Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
318
World
by calling the
Sammy Duvall Watersports Centre
at Disney's Contemporary
Resort (
&
407/939-0754;
www.sammyduvall.com). Make reservations up to 14 days in
advance. The cost for skiing is $170 per hour for up to five people. You also can arrange
for wakeboarding for up to four people; rates run $155 for an hour. There's no minimum
age, though I wouldn't recommend this for children younger than 8; definitely not for
those at all uncomfortable in the water.
Outside Disney, you can get some time behind a boat or at the end of an overhead
cable at the
Orlando Watersports Complex,
which has lights for nighttime thrill-seek-
ers. Teens will likely think the nighttime option cool, but kids younger than 8 and those
not completely comfortable in the water aren't the best candidates for this activity. The
complex is located close to Orlando International Airport at 8615 Florida Rock Rd.
Prices for skiing (including lessons) begin at about $22 an hour for a cable and $55 for
a half-hour behind a boat. The complex offers a number of specials and discounts aimed
at kids and families—call or check the website to see what's being offered during the time
of your visit. Rental fees run $2 to $45 depending on equipment and duration of rental.
For information, call
&
407/251-3100
or go to
www.orlandowatersports.com
.
Another good option is
Buena Vista Water Sports
(
&
407/239-6939;
www.bvwater
sports.com); the setting is far more inviting, and it's located closer to all the action at
Lake Bryan in Lake Buena Vista. It offers Sea-Doo rentals ($55 per half-hour, $98 per
hour), water-ski, wakeboard, and tube rides ($50 for 15 min., $85 for a half-hour, $145
for an hour).
7
6
SPECTATOR SPORTS
Disney doesn't want to give the competition a sporting chance. In May 1997, it branched
out with the multimillion-dollar
ESPN Wide World of Sports
complex (Disney's Wide
World of Sports in a previous life), a 200-acre facility. The Mouse hit a home run with a
7,500-seat baseball stadium—dubbed Cracker Jack Stadium in 2002—that's the spring
training home of the Atlanta Braves. In addition, there's a 5,000-seat field house featur-
ing six basketball courts, a fitness center, and training rooms; major-league practice fields
and pitching mounds; 4 softball fields; 12 tennis courts, including a 2,000-seat stadium
center court; a track-and-field complex; a golf driving range; and more. The Hess Sports
Fields includes baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and football fields, while the Jostens Center (a
state-of-the-art multisport field house and the complex's newest addition) practically
doubles the complex's capacity for indoor sporting events. A variety of events, from ten-
nis tournaments to band competitions, has been held here since the center opened. For
information about events taking place during your stay, call
&
407/939-1500
or visit
www.disneyworldsports.com
.
So if you and your kids are sports nuts, you won't have to forgo your fix while in
Orlando. Even taking the above into account, Disney isn't the only show in town.
ARENA FOOTBALL
The
Orlando Predators
play from February through mid-May. For the uninitiated,
arena football is a wide-open sport played by eight-man teams on a much-abbreviated
field. You don't necessarily need to know the rules to enjoy the up-close crunching and
beer-fest atmosphere. The Predators have a loyal and rowdy following, not to mention a
few championships under their belts. Sold-out games are common, but single tickets
