Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
Exploring Beyond
Disney: Universal Orlando,
SeaWorld & Other
Attractions
“Anything you can do, we can do
better.” This seems to be the Orlando
motto. Every time one park adds an attrac-
tion, the next park feels the need to add
two attractions (or at least one that's far
more impressive), and so on, and so on,
and so on. This has been going on since
Mickey first arrived in town. The game of
cat and mouse between Disney and its
top-ranked challenger Universal Orlando,
which each year since 1999 has chipped
away at what was once WDW's virtual
monopoly; however, is all good—at least
for you and me. Each time one park tries
to outdo the other, we reap the benefits of
their additions. Still, make no mistake:
Disney is king, leading in theme parks
(4:2) and smaller attractions (9:1). Disney
may have lost its edge in nightclub venues
when it closed the clubs on Pleasure
Island, but it retains a huge lead in restau-
rants, and, when it comes to hotel rooms,
its lead is insurmountable.
Nevertheless, Universal is trying. It had a
substantial growth spurt in 1999, bolstering
its original park,
Universal Studios Flor-
ida,
with a second theme park,
Islands of
Adventure;
a nightclub and restaurant
complex,
CityWalk;
and its first resort,
Portofino Bay,
a 750-room Loews hotel. In
January 2001, it opened a second resort,
the
Hard Rock Hotel;
and, in 2002, it fol-
lowed up with the
Royal Pacific Resort.
Universal then sent J. K. Rowling fans into
a tizzy when it announced it would open
the
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
in
Islands of Adventure, which at press time
remains under construction.
Hollywood
Rip Ride Rockit,
an interactive musically
themed megacoaster billed as the Studio's
newest anchor attraction (and the first
actual addition to the park in several years)
was making its debut just as this topic went
to press. Universal Orlando still has plenty
of room for expansion beyond that, and,
while the company's lips are sealed, it's
known there are plans for at least two more
hotels (but given the state of the economy I
wouldn't expect to see any construction just
yet). In the meantime they've partnered
with several area hotels in an effort to
broaden their offerings. A golf course and
acres of additional rides and attractions,
while not likely for several years to come,
are not inconceivable in the future.
A few miles south,
SeaWorld
and its
sister park
Discovery Cove
also grab a
share of the Orlando action. In 2004,
SeaWorld added a 5-acre shopping and
dining area, appropriately named the
Waterfront, and in 2007 expanded the
children's area (now double its original
size), adding six kid-friendly ocean-themed
rides. As this topic went to press, Manta,
SeaWorld's single most expensive (not to
mention ambitious) attraction to date, was
making waves.
Aquatica,
an innovative
eco-edutainment themed water park (and
the first new park to open in Orlando in
over 8 years), made a splashy debut in
