(Photo by Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

You can take the all-time Olympic swimming champion out of the water, but you can't take the water out of the all-time Olympic swimming champion.

Michael Phelps, fresh off winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, is spending a few days at Disney World. On his agenda for Friday afternoon: going to a water park with some of his buddies. He's also into roller coasters and thrill rides.

"I'm looking forward to Splash Mountain today," he said Friday morning after a parade in his honor at Magic Kingdom. It's Phelps' first public appearance in the United States since the Olympics. After Beijing, he made stops in Portugal and England on the way home.

Phelps rode down Main Street in a convertible with Mickey Mouse. The streets were lined with camera-aiming, flag-waving theme-park guests and red, white and blue balloons. He wore a jersey with "United States" in script on the front and "Phelps" on the back, shorts and flipflops.

He wasn't wearing any gold medals. He said handling them tends to make the ribbons fray, plus he don't want to dent or otherwise damage them.

"I don't want anything to happen to them," he said. They are precious medals.

He said seeing folks line the parade route and the area near the Rose Garden where he was being interviewed was "incredible."

"It's a cool feeling to have that kind of support," he said. "I'm living the dream."

Somehow, Halloween has landed on my front burner today, so here's a roundup of upcoming theme-park doin's that build up to Oct. 31.

Wandered around earlier this afternoon looking for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights billboards. Have to say the one in the Fairbanks stretch of Interstate 4 made me think "dead man's curve." Haven't seen any at night yet, but above is a Universal-provided shot that's freakin' me out a little.

Universal has officially introduced its Bloody Mary icon, and you can read a lot about it at www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando. We're looking at eight new haunted houses (Mary has her own) and six "scare zones." The latter sound very creative. Bill & Ted and Rocky Horror are back ... plus Brian Brushwood's show has expanded into his own gig. First night is Sept. 26 at the Universal Studios park.

After the jump: SeaWorld's Halloween Spooktacular and Mickey's Not-So-Spooky Halloween Party at Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Disney says Olympic champion Michael Phelps will receive "a hero's welcome parade" Friday with on Main Street at Magic Kingdom. Start time is 10:30 a.m.

It's just about last call for the "Giant Worlds" exhibit at the Orlando Science Center. The salute to Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune will run through Labor Day Monday before heading off on the rest of its six-year tour. It's been at OSC since February.

Visitors can learn about gravity, design (and eventually destroy) a Jupiter probe and how scientists study the planets. "Giant Worlds" is included with the OSC admission: $23 general, $18 ages 3-17. More information: www.osc.org

Replacing "Giant Worlds" will be "Exploring Trees Inside and Out." It opens Sept. 27.

SeaWorld Orlando is testing an express line called Quick Queue through Labor Day. It costs extra -- $29.95 per person for the day -- but it earns you front of line rights to Kraken, Journey to Atlantis and Wild Arctic and early access to a slew of shows: Believe, Shamu Rocks, Blue Horizons, Pets Ahoy, Clyde & Seamore Take Pirate Island and Sea Lions Tonite.

The pass works once for each of those attractions, although you get a bonus pick from one of the thrill rides and a choice of doing Sky Tower, paddle boats or Xtreme Zone "fast and free."

(Side note: Monday will be the end of SeaWorld AfterDark as well, meaning the end of Shamu Rocks and Sea Lions Tonite show.)

Billboards for Halloween Horror Nights are going up Thursday, Aug. 28, Universal Orlando says.

Naturally, they think they're going to be scary. Actually, the press release uses words like "creative," "provocative" and "larger-than-life." The billboards also promise to introduce "a new face behind the horror" for the event, which kicks off Sept. 26 at Universal Studios.

Universal says there will be 80 billboards in the Orlando area. After the jump, a list of prominent locations.

Not to sound all breathless informercial voice-over guy, but there's a deal to be had in conjunction with Rock the Universe -- but you must act now!

OK, you must act by Friday, Aug. 29 -- the price goes up on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Here's the skinny. For $73.99, you can buy the Rock the Weekend ticket package. Included are both nights of concerts (Sept. 5 & 6) and three days of theme parking (Sept. 5, 6, 7) at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure with unlimited park-to-park access.

