TobyMac To Helm Winter Jam 2013 Blockbuster Line Up

WinterJam

 TobyMac To Helm Winter Jam 2013 Blockbuster Line Up

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— The groundbreaking Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the #1 tour in the world (first quarter) for two consecutive years, revealed its blockbuster 2013 artist and city line-up during a special launch event held earlier this evening at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Founded and hosted by GRAMMY®-nominated Christian music mainstay NewSong and presented by World Vision, the Winter Jam 2013 Tour Spectacular will be headlined by GRAMMY®-winning, multi-platinum recording artist TobyMac. The 44-city tour will also feature RED, Matthew West, Jamie Grace, Sidewalk Prophets and Royal Tailor, with a message from national speaker Nick Hall. In addition, the Youth Music Vault Pre-Jam Party will include performances from Jason Castro, OBB and Capital Kings.

Kicking off its 18th year January 4 at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia, the tour is slated to stop at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena; Philips Arena in Atlanta; Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena; Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena; the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee; The Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri; and Charlotte, North Carolina’s Time Warner Cable Arena, among other leading venues, before concluding March 30 at San Antonio’s AT&T Center. Winter Jam admission is $10 at the door, with no ticket required.

“As we prepare for Winter Jam’s 18th year, we are more passionate than ever about the ministry that drives the tour,” said Eddie Carswell, creator of Winter Jam and founding member of NewSong. “Led by TobyMac, this year’s line-up represents the diversity—and future—of Christian music. And we are thrilled that Nick Hall will be back with us to share the Gospel message, as that has always been the heart of Winter Jam.”

Promoted by Premier Productions, Winter Jam 2013 Tour Spectacular partners include the University of Mobile, Teen Missions International, Premier Christian Cruises, Xtreme Conferences, Camp Electric, Wayne E. Bailey Produce, and Texas TransEastern. At each show, World Vision will host the Hoops of Hope Youth Leader Reception, a free backstage event open to all youth pastors and leaders in attendance.

Earlier this year Winter Jam shattered its own record to become the #1 tour in the world (first quarter) for the second consecutive year, according to Pollstar’s 2012 Worldwide First Quarter Ticket Sales Charts – Top 100 Tours. Headlined by GRAMMY®-nominated alternative rockers Skillet, the 47-city tour saw 32 sold-out concerts and surpassed last year’s record attendance by more than 10,000, playing to a total of nearly 535,000 people.

The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, created by NewSong in 1995, has featured the genre’s biggest names—including Skillet, Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day, Francesca Battistelli, Tenth Avenue North and Fireflight—and has introduced Christian music to new audiences across the country, while providing a powerful platform for the Gospel message.

Five-time GRAMMY® Award winner and multi-platinum selling artist TobyMac is known as one of the industry’s “most innovative and visionary artists” (Billboard). With over 11 million units in career sales, his fifth and latest solo project, EYE ON IT, entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at No.1, a first for a Christian act in 15 years, while also topping the overall iTunes Chart just hours after its release. In 2012 he celebrated his eighth consecutive GRAMMY® nomination, while his album Tonight received GRAMMY® nods for “Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album” and “Best Contemporary Christian Song” for the RIAA Gold certified track “City On Our Knees.” Prior to kicking off Winter Jam, he headlined his own “EYE ON IT” Tour, and will also headline his Hits Deep Tour in November and December, featuring Chris August, Jamie Grace, Group1Crew, Brandon Heath, Mandisa and Britt Nicole.

NewSong has recorded 17 albums, garnering 20 #1 Christian radio singles and a GRAMMY® Award nomination, in addition to being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, among numerous other achievements. The band’s unparalleled 30-year ministry has been highlighted by such defining songs as “The Christmas Shoes” and “Arise, My Love.” NewSong’s latest project, One True God, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart last year and features the hit single “The Same God.” The group’s highly-anticipated new recording, Swallow The Ocean, is slated to bow in February. For further information on NewSong, visit www.newsongonline.com.

A complete list of Winter Jam 2013 Tour Spectacular dates and cities is available at www.jamtour.com. For further information, visit www.turningpointpr.com.

