Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
The Best of Walt Disney
World & Orlando
In the beginning, Orlando may have been a sleepy little Southern
town filled with farmland as far as the eye could see, orange groves galore, and only two
attractions to its name (a water-ski show and some great big gators). Then came the
Mouse. More specifically, a mouse named Mickey and his creator, a man of fantastic
imagination and vision named Walt Disney. Life in Orlando would never be the same.
Since the opening of Walt Disney World back in 1971, Orlando has grown to become
one of the world's top vacation destinations. Almost 48 million people from all parts of
the world make their way to this city each year to sample its unending array of exciting,
unique, and diverse activities. Those of us who continue to return year after year can
count on each visit to provide a host of new experiences and memories.
When Disney World first opened its gates to the public, I doubt if anyone but Walt
Disney, the original Imagineer, could have predicted what lay ahead. Disney, searching
for an East Coast location for his second theme park, decided Orlando was just the place
he was looking for. In 1964, in a covert operation that would have made James Bond
proud, Walt Disney began quietly purchasing large quantities of land in and around the
Orlando area, and within months he had acquired property nearly twice the size of Man-
hattan. In 1965, Walt announced to the public his plans to bring to Orlando the world's
most spectacular theme park. Fashioned after Disneyland in California, construction
soon began on Disney's Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, Walt Disney was never able to
see his dream come to life, as he passed away in 1966, just 5 years shy of the opening of
what, to this day, is still the world's most spectacular theme parkâWalt Disney World.
Disney's legacy, while commercialized over the years, has practically become a rite of
passage, not to mention a national shrine to which visitors flock by the millions. And if
you have kids, a visit here is almost a requirement. The opening of Walt Disney World's
Magic Kingdom started a tourist boom in Central Florida the likes of which has never
been seen elsewhere. Today, The Kingdom That Walt Built entices visitors with four
theme parks; a dozen smaller attractions; a shopping, dining, and entertainment district;
tens of thousands of hotel rooms; a vacation club (otherwise known as timeshares); scores
of restaurants; and even two cruise ships (soon to be four). Universal Orlando adds to the
dizzying array with two theme parks, three luxury resorts, and an entertainment complex
that's home to several unique restaurants, clubs, shops, and entertainment venues. Sea-
World tosses in three theme parks and an entertainment, dining, and shopping district
of its own. And those are just the major players. All in all, there are just shy of 100 attrac-
tions, both large and small, that will keep you coming back for more. There are also
plenty of restaurants, ranging from fine dining to on-the-fly fast food; many of the more
casual restaurants are as themed as the parks themselves. And the city doesn't lack for
hotels and resorts either, with roughly 117,000 rooms, villas, and suites to go around by
the end of 2010. If you can believe it, the landscape is still changing, evolving, growing,
and expanding to ensure your experiences will do the same each and every time you stay
and play in Orlando.
