Bunny Brunch

The Mall at Millennia invites you for a springtime treat at the Bunny Brunch on Saturday, April 02, 2011. Celebrate the arrival of the Bunny from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Orangerie Cafés with entertainment, food, and splendid spring decor. Enjoy a hoppin’ dance party hosted by D.J. Renee, butterfly stilt walkers and a magician. Admission fee of $5 per person will be donated to Ronald McDonald House. Light brunch selections will be provided by mall restaurants.

The Bunny will be available for photos at his colorful tea party garden from April 2nd through April 24, 2011 during mall hours. Children of all ages will have a chance to visit the bunny and receive a complimentary springtime gift.

Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival

Viva La Musica – APR 14         

SeaWorld Orlando hosts a vibrant Latino celebration during Viva La Musica with sensational music, concerts, dance, food sampling and crafts featuring the sights, sounds and tastes of the Hispanic culture.

This Saturday features Elvis Crespo in concert.

Event begins at noon. Concerts begin at 3 p.m.

Event is included with park admission.

The U.S. Finals – South Cheer & Dance – April 14

You have six minutes to showcase why your team’s routine deserves to be the best in the South. GO. The U.S. Finals is the BIGGEST end-of-season event series created to rank teams in all levels and ages of cheer and dance. This competition has grown into the single most successful multi-brand event in the U.S. attracting nearly 1,700 teams in 2011! We invite you to partake in this energy-packed competitive experience as girls flip, twist, kick, and turn their way to a medal!
Tickets
Tickets will be available at the Arena Box Office on the day of the event.
$16 for adults, $11 for kids 5-12 years old and senior citizens 55 and over
kids 4 and under FREE
Parking
$5

Sculpture Experience Pub Crawl – APR 14

6pm – 8:30pm

Take a stroll through the streets of Historic Downtown Kissimmee as you enjoy wine tasting, live music, food samples, art and a silent auction.
Kissimmee Main Street                                                                                                              

Caribbean Fusion – APR 29    

Admission: free

The family can enjoy delicious Caribbean Style foods and drinks, fun things for the children, arts and crafts and much more. Enjoy steel band music, Reggae Band, Latin Band, Indian dancers.

Osceola Heritage Park
1875 Silver Spur Lane
Kissimmee, FL 34744

EASTER NEWS AND NOTES:

For those observing Easter on Sunday, April 8, Walt Disney World will host religious services in the Fantasia Ballroom of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Note that the parking lot at the Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Resort and Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will be operating under parking restrictions. As a result, resort guests staying around the monorail beam are encouraged to take the monorail or watercraft to the Contemporary Resort and all other WDW guests must use Walt Disney World transportation to the Magic Kingdom, then transfer to a shuttle bus to the Contemporary. The shuttle bus will be located at the bus loading area near the main entrance to the Magic Kingdom. The service schedule will be: Catholic Mass – 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Protestant Service 9 a.m. To arrange for taxi service to these or other religious services off Disney property, contact Yellow/Checker Cab at 407-422-2222.

Magic Kingdom:   

– The Azalea Trail Maids will be at Magic Kingdom for a little procession before the afternoon parade on Easter Sunday.

– Guests can meet Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny at Tour Guide Gardens now through Easter Sunday.

Epcot:

– Easter Egg Hunts and Relays at the United Kingdom will be hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny in United Kingdom’s Maze Garden in the back of the pavilion. The Easter Egg Hunt for children ages 3-9 will be held every 10 minutes from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Easter Egg Relay for ages 8-12 will be every 40 minutes after the hour with the first relay at 11:40 a.m. and the final relay at 3:40 p.m. A smaller egg hunt area will be provided for children under 3 years old. Check in at the podium at the United Kingdom up to 30 minutes before each hunt. Space is limited. Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny will pose for photos and sign autographs continuously 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

– Easter Egg Hunts in Future World East will be held for children ages 3-9 at the Innoventions “East-er” Garden. Hunt times will be every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check in at the podium at the Future World East-er Garden (between Innoventions and Universe of Energy) up to 30 minutes before each hunt. Space is limited. Children of all ages are invited to participate in Easter activities such as bunny ring toss and Easter egg bean bag toss.