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Match Report: Orlando City Falls To A.S. Roma

OrlandoCitySocerOrlando City

January 2, 2013

Team                          1          2          Final

Orlando City             0          0          0

A.S. Roma                  4          1          5

Scoring Summary:

(ASR) 2rd, Erik Manuel Lamela (Miralem Pjanic)

(ASR) 13th, Erik Manuel Lamela (Alessandro Florenzi)

(ASR) 31st, Miralem Pjanic (unassisted)

(ASR) 45th, Mattia Destro (unassisted)

(ASR) 66th, Alessandro Florienzi (unassisted)

Lineups:

Orlando City: Miguel Gallardo, Jerome Mechack, Alex DeJon, Kieron Bernard, Luke Boden, James O’Connor (Jordan LeBlanc 68’), Jean Alexandre (Ian Fuller 74’), Chris Harmon (Brian Fekete 46’), Jamie Watson (Jonathan Mendoza 57’), Dennis Chin (Christian Eissele 74’), Adama Mcengue

A.S. Roma: Michael Bradley (Simone Perrota 46), Leandro Castan, Erik Manuel Lamela, Miralem Pjanic, Daniele De Rossi (Panagiotis Tachtsidis 46’), Mattia Destro, Ivan Rodrigo Piris, Maarten Stekelenburg (Bogdan Lobont 46’), Jose Rodolfo Dodo (Marco Antonio De Mattos Filho 59’), Nicolas Andrea Burdisso (Alessio Romagnoli 46’), Alessandro Florenzi

Match Facts:

Time of match: 12:30 p.m.

Weather:  Clear

Attendance: 700+

Orlando City Falls To A.S. Roma

Valuable experience gained for Lions in 5-0 loss to three-time Serie A Champions

Winter Park, Fla. – Orlando City kicked off the new year in style, playing a friendly against three-time Serie A champion A.S. Roma in the 2013 preseason opener. Despite the 5-0 scoreline, the Lions impressed the sellout crowd at Barker Family Stadium in Winter Park, Fla., keeping up with worldwide stars like Michael Bradley, Francesco Totti and Maarten Stekelenburg in a game that the team hopes to be a springboard to a successful 2013 season.

“It’s been a really good experience for everyone,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath. “It’s a huge eye-opener to what the next level of soccer is for everyone on the team.”

Roma, who trained at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney during their winter break, looked sharp against the 2012 USL PRO Regular Season champs.  The Italian squad got started on the board early on, capitalizing on an early breakaway in the 2nd minute to take the 1-0 lead. Forward Erik Manuel Lamela notched a score after a well-directed pass by Miralem Pjanic hit the striker in stride, with the shot going up and over Orlando Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo and into the net.

Lamela wasn’t done with scoring in the first half as the Buenos Aires native gave Roma a two goal advantage in the 13th minute. In a scrum around the box, the forward once again found the back of the net, with help coming this time from Midfielder Alessandro Florenzi. Pjanic, who held the assist on the first goal, netted Roma’s third goal in the 31st minute while Mattia Destro added a fourth in the 45th to give the Italian side a 4-0 lead going into halftime.

The second half brought about many changes for both squads, giving each club a chance to look at players who normally don’t see the pitch. Youngsters Brian Fekete from the University of Tampa and Jonathan Mendoza from the U23 squad came on as substitutes for Orlando, gaining valuable experience for players Heath has an interest in for upcoming 2013 season. The same happened for Roma, who gave playing time to keeper Bogdan Lobont, Marco Antonio De Mattos Filho and Panagiotis Tachtsidis.

Roma continued their impressive style of play, with a score by Alessandro Florenzi in the 66th adding onto their lead. The score, however, was not a concern for Heath as his team played against one of the world’s best, with the experience more valuable than a victory in the friendly.

“The match was great for our younger players to see what top level competition is,” Heath said.

All ticket proceeds of the match went to the Orlando City Soccer Foundation. A 501 (c)(3) non-profit, the Foundation promotes exercise and healthy eating to the children and families in the Central Florida area and has done recent work in the Parramore area at the New Image Youth Center.

Orlando City takes a break from friendlies until early February, when the club participates in its third Disney Pro Soccer Classic. The Lions will play against Major League Soccer clubs like the Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew before seeing their placement on championship day on February 23. All matches will be held at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. For more information on the games, go to OrlandoCitySoccer.com.

