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Time is winding down on the long-running Universal Mardi Gras celebration in Orlando. The weekly party which started back on Feb. 6, continues this weekend with not one but two live concerts. The first is a Mardi Gras bonus night on Friday, April 9 featuring special musical guest Sheryl Crow.

 The second concert, starring Flo Rida is scheduled for the regular Saturday night Mardi Gras party slot on April 10. Both musical celebrations will go hand-in-hand with the usual fun-filled Mardi Gras revelry consisting of Cajun foods, street performers, an epic parade and more.

The final Mardi Gras event of 2010 happens a week later when musical guest Chicago plays at Universal Studios Orlando on Sat. April 17.

The bold and free-spirited Crowe uniquely blends her smooth mix of rock, country and pop into one contemporary mainstream sound that has produced a steady stream of hits and nine Grammy Awards.

For more information regarding Mardi Gras, go to www.UniversalOrlando.com or www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com where you’ll also find Orlando discount vacation packages, theme park tickets and accommodations including the 5-Star Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa.

At 6:21 am on April 5, Space Shuttle Discovery thundered off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, lighting up the early morning sky and sailing effortlessly toward the International Space Station.

This spectacular sight has become something of a central Florida tradition for nearly 30 years since the first space shuttle launch in 1981. Yet it’s also a tradition that is quickly drawing to a close. With the launch of STS-131 Discovery, only three additional shuttle flights remain scheduled before the amazing shuttle fleet is retired by NASA. Those final shuttle flights will truly mark the end of an era.

Discovery is carrying seven astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as a multi-purpose logistics module that is designed to be used as a large storage unit filled with racks for the ISS laboratories. This 13-day mission also has three planned space walks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior, and switching out a gyro.

The launch also marks the second to last mission for Space Shuttle Discovery which is slated to fly the final shuttle mission tentatively scheduled for a Sept. 16, 2010 launch.

The day is set. June 18, 2010 is the official grand opening date for the highly anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park.

The new $200 million addition that spans 20 acres will include a myriad of familiar sights from the best-selling book series written by J.K. Rowling. Some of the most prominent pieces of the Wizarding World include Hogsmeade Village, Hogwarts Castle and the Hogwarts Express Train.

A soft opening prior to the official launch could occur as early as May 28.

For more information on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Orlando discount vacation packages, visit www.universalorlando.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

The party goes on and on at Universal Studios Florida as the popular Mardi Gras celebration continues through mid-April. This week’s musical guest is Akon, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter and one of the music industry’s fastest-rising stars.

Akon’s special mix of hip-hop, R&B and rap includes a number of chart-topping hits like Lonely, I Wanna Love You, Don’t Matter and Dangerous. He’s the first artist to accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

A frequent guest on TV’s American Idol, Akon brings his act to Universal’s Mardi Gras at 8:30 pm on March 6, 2010.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on Universal Studios, Mardi Gras and other Orlando area theme parks and attractions, as well as details on discount theme park tickets and Orlando vacation packages. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm for information on discount Orlando resort and hotel lodging.

ESPN’s annual fan-fest continues this weekend (Feb. 26-27-28) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL.

 With 35 superstar athletes, two dozen sportscasters, live shows, special motorcades, interactive sports zone and more, it’s sure to be a fun-filled weekend for sports fans of all ages.

Don’t miss your chance to get up close and personal with stars from the NBA, NFL, major league baseball, golf and more. Plus look for all of your favorite ESPN personalities.

Of course, you’ll also enjoy a full day of fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park which offers a wide range of thrill rides, shows and other attractions.

For information on Disney’s Hollywood Studios, discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando theme park tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for discount Orlando resort and hotel accommodations, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

Legoland® Florida, slated to open in the fall of 2011 on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park, will feature a unique mix of attractions. The largest Legoland park in the world, the Central Florida version will feature more than 50 rides, shows, attractions as well as spectacular LEGO models and other interactive elements for the entire family.

For information about the new park and the LEGOLAND sister park already open in California, please visit www.legolandfloridaresort.com. Or you can visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for more information on all the Orlando area theme parks and attractions as well as discount Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando hotels and resorts.

The classic Main Street Electrical Parade is slated to return to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in June and run throughout the summer as part of a Summertime Nightastic! promotion.

The longtime favorite originally found its way down Main Street U.S.A. back in 1977 and ran until 1991 when Disney introduced the SpectroMagic parade. The Electrical Parade returned again from 1999-2001 but has been part of the fun at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim the last few years.

As part of the return to Disney World, the classic parade will feature a new Tinker Bell presentation at the start of the parade. Also new to the Main Street Electrical Parade will be Snow White and Pinocchio floats.

In Disney’s ongoing effort to “go green,” the thousands of lights in the parade have all been replaced with LED bulbs.

Visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on all the Disney parks as well as discount Orlando vacation packages and discount theme park tickets. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com for discount Orlando hotels, resorts and accommodations for the entire family.

The Mardi Gras celebration is in full swing at Universal Studios Orlando Resort. With weekly parades and concerts, lots of great food and plenty of beads, there’s a definite taste of New Orleans in the air.

The party amps up on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Pat O’Brien’s within Universal CityWalk. The restaurant/club will be hosting a Fat Tuesday celebration to kick off the Lenten season.

From 4pm til close, you can enjoy a live party band, special drink discounts, New Orleans style food specials, stilt walkers, bead girls and plenty of other fun and entertainment.

Admission is free until 7 pm. After 7, admission is $8 per person or $20 for a VIP ticket offering private balcony access, light appetizers from 4-8 pm and free admission to select CityWalk clubs.

For additional information on Mardi Gras events at Universal Orlando or discount Orlando vacation packages and theme park tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or to register for a free resort getaway sweepstakes, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

Now your little princess can have lunch with a real Disney princess. Actually, you can enjoy any meal of the day, thanks to the new Fairytale Dining attraction at Disney World’s Cinderella Castle inside the Magic Kingdom.

Guests with reservations can now greet Cinderella in the Castle lobby prior to having breakfast, lunch or dinner inside the Castle dining area. While dining, additional princesses will stop by your table to chat, pose for photos and sign autographs.

While there is no guarantee as to which princesses circulate on any given day, you can usually expect to see Snow White, Jasmine, Aurora and Belle.

For more information on attractions at Disney World or for discount theme park tickets and hotels, please visit www.WestgateReservations.com or www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com today.

An exciting new traveling exhibit, “Out of This World,” now at the Orange County Regional History Center has brought a variety of extraordinary costumes from film and television to downtown Orlando.

Costumes on display include a number of classic characters ranging from Star Trek’s Captain Kirk as well as Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder to the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz and Darth Vader of Star Wars fame.

Many of the legendary costumes are displayed on custom styled mannequins, each designed to uniquely reflect the character’s body. Other costumes are enclosed in futuristic cylinders.

The traveling exhibit is part of a renowned collection borrowed from Microsoft co-founder, Paul G. Allen. You can find the display on the second floor of the Orange County Regional History Center from now until May 16, 2010. The museum’s elevators have also been specially redesigned for the exhibit…they now resemble Star Trek’s transporters ready to beam up visitors to the exhibit floor.

Out of this World is just one of many special exhibits you’ll find at the museum. Another popular exhibit now on display is “Lights! Camera! Action! Filming in Paradise,” which offers a closer look at the history of movie filming in Florida.

For more information on other popular theme parks and attractions in Orlando, or discounts on Orlando 5-Star Resorts and hotels, visit www.WestgateReservations.com or www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com today.