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Kayla Mueller was in a detention cell in Syria, face to face with her boyfriend who was posing as her husband. Had she told her captors she was married to Omar Alkhani, she might have been freed from the hands of Islamic State militants, he said. Instead, she denied being his wife. View the full article

Students who pass UCF's reflection pond en route to class may encounter graphic photos of aborted fetuses this week, as the Genocide Awareness Project makes its seventh stop to the campus. View the full article

Dave and Beth Corson drove in from Tampa Sunday afternoon to watch their daughter participate in a new team sport that involves knocking other players to the ground. View the full article

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and we’ve been celebrating all week on the Disney Parks Blog with new stories, headers, logos, and a fresh group of wallpapers for all of your screens. We highlighted several of your favorite Disney couples, including one of the more unusual couples – robots WALL-E and Eve. Be sure to check out the terms of use about using the wallpaper before you download it. And check out our complete gallery of wallpapers on our special page. Also this week, we announced a new, day-long celebration aboard eight special sailings on the Disney Fantasy: Star Wars Day at Sea. It’ll be the first official appearance of the heroes and villains of Star Wars aboard our ships. Star Wars Day at Sea will transport guests to a galaxy far, far away — in the Western Caribbean. The event features a full day of Star Wars celebrations, including a deck party, meet-and-greets with favorite characters, Star Wars-themed youth activities, unique food and beverage offerings, and special merchandise. Check out Jonathan’s original story for more details. Here are some of the other stories we worked on this week. Haunt Your Disney Side Winners Celebrate with Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience at Magic Kingdom Park – The Krummers kicked off their dream Disney Side celebration with an unforgettable after-hours party inside the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park. New ‘Cooking Safari With Mickey’ Cookbook Debuts This Spring at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – It was so much fun to work with the chefs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to put together “A Cooking Safari With Mickey,” a collection of recipes showcasing the flavorful cuisine of South Africa and India. Celebrate Valentine’s Day With WALL-E & Eve – We celebrated Valentine’s Day with one of the more unusual Disney couples – robots WALL-E and Eve. Discover With Me: Kula Wai at the Laniwai Spa at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa – The “Discover with Me” series continues with a tour of the Kula Wai – the only outdoor hydrotherapy garden on O‘ahu! The Magic of Disney Parks Storytelling: Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe at Disney California Adventure Park – The next time you’re getting a great deal on a square meal at Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café, take a look around and discover the story of these talented ladies for yourself. Disney Parks Blog Weekly Recap by Thomas Smith: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Tony Roma's next steakhouse isn't opening in an Orlando suburb, but in a mega-shopping tower in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo. View the full article

On its 30th anniversary Sunday, the Enzian theater in Maitland announced it will go forward with a fundraising campaign to expand to three movie screens. Enzian President Henry Maldonado put the odds of construction at 99 percent. View the full article

Central Florida's tourism community is questioning whether Orlando International Airport should fire the federal officers who run the security checkpoints at the main terminal and replace them with private security guards. View the full article

A fiery head-on crash in Osceola County this morning claimed the life of a Miami woman, and her two young passengers survived with serious injuries. View the full article

Joseph Paffen died with a 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol in his hand. View the full article

I have to say of all the Disney Parks Blog wallpapers we’ve shared over the past five years, this just might be my favorite. Today’s anniversary of the debut of the original 1950 film “Cinderella” inspired the creation our latest desktop/mobile wallpaper. The image, created by Disney artist Mike Britton, is an artistic take on the moment Cinderella is rushed off to the ball to meet the prince. To download, simply click on the image below. Be sure to check out the terms of use about using the wallpaper before you download it. And check out our complete gallery of wallpapers on our special page. Celebrate the Anniversary of ‘Cinderella’ With A Desktop/Mobile Wallpaper by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

When Wine Enthusiast magazine ranked Orlando No. 6 in its top wine-travel destinations of 2015, some scratched their heads as the region was grouped into a list of the "world's most exciting wine destinations." View the full article

With the 65th Anniversary of Walt Disney’s “Cinderella,” I’m reminded of my younger sister who loved Cinderella. I remember her listening to a 33 ½ long playing record that had scenes from the animated film printed on both sides of the album. Today, her childhood bedroom in Ohio still has reminders of Cinderella with small figurines and framed prints. She found many of those items during visits to Walt Disney World Resort in the 1980s and 1990s. I thought today was a good day to share some of my favorite Cinderella-themed items currently found Disney Parks. To celebrate this anniversary, the Disney pin team released a limited edition pin that has an edition size of 2,000. Look for it in select pin locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. Costume dresses and accessories are some of the most popular Cinderella items at Disney Parks. Little ones ages 3-12 can also be magically transformed into Cinderella at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique locations at Disneyland park, Magic Kingdom Park, and Downtown Disney Marketplace. I bet my sister wishes she had these options when she was a child! Speaking of Downtown Disney Marketplace, I stopped by Arribas Brothers to view an amazing Cinderella Castle Sculpture. The limited sculpture is detailed in hand-enameled metal and is set with 28,255 Swarovski crystals. The retail for this item is $37,500 and it can be found online. Finally, I have a sneak preview of a graphic MagicBand that is coming this spring. This Cinderella-themed retail MagicBand is similar to the Belle and Ariel MagicBands we released in January. While I don’t have a confirmed release date for this open edition item, the MagicBand development team thought it was the perfect thing for this Cinderella story. Here is a gallery of other things I found including custom phone cases at D-Tech on Demand in the Marketplace Co-Op at Downtown Disney Marketplace, dolls, mugs and the Cinderella Castle playset. GalleryTop ‘Cinderella’-Inspired Items from Disney Parks view allTop ‘Cinderella’-Inspired Items from Disney Parks by Steven Miller: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