 

About Orlando City Soccer Club:

Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) is a premier professional soccer sports franchise in the United States and is a member of the USL PRO. The Lion’s pro team has won two regular season titles and one postseason championship during their short time in Orlando. Outside of the pro squad, OCSC also has their own youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U23s team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs,visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com and www.orlandocityyouth.org.OrlandoCitySoccer OrlandoCitySoccer OrlandoCitySoccer

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Oz the Great and Powerful New Year’s Sweepstakes

Oz The Great and Powerful New Year’s Sweepstakes

New Year’s tweets pave the road to Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful

Oz the Great and Powerful
Fans Journey to Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful by entering a New Year’s Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Seattle, Washington (The Emerald City)

Disney announced today that they are launching a New Year’s Sweepstakes and an Instant Win game on December 31st in support of their upcoming, Sam Raimi-helmed film Oz The Great and Powerful, which opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013. The promotion runs through January 31, 2013, and offers a Grand Prize as well as Instant Win Prizes.

Inspired by the wizard’s journey, the Road to the Emerald City Sweepstakes invites fans to Tweet their New Year’s resolutions, using #DisneyOz, for a chance to win the Grand Prize—a 4-day/3-night trip to Seattle, Wash., for two.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRVowAUqCos

Visit the official Oz The Great and Powerful Facebook page to watch the Tweets pave the way to the Emerald City and click on select bricks to instantly win prizes, including  $100 gift cards for HSN (Home Shopping Network), $50 Visa cards, $10 Starbucks gift cards, copies of the L. Frank Baum Book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” signed movie posters, and other “Oz The Great and Powerful” products.

Visit the Road to the Emerald City experience, play the Instant Win game, and view Official Rules: https://www.facebook.com/OzTheGreatAndPowerful

For Sweepstakes:  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents 13 years or older of 50 U.S. and D.C. and Canada (excluding Quebec).  Entrants must have a Twitter account, tweet a New Year’s wish, and include #DisneyOz.  Starts 12:00:01 PM ET on 12/27/12, ends 11:59:59 PM ET on 1/31/13. Sponsor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

For Instant Win Game:  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents 13 years or older of 50 U.S. and D.C. and Canada (excluding Quebec).  Entrants must select the Instant Win Bonus Brick in the game located at www.facebook.com/OzTheGreatAndPowerful.   Starts 12:00:01 PM ET on 12/27/12, ends 11:59:59 PM ET on 1/31/13. Sponsor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Follow the film on Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyozmovie

Oz the Great and Powerful

ABOUT THE MOVIE

Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.

Oz The Great and Powerful is produced by Joe Roth, with screen story by Mitchell Kapner and screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire. Grant Curtis, Palak Patel, Josh Donen and Philip Steuer are serving as executive producers. “Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013.

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AS Roma Winter Training at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

Saturday Italian football club AS Roma began their inaugural Winter Training Session at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the club’s inaugural winter training, December 29, 2012 through January 1, 2013.

AS Roma
AS Roma captain Francesco Totti takes a shot on goal during winter training December 29, 2012 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Totti and the three-time Serie A-champion AS Roma club are in their first year training at Walt Disney World Resort. (Ali Nasser, photographer)

As part of a six-year partnership with Disney, the three-time Italian Serie A champions hold training sessions open to the public, in conjunction with Disney’s Soccer Showcase, the premier youth soccer tournament for college recruitment in the United States.

AS Roma

“The facilities are tremendously impressive,” said Franco Baldini, director general of football operations for AS Roma. “The ability to come here to train at this state-of-the-art complex in good weather during the Serie A winter break will be a big advantage.”

AS Roma’s involvement underscores the sports complex’s stature as the nation’s top youth soccer venue, which annually hosts pro soccer events as well as many of the country’s most prestigious youth soccer tournaments.

AS Roma
Players from AS Roma warm up before their winter training practice session at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on December 29, 2012. The three-time Serie A-champion AS Roma club is in its first year training at Walt Disney World Resort. (Ali Nasser, photographer)

The joint venture also integrates the Italian football club, winner of nine Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana crowns, into the U.S. youth soccer market, where it hopes to expand its fan base.

