In the era of social media, Arabian Nights is finding new ways to engage fans online with horse trivia, behind-the-scenes video and exclusive promotions. Arabian Nights is also using social media to keep fans and business partners updated with the latest products and services offered through an official blog and e-newsletter.

Through the Arabian Nights website www.Arabian-Nights.com visitors can choose to sign up for the official e-newsletter, a monthly digital publication filled with the latest happenings and a featured discount that can be redeemed online. The latest e-newsletter gave readers a chance to test the new Arabian Nights pre-show before it opened to the public in March.

The Official Arabian Nights blog is also available through both the Arabian Nights website and Facebook page, with behind the scenes updates, features on the daily lives of staff members and profiles of favorite horse stars. The blog can be found directly at http://blog.arabian-nights.com/.

For fans who need a more daily Arabian Nights fix, they can find it on Facebook by liking ArabianNightsFL and on Twitter by following @arabiannightsfl. Both are excellent ways to stay updated about new show times and featured events, as well as providing fun horse trivia, behind the scenes photos and video and special contests.

Arabian Nights is also currently producing a series of video blogs to showcase the daily lives and activities of the horses and performers featured in the nightly production that can be found on the Arabian Nights YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/arabiannightsfl.

Additionally, many resources that are currently only available through the Group Sales department, including updated descriptions of the show and new photos, will also be available for download on the Arabian Nights website for tour operators and media members.

Through these online resources and social media pages, Arabian Nights is able to keep fans and future visitors updated and engaged with the horses and staff of Arabian Nights, with new features and exciting updates released first through these outlets.

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The collegiate officer team for DECA chose Arabian Nights to create a customized experience for their attendees by booking a private show. The team wanted to incorporate theatrical lighting, costumes and music to create special introductions and recognition for staff and attendees.

The private event took the place of the regular Arabian Nights show and lasted approximately 3 hours from start to finish. Arabian Nights offers a wide variety of corporate event services, with a private show being the most exclusive option for large groups.

The staff at Arabian Nights prepared meals in three locations to accommodate the large dinner party; the Arena, Skybox and Great Hall. Groups from the different chapters arrived at varying times and all were served dinner before being re-seated in the Arena for their opening ceremonies and the main performance.

Once the ceremonies began, four DECA officers entered the arena in a horse-drawn carriage in authentic Arabian Nights costumes to welcome the attendees with the help of the DECA President, who made announcements from the stage in the arena while also in costume. All 35 states in attendance were recognized in an announcement and a special parade of flags in the arena. New chapters were introduced and recognition given for two representatives who had been serving with DECA for 30 years. The atmosphere was fun and high-energy, with cheering sections on either side of the arena getting very enthusiastic, some even doing the wave.

This event is the first of several private events scheduled to take place at Arabian Nights in 2011.

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Confetti has recently been chosen by Breyer Animal Creations®, a division of Reeves International Inc., to be transformed into a collectible portrait model to commemorate the 2011 Breyer Sunshine Celebration in Florida.  Representatives from Breyer chose sunny Florida as the location for their April Breyer collector event, and have an exclusive itinerary featuring a private cocktail reception at Arabian Nights on April 2, 2011.  During the planning of this event, staff members from Breyer indicated their interest in choosing an Arabian Nights horse to become a Special Run model for the event. Confetti was the obvious choice with his good looks and great personality, as well as his status as the “poster horse” for Arabian Nights.  Confetti is featured on most of Arabian Nights’ promotional materials as the prince’s horse.

Breyer collectors who attend the 2011 Breyer Sunshine Celebration will enjoy a special meet and greet with Confetti during their exclusive cocktail reception prior to watching him strut his stuff in the Arabian Nights show. To learn more about Breyer Animal Creations, visit them online at: www.BreyerHorses.com.

Confetti is trained in Haute Ecole, or high school, Dressage, where he performs advanced maneuvers like the high-stepping Spanish Walk and stylish Passage. Confetti is also trained to perform at liberty, with no physical connection to his handler, as well as being trained to perform tricks like rearing or bowing on cue. His many talents make Confetti a stand out in the Arabian Nights show, and have gained him more notoriety than his recent attention by Breyer.

Confetti has been featured in many equestrian publications, including the Equine Journal and Blaze Magazine for Kids, as well as appearing in national and international features about Arabian Nights in travel and tourism publications.

In addition to his new status with Breyer collectors, Confetti will also be a featured performer at the Gene Mische American Invitational show jumping event at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on April 9, 2011. Confetti and his rider Zach Becker will be performing as the half-time entertainment at this prestigious event.  For more information about this event visit: www.stadiumjumping.com.

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Doors open at 8:30 pm for general admission guests, with a live DJ and pre-show appetizer buffet to get everyone in the mood to ring in the New Year. Roaming atmosphere entertainers and drink specials will also put guests in a festive mood.

Guests who upgrade to the VIP Experience for $15 per person will enjoy early admission at 8:15pm, priority seating in the first three rows, a specialty New Year’s Eve Drink in a souvenir glass, exclusive entry to the VIP lounge with hors d’oeuvres and a private pre-show opportunity to meet the horses and performers.

