The first wing to open to guests will be the Finding Nemo wing of family suites and WDW has been kind enough to release these photos of the external decor for the wing.

The first thing to notice is that unlike other value Disney resorts, there is no exterior hallway. This allows the themed decor to include huge murals on the side of the building, as you can see in the next photo.

The next photo is of the main “Big Blue” pool area, which is not only zero-entry, but is the largest pool on Disneyworld property.

I think the whole external decor looks great and very whimsical. Even if you aren’t a guest, head over for some great photo ops with the family.

The next section to open will be the Cars family wing, which Disney says will be open for reservations starting June 18. Here, a freshly paved road leads to the Cozy Cone Motel complete with a Cozy Cone pool and cone-shaped cabanas.

The Lion King wing is the last family suites wing to open, and that should start accepting reservations for dates around August 10. Its decor is a journey through an African landscape complete with an elephant graveyard play area that invites youngsters to seek hakuna matata time.

Finally, the Little Mermaid standard room wing will open for reservations starting September 15, which is decorated like an under-the-sea kingdom, complete with a 35-ft-tall model of King Triton.

In the meantime, here are a few more photos of the Finding Nemo wing:

[All images courtesy of Walt Disney World]

It’s Central Florida’s oldest major mall, having opened in 1973, but it also sits away from the busy tourist areas. As a result it generates over $100 per sq foot less of profit than the company’s other properties.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which owns the mall, will also sell off three Pennsylvania malls and one in New Jersey, to help pay off debts.

This year’s event, which marks its 21st year, takes place from May 16 through 28.

To attend any of the performances, you must first purchase an $8 fest button. Proceeds from these buttons are what fund the festival.

Then you can attend the actual performances, which range in price from free to $11. Any money raised by individual tickets goes to the artists performing that particular show.

In addition to ticketed performances at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St. Orlando, FL 32803) and Orlando Repertory Theatre (1001 E. Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803), the Orlando Fringe Festival hosts a number of interdisciplinary activities and exhibits.

Kids Fringe, held at the Mennello Museum of American Art (900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803), offers free arts and theatre activities for the whole family from 10am to 4pm on the weekends. Visual Fringe is on display throughout Festival venues, and exhibit artwork is available for purchase.

Festival hours are 4pm to Midnight on weeknights, and 10am to Midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets for Festival performances can be purchased at www.OrlandoFringe.org, or during the Festival at Box Office locations in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center and the Orlando Repertory Theatre.

It’s taken this long to find a willing investor, but according to sources, the space is expected to be taken over by The Club at NBA City. The venture will be a partnership between the NBA City restaurant venue at Universal CityWalk and the former manager of the exclusive Montecristo Club at the old Orlando city arena.

A third of the size of the CityWalk venue, The Club at NBA City will be a little over 4,000-sq-ft., not including use of the outdoor plaza for a small patio seating area.

Half will be open to the public with both internal and external entrances, so patrons will not need an event ticket to get inside. The menu offerings are expected to be different and slightly more upscale than the barfood menu offered by the CityWalk venue.

The other half will be a private members-only section, like the old Montecristo Club, that will be available for event rentals.

Initially, The Club at NBA City will only be open for lunch and dinner on event days at the Amway Center. The venue is expected to be open by October 2012.

Throughout the building, demonstrations that examine gravity, what comets are made of and how space suits work will be taking place. It’s here you’ll find the Science On A Sphere exhibit, which connects guests of all ages to earth and space science through a dramatic visual presentation. Using a six-foot suspended sphere and state-of-the-art projection technology, explore our planet’s dynamic landscape and weather, tour the solar system and understand the complex relationship between our planet and its sister worlds. And be among the first to experience its newest program, Kinesthetic Astronomy, to learn about the four seasons and the rotation of the earth.

The aluminum-domed Crosby Observatory atop the Orlando Science Center will be open for SunWatch events during these select weekends. Peer through the powerful, 10-inch lens of one of the largest publicly-accessible refractor telescopes in Florida and safely gaze upon the closest star to our home planet.

