Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Presidents Day
is Monday, February 16, 2015, and
Mardi Gras
is February 17.
These holidays will bring increases in attendance starting the weekend before. Usu-
ally held at the end of this week is the
Princess Half-Marathon
event, February
19-22 in 2015. The schedule for that weekend includes a health expo, kids' races, a
family 5K,a 10K,and the big race. The 2014event—in which
Unofficial Guide
coau-
thor Liliane Opsomer ran her third half-marathon—drew more than 20,000 runners,
enough to increase park attendance and affect vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
MARCH
The
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
runs annually from
mid-March to mid-May or June. Expert horticulturists showcase exotic floral displays
and share gardening tips. The 30 million blooms from some 1,200 species will make
your eyes pop, and best of all, the event doesn't seem to affect crowd levels at Ep-
cot. Disney has added food and beverage kiosks to the festival, making it more like
September's Food & Wine event (see next page), only with flowers. Check out
tiny-
url.com/epcotflowerpower
for a review with lots of pictures.
The
Atlanta Braves
hold spring training and play exhibition games at Disney's
Wide World of Sports mid-February-March. You can get the exhibition schedule and
purchase tickets by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or visiting
ticketmas-
ter.com
. You can watch the training sessions at no charge when you buy general ad-
mission to ESPN Wide World of Sports ($16.50 for adults, $11.50 for ages 3-9).
InDowntownDisney,the
Mighty St. Patrick's Day Festival
,aweek-longceleb-
ration culminating on St. Patrick's Day (March 17), pays tribute to Irish music, dance,
and food. Check out
tinyurl.com/disneystpattysday
for coauthor Liliane Opsomer's
2014 review.
APRIL
Disney doesn't need much to boost attendance, what with
Easter
(April 5 in
2015) and some spring-break vacations happening. By far the most interesting event
of the month is the
Easter Parade
at the Magic Kingdom. Outstanding floats carry
Mickey, Minnie, and the gang, all dressed in their Sunday best, in a special parade. Of
course, the appearance of the Easter Bunny is guaranteed. Ask at the front desk about
special activities (such as egg hunts) at your hotel and other Disney resorts.
MAY
Disney'sHollywoodStudioshosts
Star Wars
Weekends
annually beginningthis
month, with appearances from that franchise's actors and technicians. These events
draw mainly local sci-fi fans, but some come from all over the country. Also this