There is no charge to participate in any of the Easter activities.

ESPN Wide World of Sports is proud to once again partner with the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to host the 2012 MAAC Golf Championships at Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course here at Walt Disney World® Resort, on April 27-29, 2012. The MAAC consists of 10 member institutions including: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Loyola College (MD), Manhattan College, Marist College, Niagara University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s College and Siena Collage. The top men and women of their respective institutions will come together, on the same course as the pro’s, to compete in their conference championships. For more information about the MAAC, visit maacsports.com

2012 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships and World Age-Group Competition
April 16-22, 2012 * ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex * Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Performances will be at various times
Admission: $15.50 – $25.00

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to see the World’s best Acrobatic gymnasts perform routines that are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling and partner skills.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
HP Field House
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

ORLANDO, Fla. – March 21, 2012 – Pending sales and median prices rose, while the inventory of homes for sale dropped in Florida’s housing market in February, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®.

“Growing optimism about the economy, gains in the state’s jobs market and continued low mortgage rates are generating interest in Florida real estate,” says 2012 Florida Realtors President Summer Greene, regional manager of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st in Fort Lauderdale. “Increased statewide pending sales for both single family existing homes, up 36.1 percent, and for townhouse-condo properties, up 19.8 percent, show that buyers are encouraged by these positive signs.”

Pending sales refer to contracts that are signed but not yet completed or closed; closed sales typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.

The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in February was $134,000, up 7.2 percent from the year-ago figure, according to data from Florida Realtors Industry Data and Analysis department and vendor partner 10K Research and Marketing. The statewide median for townhome-condo properties was $95,000, up 15.9 percent over Feb. 2011.

The national median sales price for existing single-family homes in January 2012 was $154,400, which is 2.6 percent below the previous year, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). In California, the statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in January was $268,280; in Massachusetts, it was $265,000; and in Maryland, it was $219,500.

The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less. Housing industry analysts note that sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes.

Statewide sales of existing single-family homes totaled 14,270 in February 2012, down 4.8 percent compared to the year-ago figure. Looking at Florida’s year-to-year comparison for sales of townhomes/condos, a total of 7,545 units sold statewide last month, down 16 percent from those sold in February 2011. NAR reported the national median existing condo price in January 2012 was $156,600.

In February, the months supply of inventory stood at 6.2 for single-family homes and at 6.3 for the condos/townhomes, according to Florida Realtors.

“The overall picture that these statistics show is of a stabilizing housing market,” said Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. John Tuccillo. “While closed sales are down, so are listings and so is inventory. These are signs of a market that’s moving from being a buyer’s market to a balanced market.

“For the past year, median sales prices have been slowly rising; and over a longer period of time, prices have really flattened out – again, signs of an improving housing market.”

The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.89 percent in February 2012, down from the 4.95 percent average during the same month a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac.

13 fun facts about Easter

16 billion jelly beans are made for Easter (that’s enough to completely fill an 89 feet high and 60 feet wide plastic Easter egg – about the height of a nine-story office building!)

82 percent of Americans say they would prefer a chocolate or candy bunny for Easter, while only 4 percent say they would prefer a live rabbit (can you blame them?!)

63 percent of Americans would most like to receive a chocolate bunny on Easter morning, followed by marshmallow bunnies (10 percent). The world’s largest jar of jelly beans weighed 6,050 pounds.

75 percent of kids are willing to do extra chores for extra Easter candy (what, we’re supposed to give them something for doing chores??!

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest Easter egg ever made was just over 25-ft high and made of chocolate and marshmallow. The egg weighed 8,968 lbs. and was supported by an internal steel frame.

88 percent of adults carry on the Easter tradition of creating Easter baskets for their kids & 90 percent of adults hope for their own treat from the Easter Bunny. Who wouldn’t want chocolate?!

The first chocolate eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th century and remain among the most popular treats associated with Easter.

Kids first grab for chocolate bunnies (76 percent) when checking out their Easter baskets, followed by marshmallow treats (18 percent), malted milk balls/eggs (17 percent) and jelly beans (16 percent).

