"Spring Break in Orlando." There is a statement that elicits either eye rolls or inner-child giddiness from parents.

When Megan O'Malley got the call to join the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® band, she was concerned. "Initially I was apprehensive," she says. "The trombonist before me was also a woman."

North of Victory Boulevard, however, Mr. Hyde takes over, assuming that familiar Valley identity of an overly wide, pedestrian-hostile boulevard pockmarked by auto shops, industrial behemoths, forlorn mini-malls and stucco overkill.

It's never too early to start planning for Halloween, and some theme parks start the festivities in late September. We've got the inside scoop on Halloween events happening this year at Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, and Six Flags theme parks.