Disney wants your help to pick their 2014 logo! Disney has narrowed the artwork to three selections all created by Disney artists.

Voting ends January 31st and the winning artwork will be revealed at the end of the year.

Visit Walt Disney World’s Facebook page to vote!

Analyst have been wrong about predicting the rise in smartphone attacks each year. Some major security firms believe that this year will be the year for cyber criminals to emerge on the smartphone industry. The capabilities of smartphones continue to grow as technology advances. Smartphone users take full advantage of these new features and so do the cyber criminals. Many smartphone users are now using their phone as a mobile wallet which concerns these top security firms. It is estimated that nearly $50 billion will be used for mobile transactions according to research from Juniper Networks. Security experts are also worried about a rising technique called “ransom ware”- a version of malware that takes control of the users device and data returning it only if the user agrees to pay money. Security firms are expecting these criminals to shift from celebrities to the average consumer. The biggest threat still remains within the careless user says McAfee co-president Todd Gebhart. To avoid any potential threats, keep your phone within your sight and always protect your phone with a password to ensure the safety of your data. For more information on this article please visit,  http://www.clickorlando.com/news/money/Smartphone-cyberattacks-to-grow-this-year/-/1637116/18046624/-/136kyhx/-/index.html

The biggest expansion in Magic Kingdom history is finally here. The $425-million project brings new thrill to Disney’s Magic Kingdom including; Under the Sea ride, Tales with Belle, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Gaston’s tavern. Disney has also reopened the new and improved Test Track where guests can design their own vehicle.

Nov. 16-Jan. 2: ICE! At Gaylord Palms Resort, Orlando

Bring the family and enjoy one of Orlando’s favorite holiday celebrations featuring ‘Twas the Night before Christmas, 4.5 acres of glitter and gold, magic and cold, and winter wonderland sculpted by 2 million pounds of ice. The kids are sure to love visits with Santa Claus and a hidden holiday treasure hunt.

www.gaylordhotels.com

Dec. 4-Jan. 1: Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando

Visit Universal’s Islands of Adventure and celebrate Grinchmas with the Grinch himself. Seuss Island is colorfully decorated with tons of holiday spirit for your family to enjoy a live musical staged show that tells the story of how the Grinch stole Christmas. Adults $75, children 3-9 $63, 2 and under free.

www.universalorlando.com

Nov. 11- Jan. 1: Light Up UCF: 50 Nights of Music, Lights and Ice, Orlando

Come out this year and enjoy UCF’s fourth annual Light Up UCF, with an outdoor skating rink, carnival rides, and many more special holiday events. Prices vary. Mon-Thurs 5 p.m. – 11 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. – 12 a.m. and Sun 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

lightupucf.com

Orlando’s Fiesta in the Park

Celebrating its 42^nd year, the Fall Fiesta at Lake Eola is a surefire way to kick off the November festivities. The event features over 300 artists and crafter booths, a free kids area, festival food and live entertainment. The event takes place on November 3^rd and 4^th.

http://www.fiestainthepark.com

Central Florida International Auto Show

Taking place at the Orange County Convention Center, the Central Florida Intentional Auto Show begins November 22^nd through the 25^th.  The show is the ultimate gear-head’s paradise featuring classic cars of the past and test-drives of the future! Tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $3 for children 7-12. Children 6 and under get in free. November 25^th is Family Day, where all children 12 & under are admitted for free with a paying adult.

http://www.facebook.com/OrlandoAutoShow

Children’s Miracle Network Classic

Formerly the Disney Golf Classic, this newly renamed tournament brings together nearly 150 PGA Tour players in a quest for a multi-million dollar purse. The 72-hole event is played on Disney’s Magnolia and Palm courses. Admission: $30 general admission, $10 practice round, $50 weekly badge. http://classic.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org

Festival of the Masters

The 37^th Festival of the Masters is a free outdoor festival in the Downtown Disney area, held November 9^th, 2012, through November 11, 2012. The festival features one-of-a-kind paintings and photography, live musical performances and plenty of shopping.

http://ow.ly/eGfpX

Which events are you planning to attend this month?

The amount of shopping that takes place on Cyber Monday continues to grow year after year. In 2006, $610 million in goods were purchased Cyber Monday. In 2010, that number increased to $1.03 billion. The attractiveness of Cyber Monday is due to a couple of factors. E-shoppers don’t have to fear being trampled by pushy bargain-hunters. Second, what is more appealing than getting great deals on the products you love, without having to leave the confines of your bed? Some retailers have also committed to higher quality deals on the Internet. These door-buster deals are no longer confined to the physical stores.

Why not support a good cause while online shopping? When you shop from your favorite stores through buy4.com, a percentage of each sale will be credited to the cause of your choice in 2-3 days. For more information, visit http://www.buy4.com/.