Part of their Saturday training session, included a 30 minute clinic with two teams participating in Disney’s Soccer Showcase. It was really great to watch these professional soccer players share their love of the game and techniques with these young players.

AS Roma
Youth athletes from Orlando FC America (girls) and Concorde Fire of Georgia are joined by members of AS Roma during a special clinic December 29, 2012 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The two youth clubs are participating in Disney’s Soccer Showcase, which runs at the same time at AS Roma’s winter training at Walt Disney World Resort. (Ali Nasser, photographer)

All AS Roma training sessions are open to the public with paid admission to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, daily admission is $16.00 (ages 10 & older) and $11.00 (ages 3-9). This is really a unique experience to see amazing soccer in an intimate setting, because you can watch from the sidelines! If you are looking for the AS Roma team, check here.

If you are a soccer fan or have little ones that play soccer, you will definitely want to swing by and take in a training session!

You can find some pictures that I took on our Facebook page here!

 

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Russell Athletic Bowl Kicks Off Tonight

russell athletic bowl

I get to take a step away from the Theme Parks tonight as Orlando Bowl Week kicks off at the Russell Athletic Bowl, played at the Florida Citrus Bowl, where the Virginia Tech Hokies will be facing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

The Russell Athletic and Capital One Bowls bring thousands of visitors to explore the City Beautiful, and offer local fans a way to watch their favorite team or conference play.

Players from both teams have spent the week practicing, visiting the kids at Give Kids the World Village, exploring Walt Disney World, and getting ready for their final game of 2012 season.

Kick-off for the Scarlet Knights and Hokies is at 5:30 pm, and it is sure to be great game.

While this is the 15th time that Rutgers and Virginia Tech have faced each other, the Hokies lead the series 11-3, they haven’t met since the Hokies left the Big East in 2004.

Beamerball returns to Florida, as the Virginia Tech Hokies make their 10th Bowl appearance in the state and their first in the Russell Athletic Bowl. It has been a disappointing 6-6 season full of injuries, but Virginia Tech looks to win tonight to avoid their first losing season since 1992 and to take the focus off of the coaching staff questions and back on the team.

Meanwhile the Scarlet Knights have had quite a different season than the Hokies. Kyle Flood, in his first season as Head Coach at Rutgers, led them in a successful 9-3 season to their first Big East Championship. A win tonight against the Virginia Tech Hokies would give the Scarlet Knights their best season since 2006 with a 6th straight bowl win.

With both teams having offensive struggles and inconsistencies at times, this game is going to come down to how well the defenses will be able to perform. While the Hokie in me is hoping that they’ll be able to dig down deep to pull out a win, I am realistic about their chances against Rutgers whose defense ranks in the top 25 nationally in four major defensive statistical categories. I am sure that both teams will try to establish a strong running game to offset a weak offense, force turnovers from defenses that are proven scorers, and hope for special teams gold. It is going to be a close game that you won’t want to miss.

If you can’t make it to the Russell Athletic Bowl tonight, make sure you tune at 5:30 pm to ESPN and follow along on our adventure @onthegoinmco!

 

 

 

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Orlando City Faces Italian Superclub AS Roma

OrlandoCitySocer

 

Orlando City Faces Italian Superclub AS Roma

Italian giant to play in front of sellout at Barker Family Stadium in Winter Park, Fla.

Orlando City kicks off the 2013 season with an exhibition match against three-time Serie A Champion A.S. Roma on Wednesday, January 2, at Barker Family Stadium in Winter Park, Fla. The game, which was announced only a few weeks ago at City’s second annual fan forum, gives soccer fans in Central Florida a chance to see top-level talent play against their favorite hometown team.

“It’s obviously a fixture we’re incredibly looking forward to,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath. “We realize we’re playing one of the biggest clubs in the world. We know it’s going to be extremely difficult, but we just want to give a good account of ourselves.”

Orlando City

Roma, who competes at the top of the Italian football league in Serie A competition, have won three Serie A championships with the most recent title coming in the 2000-01 season. The club participates in the same league as soccer-super giants like A.C. Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. The team, which has USA national team star Michael Bradley on its squad, currently sits in 6th place in the Serie A table with a record of 10-2-6.