When it comes to knowing which types of bunnies please the palate, the majority of Americans say a solid chocolate bunny (42 percent) first and foremost, followed by a hollow chocolate bunny (21 percent), marshmallow bunny (10 percent) and other types of Easter bunny candy (9 percent).

Red jelly beans are kids’ favorite

Each day, five million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.

March 2012  

Issue 41

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival    

March 7 – May 20, 2012

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is a spring special event filled with Disney character topiaries, a colorful array of flowers, gardens, live music and special presentations. It’s where Disney springs to life!

A little gardening magic will go a long way when an eight-foot-tall floral Sorcerer Mickey topiary holds court at the entrance to the 19th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 7-May 20 at Walt Disney World Resort. Standing atop a 12-foot-tall floral mountain cliff and towering above the park’s front-entrance topiary bed, the commanding Sorcerer Mickey will direct a riot of color in the manicured shapes of dancing broomsticks, buckets, mushrooms, hippos, alligators and elephants straight from the classic Disney film, “Fantasia.”

The front-entrance floral spectacle will welcome guests to a festival packed with new displays, featured speakers and hands-on fun for all ages. For 75 festival days, Epcot guests can explore topiaries and gardens; learn planting, style and design techniques and rock to the tunes of popular Flower Power concerts.

Popular bands of the 1960s through the ’90s will rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Flower Power concert series will welcome back 20th century pop favorites this year when Jose Feliciano, Chubby Checker and The Wildcats, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Davy Jones and seven other bands rock the America Gardens Theatre with their timeless tunes.

Show Times: 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.              

Schedule of Performers:

March 9 – 11: Jose Feliciano (Light My Fire)
March 16 – 18: Starship starring Mickey Thomas (We Built This City)
March 23 – 25: The Guess Who (American Woman)
March 30 – April 1: The Spinners (Cupid)
April 6 – 8: Chubby Checker & The Wildcats (The Twist)
April 13 – 15: Paul Revere and the Raiders (Good Thing)
April 20 – 22: The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie (Happy Together)
April 27 – 29: Chuck Negron former singer for Three Dog Night (Black & White)
May 4 – 6: The Orchestra starring former members of ELO (Don’t Bring Me Down)
May 11 – 13: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone (I’m Henry VIII, I Am)
May 18 – 20: Davy Jones (I’m a Believer)

Epcot admission is required. Entertainment dates and performers are subject to change without notice.

Join the fun as the streets fill with beads, bands and a rocking parade at Universal Studios. Enjoy authentic cuisine and musicians, along with party bands and artists you’ll love to jam with. At 8 p.m. on event nights, the parade winds its way through the streets, offering dazzling floats, colorful costumes, towering stilt walkers, outrageous street performers and float riders tossing beads at the crowd. Concerts begin after parades.

Mardi Gras is included with park admission.

The streets fill with beads, bands and a rocking parade, celebrating Mardi Gras every Saturday and other select nights

           Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Tournament-March 19 – 25, 2012

 The Arnold Palmer Invitational brings together some of golf’s greats for this premiere event on the PGA Tour. Competitive play begins Thursday, March 22, at the demanding layout of Bay Hill.

Ticket prices vary: $15 youth 13-17 (12 and under free); $45 any one day ticket.

Limited on-site parking; free shuttle buses from Universal Studios available with ticket purchase. (Parking is $10.)

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of the premiere-event jewels on the PGA Tour.

Bay Hill Club & Lodge

9000 Bay Hill Blvd

Orlando, FL 32819

                              Get Ready For Easter Now!!!!

There is usually a “meet and greet” with the Easter Bunny at Magic Kingdom during the week prior to Easter at Tour Guide Gardens, adjacent to City Hall.

Disney does not offer an Easter parade or decorations in the parks. However, in 2011 Disney offered a special “pre-parade” featuring Easter Bunny and Mrs. Bunny. The “pre-parade” was offered ONLY on Easter Sunday; 15 minutes prior to the park’s 3:00 pm Celebrate a Dream Come True parade.

Some of the Disney hotels offer egg hunts, etc. to their guests. If you are staying at a Disney hotel, inquire at the front desk when you arrive.

