Tampabay.com

JUNE 28, 2010

Disney makes summer nights fantastic!

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There are more than wishing stars lighting up the night sky over Disney World this summer.

“Summer Nightastic” was recently unveiled at the Magic Kingdom, and features a new fireworks show and a revamped Main Street Electrical Parade.

It’s tough to improve on your basic fireworks display, but Disney has elevated the experience with the “Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular” by not only synchronizing the show with a narrated story and music, but increasing the viewing perimeter by 25 percent so no matter where you are in the park, you will be surrounded by the display on all sides.

I’m not usually a parade watcher -- I generally see this time as the perfect opportunity to ride Space Mountain while the tourists are busy saving seats along the route -- but I really enjoyed the Main Street Electrical Parade. The famed show premiered in Disneyland in 1972, and has resurfaced sporadically over the years but not in the Magic Kingdom since 2001. Featuring almost a half-million LED lights, the floats, music and costumes are brilliant. You’ll appreciate the old school characters like Pinocchio, Pete’s Dragon and a Depp-less Alice in Wonderland, even if your kids don’t recognize them. And of course there is that familiar theme song that is the only recorded score that can replace It’s a Small World playing in your head.

There are a smattering of other summer surprises around Disney World at the other parks as well. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has a new look and Captain E O featuring the late Michael Jackson returns to Epcot on July 2.

Florida residents have a few different discount options, so be sure to check those out on their website. And now that Disney is accepting monthly payments for annual passes, this might be a good time to go.

Summer Nightastic runs through Aug. 14. See you on the route!

-- Tracey Henry, the Suburban Diva

Follow us on Twitter @WhoaMomma

[Disney]

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THE AUTHORS

Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.

E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com

SP_255665_CROS_KATE.jpgAfter six long years of trying to have a baby, Kate Brassfield was finally able to have one. And then, two minutes later, another one. Suddenly the lady who had never been around babies before was juggling two! Just as Kate felt she was getting pretty good with babies, the girls became toddlers, and now Kate is back to Square One, learning about the care and feeding of these strange, wonderful creatures. She spends her days working part-time from home and trying to keep up with the Twinosaurus Wrecks.

E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com

Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at courtneyblogs@gmail.com.

Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, ZannaLand.com , and she's a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in addition to being addicted to Twitter, iced coffee, and watching way too much Yo, Gabba Gabba.

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