You all know Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear. But did you know the space ranger actually took a trip into outer space? Last year, NASA took a 12-inch action figure of Buzz Lightyear on an STS-124 rocket to live on the International Space Station (ISS) with astronauts from around the world. For 15 months, from May 31, 2008 to September 11, 2009, Buzz was aboard the ISS as astronauts performed various experiments from biological to chemical. Nations like Japan, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Canada and others all have representatives aboard this massive station that serves as a symbol of international unity and harmony.

You might have heard that Cirque du Soleil creator Guy Laliberté just blasted off into space for his Poetic Social Mission—it seems everyone is getting in on the space craze! Once the Buzz Lightyear figure returned he was brought back to the Magic Kingdom where both toy Buzz and the REAL Buzz were honored with a ticker tape parade. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, lead the parade in a 1969 Camaro convertible along with Mike Fincke, former commander of the space station. Kids and adults lined the streets cheering the men on as the parade made its way through Tomorrowland.

In this great quote from the Orlando Sentinel we got a look into Aldrin’s humor regarding his space ranger competitor. “Aldrin said he briefed Buzz Lightyear before the doll was launched into space in May 2008 aboard space shuttle Discovery. ‘I said, now look, don’t you forget, I’m the real Buzz,’ Aldrin said, looking serious.”

Disney plans to continue bringing awareness to its company through space education and promotion of Buzz Lightyear. They are working with NASA in a competition that will have children design a new patch for astronauts. The winner of this competition gets a trip to the Kennedy Space Center and Walt Disney World. Disney is also working with NASA on an educational space-themed video game. Disney is apparently working with the Smithsonian Institute to get a permanent exhibit over at the National Air and Space Museum. Buzz Lightyear is here to stay.

Sports fans, there is a place for you at the Walt Disney World Resort. We know you often feel overwhelmed by pirates and princesses despite heading to the parks with your football jerseys and baseball caps to proclaim your sports team allegiance. But there are plenty of sports-themed sights to see within the resort world—there’s even a sports resort to stay in.

On your visit to the Orlando theme parks area, sports fans can stay at the Walt Disney World All-Star Sports Resort. This is one of Disney’s value hotels and a great destination for sports fans. Its 1,920 rooms, their cafes and stores all carry baseball, basketball, football, surfing, tennis and even hockey themes. The merchandise at their gift shops features adorable Disney figurines in their own sports getup. You can find a baseball-playing Mickey Mouse or a hockey-playing Goofy, among other cute figures.

Disney also has a 220 acre sports complex known as the Wide World of Sports Complex. This massive facility hosts 200 amateur and professional events every year. It is also the home to the spring training camp of the Major League Baseball Team the Atlanta Braves. The facility just recently added the Jostens Center which is a 75,000 square foot complex that will host a number of indoor sports events. The Jostens Center has 12 volleyball courts, 6 basketball courts and 2 hockey rinks. You can also quench your thirst and grab a bite to eat at the Wide World of Sports Café where you are surrounded by great sports memorabilia.

No trip is complete without a little souvenir shopping. The ultimate mix of Disney and sports souvenirs can be found at Downtown Disney at the Team Mickey Athletic Club. This shop, found within the great entertainment, dining and shopping complex that is Downtown Disney, features a great selection of sports merchandise. Not only will you find Disney related items, but the Team Mickey Athletic Club also features jerseys from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and other national sports leagues. While we may no longer have the ESPN Sports Zone at the Disney Boardwalk, there is still plenty to do for sports fans in Disney.

The holidays are almost here! There is no doubt you have probably heard some holiday songs in the stores and started to see the various holiday commercials appearing on the television. Hopefully, you’ve purchased your discount Disney tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and you’re ready to go, because this is going to be a beautiful event Disney and holiday fans of all ages will enjoy! The holiday decorations are already up at the Magic Kingdom. Wreathes and beautiful nutcracker statues decorate the trees and line the streets of the Magic Kingdom. You will find special statues spiced up for the holidays and see snow-themed Mickey balloons, tons of Christmas decorations, and great Christmas-themed Mickey and Minnie Ears. If you like the holidays and you’re a Disney fanatic, this is heaven on Earth!

Tomorrowland will have a brand new look and a brand new show once you get to Walt Disney World. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority was fully refurbished and just re-opened. They even fixed up the bathrooms near Space Mountain for a brand new look. Oh! About Space Mountain, the official re-opening date is November 22nd 2009, but Disney is expected to have a “soft opening,” meaning Disney will let cast members and a few guests test out the ride, as early as this week!

Along with Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, the Magic Kingdom will have a brand new Christmas show that is sure to rock the house and get the little ones into the holiday spirit! A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas will be the newest stage show in the holiday event and it will replace Mickey’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. With a modern take on the holidays featuring Radio Disney hits, holiday songs and your favorite Tomorrowland characters like Buzz Lightyear, Stitch, Mike Wazowski and other holiday favorites, everyone will enjoy this show!

If you’re planning to come to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party, which we hope you are, you will enjoy all of the special features of the holiday invent including the parade, unique fireworks, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas and, of course, a brand new Space Mountain. The holidays at the Magic Kingdom are going to be fantastic.