There are special meals available at certain restaurants on Easter Sunday (which in 2012 will be on April 8). An Easter Brunch is usually held each year at the Epcot World ShowPlace located between Canada and the United Kingdom pavilions. Regular Epcot admission is required. You can reserve holiday meals up to 180 days in advance by calling (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463).

Note that “holiday pricing” (i.e. higher prices) will be in effect for some restaurants (particularly the buffets and character meals) for the two weeks on either side of Easter. Other restaurants may charge a premium on Easter Sunday, so be sure to ask when booking reservations.

Religious services are held on Easter Sunday only in the Fantasia Ballroom at the Contemporary Resort. Catholic Mass is held at 8:00 am and 10:15 am. A Protestant service is held at 9:00 am. You may not park at the Contemporary for these services, so to get there; you must do one of the following:

• take the monorail to the Contemporary
• take a boat to the Contemporary
• take resort transportation (monorail, boat or bus) to the Magic Kingdom and transfer to a shuttle bus serving the Contemporary resort

                           5th Annual Easter Eggstravaganza – APR 23

Noon – 3pm

$3.00 per person

Make sure you bring your Easter basket. Don’t miss the annual visit from the Easter Bunny and an Easter Egg Hunt. The whole family is invited for an afternoon of fun, entertainment, games and much more. Plenty of kid’s games, candy, prize giveaways and raffles.

Babb Landing at Shingle Creek Regional Park

2491 Babb Rd.

Kissimmee, FL 34746

International Carillon Festival at Bok Tower Gardens

From March 3-11, world-renowned carillonneurs will perform daily concerts. The Visitor Center features historical exhibits on the history, construction and sound of the carillon from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Performance Schedule

Saturday, March 3                                                             
11 a.m. – Malgosia Fiebig, 1 p.m. – Geert D’hollander, 3 p.m. – Sue Bergren

About the Carillonneurs

Geert D’hollander’s many areas of musical study in Belgium include piano, chamber music, choral and orchestral conducting, fugue and composition at the Royal Conservatory in Antwerp, and carillon at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen. He was first prize winner in about 30 international competitions for carillon and/or composition. In 2008 he was awarded the University of California Berkeley Medal for “Distinguished Service to the Carillon”. Last year he won the prestigious Dutch “ANV-Visser Neerlandia Prize” with his carillon composition “Ciacona”.

                                               There Were Bells on a Hill…………..     

FLAstay.com is your one source for the purchase, sale and renovation of Disney area real estate and vacation rental properties. Since 1990, we at FLAstay.com have honed our skill, expertise and knowledge in the unique Disney-area resort market. If you are a buyer or investor, our agents are here to represent you through the entire transaction.

                                                                                      flastay.com     

                                     Visit Our Websites!

To help you and your family relax and enjoy all the festivities, Florida Deluxe Villas provides luxury accommodations in the Disney area and has been for over 22 years. We pride ourselves on honesty, integrity and ability to match our customer’s specific requirements. Due to the relationships we have built with our property owners we are able to offer you, our customer, quality and a variety of accommodations at affordable rates, rates that we believe cannot be beaten!

                                                                 floridadeluxevillas.com

Don’t forget to stop by our office at 2914 Vineland Road, Kissimmee, FL  34746

to purchase all your attraction tickets!

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival                           

MAR 16 – MAR 18

The entire family can enjoy There will be clay, digital art, glass, jewelry, and many more art categories. There will also be a Children’s Workshop Village where the children can create their own masterpiece.

Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: Free

Explore a variety of visual arts at one of the nation’s largest and oldest juried outdoor art festivals

Central Park

507 N. New York Ave

Winter Park, FL 32789

     Enjoy a doggy day in Celebration! Previous festivals have included pet look-a-like contests, doggie and human fashion shows and the Celebration Doggie Train. Event will feature vendor booths selling pet products as well as offering information about dog nutrition, health and pet adoption.

Admission is free.

Spend some time with four-legged friends at this canine-centered event!

Downtown Celebration

Easter Egg Hunt at Green Meadows Farm - MAR 29 – APR 08 

Admission: Free

Celebrate the Easter holiday with a fun and adventurous Easter egg hunt.                    

