Walt Disney World Resort: 2005 will bring new additions during a 16-month celebration.

It's an event 50 years in the making, and it gets under way early next year (05/05/05 to be exact). As Disney celebrates 50 years of theme park magic, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will launch a 16-month celebration featuring new attractions and entertainment in every corner of the "World."

Already a destination famous for driving record-breaking meeting attendance, Disney will buzz with even more excitement from May 5, 2005, through September 2006. Here's what's in store:

New in the theme parks

During the celebration, all four Walt Disney World theme parks will feature new additions based on popular attractions from other Disney theme parks around the globe. Offering as much excitement for planners as they do for attendees, these new additions will be available as centerpieces for spectacular private events.

Lights, Motors, Action, a new car and motorcycle stunt spectacular opening next year at the Disney-MGM Studios, will reveal how Tinseltown stunts are created, designed, and filmed. For private events, it will offer covered stadium seating for up to 5,000 people and a massive projection system. The heavily themed stage will offer another venue that can accommodate up to 1,500 people for banquets and 3,000 for receptions.

Also opening next year is Soarin' at Epcot. This simulated hang-gliding adventure will give attendees the ultimate sensation of free flight on an awe-inspiring scenic tour over the Golden State of California.

Disney's Animal Kingdom gets into the anniversary action with a new E-Ticket attraction opening late 2005. Expedition Everest will take riders on a high-speed train ride--forward and backward--through the icy ledges and caverns of the fabled mountain. The new attraction will tower 200 feet above the park, offering the coolest backdrop for private events.

New at the Disney resorts

April 2005, the wraps come off a new 86,000-square-foot exhibit hall at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. The new exhibit hall will boost the total trade show and meeting space at the 1,921-room resort to more than 220,000 square feet, all conveniently located on one level.

Planners also have at their disposal five other Disney convention resorts, offering convention centers that range in size from 20,000 square feet to 90,000 square feet. In total, these resorts offer 5,365 rooms and suites, with plenty of other Disney-owned resorts available for overflow.

Sports and recreation

Beyond resorts and theme parks, attendees will find nonstop recreation and nightlife. They'll discover five championship golf courses, more than five miles of white sand beaches, fabulous fantasy pools, 32 tennis courts, and 11 full-service marinas featuring watercraft rental, water sports, and bass fishing excursions. Attendees also can indulge at Disney's two European-style spas.

Dining and nightlife

It's New Year's Eve every night at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. With seven clubs available for private events, you'll find everything from music and dancing to comedy. A step away is Downtown Disney West Side, home to outstanding entertainment options such as the acclaimed Cirque du Soleil production La Nouba.

Throughout the entire Walt Disney World Resort, attendees will also find an incomparable variety of award-winning restaurants, with stellar choices that include the five-diamond-rated Victoria & Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and the renowned California Grill, located high-atop Disney's Contemporary Resort. And don't forget the international collection of world-famous restaurants at Epcot.

Disney Institute 

There's another benefit you can get only by booking Disney--professional development programming through the world-renowned Disney Institute. Disney can be your planner's partner, providing powerful meeting content that gives your attendees a chance to discover the business behind the magic. Programs range from 90-minute presentations to multiday seminars and cover topics such as service, leadership, organizational creativity, loyalty, and people management.

Disney Event Group

Engaging content is just part of what Disney offers to meeting professionals. Here, planners can also source complete event support through the Disney Event Group. Let the world's premier entertainment and production company help you deliver powerful messages that will inspire your attendees and fire their imaginations. From concept development and staging to technical services and entertainment, the end result is unparalleled value.

No other destination compares to the Walt Disney World Resort. Whether yours is an intimate board meeting or a group of 10,000. Disney can create a meeting experience that you and your attendees will never forget.

Contact

Anne Hamilton-Chehab, Vice President, Resort Sales & Services

Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Web site: www.disneymeetings.com/am