Starting November 21st Busch Gardens will be unveiling its new look for the holiday season. The park is in its 50th year of operation, bringing a large variety of entertainment options to its guests. Whether you love to ride roller coasters or check out beautiful animals and greenery, there is something for you at Busch Gardens. Unlike the Orlando theme parks, Busch Gardens is located just a short car trip away in Tampa Bay. It’s the #1 destination spot for the bay area and receives a record number of visitors every year, mostly thanks to its amazing roller coasters like Montu, SheiKra, Scorpion and Kumba. For thrill-ride enthusiasts this is definitely the place to be and, usually, Busch Gardens is considered a more adult-friendly theme park. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good place for the kiddies, it’s a great place for everyone—especially during the holidays!

Over at the Stanleyville Theatre, guests will be treated to the show Christmas on Ice. It’s only a limited engagement show, so you’ll have to make sure you get your discount theme park tickets and plan your trip accordingly. Professional ice skaters will delight you with routines choreographed to your favorite holiday songs. Over at the Marrakesh Theater, Christmas from the Heart will feature an amazing gospel choir that will lift your spirits as they perform an incredible medley of holiday and spiritual favorites.

If you like to have a big breakfast experience, reserve a spot at the Santa breakfast at the Desert Grill. At this special breakfast, Santa and his Elves will join diners for a commemorative photo op and then a private performance featuring seasonal songs and tap dancing. Along with all of these great shows, you will also find merry carolers singing throughout the park, beautiful decorations and endless, bright poinsettias. This is just the beginning for the holidays at Busch Gardens, since New Year’s Eve is right around the corner! Special fireworks for the New Year’s celebrations begin December 26th through the 30th and they culminate with a big bash on the 31st.

If you’ve never been to the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park for the holidays, this is a great year to start! You will enjoy the beautiful holiday shows as well as the classic Busch Gardens traditions!

Ebooks have become the next big thing. With devices like Amazon.com’s Kindle, Apple’s iPhones and iPods as well as an upcoming book reading device by Sony, some people are readily making the transition from paperback to paperless. While there are plenty of arguments both for and against Ebooks, you can’t deny their popularity and Disney is taking full advantage of it. The company recently announced Disney Digital Books. Don’t worry, you won’t have to purchase a Kindle or reading device, Disney is making it easy for everyone. All you need is a computer with Internet access.

Disney Digital Publishing will make 500 new and classic Disney books available for kids to read. Every character from Winnie the Pooh to Hannah Montana is included in that list of 500 reads. While you don’t have to purchase a device to read these books, you will have to pay either a monthly or annual fee. To test out the new project Disney is offering free trials at the moment where you can access 7 regular books, 1 Look and Listen book and 1 Story Builder Activity.

Not only will this program help out the clutter factor of buying tons of children’s books, but the Look and Listen book will help kids learn to read. Readers of the Disney Digital books will be able to click on the words as they read them and hear how they are pronounced. The interactive Ebook not only provides convenience but helps children recognize words they don’t understand instead of glazing over them. With the Story Builder Activity books children can mix and match different scenes to create their own story adventure.

This is a great way to encourage the kids to read and in a way, save money. One fee a year will provide access to 500 books—if you bought 500 books you would be paying way more than whatever fees Disney will be charging. Kids of all ages and adults will enjoy the interactive story options while they learn to improve their reading skills. Check out the new service today, it’s a great thing for Disney fans of all ages!

CityWalk has been a hit at Universal Studios Orlando since it first opened back in 1999. This giant entertainment complex features themed restaurants like Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, NASCAR Sports Grille, and the Hard Rock Café, along with amazing nightclubs like the groove and a 20 screen movie theatre. There are always amazing events going on at CityWalk from Happy Hour specials to concerts featuring great bands from every musical genre. During special events like Halloween Horror Nights, Universal CityWalk serves as the perfect gateway to start the party early. You can grab dinner or some drinks before heading into big events at either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.

This week anyone that’s ever dreamed of being a bartender will be thrilled to find out that Universal CityWalk is hosting the Quest World Flair Bartending Grand Finals. Flair bartending involves more than just mixing some vodka and cranberry juice into a glass; it involves intricate tricks like juggling and pouring drinks over your head or behind your back. Flair bartending takes the art of mixing cocktails to a whole other level! If you’re in the CityWalk area this week you’ll be able to see the action starting tomorrow at Pat O’Brien’s. The Irish establishment will be holding a practice session for the 100 flair bartenders that have come to compete in Orlando from over 15 countries.

Stop by Pat O’Brien’s on Tuesday November 17th at 4:00 pm to watch the bartenders practice as you enjoy traditional Irish food, live entertainment, and .95 Hurricanes. The fun continues on Wednesday November 18th for the Quest World Flair Bartending Grand Finals at the groove! Doors open at 6:30 pm and there will be Three Olives drink specials throughout the night. You have to be 21 and over, of course, so make sure you bring your ID to this awesome event!

Your best bet would be to search for some discount Universal tickets and check out the amazing rides at Universal Studios like Revenge of the Mummy or the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Or you can go to Islands of Adventure and ride The Hulk and try to get a sneak peek at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The choice is up to you, but make sure you check out the Quest World Flair Bartending Grand Finals!