That's the same price as for just buying both nights of concerts -- the theme parking is effectively free.

Well, until Saturday, when the price goes up to $95.99.

Thinking that by Saturday night the endless rain would stop, a friend and I made plans to head to SeaWorld. Well, we were wrong. It poured. At one point, I thought I might see Piglet float by, holding onto the back of a chair, wailing "Pooooooh, heeeeellllllpppp!" Then I realized I was in the wrong park for that.

You know what? The rain did not prevent us from having a great time.  The secret: Stick to the shows, which provide covered seating.

We ate dinner, indoors of course, and saw five -- count them, FIVE -- shows in the space of a few hours. And the rain even stopped so that during our last hour visiting, we were able to ride Kraken and see the "Mystify" fireworks show. As a bonus, the rain had driven so many people away, we were able to get in the front seats of Kraken without much wait -- extra cool after dark.

Click through for the five shows that entertained us.

So, we’re at Epcot this weekend, going from nation to nation in the World Showcase and taking in the sights midafternoon. My young daughter might be on the lookout for Disney characters or attractions or the next ice-cream station, but not my son. He’s scoping out the World Showcase Lagoon and watching the pre-show fireworks preperations that take place starting around 3 or so.

If you’ve been to Epcot as many times as we have, it’s a fun diversion to watch the crew pilot the barges into place for the nighttime IllumiNations show. We talk about the set-up, and I explain to my son what’s going on –- but he’s way ahead of me, telling me what roles will be played by the various barges and boats we see, including which fireworks will shoot from what locations.

But then he asks: “Where’s the Earth?”

I don’t see the Earth Barge at it’s usual afternoon berth. Thinking it’s been moved somewhere out of sight on the lake, I  tell him, “Oh, it’s probably somewhere we just can’t see right now” before being towed toward the lake’s center.

That’s not a good enough explanation for him. He scans the lake repeatedly before announcing that “the Earth” is not going to be part of the show this night. I dismiss this and tell him so. After all, how could they perform the IllumiNations show without the Earth? That would be like watching the Wishes fireworks show at Magic Kingdom without hearing any of the Disney characters talk about wishes coming true.

Well, according to this Web site, my youngster knows what he was talking about. Seems as though the floating globe feature is being refurbished and the show –- which, of course, must go on –- is taking place without the Earth Barge as the centerpiece.

Check the site for all the details about the refurbishment and how the show is being performed in a modified format. Sounds like it will be even cooler to see once the changes are made and "the Earth" returns to the show.

Had a confab with a couple of Imagineers this morning about the just-announced Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, a sort of high-tech scavenger hunt coming in "late fall" to Epcot. You might recall that they tested a Possible attraction two years ago. I'll have a full-blown story later, but here are a few observations:

+ Disney has taken pains not to detract from the theme/charm of the pavilons of World Showcase. The Kim Possible elements are designed to blend in with the architecture and aura of the pavilions. Imagineers are very aware that incorporating an animated  character to the World Showcase side is an instant red flag to Epcot purists.

+ The attraction is included in regular theme-park admission.

+ Adventures will begin by acquiring a Mission Pass at Innoventions (East and West) or on the bridge between Future World and World Showcase. (That's the structure going up across from the Disney Vaction Club kiosk). That will send players to Team Possible Field Stations at Norway, Italy and the International Gateway.

+ There are seven distinct adventures, and each one is contained within its own pavilion. The goal for each: Save the World. (Yeah, I have Justin Timberlake and Madonna in my head too.) Participating are Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Japan, France and United Kingdom. Each adventure should last about 45 minutes to an hour. You'll be able to do as many as time allows in your day.

Since Fay has apparently check in for an extended stay in Central Florida, let's talk about what to do on a dark, rainy day in our theme parks. What are your favorite indoor or covered activities? Or maybe there's a ride that's better when you're all wet?

My current enclosed favorite may be a borderline guilty pleasure: Mickey's PhilharMagic at the Magic Kingdom. It's 3-D, it's singalong, it's feel-good. It has even softened me toward Donald, who gets way more screen time than Mickey and doesn't even get his name in the title.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but if you go to PhilharMagic, sit close to a kid. The 3-D usually wigs them out.