• Online check-in: Checking in at home is very important if you’re trying to breeze through the airport. Early check-in will help you snag a better seat, which could mean boarding before others or even walking through the express security and baggage lanes.
• Mobile Apps: Many airlines now offer apps that help you check-in, update you on your flight’s status and even let you change the date and time of your flight. It’s also a great way to keep track of your mobile boarding pass. Here’s a link to where you can find out which airports accept paperless boarding passes: http://tinyurl.com/8ru4gww. You can also check on the wait in real-time on a free app called “My TSA”, available in the iTunes store.
• Check your bag: The fastest way to get through airport security is not to have your 20-pound carry-on slowing you down. The average price for checking-in your first bag is $25. Most planes do not have enough room to accommodate everyone’s carry-ons, so airlines will most likely offer to check your bag in for free during the boarding process.
• Children: Traveling with children might seem like a disaster waiting to happen, but it doesn’t have to be. The TSA asks that you take children and infants off their strollers and take them through the X-Ray machine with you. Remember, that children under 12 are allowed to keep their shoes on!
• Laptops: Take your laptop out of its case ahead of time and put it in a separate bin. This will help you avoid having to put it through the X-Ray machine again.
• Liquids: You are allowed to bring liquids that are 3.4 oz. or less, but they must be placed in a quart-sized, clear zip-lock bag. Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-lock bag.
• Gifts: Since it’s holiday season, you may be bringing gifts with you to your destination. The TSA does allow gifts but advises that you should not wrap it in the case that the package sets off the X-Ray sensors. Also, a note for the wise, if you are a bringing a snow globe, you better check it! TSA will not allow you to bring it aboard and will make you check the item.

What types of things help you save time when you have a flight to catch?

The Walking Dead – TV
Based on Robert Kirkman’s successful comic book series, AMC’s The Walking Dead has been a raving success, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats and craving more as they prepare for the 3rd season of the series. The show features County Sheriff Rick Grimes and the rest of the survivors as they face grave odds to try to survive in a post-apocalyptic zombie infested America. The show airs on Sundays at 9PM on AMC.

Skyfall – Film
In the 23rd installment of the James Bond series, critics are calling Skyfall one of the franchise’s best productions. In the film, Bond’s agency, M16, is under attack and Bond must hunt down the attackers. Bond’s infamous controller “M” plays a more prominent role as compared to previous films. Premiering on November 9th, be ready for another classic Bond film filled with action, gadgets, cars and romance.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2- Film
Coined ‘The Epic Finale That Will Live Forever’, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 comes to theatres November 16th. The film picks up after the birth of Bella and Edward’s half-human/half-vampire child, Renesmee. Conflict arises between the Cullens and the vampire-governing power, the Volturi, over the hybrid child. The Cullens must join forces with vampire clans around the world to protect Bella and her new child.

Kid Rock – Rebel Soul – Music
After Kid Rock released his 2010 album ‘Born Free’, he was looking to get “back to the basics” and ‘Rebel Soul’ does just that. Kid Rock describes the rough-around-the-edges album as the “kind of songs I want to play, and this is the kind of music I want to hear”. Filled with Southern-rock stompers and country ballads, the album came ‘off the cuff’ from Kid Rock and his band. “Me and my band were just sitting there in the corner while they were re-doing my studio,” Rock explained. “So I was like ‘Man, let’s just plug in and record,’ and we worked it out in a couple of weeks” The album releases on November 20th.

It seems that whenever one mentions the Presidential election, a media spotlight seems to always shine on the state of Florida. Why is that? It may be the fact that of the last ten Presidents, Florida’s voting has aligned with the victor nine times. The last time Florida voted opposite of the outcome was in 1992, when Bill Clinton won the Presidency. This tends to happen because Florida is much more diversified, both economically and politically. Because of the state’s diversification, Florida is considered to be a microcosm of the United States population, resulting in alignment with the Presidential election’s outcome. In other words, if you win Florida, chances are you’ll be the next President.

It’s also important to note that in the past 60 years, Florida’s population has exploded. In 1950, Florida was home to 2.7 million residents and as of 2010 almost 19 million people reside in the sunshine state. The population increase directly correlates with the amount of Electoral College votes the state receives. In 1950, Florida was granted 10 Electoral College votes. Today, that number is 29; two votes higher than the last Presidential election in 2008. Currently, Florida is fourth in the amount of Electoral votes granted, only surpassed by California, Texas and New York.

With 29 Electoral votes up for grabs and with the historical voting outcomes of the state, it’s easy to see why the media and candidates tend to focus their time and efforts on Florida.

7^th Annual Winter Garden Music Festival

MusicFest is a free three-day outdoor and indoor music celebration held on Plant Street in Historic Downtown Winter Garden. All proceeds will benefit the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, which preserves local history and creates cultural experiences for future generations. Tons of food vendors and over 100 arts-and-crafts vendors are available for early holiday shopping. The event begins October 5^th and runs through the 7^th. The event starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit http://www.wintergardenmusicfest.com.

Orlando Film Festival

Enjoy popcorn and culture at the Orlando Film Fest starting October 17^th at Cobb Plaza. The festival aims to support independent cinemas to promote culture and the arts in Downtown Orlando by exposing a wide audience to the unique stories told by independent filmmakers. For $5 a day you get access to all screenings at the event! For more information, visit http://orlandofilmfest.com/.

12^th Annual “Wiggle Waggle Walk”

It’s almost time for the biggest pet walk in Seminole County! This fun fundraising walk aims to support the animals and community programming at the SPCA of Central Florida. The day consists of activities, games, fundraising competitions, costume contests, pet information and more! Join the Humane Society at Cranes Roost Park in Uptown Altamonte on October 20^th starting at 9 a.m. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/OcfGrD.

“Beauty and the Beast” Broadway Musical

Join the 35 million people worldwide that have enjoyed smash hit Broadway musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, coming to Orlando’ Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. Opening night is October 2^nd and runs through the 7^th. Tickets start around $40. For more information, visit http://orlando.broadway.com/shows/beauty-and-beast/.

About the Author, Dan Newlin