In my opinion, one of the most lovely places in all of Magic Kingdom Park is the castle breezeway inside Cinderella Castle, which is decorated with five amazing mosaics that tell the story of “Cinderella.” GalleryPHOTO GALLERY: Special Images of Cinderella view allIn honor of today’s anniversary, Disney Photographer Ryan Wendler headed out to shoot a special gallery of images of this beautiful area – and it just so happened that he ran into a bit of Disney royalty while he was there. GalleryPHOTO GALLERY: Special Images of Cinderella & Her Castle view allThe “Cinderella” design of the mosaic walls was designed by Imagineer Dorothea Redmond. Each of the five contain hundreds of thousands of pieces of glass fused together with silver and 14-carat gold. The mosaics feature more than 500 colors and if you look closely, you can see that Cinderella’s stepsisters each have a unique facial tint: the face of one stepsister is tinted red (as in “red with rage”) and the other’s visage has a green tint (as in “green with envy”) as they watch Cinderella try on the glass slipper. Be sure to check out both photo galleries above. PHOTO GALLERY: Special Images of Cinderella & Her Castle by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Hundreds of teens caused a disturbance and rushed a movie theater in Ocoee Saturday night, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. View the full article

A girl who sports glass slippers needs to live in a spectacular castle, don’t you think? Sixty-five years ago the film “Cinderella” debuted in theaters. Twenty-one years later, Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park opened to welcome guests from all over the world. According to the “Disney A to Z,” designers at WED Enterprises did find some inspiration from original designs for the 1950 “Cinderella” film along with other famous European palaces and castles. Below is a look at Cinderella Castle still under construction in February 1971. With a home as royal as this, maybe the stepsisters should have though twice about being so cruel to “Cinderella.” Disney Days of Past: ‘Cinderella’ Makes History by Nate Rasmussen: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Did you indulge in chocolate for Valentine’s Day? If you were fortunate enough to be at Disney World, we know you had a special day. For those of us stuck at home (and likely in the cold weather), we had fun seeing the new cupcakes and other sweets featured in the Disney Parks and Resorts. Lady and the Tramp Cupcake And while we anxiously await the warmer months, join us in glimpsing the fun Ice Pop Frozen Cocktail coming to France for the 2015 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival. For all the details on the above news and more, just click on the links below! Disney Food NewsYak & Yeti Local Food Cafes at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom has undergone a menu change in recent months.Is chicken back on the menu at ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort?A new treat is coming to the Outdoor Kitchen in France for the 2015 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival: the Ice Pop Frozen Cocktail… on a stick!Two new cupcakes at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios are celebrating beloved Disney films: the red velvet Lady and the Tramp Cupcake and the vanilla Cinderella Cupcake!“A Cooking Safari with Mickey” Cookbook Coming Soon to Disney Parks.Did you see the Valentine’s treats featured at Disney World? Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including restaurant closures, menu updates (Doh Bar gone from Cookes of Dublin!), Mardi Gras at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, and more! We’ve got all the latest for you, so check it out before you go. DFB Reader FindsIf you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or about Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday! We love to see how our readers celebrate special occasions at Disney. Reader Danielle shares an anniversary dessert enjoyed at Epcot’s Coral Reef restaurant. Anniversary dessert at Coral Reef This one is a special order dessert and SO worth it. Check out Reader Leilani‘s Cinderella Slipper Dessert. Delicious! Cinderella Slipper Dessert Do you have a favorite Disney Food find? Share your photos with us! The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015We recently launched The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book! This valuable resource is fully updated for 2015-16 Disney vacations, and is now available for purchase and download to help you make the most of your dining plans while in Disney World. The fully updated DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book is an instantly downloadable PDF guide, featuring over 490 full-color pages of photographs, information, and advice about our favorite subjects — food and dining in Walt Disney World. It’s guaranteed to help you navigate your way to delicious dining on your next trip! And if you’re ready to get yours now, head on over to DFBStore.com to pick it up!! For our Grand Launch Sale, use code: 2015 to get a $4 discount for a limited time! And at the end of this post, we have details on even more savings! Note: If you purchased the 2014 Guide last year, scroll down for details on repeat purchase discounts. Here’s Just Some Of What You Get With Our 2015 Guide:Over 490 Pages of Disney Dining and Planning information, tips, reviews, and recommendations!An in-depth Disney Dining Restaurant Reviews section, covering all Disney restaurants, food kiosks, bars, and loungesAn updated Disney Dining Plan section and price analysis for 2015NEW Disney food and restaurant photosAn updated Disney Snacks chapter, including our list of dozens of must-try snacks AND our Top Must-Have Snacks for 2015A comprehensive chapter of What’s New in Disney World in 2015, including new restaurants, menu updates, and moreDetails about how the