine forests and sparkling lakes.  You’ll tee off next to boats and canals and enjoy views of an enchanting lighthouse.

Experience the natural beauty of Florida’s woodlands on the Palm course.  This majestic layout is both one of the state’s toughest layouts and a true pleasure to play.  Featuring crystal lakes, tropical sand and strategically placed palms, this course is home to the first rounds of the PGA Tour’s Children’s Miracle Network Classic.

Home to the final rounds of the PGA tournament, the Magnolia course offers beautifully manicured links filled with an abundance of fragrant magnolias.  Elevated tees, spacious greens and tranquil water hazards provide a setting fit for championship golf.

Regardless of which course you choose, you can enjoy the benefits of GPS technology.  Each cart is fitted with a GPS that offers a full color monitor to provide detailed 3D views of each hole, precise yardage to the flagstick, professional tips and course strategy and more.

Novice golfers and families can enjoy a more modest golf experience at the delightful and pleasurable Oak Trail course.  This 9-hole walking course offers undulating greens and holes ranging from 132 to 517 yards from the back tees.  It’s a perfect course for the developing golfer or those looking to sneak in a quick nine. 

One of the best ways to see all of your favorite Disney characters up close is to attend one of the daily theme park parades.  In mid-March, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will roll out an all new parade adventure – the Block Party Bash!

This rockin’ and highly interactive parade through the streets of the park will feature 20 popular Disney Pixar characters and a wide variety of street performers and floats.  Don’t miss the fun at the Block Party Bash — coming soon!

Mardi Gras continues its run at Universal Orlando® Resort with another 7 weekends of Saturday night music and fun. The popular Mardi Gras parade and concert series continues this week with an appearance by Smokey Robinson on the Mardi Gras stage at Universal Studios Florida. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy exquisite Cajun cuisine, street entertainers, an electrifying parade, a rockin’ live concert and lots and lots of Mardi Gras beads! Mardi Gras at Universal continues every Saturday night thru April 19 with upcoming performances by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Kool & the Gang, Heart, Huey Lewis & the News, LL Cool J and Earth, Wind & Fire.  The Mardi Gras celebration is included in the regular cost of admission to Universal Studios.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show will tape 3 shows at Universal CityWalk® at the end of March.  Tickets are now available for the live studio audience.  However, if you are unable to get tickets, you can still join the fun!   

Everyone is invited to the “Riff Raff” Street Party where you can watch the show taping live on CityWalk’s big Astrovision screen. Plus you’ll be able to watch the show’s musical performances live on the CityWalk Plaza Stage!

Ellen will tape two shows in Orlando on March 28 and one show on March 29.  Taping times and show guests & performers have not yet been announced.

Aquatica by SeaWorld is now open!  Orlando’s newest water park opened March 1 to rave reviews.  The park, which integrates thrilling water rides with unique animal interactions, offers wet and wonderful ways to cool off for kids of all ages.

Aquatica becomes the fourth major water park in Orlando, joining Wet ‘N Wild and Disney’s two water park entries, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. 

With 36 water slides, six rivers and lagoons and more than 80,000 square feet of beach area, the park allows visitors to zoon, float and splash through amazing animal habitats and undersea adventures.  The park’s signature attraction plunges riders through a crystal blue lagoon that is home to four beautiful black & white Commerson’s dolphins.  A separate viewing area allows for additional enjoyment of these fast, agile swimmers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex recently reached an agreement for the NFL team to return to Central Florida this July and stage a seventh consecutive training camp at the 220-acre facility. Dates for the three-week summer football camp won’t be determined until the NFL releases its 2008 schedule next month, but players likely will have to report July 24 and begin two-a-days July 25.During the course of their 21-day camp in 2007, seven of the scheduled 31 practices were canceled or moved inside because of thunderstorms or heat-index conditions that reached 110 degrees. As a result, both parties are exploring potential indoor practice options. Last year, 20,263 fans visited Disney to watch the Bucs’ free practice sessions.

The Universal Orlando® Resort creative team has collaborated with The Simpsons creator and executive producer Matt Groening and executive producer James L. Brooks to create the first-ever mega-attraction based on the hit FOX TV series.  The new ride, scheduled to open at Universal Studios Florida in Spring 2008 will feature the same classic humor and characters, all voiced by the show’s original actors.  

In The Simpsons Ride^TM, the Simpsons visit Krustyland, a new low-budget theme park created by the famed TV personality and shameless product huckster Krusty the Clown.  You’ll join Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie in the carnival-like midway of Krustyland and experience the wonders of Springfield’s krustiest theme park – complete with inept fortune tellers, uninspired musical revues, The Tooth Chipper roller coaster and more.

For those who can’t wait for the ride’s grand opening, The Simpsons merchandise and souvenirs are already available at the new KWIK-E-MART store at Universal Studios Florida.

Best known for its busy and colorful autumn season, the Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg also come alive with a different kind of color each spring.  And now’s the time to get ready to enjoy the three-month Springfest celebration that begins in early March and continues thru June 8, 2008.

Gatlinburg transforms as winter turns into spring – and as the city’s streets overflow with baskets of beautiful blooming flowers and plants. Pansies, daffodils, tulips, bougainvilleas, lantanas and wave petunias are among the many varieties of flowers seen throughout the city. Live entertainment can be found along sidewalks, adding a festive flair to the time-honored Downtown Parkway stroll. Members of Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community display unique handcrafted wares as they gather at the Gatlinburg Convention Center to host their annual Easter Arts & Crafts show, March 19-22.

The smell of hickory-smoked barbeque fills the air as folks roll up their sleeves and sample secret sauces on delectable ribs and wings from vendors from all over the Southeast on April 17 at Gatlinburg’s Ribfest & Wings.  This festive street party offers live entertainment and barbequed ribs and wings on the open grill.

The 58th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, April 23-27, provides hikers and nature lovers an opportunity to see delicate wildflowers in bloom. Hosted by Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the University of Tennessee Botany Department and the Gatlinburg Garden Club, this seven-day program offers more than 150 different hiking tours of trails ranging from easy to strenuous, exhibitions, demonstrations, classroom lectures and delightful motor excursions into the Smokies.

Spring events continue with Gatlinburg’s Scottish Festival & Games Grand Parade on May 16 in downtown Gatlinburg. All Scots are invited to march or ride in the parade. On May 17-18, Mills Park in Gatlinburg becomes competitive ground for the 27th Annual Scottish Festival & Games where clans meet and feature Highland athletics, bagpipe competitions, Highland dancing, Border collie demonstrations, haggis hurling, entertainment and whiskey tasting, along with food and merchandise vendors.

And don’t miss Gatlinburg’s Fine Arts Festival, a family-oriented arts festival featuring juried artists from around the country, delicious cuisine and live music in downtown Gatlinburg on  May 17-18.