Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
308
Tip:
Printable discount coupons and special Internet ticket prices are available at the
park's website. Be sure to check it out before you leave home.
14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail (U.S. 441; btw. Osceola Pkwy. and Hunter's Creek Blvd.).
&
800/393-5297
or 407/855-5496. www.gatorland.com. Admission $23 adults, $15 children 3-12. Stroller rentals $7-$10.
Wheelchair rentals $10-$20. Daily 9am-5pm, but closing times can vary by season. Free parking. From
I-4, take exit 65/Osceola Pkwy. east to U.S. 17/92/441 and go left/north. Gatorland is 1
1
/
2
miles up on
the right.
INTERNATIONAL DRIVE AREA
These attractions are a 10- to 15-minute drive from the Disney area and 5 to 10 minutes
from Universal Orlando. Most appeal to special interests, but one is free (the Peabody
Ducks' show) and another, Wet 'n Wild, is in a class with WDW's top two water parks:
Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.
Holy Land Experience
Overrated
Battles to get tax-exempt church status and
smaller-than-expected attendance caused this tourist attraction to boost rates by $13 in
its first 2 years. But backers still believe Jesus Christ and John the Baptist can go head-
to-head with (or at least play second harp to) Mickey Mouse and Woody Woodpecker.
This $20-million, 15-acre attraction near Universal Orlando is trying to court more
believers by offering exhibits focusing on Jerusalem between the years 1450 b.c. and a.d.
66. Instead of thrill rides, visitors get lessons about Noah's Ark, the limestone caves where
the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, 1st-century Jerusalem, and Jesus' tomb. The trim-
mings include a display of old Bibles and manuscripts, a Bedouin tent where biblical
personalities tell Old and New Testament stories, and a cafe serving Middle Eastern food.
New additions include a multimedia production of music and art giving an overview of
worship through the ages; a small play area for kids; and the Oasis Outpost, which fea-
tures a rock wall and archaeological dig, misting station, and a small refreshment spot.
The attraction has caused some controversy: Orlando-area rabbis, among others, say they
believe it's a ploy to convert Jews to Christianity. I say, unless you're interested in a day
dedicated to the history of the Bible, the high admission is pretty hard to swallow and
this place is pretty skippable. Allow 3 to 4 hours.
4655 Vineland Rd.
&
866/872-4659
or 407872-2272. www.theholylandexperience.com. Admission $35
adults, $23 children 6-12. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm. Hours can vary by season, so call before coming. Free
parking. From I-4, take exit 78/Conroy Rd. west to Vineland Rd. It's on Vineland at Conroy.
Peabody Ducks
Moments
One of the best shows in town is short but sweet, and,
more importantly,
free.
The Peabody Orlando's five mallards march into the lobby each
morning, accompanied by John Philip Sousa's “King Cotton March” and their own red-
coated duck master. They get to spend the day splashing in a marble fountain. Then, in
the afternoon, they march back to the elevator and up to their 4th-floor “penthouse.”
Donald Duck never had it this good. Allow 1 hour.
9801 International Dr. (btw. the Beachline Expwy and Sand Lake Rd.).
&
800/732-2639
or 407/352-4000.
Free admission. Daily at 10am and 5pm. Free self-parking; valet parking $14 (up to 3 hr.), $17 (day), $20
(overnight). From I-4, take exit 74A, Sand Lake Rd./Hwy. 528, east to International Dr., and then south.
Hotel is on the left across from the Convention Center.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium
Do you crave weird science? If you're a
fan of the bizarre, here's where you'll find lots of oddities. Among the hundreds of exhib-
its: a two-headed kitten, a five-legged cow, a three-quarter-scale model of a 1907 Rolls-
Royce made of a million matchsticks, a mosaic of the
Mona Lisa
created from toast,
torture devices from the Spanish Inquisition, a Tibetan flute made of human bones, and
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