Space Mountain to Close for Renovation

According to the Orlando Sentinel one of the most reputable amusement rides in the world, Space Mountain, will be closed for a makeover. The ride will close on April 19th and will not open again until the end of 2009.

This decision is bound to leave Space Mountain fans, such as myself, curious and a little concerned. While I am sure that they are going to be making the ride even more enjoyable, I can't help but wonder if they are going to change a lot of things about it. If you recall, there has been some issues with the ride ever since an elderly man was killed on it in December of 2006. Although the problems were never Disney or Space Mountain's fault (they all had preexisting conditions), it certainly didn't help Disney's reputation.

All in all, whatever they are doing to the historic roller coaster I'm sure will be well worth the wait. While the ride is down, please remember that the Magic Kingdom has a plethora of other rides to keep you entertained. The Magic Kingdom has always been the magical place that I have never been able to everything I wanted all in one day. There is just way too much to do there.

Even without Space Mountain, grabbing a pair of Disney Tickets will give you the adventure of a lifetime!

What are you going to do next? I'm Going to Disney World!

Chances are, many of you have heard this popular phrase at one point or another. When someone wins a big game, graduates from college, or hits the lottery, there something inside them that yearns to ride on "Its a Small World" and get a hug from the coolest mouse on the planet, Mickey. But where did this tradition come from? Was it organic? Did people just start saying it because that's how they really felt? The answer may surprise you.

What if I told you the origin of the phrase was created by none other than two people who had just completed one of the greatest accomplishments of their time? That's right. Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, who are most known for piloting the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or re-fueling, were greeted right after they landed and asked "What are you going to do next?" Their answer was simple, "Well, we're going to Disneyland."

Seeing as how this was a very popular interview (heard by people all over the world), the phrase immediately caught the attention of Jane Eisner, wife of then Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Once she heard it, a light bulb went off. She immediately called her husband and told him the phrase would make an excellent advertising campaign.

Wasting no time, Michael Eisner decided that Superbowl XXI on January 25, 1987 would be the perfect time to showcase their new campaign. Starting with former NFL superstar Phil Simms (who received a reportedly $75,000 for his participation) as the first athlete to ever be a part of this infamous advertising campaign, the rest was history.

Since then, the campaign has targeted the best of the best in every sport (even some non-athlete celebrities), and upon winning, had them say "I'm going to Disney World!"

Here are a few of the people that also participated over the years:

• Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Finals (1987)
• Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames, Stanley Cup Finals (1989)
• Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, NBA Finals (1991)
• Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals, Major League Baseball home run record (1998)
• Tom Brady, New England Patriots, Super Bowl XXXVI (2002)
• David Cook, Season 7 American Idol winner (2008)
• Bruce Springsteen, Super Bowl Half-Time Show (2009)

So next time you see see a celebrity answer the question "What are you doing next?" with "I'm going to Disney World", you'll know exactly how that campaign started and what they're getting out of it. (FYI In subsequent years, Disney reportedly has offered $50,000,000 to athletes and other stars for participating in the ads and appearing at one of its theme parks).

-Florida Orlando Tickets Team