My Magic+ Planning System and FastPass+ will affect your vacation planningOur picks for Great Snacks you must try this yearOur suggestions for “off the menu” orders you simply have to tryA fully updated for 2015 list of the must-do restaurants for Disney World first-timersRecommendations for the best restaurants to book when you have babies and toddlersScavenger Hunts, Trivia, and Top 5 List updatesBingo CardsUpdates on all pertinent facts such as dining hours, prices, resources, phone numbers, and restaurant closures/openingsAll new restaurant additions, closures, refurbishments, and added dining experiencesAnd much more!But, of course we’re offering a discount for our loyal readers!! Again, to celebrate the launch and to thank you for your support of the blog, we’ll be offering the Guide for $4 off its standard rate for a limited time! Order your copy now at DFBStore.com and use code: 2015 for your discount! Should I buy the 2015 Guide if I have the 2014 Guide?The 2015 Guide has entirely updated information, an updated Disney Dining Restaurant Reviews section, an updated chapter on snacks, a 10-page “what’s new this year in Disney World” section, extended scavenger hunts, Disney Food bingo, added trivia, and more. If you purchased the 2014 Guide and would like to purchase the 2015 Guide, we’ve got a special discount for repeat purchasers. Email me here to get a limited-time, one-use, exclusive discount code to purchase the 2015 Guide at a $6 discount. Please include the email address you used to purchase the 2014 Guide in the body of your email. For more detailed information and screen shots from the e-Book, head over to DFBStore.com! With a 100% money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose! Want Even Greater Savings? Here’s How!Great three awesome e-Books bundled for over 30% off! Limited time only… Bundle for greater savings! Our DFB Guide & Snacks Bundle offers: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015, PLUSThe DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks,The DFB Guide to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom Snacks, ANDThe DFB Guide to Epcot SnacksAll three are being sold together for the first time –and for a massively discounted price. Just $35.95 instead of the regular price of nearly $60.00. Our Snack Guides vibrantly display and review over 500 Disney World snacks (!!), but also showcase some our favorite under-the-radar treats and eats in the parks. Get your DFB Guide & Snacks Bundle — including the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2015, the DFB Guide to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom Snacks, the DFB Guide to Epcot Snacks, and the DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks — for over 40% off here. Find out more about the DFB Guide & Snack Bundle here! Thanks for your support of the DFB!Disney Dooney with Disney Food On to the Round-Up!Mickey Fix shows off our new favorite Disney Dooney and Bourke pattern. Yes, there’s Disney food (turkey legs!! Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars!!) featured on this handbag! Walt Disney World for Grown Ups has fun at Chef Mickey’s. And yes, you must twirl your napkin! AllEars reviews the Fantasmic! Dining Package at Disneyland. DisZine highlights 2016 Star Wars events on the Disney Fantasy. Look for special Star Wars food and beverages too! News13 features the happenings at Downtown Disney. Look for the official Disney Springs unveiling by 2016 at this Orlando hotspot. RocketNews24 depicts meals featuring Disney’s Baymax. So much fun!! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com!Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on TwitterBecome a Facebook Fan Related posts: Disney Food Post Round-Up: February 8, 2015 Disney Food Post Round-Up: February 1, 2015 Disney Food Post Round-Up: February 10, 2013 View the full article

A gunman opened fire on a Copenhagen cultural center, killing one man and wounding three police officers in what authorities called a terror attack against a free speech event featuring an artist who had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad. View the full article

New York Times media columnist David Carr died of complications from metastatic lung cancer, according to autopsy results released Saturday. View the full article

DAYTONA BEACH — Be honest. You have no clue what happens for three-plus hours when all those NASCAR drivers are spinning around making left turns at Daytona International Speedway. View the full article

Michele Ferrero, the world's richest candy maker whose Nutella chocolate and hazlenut spread helped raise generations of Italians and define Italian sweets, has died, officials said. He was 89. View the full article

A Marion Youth Academy worker was arrested Thursday after surveillance footage showed him hitting a teen with a handheld radio, Marion County deputies said. View the full article

Groups of Orange County neighbors worried about growth have found a surprising common enemy: the neighborhood public school. View the full article

A 17-year-old boy was charged in the Feb. 8 shooting death of a 39-year-old man in Marion County, officials said. View the full article

Happy Valentine's Day! We have a special treat to share with you today - a heartfelt performance by the Dapper Dans, who recently made a magical moment for one special couple at Magic Kingdom...From:Disney ParksViews:301107ratingsTime:01:59More inTravel & Events

Happy Valentine’s Day! We have a special treat to share with you today – a heartfelt performance by the Dapper Dans, who recently made a magical moment for one special couple at Magic Kingdom Park. Check it out below. Have the Dapper Dans made a memorable moment for you? Tell us in the “Comments” section below. VIDEO: The Dapper Dans Sing ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’ at Magic Kingdom Park by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article