After enjoying the pre-show festivities, all guests join Princess Scheherazade, Prince Khalid and Hocus Pocus in a special 10 pm performance of the Arabian Nights Holiday Show.

During the performance, guests join Princess Scheherazade as her husband, Prince Khalid is called away shortly before Christmas. The always-faithful genie Hocus Pocus invites a new friend, Santa Claus, to come distract Scheherazade with gifts and good cheer until Khalid returns.

The genie Hocus Pocus and Santa Claus bring Toy Soldiers, Gingerbread Men, Acrobatic Elves and Sugarplum Fairies to life before the guests’ eyes in a variety of horse-related acts. The spectacular Jack Frost aerial act will also return this year. This act features a talented acrobat who takes to the air from the back of a moving horse to perform an acrobatic routine while suspended from silk cords.

During the fabulous show, guests will also enjoy a choice of sirloin steak, Black Angus chopped steak with gravy, pork loin with marsala sauce, grilled chicken breast, chicken tenders or Vegetarian lasagna as their entree and either Oreo fudge brownie or New York style cheesecake for dessert. All entrees also come with unlimited Busch beer, house wine and soda.

The fun doesn’t end at the conclusion of the show though, as guests count down to the New Year in the Palace of Horses with live entertainment and prizes galore. A Champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight round out the events of the evening.

Reservations are required for this special event. Packages for the New Year’s Eve Celebration begin at $160.00 per couple, or $84.00 per adult and $60.00 per child. Prepaid general admission, VIP and Kosher tickets can be upgraded to the New Year’s Eve package for special rates. For more information call 800-553-6116.

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There are three tracks for participants to mirror the skills of the main types of performers in the Arabian Nights show; riders, acrobats and people who do both. In any of the three tracks, the participants are limited to two people per session. Each track includes a skill lesson, hands-on introduction to horse care, costuming and participation in the Arabian Nights show. Prices start at $200 per participant including lunch and admission to the dinner show, with up to 3 guest observers at $25 each, including show admission. Packages include souvenir photo and special ringside seating.

Of the three tracks, the Bareback Acrobatics track is particularly unique to Arabian Nights, as one of the only facilities in the world to teach circus-style bareback acrobatics to performers. In this session, participants will learn basic acrobatic techniques from veteran featured performer Csaba Szilagyi in an individual lesson. Depending on skill level and athleticism, this can include learning to stand on the back of a moving horse. This track also includes an appearance in the Gypsy Parade in the Arabian Nights show.

The second track, Specialty Riding, teaches participants the secrets of some of the horse tricks seen in the Arabian Nights show. In this session both basic riding skills and specialty tricks will be taught, and the participant will be a part of the Encampment Act in the Arabian Nights show, where they will help lay a horse down for their role in the act.

The third track is a combination of the first two, with one lesson on each topic, additional hands on work with on of the Arabian Nights horses and a choice of participation in either the Gypsy Parade or Encampment Act.

This program comes in response to a variety of inquiries by guests who want to have a personal experience with the horses. Many guests ask what it is like for a performer in the show or how they can ride or learn skills seen in the nightly performances.

“Many guests would inquire about the skills and training to participate in the show, and most wanted to work with the horses. Those requests, coupled with the history of Arabian Nights as a teaching facility for both riders and acrobats, made us eager to create a unique experience where guests could truly be immersed in the daily routine of our horses and performers,” said Executive Vice President Audrey Padgett.

Arabian Nights has offered a VIP Experience for years, and recently added an Exclusive Stable Tour, but a more in-depth program that allows one-on-one interaction with the horses and performers has been on the agenda for more than a year. The program was finally jump-started after blogger David Parfitt asked if he could write an article about Arabian Nights behind the scenes from the perspective of his two daughters, Evie and Maggie.

This presented the perfect opportunity to test the developing program. Maggie and Evie learned basic horse care, specialty cues for the bow and lay down, basic bareback acrobatic moves and how to get into costume and makeup prior to their appearance in both the VIP Parade of Breeds and the Encampment act. They had a very full day, but according to Parfitt, both girls are still talking about their experience, “Maggie is still wearing her Arabian Nights bracelet and she keeps asking when we are going back to the show.”  Their day at Arabian Nights is also chronicled on David’s blog: www.disunplugged.com

For more information on this program, guests can visit www.Arabian-Nights.com or call 800-553-6116 and ask for Group Sales.

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Guests at Arabian Nights may not even notice what kind of surface is in the arena where they watch 50 horses perform, but to the horses and performers the type of surface is very important. Recently, much research and planning has gone into getting a new surface installed.

The excavation of 960 cubic yards of footing and installation of 420 cubic yards of new material began at 9pm on Thursday October 28 and was finished by 9 am on Friday October 29, 2010.  This initial installation will be supplemented with an additional amount of Fibar during the month of November. However, the project has been in the works for nearly 6 months.