A.S. Roma recently agreed to a multiple-year sponsorship deal with Disney and their Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla., with this the first trip to Orlando during their Winter break. Team officials agreed to hold a match before Roma’s flight later in the evening, with all ticket proceeds going toward the Orlando City Soccer Foundation. A 501 (c)(3) non-profit, the Foundation promotes exercise and healthy eating to the children and families in the Central Florida area and has done recent work in the Parramore area at the New Image Youth Center.

The Lions will be playing with a modified roster, fielding six-eight players from the 2012 regular season championship squad along with trialists brought on by Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath and Assistant Head Coach/Midfielder Ian Fuller. The preseason matches, Heath says, are a great opportunity to evaluate new talent.

“It’s given us an opportunity to invite one or two college graduates and see what they can do,” Heath said. “It’s something we can look forward to.”

About Orlando City Soccer Club:

Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) is a premier professional soccer sports franchise in the United States and is a member of the USL PRO. The Lion’s pro team has won two regular season titles and one postseason championship during their short time in Orlando. Outside of the pro squad, OCSC also has their own youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U23s team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs,visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com and www.orlandocityyouth.org.

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Les Miserables With Shane – Do You Hear That Ambient Noise?

Les Miserables With Shane – Do You Hear That Ambient Noise?

Shane Grizzard takes us along to the movies with his review of Les Miserables! 

Les Miserables

Last week I got the second greatest Hanukkah gift ever when Shelley invited me to go see the Les Miserables film a week early and cover it for the site. I was very excited because, contrary to popular belief, I’ve never seen a true production of Les Mis before, despite my background in theatre. The only time I’ve ever seen it partially was PBS’s 25th anniversary concert, which was very hard to follow along because there was little scenery, props or stage direction.

Les Miserables is a musical based on Victor Hugo’s famous novel that tells the story of several families’ lives over the years leading up to the [failed] Paris Uprising of 1832. The main conflict follows Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a reformed convict, and Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), the officer trying to recapture him for breaking parole.

I invited my friend Mike along to the early screening, partly because he’s a Les Mis veteran- his cousin played Gavroche on Broadway for a year and they saw it like 12 times- so he would be a good contrasting opinion to my newbie voice. Going in, he kept telling me to pay attention the revolutionary new way they filmed the singing. You see, in the past when movie musicals were made they would record the soundtrack first and then when you went to film the scene the actors would lip sync to the song. In Les Mis they decided to film the singing live in the moment while a pianist played in the actors’ ears off screen and then add the orchestrations in post production. Theoretically, this would create a more theatrical experience, allowing the actors to be more emotionally involved in the scene. Sounds good, right?

I have to say this was my biggest pet peeve for the first half of the film. Perhaps it was the acoustics of some of the spaces where they filmed. Perhaps it was because of the ambient noise in some of the scenes. Perhaps it was because my heart was two sizes too small. (Wait- right holiday, wrong story.) But it kept taking me out of the scene. For some reason it didn’t feel like a musical and more like just people randomly singing out of nowhere. At points I just wanted the actors to stop crying and finish singing the dang song!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCPoIsi8m08&feature=share&list=PLA01F605EEACAC54B

Another issue I had was there are many “inner monologue” moments throughout the musical. You know like in a Shakespearean play where a character would step out and say what they were thinking or explain something to the audience. This works well on the stage but feels odd when you try to adapt it to film, especially when the actors are singing every moment out loud and not keeping their thoughts in their heads. One particular moment, the student Marius (Eddie Redmayne) was thanking his best friend Eponine (Samantha Barks) for finding the love of his life Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), a girl whom he had only seen once across a crowded square (don’t get me started). Eponine is standing off to the side singing aloud about how every word is like a dagger in her heart and she wishes he would just see her for once- ALL FIVE FEET FROM THE GUY. I kept expecting him to turn and say “I’m sorry, did you you say something?”

The actors were hit and miss. I went in to this with very low expectations of Russell Crowe. Yes, he’s sung in his own band before, but can he carry one of leads in this major almost-operatic musical? Personally, I thought Crowe did better than I expected, but as Mike went on to point out he still wasn’t on the caliber of every Broadway actor who’s played the role before him, especially when placed against Hugh Jackman, a stage veteran. Sacha Baron Cohen (who played Thénardier) couldn’t sing either, but was very funny in his little improvisations and quips with Helena Bonham Carter. Unfortunately though there was very little comedy to cut through this extremely dramatic film.