Green Meadows Farm

1368 S. Poinciana Blvd

Kissimmee, FL 34746



                BikeWeek at Daytona Beach – MAR 9 – MAR 18

Known as the “World’s Largest Motorcycle Event,” this 10-day annual festival returns to Daytona Beach. As the bikes roar into Central Florida, so do the activities for motorcycle aficionados, including shows and exhibits, concerts, racing at Daytona International Speedway and festivities on Main Street.

Events are throughout Daytona Beach.

The “World’s Largest Motorcycle Event” roars in to Daytona Beach for 10 days



St. Cloud Spring Fling-MAR 30 – APR 1^st                                                                               

Enjoy a family-friendly event featuring various outdoor activities, just in time for Spring! Watch exciting wakeboarding competitions along with other weekend festivities, including a car show, Corn Hole competition, arts & crafts and more.

Admission and parking are free.                                                                                 

Boat races are the highlight of this celebration                                         

St. Cloud Lakefront

1104 Lakeshore Blvd.

St. Cloud, FL 34769







                                                                 

   



 February 2012                                         

Issue 40        

                                             Spend Valentine’s Day at Disney

Valentine’s Day at Wolfgang Puck Café            

Seafood lovers will get a taste of their favorites with Wolfgang Puck Café’s Seafood Lover’s Prix Fixe menu. For $70.00 per couple (excluding tax and gratuity) guests can profess their love over four-courses of the freshest seafood in Florida!

Valentine’s Weekend at Portobello 

Celebrate with the love of your life all weekend long at Portobello Restaurant! From Friday, February 12th to Sunday, February 14th, Portobello will be offering a Valentine’s Day menu for two, in addition to the regular menu of delicious Italian specialties.

Disney’s Table’s in Wonderland Program has two February events

Tables in Wonderland presents: Jiko Wine Dinner
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Thursday February 11, 2010 at 6:30pm

Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Chocolate Dinner
Atlantic Dance Hall at the Disney’s Boardwalk Resort
Sunday, February 14, 2010, 6:30pm – 8:30pm          

FHSAA Competitive Cheer Championships

45th Annual Osceola Art Festival-February 11-12th  

     SeaWorld’s Bands, Brew & BBQ-Weekends Feb. 11-March 4^th  

2012’s Bands, Brew & BBQ will be twice as fun when the park hosts rockin’ concerts Saturdays AND Sundays this year, on Feb. 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, and March 3-4. SeaWorld partners with favorite local restaurants to bring an even richer variety of BBQ and great grilled food. There’s a thirst-quenching beer garden featuring nearly 50 craft beers from around 20 different domestic and international breweries. And, of course, incredible concerts with top artists in classic rock and country music. Bands, Brew & BBQ is included with park admission.

Saturday, February 11: Foreigner

Sunday, February 12: Gary Allan

Saturday, February 18: Trace Adkins

Sunday, February 19: Kenny Rogers

Saturday, February 25: Doobie Brothers

Sunday, February 26: Ronnie Dunn

Winefest-February 17 –19th   

Enjoy arts and crafts, live music on outdoor stage throughout the entire weekend. Lakeridge wine, beer, soft drinks and a variety of food is available for purchase.

Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: $2 donation

Live music on the grounds of the vineyards, plus delicious food and wine too!

Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards

19239 US 27 North

Clermont, FL 34715

2012 NBA All-Star Game

Sunday, February 26, 2012
7:00pm EST
Amway Center

This February, the NBA is bringing one of the most entertaining sporting events to Orlando — NBA All-Star 2012. Returning for the first time since 1992, when Magic Johnson made his dramatic comeback on the court, NBA All-Star 2012 is a unique experience that celebrates the NBA’s greatest athletes

Kiss-Im-Mee 5k- February 11

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.”

 - Winnie the Pooh   ºOº

2012 Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza

Renninger’s Antique Center, U.S. 441, Mount Dora, Florida

Third Weekend in February

Shop for treasures at the largest antique fair of its kind in the South! Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza features 1,400 dealers of antiques and collectibles spread over 117 acres of rolling countryside in beautiful Mount Dora. The Antique Extravaganza is also held during the third weekends of February and November. Admission is charged

                                                        …and they lived happily ever after