The variety of riding disciplines and the acrobatics in the Arabian Nights show make choosing a surface material a tricky task, requiring a concussion-reducing footing that also allows horses to perform specialty maneuvers like a sliding stop, where they should cut through the top layer of footing. Add to that the difficulty of removing the existing surface and putting in a new surface without closing for a day and it becomes a daunting project.

After much research by the Arabian Nights Barn Manager and Technical Director, it was decided to use Fibar, a surface that was the original footing at Arabian Nights when it opened in 1988. The Fibar product chosen by Arabian Nights is Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF), a specially formulated mix of wood fiber engineered from selected woods that form a firm, yet springy surface that’s warm, dry, naturally clean and pleasing to the eye. The low dust and versatility of the surface make it an ideal choice, and because Fibar was the original footing used at Arabian Nights when it opened, the durability was also known.

After selecting the surface, a date was chosen for installation, which was just as complex than choosing a surface. The installation had to occur between shows because Arabian Nights is open 365 days each year. It was decided to start excavation of the old footing following a 6:00pm show and have installation finished by the following day before an 8:30pm show so that the horses and riders could practice before the performance.

In addition to the surface replacement, the arena wall was also stripped, restructured to hold its current fog system and repainted. A time-lapse video of the project is displayed on the Arabian Nights Facebook page for fans to view.

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During the performance, guests join Princess Scheherazade as her husband, Prince Khalid is called away shortly before Christmas. The always-faithful genie Hocus Pocus invites a new friend, Santa Claus, to come distract Scheherazade with gifts and good cheer until Khalid returns.

The genie Hocus Pocus and Santa Claus bring Toy Soldiers, Gingerbread Men, Acrobatic Elves and Sugarplum Fairies to life before their eyes in a variety of horse-related acts. The spectacular Jack Frost aerial act will also return this year. This act features a talented acrobat who takes to the air from the back of a moving horse to perform an acrobatic routine while suspended from silk cords.

“Our Holiday show is memorable and unique, combining beautiful costumes, daring horse acts and festive music with a rhyming script that entertains guests of all ages,” said Executive Vice President Audrey Padgett.  She continued, “Many guests are impressed by the message of togetherness and the strength of the holiday theme in every aspect, from the costumes to the lighting and music.”

During the fabulous show, guests will also enjoy a choice of sirloin steak, Black Angus chopped steak with gravy, pork loin with marsala sauce, grilled chicken breast, chicken tenders or Vegetarian lasagna as their entree and either oreo fudge brownie or New York style cheesecake for dessert. All entrees also come with unlimited Busch beer, house wine and soda.

Hocus Pocus brings each of Santa’s gifts to life in the magical Palace of Horses located at the intersection of U.S. 192 and I-4, just minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort.

Guests can also join Princess Scheherazade, Prince Khalid and Hocus Pocus on New Year’s Eve, where they can enjoy the dazzling Holiday Show at a special 10 pm show time and stay to ring in the New Year as part of a special New Year’s Eve package. Available through the reservations department, the package includes pre-show appetizers, live DJ, roaming entertainers, a countdown to the New Year and champagne toast at midnight.

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The VIP Experience includes a Parade of Breeds featuring five horses from the Arabian Nights show, interactive stations to meet the horses and performers, a complimentary drink and priority seating in the first three rows. Children are invited to sit on one of the draft horses featured in the show for a unique photo opportunity.

During the Halloween Weekend Spook-tacular, children are encouraged to wear costumes for unique photo opportunities with the horses and performers of Arabian Nights. All children will also receive a candy bag to trick or treat through out the event. Balloon artists and face painters will also be entertaining guests in the VIP lounge.

For more information on this weekend event, please call 800-553-6116 or visit www.Arabian-Nights.com/arabian-nights-halloween-2010.html

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This will also be the first month that the chariot race is no longer featured in the show, to allow renovation of the arena. The date of the chariot race’s restoration is to be determined in 2011.

The first new act, Khalid’s Dream, takes place in the middle of the show. Guests will see that the prince of Scheherazade’s dream, Prince Khalid, is also dreaming of her. This act is referred to as a mirror act, where the two characters move in matched choreography. The act opens with Khalid and his horse resting in the desert, where he dreams of the Princess. He hears her first, as a haunting song fills the arena. Then she appears, riding the Black Stallion through fog to meet him, but she is always just out of reach. She mirrors the Prince’s movements as he rides his horse through the fog in his dream. When he awakes, he continues his search for this Princess of his dreams.

The second new act has quite a different tone, and it takes place near the end of the show. The Princess and her father’s genie Abra Cadabra wander into the desert to talk of his departure now that the Princess’ genie Hocus Pocus has learned to use magic. Their peaceful walk is abruptly shortened by the arrival of a band of sinister characters in dark cloaks. These are Vaneer’s henchmen, who surround the Princess and Abra with fiery torches to hold them captive before the arrival of the evil Prince Vaneer. Vaneer enters, angered that Hocus was not captured as well, and sends his henchmen to search the palace. The evil Prince Vaneer overpowers Abra and kidnaps the Princess. Genie Hocus Pocus appears in time to summon the good Prince, but they need some help from the Black Stallion to save the day.

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