All that being said, as many issues as I had with Les Mis, I found the next day I was longing to go back and see it again! The movie was epic and and the score was beautiful. If you’re a fan of the musical, rest assured they cut barely anything out. Mike and I could only think of one or two small songs that weren’t there. If you’re not a fan, be warned they cut barely anything out and you’re walking into a three hour musical with no intermission. Definitely go to the bathroom before you see the film!

My conclusion: Though I had many issues with the production of this film and its transition from stage to screen and I wouldn’t put it in my list of Top 5 Films of 2012, it was still enjoyable! Go see it, if you’re into epic musicals about depressing miserable French people!

I hope you have a happy holidays!

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Trans Siberian Orchestra and a few Ugly Sweaters!

On Sunday December 16th I was invited to participate in the Amway Center‘s Ugly Sweater Social before the Trans Siberian Orchestra Show and to sit in their Suite for the show! I haven’t seen Trans Siberian Orchestra since I was a little girl in Boston, and I am MORE THEN willing to throw on an Ugly Christmas Sweater! So I grabbed up James and Shalon and we headed off to the concert!

Why YES I made the Husband dress all Festive too!!!!
Why YES I made the Husband dress all Festive too!!!!
I had a Sweater Vest, A Shirt, A Hair Bow and EVERYTHING was FESTIVE!
I had a Sweater Vest, A Shirt, A Hair Bow and EVERYTHING was FESTIVE!

When we arrived at the Amway Center we went right up to the social suite to meet up with Jennifer who had little gifties for us.

Awwww!!!!
Awwww!!!!

 

Why is it that Holiday candy always tastes better?
Why is it that Holiday candy always tastes better?

 

 

Joy comes in MANY forms!
Joy comes in MANY forms!

I had no idea what to expect before the concert started. And while I knew it would be loud and flashy, I had NO idea it would keep me so captivated for the entire show.

Wow….The Trans Siberian Orchestra takes story telling to a WHOLE new level. They had singers, dancers, guitars, lasers, electric violins, fire, raised platforms, and even a few ballads! It took rock concerts and story telling to a whole new level by doing it in a way that nobody has ever done before. I can see why families make this an annual event. And the best part, was that the Trans Siberian Orchestra kept the energy up, and they went loud, flashy, and hard for almost three hours!!! It was amazing!!!

Thank you to Jennifer at The Amway Center for having the three of us and thank you to Trans Siberian Orchestra for making the concert memorable!

Please head over to our Facebook page to see more pictures and our YouTube page to see some awesome video!

Happy Holidays!!!

 

 

 

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Christmas Memories From Us To You!

We all have some great Christmas memories, and we thought we would share a few with you today!

Merry Christmas from all of us at On the Go in MCO!!!

Walt Disney World Christmas
2012 MVMCP Betsy with the Gang

 

Rora and James looking festive!!!
Rora and James looking festive!!!

 

Christmas Memories
Shelley, Dave, and Zoe at Celebration’s Snowing Nightly

 

Christmas Memories
Shalon at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Christmas Memories
Megan and Tom

 

Christmas Memories
Beth with Ken and Anthony looking oh so festive!

 

Christmas Memories
Cheryl and Todd in their happy place!!!

 

 

 

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Walt Disney World Christmas Memories With Betsy

Walt Disney World Christmas Memories with Betsy

 

My first trip at Christmas time to Walt Disney World in 2007. You can read more about that trip here. My mom, brother and I started at Port Orleans French Quarter, but ended up at the Grand Floridian. It was the first time I ever saw the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. We also happened to meet the man who started it all, Jennings Osborne.

