The Walt Disney Company has always been one to participate in charities and help those that are less fortunate. When you’re visiting the Orlando theme parks you see the smiling faces of cast members and realize Walt Disney World really is the happiest place on Earth. There are a lot of fortunate people that get to go to the Disney theme parks throughout the year, but there are people that never get to travel, let alone have a safe place they can call their own.

Homelessness is affecting the United States like never before, especially with the economic recession that we have been undergoing. People have lost their jobs and even their homes because of layoffs and other reasons—but the Walt Disney Company would never ignore the less fortunate. Over Thanksgiving, chefs from various Disney resorts came together with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to prepare meals for over 600 people. These people, which includes families, women, children and men, were all fed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Disney chefs. Chef Tony Marotta oversaw the entire project.

Monthly, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida prepares about 750 meals for the homeless in the area, but for the special Thanksgiving day feast, the chefs had to start two days in advance. It was a lot of hard work, but important work, as Disney firmly believes in the idea of VoluntEars and helping the community.

“When you see homelessness in the media, you are moved to humility and compassion, but when you see homelessness in person, you are moved to action,” said Trevor Larsen, WDW vice president of engineering services and manufacturing, who serves on the Coalition board. “There are plenty of ways people can help. Come meet these adults and children in need and get involved.”

If you want to get into the giving spirit, you can always volunteer at a homeless shelter or other charity foundation yourself. Don’t forget Disney is doing the Give a Day Get a Day program! If you volunteer and sign up on the website, all you need is proof of your day of service to get a free admission into the Magic Kingdom or any other Disney theme park!

Even though we live in Florida and don’t get any snow, Orlando does become quite chilly during the winter months. This time of the year is your last chance to get to the Orlando water parks before it becomes chilly outside. If you’re a fan of Blizzard Beach, you’d better get your discount tickets quick. As of January 10, 2010, Blizzard Beach will be closing for refurbishment until March of 2010. Blizzard Beach is one of the world’s most popular water parks. With its ski resort theme and scary slides Disney guests love to cool off and have fun at this great Disney theme park. If you’re in the mood for a classic, you can always check out Typhoon Lagoon, where you can learn to surf and swim with the sharks.

There’s also Wet ‘n Wild. This Orlando water park was voted the best water park in America by Amusement Business magazine, and when you go you will see why! The water slides at Wet ‘n Wild go from kid-friendly to downright terrifying. On the Bomb Bay, you rocket down a water slide at a near vertical angle from 76 feet up in the air. If you would rather take it easy you can check out the lazy river or try your hand at wake skating or knee skiing over at the Wake Zone.

If you want to check out one of the newest water parks to open up in the Orlando area, look no further than SeaWorld’s Aquatica. This brand new water park opened up last year in March and is decorated with bright colors and tribal imagery modeled after the indigenous cultures of New Zealand and Australia. The park’s most famous slide is the Dolphin Plunge. Here you can slide down a clear tube that dips through a pool of beautiful Commerson’s dolphins. For a little bit of friendly competition you can head to the Taumata Racer. This is a partially-enclosed waterslide that features eight lanes set side by side so you can race other guests of this great water park.

Whichever park you decide to get to make sure you make it there soon, because the chilly weather is right around the corner!

The SeaWorld franchise has expanded well beyond Budweiser Clydesdales and the Shamu Adventure show. Gone are the days where the park was viewed solely as an educational experience and marine research institute with a beautiful killer whale mascot. Over the years, the park has expanded and changed into a thrill-ride champion and competitor to other Orlando theme parks like Universal Studios and Walt Disney World.

With the addition of Kraken, SeaWorld’s first large-scale roller coaster, the park was launched into the coaster enthusiast spotlight. At the time of its grand opening in 2000, Kraken was the largest roller coaster in South Florida and the first floorless roller coaster in the Southern United States. Even though Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest has now taken Kraken’s longest coaster crown, SeaWorld took the proverbial ball and ran into a whole new world of marine related adventure.