Is the cabin fever so bad today that you are thinking about heading to the theme parks? Disney World's four parks opened early today for guests, allowing for the possibility they may have to close sooner than scheduled because of Tropical Storm Fay. Click here to get views from 7 traffic cameras near Disney so you can see the weather and traffic before you head out.

Mars will receive extra attention this Saturday at the Orlando Science Center. After the 2 p.m. CineDome screening of Roving Mars, in which twin robots explore the red planet, there will be a live Web cast with the team from the current Phoenix Mars Mission. It will run from 2:45 to 3:15.

Other otherworldly experiences of OSC include the "Giant Worlds" exhibit, featuring our solar system's big players, and the Crosby Observatory's giant refractor telescope from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

4 for a Dollar, a longtime fixture at Disney's Hollywood Studios, will perform its last show Sept. 20, a cast member tells me.

The a cappella singing group -- four men who appear to the audience to be stage crew at first -- have entertained at various spots around the Studios for years, but their home base is as preshow entertainment before the "Beauty & the Beast" show.

They typically have a "magical moment" with someone in the audience during their performances: They once sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" to my mom, who was visiting, because it was her birthday. She still talks about it as her moment in the spotlight.

Apparently, nothing is planned to take their place as preshow entertainment.

Previous Disney entertainment cutbacks announced for this fall include reducing "Fantasmic!" to two nights a week, ending the "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" show at Animal Kingdom, and shuttering the Pleasure Island clubs to make room for more dining and shopping.

If you've been checking the Walt Disney World passholder Web site for the release of reservations for the movie Tinker Bell -- act now. The link was just posted and the tickets are going fast. I'm told there are 1,000 tickets for the four showings on Sept. 27 and 28.

Passholders are invited to advance screenings of the full-length movie, which is due out Oct. 28. The movie, in which Tinker Bell speaks for the first time, will be shown in the theater inside the Exposition Hall in Magic Kingdom.

The events are for passholders only -- no guests -- and each passholder in your party must log in to secure a reservation.

Among Sunday's guests at the Magic Kingdom were actress Brooke Shields and family including her husband, producer/writer Chris Henchy and their daughters Grier (left) and Rowan. Shields currently stars in NBC's Lipstick Jungle, which explains Goofy's jungle garb, right?

Henchy was one of the minds behind the Paris Hilton video response to the John McCain ad. (Photo by Todd Anderson / Walt Disney World)

Have you seen the wacky route of the Magic Kingdom's "Disney Dreams Come True" parade?

The peppy parade is currently starting near Guest Services at the park entrance, processing up Main Street, running around the hub in front of the castle... and heading right back the way it came. There is no parade viewing in Liberty Square or Frontierland.

A cast member tells me this is because of reconstruction work on the old wooden bridge between the castle hub and Liberty Square. No one wants to risk a heavy float crashing through it!

It makes for funny viewing as all the parade floats have to crowd into the hub at once, and the lead floats have to wait until the final float passes by so they have room to travel down Main Street again.

Disney has also lifted out parts of the parade's theme song that featured the heaviest character vocals so Mickey, Aladdin, Pinocchio, etc. aren't all shouting over top each other at once.

Because the viewing area has been reduced so much, the parade is being performed twice daily to accommodate all the guests.

Be warned: Traffic can be backed up when the parade heads back down Main Street. Because many people only want to see the parade once (on its way up Main Street), they are trying to leave the area. But of course, there isn't much room because the parade is still filling the street.

If you get stuck in the logjam, just take a deep breath and repeat to yourself: "At least it isn't the boring snowglobe parade."

Disney and Universal have released schedules and stages for their upcoming (and competing) concerts by Comtemporary Christian Music artists. The performances will be at Universal Studios (Rock the Universe) and Disney's Hollywood Studios (Night of Joy) on  Sept. 5 and 6. Remember that this is the first year Disney has held the fest somewhere other than its Magic Kingdom park.

Schedule for both parks, both nights, after the jump.