On Saturday, May 12 the Science Center will open for the Crosby Observatory for night viewing from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (please note, only the observatory and planetarium will be accessible after 5 p.m. The rest of the exhibits will be closed to the public). Astronomy experts and volunteers will be on hand to make sure you get the best view possible.

Each Saturday, the OSC will also have speakers from NASA on hand to discuss their experiences. Caley Burke is an aerospace engineer in the Flight Services Program and she’ll discuss the launch of NASA unmanned spacecraft on May 12; Aaron Sherman is an instrumentation engineer and he’ll explain launch systems on May 26; and Richard Johanboeke is a contracting officer and he’ll talk about the Mars Science Laboratory that will be landing on Mars this summer on June 2.

Enjoy this star-studded month for $17 for adults and $12 for kids (ages 3-11). General admission provides access to all Science Center exhibits, live science demonstrations and giant screen films like Tornado Alley and Animalopolis. There will be a discounted admission rate available after 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 12 for guests coming only to the Crosby Observatory that evening.

For more information, call 407-514-2000, or visit osc.org.

You may not be familiar with his name, but Swain headed up the Orlando tourism board and was the man behind the popular “Orlando Makes Me Smile” campaign.

According to officials, Sain was one of the driving forces behind making Orlando the No. 1 family destination in the world since he took over the Orlando Tourism Bureau in 2007, renaming it Visit Orlando to help attract even more tourists.

Our condolences go out to the Sain family.

Last week, Disney parks released a projected timeline for a few more of the Fantasyland area rides and attractions.

The next area to open will be the remainder of Storybook Circus. This will include the second half of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction and the Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak Station. This should be open by July 2012.

Then around the 2012 holiday season they will open most of the rest of the attractions in Fantasyland. This will include Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Gaston’s Tavern (which will not serve alcohol since the Magic Kingdom is a dry park), and Ariel’s Grotto.

The final attraction to open will be the all new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a steel coaster based on the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which won’t open until 2014.

[Images courtesy Walt Disney World]

Well, this year we’ll be able to add Kissimmee to that list as they are starting an event they are calling the Festival of Festivals.

They have picked the weekend of Septeber 21-23, 2012, to hold the festival. This three-day event will be highlighted by foot races, hot air balloons, music, arts, food and more. The event will take place at Formosa Gardens, which is located west of I-4, between Walt Disney World and the intersection of U.S. 192 and U.S. 27.

The event will kick off that Friday with evening 5k and 10k runs.

Saturday, in the early a.m., the hot air balloons will take to the sky, and there will be spots available to ride in one, with advance purchase. There will also be tethered and untethered rides available for purchase all weekend.

On the main festival grounds, an array of activities will be held each day, including concerts, contests, games and arts and crafts vendors. There will also be food and drink available for purchase.

The event is being sponsored by a number of Osceola County-based businesses and organizations, including the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce, Formosa Gardens Village and Orlando Balloon Rides.

For more information about the Festival of Festivals, visit kissimmeefestival.com.

The first one will open in June at Disney’s California Adventure. The blog states that each location – one for each park – will be themed to fit in with its surroundings.

Each café will serve Starbucks items, including coffee and espresso beverages, Frappuccino® blended beverages, and signature breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

No word on when the first one will open at the Florida parks, but here’s hoping they utilize the FastPass system or you may be waiting in long lines if the number of blog comments are anything to judge the news by.

Kelly will be showcasing the standout styles of the season for women of all shapes and sizes. Make any Women’s clothing or Estee Lauder purchase of $100 or more and you’ll receive a copy of Clinton’s book, Oh No She Didn’t…, which he’ll autograph for you after the show

The event starts Saturday, May 5th, at 2pm, at the Macy’s at the Mall at Millenia. To reserve your seat RSVP to 800-786-2665 or macys.com/events.

Kelly rose to fame on the TV show “What Not to Wear” and currently is one of the five hosts of ABC Network’s afternoon food show, “The Chew.”