This year is the year to visit Walt Disney World since it is giving itself one big bash for its 25th Anniversary. And youÍre invited. Yes, Walt Disney World is celebrating with special events you attend every day of the week. Among them are the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks and Spectromagic Parade and the Remember the Magic Parade that occur daily in the Magic Kingdom and Illuminations 25, a gala of lasers, lights and pyrotechnics which may be viewed nightly at Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon. Plus, there is the 25th Anniversary Welcome Center and the giant Cinderella Castle Cake. Where did they get all that frosting? Bored you will never be at Walt Disney World for the choice of entertainment offered by the daily agenda is ever-changing. Note the exciting addition to the daily schedule of an exciting afternoon parade honoring the mighty hero "Hercules."

For adults who want to do something they have always wanted to do but have not been able to, there is the Disney Institute. The Disney Institute offers instructional classes that enables students to do everything from creating their own topiaries to developing their own cartoon characters.Disney Institute offers forty programs in six interest areas: Animation; Culinary Arts; Disney Discoveries; Communication Arts & Entertainment; Home, Garden & The Great Outdoors; and Sports and Fitness. Guests can concentrate on one area or choose a combination of programs. Information about convenient package plans at the Disney Institute can be obtained by calling (800) 496-6337.

To cool off in the Florida sun, Walt Disney World visitors can enjoy any of three water adventure parks: Blizzard Beach (the latest), Typhoon Lagoon and River Country. Yes, here the world of water reigns with slides, waterfalls and waves. These parks are full of refreshing water rides that tumble and toss the daring through a gamut of thrills. Besides the parks, there is Downtown Disney. Nights are bopping at Pleasure Island which features seven nightclubs plus shops and restaurants. The fun starts at 7 p.m. and ends with a nightly New Year's Eve celebration that includes delirious confetti-throwing. Pleasure IslandÍs West End Stage features such varied artists as Garth Brooks and Hootie and the Blowfish for your entertainment. Better take a short afternoon nap to enjoy those fabulous fun-filled nights.

Shopping galore is available at Disney Village Marketplace, where World of Disney, the largest Disney merchandise store in the world, is located. Opening this summer is Disney's West Side, a dining and entertainment complex with such attractions as the House of Blues, BongoÍs Cuban Cafe, Cirque de Soleil, Wolfgang PuckÍs Cafe, Virgin Records Megastore and an AMC 24-screen theater.

The fun never stops at Walt Disney World. Other attractions designed for fun include the Discovery Island Tropical Gardens and Zoological Park and six premo golf courses.

Not only do Disney WorldÍs visitors enjoy the magic by day, they can also extend the magic by staying at one of Disney's 25 themed resorts. The resorts immerse their guests in other worlds, making their visits even more interesting. The Value Resorts include the All-Star Music Resort and the All-Sports Resort while the Moderate Resorts include the Caribbean Beach Resort, Port Orleans Resort and the Dixie Landings Resort. In August, the Coronado Resort, which gives visitors a taste of Francisco de Coronado's explorations of the old Southwest, opens complete with a pool sparkling beneath a Mayan pyramid, palm-shaded courtyards, and colorful plazas.

For those wanting deluxe accommodations, there are the Beach Club Resort, the BoardWalk Inn, the Contemporary Resort, the Grand Floridian Beach Resort, the Polynesian Resort, the Wilderness Lodge and the Yacht Club Resort, each with its own special features. Besides the resorts, there are hotels, including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, a luxurious hotel overlooking EPCOT. Seven other hotels - the Hotel Royal Plaza, the Hilton, the Grosvenor Resort, the Buena Vista Palace Resort &Spa, the Doubletree Guest Suites Resort and the Courtyard by Marriott offer accommodations, too.

To relax in a home away from home, visitors can choose from among the BoardWalk Villas, Fort Wilderness Homes, the newly opened Old Key West Resort, or the Villas at the Disney Institute. Even nature lovers are provided for Disney World: Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground offers camping spots.

Side Trip for Ecotourists - Vero Beach

For those who like to combine their love of nature with their vacation, the Vero Beach Resort is now available. Located on the ocean about two hours from Walt Disney World, Vero Beach gives guests a glimpse of Old Florida. Guests have a range of options: they can stay in a huge turn-of-the-century inn, in vacation homes, or in beach cottages.

Surrounded by unspoiled land, rivers, lagoons and ocean, visitors have intimate, unforgettable encounters with nature. Via canoes or kayaks, visitors can explore waterways that abound with birds, turtles, manatees, fish and other animals. On Wabasso Island, the Environmental Learning Center is in the Indian River Lagoon, home to a myriad species of birds and plants. Visitors can behold a jungleî created at McKee Botanical Gardens. A Vero Beach landmark, the gardens, built in 1932, are being restored and include a 500-year-old giant live oak, five champion trees and other exotic plant species.

Fishermen can make catches in the rivers, canals, lakes and ocean, while those who indulge in clamming, oystering and shrimping also have opportunities. Divers and snorkelers will delight in the wonders provided by Vero Beach's reefs. Seashell collectors at such beach parks as Golden Sands Beach park, Wabasso Beach Park, Jaycee Beach Park, Humiston Beach Park, South Beach Park and Riverside Park will ooh and aah over their sand-encrusted discoveries.