Walt Disney World Christmas
2007 Epcot with Mom and Andrew

 

 

2008 was a pretty awesome time at the holidays too. Again with my mom and brother, we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge the week before Christmas on a passholder rate with a club level room. We had such a great time, we decided to come back the week of Christmas at the Polynesian, which was the first time staying at my favorite resort and my favorite resort at Christmastime.
Walt Disney World Christmas
2008 Animal Kingdom with Mom and Andrew
For my 30th birthday in 2009, just a few weeks before Christmas, we stayed at Bay Lake Tower and attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for the first time.
Walt Disney World Christmas
2009 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party with Mom and Andrew
In 2010 my mom and I attended my first D23 event, Magic and Merriment while enjoying split stays between the Beach Club and Old Key West. The event was amazing with an opening night private party at Hollywood Studios after hours, providing me with the opportunity to get some awesome empty park shots with decorations. The next morning we were at Epcot before opening, then had reserved Candlelight Processional, a private dinner on the Indiana Jones stunt stage at DHS before a private viewing of the Osborne Lights after hours. The last day we had a breakfast at the Top of the World Lounge at BLT before going in to the Magic Kingdom for a tour of the Cinderella Castle Suite and MVMCP. You can see my Photo Tour of the Cinderella Castle Suite here.
Walt Disney World Christmas
2010 with Mom, Chip, and Dale
Last year I was at WDW a few days after Christmas and stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort in a pirate room for the first time. I was fortunate enough to be the absolute last guest out of the Magic Kingdom one night, actually about 4am, and got some incredible empty park pictures.
Walt Disney World Christmas
2011 Castle and Parners
This year, while staying at Pop Century, I had a bunch of family and friends in town and we had a great time. Some of us did MVMCP one night and we enjoyed the holiday spirit together. Family gathered at WL one night for dinner and we got some shots in front of the tree with my grandma, mom, cousin and her family.
Walt Disney World Christmas
2012 Wilderness Lodge Family Picture
Christmas is one of my absolute favorite times of year at Walt Disney World and I love sharing these memories from the past six years. It is incredible to be able to experience these things year in a year out as a local.
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Orlando City Soccer Club Announces Ticket Prices For A.S. Roma Match

OrlandoCitySocer

ORLANDO CITY SOCCER ANNOUNCES TICKET PRICES FOR A.S. ROMA MATCH

Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Orlando City Soccer Foundation

At last week’s Fan Forum, Orlando City SC announced a highly anticipated friendly against Italian club A.S. Roma on January 2, allowing fans to experience top-flight soccer during the off-season.  The match will be held at the Cahill Sandspur Field and the Barker Family Stadium at Rollins College at 1000 Holt Avenue in Winter Park, with a 12:30 p.m. kickoff.

Today, the Lions announced tickets on sale, with prices ranging from $10 to $25, available solely on OrlandoCitySoccer.com.  Seating is extremely limited, and fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.  100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to benefit the Orlando City Soccer Foundation.

“We are extremely proud to use this match as a platform to raise funds to benefit children in our community and further the sport of soccer, “ said Kay Rawlins, Director of Community Relations.

The Orlando City Soccer Foundation has recently held a series of soccer clinics with the New Image Youth Center on Parramore, also donating indestructible soccer balls to the children.

Roma announced a deal with ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex earlier in the year, making Central Florida their official winter training home. Team leaders also confirmed that the three-time Serie A champions will be bringing their “A” squad to Florida, making for an exciting matchup in Winter Park.

About Orlando City Soccer Club:

Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) is a premier professional soccer sports franchise in the United States and is a member of the USL PRO. The Lion’s pro team has won two regular season titles and one postseason championship during their short time in Orlando. Outside of the pro squad, OCSC also has their own youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U23s team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs,visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com and www.orlandocityyouth.org.

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Disney Parks Blog Be Our Guest Meet Up

Entering New Fantasyland for the Disney Parks Blog Meet Up
Entering New Fantasyland for the Disney Parks Blog Meet Up

Recently we were fortunate enough to be one of the lucky few to successfully register for the Disney Parks Blog meet at the Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. Those of us in attendance were treated to a grand evening in Disney’s newest counter/table service restaurant. Shalon and I had a great time at this exclusive opportunity. If you look closely, you can spot Shalon and me in the pictures and video on the Disney Parks Blog post about the night here.

We were greeted outside the Magic Kingdom at the registration table by Cast Members welcoming us to the event who gave us each complimentary tickets to the park good for that day or the next. They also told us that we were randomly selected to get autographed posters signed by the artist at the party. In addition to these we received Fast Passes to be able to experience the new attraction Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid.

