Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
316
junkie, this is the real deal. The price depends on the number of lessons and type of flight
you want (starting at $120; call or check the website for detailed information).
HAYRIDES
A hay wagon departs
Pioneer Hall
at Disney's Fort Wilderness nightly at
7 and 9:30pm for 45-minute old-fashioned hayrides with singing, jokes, and games.
Most kids will find it enjoyable, though some teens may think it corny. The cost is $8
for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 9, and free for kids 2 and younger. An adult must
accompany children younger than 12. No reservations. Call
&
407/824-2832
for more
information.
HIKING
The
Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve
(
&
407/682-3664;
www.nature.org/florida) is a 12,000-acre, little-discovered getaway from the theme-park mad-
ness. It has 7 miles of trails at the headwaters of the Everglades ecosystem, just south of
Orlando. Self-guided trails range from a .5-mile interpretive trail good for younger kids to a
4.5-mile hiking trail for adults and teens. Picnic facilities are available along the trails. Admis-
sion costs $3 for adults and $2 for kids ages 6 to 17 and Nature Conservancy members. It's
open year-round Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. The preserve also features Sun-
day afternoon
buggy rides
($12 adults, $6 kids) from October 1 through May 31.
HORSEBACK RIDING
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
offers
45-minute guided trail rides several times a day. The cost is $42 per person. Children
must be at least 9 years old. Maximum rider weight is 250 pounds. If you or your chil-
dren have never ridden before, the tame horses and gentle terrain make this ride a good
intro experience. For information and reservations up to 30 days in advance, call
&
407/
824-2832.
Outside the world of Walt Disney are the
Horse World Riding Stables
(
&
407/847-
4343;
www.horseworldstables.com) in Kissimmee. Trail rides range in price from $39 for
an easy hour on a nature trail to $69 for a 1
1
/
4
-hour advanced-level ride.
HORSE
DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES
Disney offers evening carriage rides at two of its
resort locations:
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
and the
Port Orleans
Resort.
The 30-minute rides cost $35 for up to four people. Most kids will enjoy the ride
and the sightseeing opportunity. For information, call
&
407/824-2832.
JOGGING
Many of the Disney resorts have scenic jogging trails. For instance, the
Yacht
and
Beach Club
resorts share a 2-mile trail, the
Caribbean Beach Resort
's
1.4-mile promenade circles a lake,
Port Orleans
has a 1.7-mile riverfront trail, and
Fort
Wilderness
's tree-shaded 2.3-mile jogging path has exercise stations about every quarter-
mile. Pick up a jogging trail map at any Disney property's Guest Services desk.
PARASAILING
The
Sammy Duvall Watersports Centre
(
&
407/939-0754;
www.
sammyduvall.com) at Disney's Contemporary Resort will take you up to 600 feet above
Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake on a flight that lasts 8 to 12 minutes. The cost runs
approximately $95 for one rider and $170 for two riders. Kids older than 5 are eligible
if they fly in tandem with someone else (minimum total weight of 125 lbs.), though
you'll have to judge whether your child is up to such an experience. While older kids and
teens would probably fare well, younger children likely wouldn't. Everyone who goes up
has to sign a waiver, and parents have to sign off on their kids' participation. You can
reserve a spot up to 90 days in advance.
SCUBA DIVING & SNORKELING
Believe it or not, even in an inland location such
as Orlando, you can scuba and snorkel in the Florida waterways.
Fun 2 Dive Scuba and
7