Took a spin through Islands of Adventure this morning. Only a five-minute wait for Dueling Dragons, but my real destination was the Great Wall of Harry Potter Land, most properly known as the future Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Here's the view of from the newish bridge that connects part of Lost Continent to the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. We're looking at what used to be the back of the Enchanted Oak Tavern, currently being demolished. This is a bit of a tourist attraction unto itself.

Here's a portion of the bridge, looking toward the Lost Continent end. Signs along the way tell us that Harry's coming in 2010.

This is the wall that separates the Dueling Dragons entry area from the spot where Enchanted Oak used to be. More after the jump.

It’s Friday, so here’s a funny quick-hit video from our recent outing to Fort Wilderness.

Before the outdoor movie, a banjo-pickin’ entertainer came out to work the crowd while Chip ‘n’ Dale made the rounds with the kids, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

It was worth a chuckle when the entertainer said he’d play “Dueling Banjos” on one banjo. But check out the short video below and listen to the intro tune he uses to set up the piece.

Had the smoke from the outdoor campfire been a little more pungent, the scene would have been reminiscent of that outdoor Zep concert many of us saw back in ’72 (ask your parents, kids). That is, until our banjo picker kicked into “If You’re Happy and You Know It” later on during his show.

Today we file two photos under "king-sized."

A two-story dinosaur that will be inside the under-construction T-Rex restaurant was on the move at Downtown Disney yesterday. The eatery is set to open in mid-October with waterfalls, geysers and a fossil dig site. (Photo by Kent Phillips / Walt Disney World)

Can't wait until Saturday to see Demi Lovato and Jonas Brothers sing "This Is Me" during the televised Disney Channel Games?

Then get yourself to Target and buy Jonas Brothers' latest CD "A Little Bit Longer," which was released yesterday.

The store's exclusive CD comes with a bonus DVD that has the Camp Rock song and the two other live performances that were filmed at Walt Disney World in May.

"Burnin' Up" aired on the Disney Channel about a week and half ago, but viewers haven't yet seen "S.O.S." and "This Is Me."

At the time of the concert, Camp Rock hadn't debuted, so the lyrics to "This Is Me" were unfamiliar to the crowd at the Wide World of Sports event. The fans don't realize -- until Joe, Nick and Kevin appear -- that the song is a duet with the group they've been waiting all night for.

Seeing their reaction, and the performers, up close thrilled the young viewers at my house. Too bad they edited out when Joe., a.k.a "Danger," tries to climb the onstage sound equipment and doesn't quite make it. My kids got a kick out of his theatrics.

The Disney Channel Games can be seen at 8 p.m. Saturdays through August.

During a quick Epcot stop last week, I checked out Stormstruck, a new exhibit at Innoventions East. It was in test runs, but cast members were actively seeking guests for the experience. "It's not even on the map yet" was the sales pitch.

(This is the Stormstruck entrance.)

Some obvious elements weren't operating, such as the flat screens in the pre-show. And the post-show didn't seem up to speed either, so  I'll just share highlights of the main part of the attraction, which is designed to educate folks about home safety in the face of severe storms.

A "stormologist" is the host of about 30 guests at a time, who are seated in a few rows aimed toward two big screens. We've been given the standard 3-D glasses, although we were told outside that it was a "4-D experience." (I wish I owned the trademark on the phrase  "4-D experience.")

The scene on the screen is a suburban setting: houses, garages, screened porches, landscaping and the like. A storm's a-brewing. As it intensifies, more damage is done to the neighborhood, and the 4-D kicks in in the form of rumbling beneath your seat and the air-blowing, sprintzing thing in your face. (I wish I had invented that sprintzing thing too).

After an exhaustingly hot day at Disney's Animal Kingdom recently, respite was found in, of all places, the Pizzafari restaurant.

It was a bit late, around 6:30, so maybe all the hungry children had eaten. At any rate, there was no line, no wait.

There's quite a lot of seating inside, and the walls are whimsically decorated with animals that entertain children while they wait for Mom or Dad to show up with the pizza.

"Look, there's a baby kangaroo," I cheerfully told the 6-year-old with me. She fixed me with a superior stare and said primly, "That's called a joey." Chastened, I assured her she was correct.

