May 14 – 16, Chubby Checker & The Wildcats “The Twist”: Flower Power Concert Series Fills Weekends with Special Music during 2010 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. America Gardens Theatre shows at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m.

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The fun never stops when you’re a Disney Cast Member, especially when you’re raising money for a good cause. This last weekend, nearly 6,000 Walt Disney World VoluntEARS teamed up to extend their reach into local classrooms via the Disney Bowl-A-Thon. Event organizers anticipate the two-day fundraising event, held at bowling centers across Central Florida, raised approximately 0,000 for Junior Achievement of Central Florida and will ultimately benefit thousands of local children.

Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that goes into schools to provide age-appropriate economic education for children in grades K-12. Preparing young people for economically sound futures, Junior Achievement helps students understand fiscal responsibility by teaching lessons in how to earn, save, maintain a budget, manage credit and control their personal finances.

“We are incredibly grateful to have Disney’s support in our mission to help local students become financially literate,” said Gary Blanchette, president of Junior Achievement of Central Florida. “Through the Bowl-A-Thon and the ongoing work of Disney VoluntEARS in local schools, Disney is ensuring our youth will become the successful leaders of tomorrow,” said Blanchette.

Disney VoluntEARS stay active with Junior Achievement year around by donating their time and talent to teaching Junior Achievement curriculum in Orange and Osceola County schools. In 2009, Junior Achievement reached 94,911 students in more than 4,286 classrooms in Central Florida. Funds raised from the Disney Bowl-A-Thon will go toward Junior Achievement programming, educator kits and classroom supplies.

“The Disney Bowl-A-Thon raises funds to create the educational materials that Junior Achievement volunteers use in the classroom to teach children about economics, finance, entrepreneurship and the free enterprise system,” said Jack Blitch, vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering and Junior Achievement board member. “Now more than ever, this education is vitally important, and Junior Achievement works to ensure students have access to it,” said Blitch.

Walt Disney World Resort has been involved with Junior Achievement for more than 16 years and has raised more than .45 million for the organization.

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New Epcot exhibition brings nano to the masses

Photo of the marquee banner for the Take a Nanooze Break exhibition.

February 24, 2010

A new long-term exhibition at the Walt Disney World Resort® in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., will bring visitors face to face with the nanoworld.

Housed at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, the exhibition Take a Nanooze Break features a series of interactive, continually updated displays that allow visitors to manipulate models of molecules, study everyday items at the nanoscale, and interact with scientists and engineers who conduct the latest nano research.

“The experience is immersive and gives guests a number of ways to view a world that is too small to see,” says Carl Batt of Cornell University, the lead researcher for the project. “It also gives guests a view of nanotechnology from real scientists.”

Based upon the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported children’s magazine and Web site Nanooze (http://www.nanooze.org/), the exhibition was developed with further NSF support by collaborators from Cornell University and Tamarack Design of Ithaca, N.Y.

“Nanotechnology will bring multiple, fundamental changes to the way we work to create goods, develop sustainable approaches, advance medicine and improve quality of life.,” says Mike Roco, senior advisor for nanotechnology at NSF. “About billion worth of products incorporated nanoscale components in the United States in 2010, and one can envision mass use of nanotechnology by 2020. The Nanooze exhibition informs and inspires the public about this fast-arriving future society.”

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EPCOT is a park of two unconnected halves, the future and the world. The thread that ties them together is food. Year round there are delicious offerings in unique settings. Plus Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival, which this year marks it’s 15th anniversary brings crowds of foodies to the park. When the guests arrive this year they will be able to experience a few new enhancements to the World Showcase at Epcot – a new lagoon-side, 12,000 sq. ft. taqueria at the Mexico pavilion, an authentic 14,000 sq. ft. pizzeria at the Italy pavilion, a new merchandise kiosk at the China pavilion, and a new exclusive Givenchy shop at the France pavilion.

Building on its more than 25 years of success in bringing Mexican cuisine to Walt Disney World guests, San Angel Inn, LLC will open a new 400-seat waterside restaurant and quick-service food location specializing in the freshly baked culinary flavors of Mexico. The Cantina de San Angel Restaurant, located directly in front of the Mexico pavilion in the World Showcase, is currently closed until fall 2010 for a significant refurbishment and expansion. The new indoor and outdoor restaurant will be nearly four times larger than the previous 3,500 sq. ft. Cantina.

The Cantina will serve as the first flex- service restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort. Disney research has shown that guests prefer a quick lunch while spending a day at the parks and enjoy a nice tableside restaurant experience in the evening hours. As a result, the new restaurant will serve quick service meals during the day where guests can enjoy an indoor, air-conditioned dining, or outdoor dining experience. Then, in the evening hours the restaurant is converted into a tableside restaurant where reservations are recommended.

At the Italy pavilion, the Patina Restaurant Group will expand its Italian culinary options by opening a new 300-seat pizzeria that will feature traditional Italian dishes straight from wood-burning ovens representing Italy’s infamous volcanoes. Guests will be immersed in the dining experience as they take in the sights, sounds, and aromas of the Italian delicacies, Florentine architecture, vaulted-ceilings, and indoor and outdoor dining. Based on its success at Naples 45 in New York, the Patina Restaurant Group will import water from a source where the composition most resembles water used in Naples, Italy, to make the authentic Italian dough.

“Together with the addition of the pizzeria and the extensive refurbishment of the Cantina, we’re expanding the table service restaurant seats in World Showcase by approximately 20 percent,” said Dan Cockerell, vice president of Epcot. “We’re excited about this significant expansion, which will certainly enhance the guest experience and the architectural landscape of World Showcase. The timing couldn’t be better since we will be celebrating our 15th annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival.”

This week, a new 20 x14 merchandise kiosk, Good Fortune Gifts, opened in front of the China pavilion. Together with Joy of Tea beverage kiosk, Good Fortune Gifts, provides an atmosphere of a small Chinese market along the World Showcase promenade.

By September, Givenchy will open a 300 sq. ft. shop at the France pavilion that will be the only retail location in the United States to offer the full line of Givenchy make-up and skincare products, as well as, a large selection of Givenchy fragrances. Currently small selections of Givenchy perfumes are available in The Plume Shop.

At Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in the United Kingdom, guests can experience a newly-updated menu. The restaurant features hearty and fresh regional English cooking such as: Cottage Pies, Chicken Pies, Fish and Chips, Corned Beef Sandwich, Yorkshire Puddings, Mushy Peas, and more.

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