The latest thrill ride experience at SeaWorld is the award-winning Manta coaster. Awarded the “Best New Attraction” title by ThemeParkInsider.com, Manta is the tallest and fastest “flying” roller coaster in the world. The manta ray-shaped coaster gets its “flying” title thanks to the position of riders on the ride. When SeaWorld engineers created the ride, they intended to mimic the gliding movement of rays in the water for their riders. So, once riders board their specific car, they will be tilted face down before beginning the 140-ft ascension up the coaster’s first hill.

If the tail whips, pretzel-loops and corkscrews of Manta are too much for you, the ride’s queue features an elaborate exhibit of ocean creatures. The queue at Manta is open to those riding the coaster and for those who are only curious as to what the exhibit has in store. Built to resemble a sea village, the Manta queue features ten aquariums with over 60 species of animals and 300 variations of the ride’s mascot: the ray. If you are waiting in line or just passing through, the aquarium will give you the feeling of being underwater as rays and tropical fish glide overhead.

With rides like Manta and Kraken, sales of SeaWorld tickets have greatly improved, with many SeaWorld execs attributing the increase in attendance to their water-themed coasters. Your best bet in experiencing these great rides as well as the beautiful aquariums, fireworks and live entertainment is to check out the deals DWTickets.com has to offer. Manta awaits!

You’ve been waiting all spring, and now, SeaWorld Orlando is rewarding you for your patience. The aquatic theme park will be opening its new roller coaster Manta early for a special sneak preview this Tuesday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo). Manta will open at noon that day, as well as every day afterwards through the week until at least the following Sunday, May 10. Though guests should be prepared for periodic closures, it’s still a great chance to ride the ray before it officially opens.

Manta’s official opening date is May 22, but rumors have been circulating for a while now that the ride has come together so quickly and so well that guests will likely get to ride it for limited hours leading up to May 22.

“A lot of the locals and residents want to experience this before summer,” said SeaWorld spokesperson Nick Gollattscheck.

The sneak preview announcement was actually first made by Shamu via Twitter, who pronounced, “I have decided to open Manta early. Tuesday, May 5 at noon. Yes, I have that kind of pull. When you speak of me, speak well.” Needless to say, Shamu’s not a modest killer whale.

Manta will be a first for SeaWorld in many ways – though it’s not the park’s only roller coaster, it will be the first flying roller coaster of its kind in the park and in the world. Riders will begin by climbing into traditional seats and harnesses, but soon enough they’ll see what makes the ride so special as the entire seating assembly rotates forward, positioning riders horizontally.

From there, they’ll soar over the park like a Manta ray, flying headfirst at 56 mph. The coaster features a track-twisting pretzel loop, in-line spins, a close call with a waterfall, and a wing dip just inches from the water that throws out a 14-foot high, 60-foot long spray of water.

Adding on to the incredible experience is Manta’s aquarium; while waiting on line for the ride, guests will get a glimpse into the underwater worlds of tropical fish and rays. Floor to ceiling aquariums will showcase rare leafy sea dragons, colorful clownfish, and mysterious sea anemones. Smaller guests will even get to ‘pop up’ into an aquarium and come face-to-face with the aquarium’s inhabitants – which include three hundred rays and a massive Pacific octopus, which creeps along the interior of Manta’s saltwater habitat.

“Manta takes what SeaWorld does best – animal encounters and thrill rides – and blends
them to create something you can’t find anywhere else in the world,” said Dan Brown,
SeaWorld Orlando’s general manager. “Manta’s actually the next generation of what makes
Orlando so much fun. Orlando is the must-do vacation this summer, and Manta is the must-see.”

So what are you waiting for? Get your first look at the must-see attraction of the summer, and grab your discount SeaWorld tickets from DWTickets.com. We can’t imagine a better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than by riding a manta ray at SeaWorld.