As we entered the New Fantasyland area of the park, we were guided to queue up before the bridge to the Be Our Guest Restaurant. We met up with our friend Vickie, wife and social media director of Steve Barrett, the Hidden Mickey Guy, and invited her to join us. We were ushered in and were promptly seated at a table right in front of the stage.

Entering Be Our Guest
Entering Be Our Guest
Rose Napkin
Rose Napkin
Disney Parks Blog meetup agenda
Disney Parks Blog meetup agenda
Disney Parks Blog Meet Up menu
Disney Parks Blog Meet Up menu

Before the speakers started, we were greeted with excellent service from our server Melissa. I was thoroughly impressed with the presentation and quality of the food. During the meal we heard Thomas Smith from the Disney Parks Blog, Imagineer Chris Beatty and Executive Chef Mike. After dinner they we were all available for meet and greets along with other Imagineers in the West Wing.

L'amour Vrai
L’amour Vrai
Thomas Smith
Thomas Smith
Chris Beatty
Chris Beatty
Executive Chef Mike
Executive Chef Mike

The highlight of the evening for me was the amazing meal to which we were treated. It started with the beautiful light up goblets serving L’amour Vrai: all natural fruit juice punch with wild berry extract and lemon lime foam. Fresh warm rolls and butter started the meal off right. For an appetizer I had the potato leek soup and Shalon had the french onion soup. Both were fantastic! I love this soup just as much as at Rose and Crown where it is my favorite appetizer there. My entree was the incredible pan-seared salmon on leek fondue with creamy saffron crushed potatoes and Shalon ordered the thyme-scented pork rack chop with au gratin macaroni, seasonal vegetables and red wine jus. I don’t even like pork chops and I tried some of Shalon’s and loved it. The meat was so juicy and tender and my salmon was cooked to perfection.

Potato leek soup
Potato leek soup
French onion soup
French onion soup
Salmon
Salmon
Pork chop
Pork chop

Dessert was a thing of sheer brilliance, especially on Shalon’s part. Having just come off of a Disney Cruise, she was accustomed to being able to order multiple desserts and figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask here. Melissa was very nice and accommodated our request, so we each had two desserts. I started with the strawberry cream cheese cupcake with vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling and cream cheese icing, then tried the gluten-free, no sugar added lemon-raspberry cream puff filled with lemon custard. I actually preferred the latter to my surprise! Shalon had the chocolate cream puff filled with chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and then her favorite the triple chocolate cupcake with chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse filling and chocolate ganache. We even got to try the grey stuff.

Dessert cart
Dessert cart
Strawberry cream cheese cupcake and lemon raspberry cream puff
Strawberry cream cheese cupcake and lemon raspberry cream puff
Chocolate cream puff
Chocolate cream puff
Triple chocolate cupcake
Triple chocolate cupcake
The Grey Stuff
The Grey Stuff
Lemon meringue cupcake
Lemon meringue cupcake
The Grey Stuff by goblet light
The Grey Stuff by goblet light
Be Our Guest ballroom
Be Our Guest ballroom

Once the meal concluded, we were free to roam about the restaurant and take pictures and meet with the Imagineers and chef to ask any questions. Also, to our surprise, we were also given the opportunity to have our pictures taken with the Beast in the library. Shalon and I won signed copies of the poster all guests received at the Disney Parks Blog meetup and were able to meet the artist, Jeff Maurer, to get them personalized. On the way out we were given our choice of cupcakes to go so I got the triple chocolate cupcake which was the best dessert I had.

The Beast in his castle
The Beast in his castle
Beauty and the Beast music box
Beauty and the Beast music box
Artist Jeff Maurer
Artist Jeff Maurer
Me and the Beast
Me and the Beast

The evening was absolutely amazing from the atmosphere to the food to the service. From previous experience at the restaurant in dress rehearsal mode, I was very impressed with the level of the presentation of service we received. I cannot wait to go back and try some of the other items on the menu like the sauteed shrimp and scallops and mussels provencal. This was yet another magnificent production put on by the crew at the Disney Parks Blog and I look forward to future events they host. I hope you all get a chance to experience this great addition to New Fantasyland!

Gaston's Tavern
Gaston’s Tavern
Prince Eric's Castle
Prince Eric’s Castle
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