Best of all, the pizza tasted delicious, to the point where the 6-year-old, notoriously picky, asked for seconds. And for grownups who want an extra kick, I was delighted to see they have packets of crushed red pepper available.

There are also salad and sandwich choices, but the pizza hit the spot just fine.

Delicious.

If last night's/this morning's aquatic classic with Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak didn't give you Olympic fever, you may never catch it. But there's time to bedeck yourself in official Beijing Olympic wear at (where else?) China pavilion at Epcot.

At the exit of the China film, I'm told by Disney, are T-shirts with logos and mascots and other sundry items including water bottles, jogging suits, athletic equipment/gear, hats, plush dolls and the ever-present pins.

I like the design on this jacket. (Photos from Gary Buchanan / Walt Disney World)

Going to Disney World is fun for me for many reasons, not the least of which is seeing the wonder and joy in my children as they experience everything. But recently, our family tried something that reminded me of my childhood. We went to the campfire singalong and outdoor movie at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. (Walt Disney World photo)

It was organized, yet laid back, and seeing a movie under the stars got me as close to a drive-in movie theater as I've been since the '70s. In the summer, the evening kicks off at 7:30 with the lighting of two campfires, which burn throughout the evening for guests to roast marshmellows, cook hotdogs, or char whatever they choose. (The Chuckwagon sells supplies, but guests are welcome to bring their own food as well.)

At 8, the singalong begins with an entertainer leading the group. Kids of all ages joined in the Hokey-Pokey and the Chicken Dance. Chip 'n Dale worked the crowd, making sure everyone got autographs and photos. And then the Disney movie started at 8:40 p.m. (The August movie schedule is posted is on the jump.)

Seating includes large benches with backs and bleachers, and we saw some folks with blankets and lawnchairs. The evening drew many people, but it was not packed, and plenty of bleachers remained empty during the movie. Perhaps in the winter months, when the theme parks close earlier, it is more crowded. The campfire singalong is free and open to guests staying on Disney property.

The Disney Dining Experience is a program open to Florida residents and seasonal/annual passholders. Once you join, the main benefit is a 20 percent discount at many Disney World table-service restaurants. If you dine often enough at Walt Disney World, the $85 annual membership ($60 for passholders) pays for itself.

And that is my debate: Will we eat at enough Disney restaurants in the next year to make it worthwhile? Typically, we might do character meals for birthdays or a nice meal for a special occasion. But I wouldn't say we're regulars at all the delicious and wonderfully expensive Epcot eateries.

I'm a pretty patriotic guy, and the napkins at Aquatica kind of brought me down a little. I know it's great news for shareholders, but the pending takeover of Anheuser Busch by the Belgian international conglomerate InBev still does seem a little sad. Will the bald eagles still be shown at SeaWorld?

Anyhow, if the merger goes through,

these napkins will be out-of-date for sure.

Hey, Harry Potter fans, visit www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter for another piece of conceptual art for the upcoming (2010, they say) Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure.

Two words: Three Broomsticks.

Today's Calendar column revolves around the elephants of Disney's Animal Kingdom. You'll recall that the herd expanded in June with the birth of Tsavo, who weighed in at a whopping 327 pounds, the largest of the DAK baby elephants.

When interviewing John Lehnhardt, who oversees animal care at Animal Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom Lodge, I asked him if he -- or anyone, for that matter -- can tell when an elephant is happy.

"If they're acting like elephants -- getting along with others, eating normally, looking after their kids, socializing, breeding -- that's a pretty good indicator," he said.

For more on the elephants of Animal Kingdom, go here.

It's August, so who's not in vacation mode? Here's another batch of celebs spending time around Walt Disney World recently.

Actress Ming-Na, who voiced the title character in Mulan, poses with Mulan's guardian dragon, Mushu, at Disney's Hollywood Studios. You might recognize her from roles in ER, the film The Joy Luck Club or way back on As the World Turns.  (Photo by Garth Vaughan / Walt Disney World).

Singer Michelle Branch (right) rides Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with her sister Nicole Branch at Magic Kingdom. Michelle has a song on the soundtrack for Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, which is set for release Aug. 6. (Photo by Garth Vaughan / Walt Disney World)