Orlando Action

By Nick Bragg, Deputy Editor

What once was a sleepy little town surrounded by cattle ranches, plantations and orange groves, Orlando, Fla., has transformed into a tourist mecca over the last 40 years, largely because of one man's mission to build his dream park.

In 1964, Walt Disney, a Hollywood film producer, director, screenwriter and animator began secretly purchasing millions of dollars worth of Central Florida farmland.

After more than seven years of master planning and preparation, including 52 months of actual construction, the $400 million Walt Disney World Resort, including the Magic Kingdom Park, opened to the public as scheduled on October 1, 1971.

Its first two years, the attraction drew 20 million visitors and employed 13,000 people. Orlando quickly became the "Action Center of Florida," the fastest-growing city in the state and one of the world's top vacation destinations.

In the following years, additional attractions multiplied, hundreds of firms relocated their business to the area, and with that, the population exploded to more than two million residents, making Orlando one of the world's fastest-growing cities.

Attendees of ISSA/INTERCLEAN will quickly discover that Orlando is home to more than just Mickey Mouse; it boasts some of the world's greatest collection of thrill rides, fine dining, superior shopping, golf courses and spectacular natural beauty.

Attractions And Theme Parks

Walt Disney World Resort (2187 Bear Island Road) has been at the center of the amusement park industry for more than half a century in Orlando. Fun has no limits inside the 47-square mile site (as large as the city of San Francisco), where visitors can choose to discover the enchanted lands of its Magic Kingdom Park, blast off into the future at Epcot, journey through the history of Hollywood movies at Disney's Hollywood Studios or take a safari adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

In addition to its four theme parks, Walt Disney World Resort also features two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. The latter is home to Downtown Disney Marketplace, which features more than 70 shops and themes restaurants, as well as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art sports facility that serves as the home for the Atlanta Braves during Spring Training.

Stepping outside of Disney-themed parks, Universal Studios, whose Universal Studios Florida (6000 Universal Boulevard) park opened in 1990, continues to expand. In late 1998, it unveiled a new entertainment district, Universal CityWalk, and in 1999, it opened Islands of Adventure, a second theme park including attractions dedicated to Dr. Seuss, Marvel Comics and Jurassic Park. New to the Islands of Adventure this year is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Visitors are able to experience all the magic and adventure of the Harry Potter books and films inspired by J.K. Rowling — tour Hogwarts Castle, ride a dragon and eat exploding candy.

Sea World Orlando (7007 SeaWorld Drive) is devoted to all things marine. Operating for more than 30 years, visitors are taken through a one-of-a-kind journey to the wonders that exist beyond the ocean's door. Visitors can also now find out what it's like to spin, glide, skim and soar like a giant ray as they experience the world's only flying roller coaster, Manta, a head-first, face-down thrill ride that slices the water with 32 brave riders secured safely to the belly of a giant ray.

Adjacent to Sea World is Discovery Cove (6000 Discovery Cove Way), where guests can float along a scenic tropical river, snorkel in crystal waters teeming with rays and exotic fish and swim with dolphins in a tranquil lagoon.

Gatorland (14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail), is Orlando's only theme park with "Bite and Attitude." The 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve features thousands of alligators, crocodiles, a children's water park, aviary, breeding marsh with observation tower, petting zoo, nature walk and educational wildlife programs.

Jungle Adventures Nature Park & Zoo (26205 E. Colonial Drive (State Road 50), Christmas) gives visitors a taste of Florida's wildlife. Experience guided wildlife encounters with rare Florida panthers, black bears, wolves, white-tailed deer, tropical birds, reptiles and mammals.

Ripley's Believe it or Not! Orlando Odditorium (8201 International Drive) offers an amazing variety of weird and unusual exhibits, artifacts and displays in 16 galleries that pay tribute to the odd, bizarre and unbelievable. From the outside, the facility appears as if it is tilting dangerously to one side, being swallowed by a massive sinkhole.

For more crazy fun, WonderWorks (9067 International Drive), Central Florida's only upside down attraction has more than 100 hands-on exhibits, a 4D Extreme Motion Ride, indoor ropes challenge, lazer-tag and nightly magic comedy dinner show.

Experience the unforgettable sights and sounds of the world's most famous maiden voyage at Titanic — The Experience (7324 International Drive). Visitors are treated to a guided tour by expert storytellers through authentic artifacts, historical treasures and full-scale room re-creations.

For aviation enthusiasts, Fantasy of Flight (1400 Broadway Blvd. SE, Polk City) is home to more than 40 rare and vintage aircraft, many of which have been restored to flyable condition. Guided tours allow guests to explore restoration and maintenance areas where guests can climb inside real cockpits and take a spin on the state-of-the-art hang-glide simulator in the interactive Fun with Flight area.

Feel the thrills of skydiving and hand gliding at SkyCoaster Orlando (2850 Florida Plaza, Kissimmee), which offers the tallest SkyCoaster in the world. Visitors soar 300 feet over Orlando.

Visitors can keep their feet a little closer to the ground at IFLY Orlando's (6805 Visitors Circle) Indoor Skydiving where guests can experience the sensation of freefall without needing a parachute, plane, or any previous skydiving experience.

For an out-of-this-world attraction, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (SR 405, Kennedy Space Center) lets visitors tour launch areas, taste space foods, train in flight simulators and eat lunch with an astronaut.

Museums

Orlando offers visitors more than amusements parks. Visitors with an appreciation of the fine arts can visits the several museums the area has to offer.

The Morse Museum of American Art (445 N. Park Ave., Winter Park) is home to the world's most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. The collection includes jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass windows and lamps, and the chapel interior the artist designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The museum also features a major collection of American art pottery and representative collections of late 19th and early 20th-century American paintings, graphics and decorative art.

Orange County Regional History Center (65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando) has been an affiliate of the Smithsonian since 1996. The center is hosting the exhibit "Against All Odds: The Art of the Highwaymen" during the time of the ISSA/INTERCLEAN show. The Highwaymen began as a group of African American artists who, against all odds, managed to prosper from the sale of their paintings in the segregated South of the 1950s and Œ60s. Visitors will learn about their fascinating story and see more than 30 of their paintings with 26 artists represented.

Orlando Science Center (777 E. Princeton St., Orlando) is a must for visitors' "things to do in Orlando" list. With four floors of exciting exhibits, amazing giant screen movies and engaging live programming, the Science Center is the perfect family destination. The center has embarked on a major retrofit of its facility and as a result has a Green Building Tour that shows the facility's progress towards achieving LEED certification.

The Orlando Museum Of Art (2416 N. Mills Ave., Orlando) will be featuring three exhibits during show time: "Of Cloth and Culture II" features African textiles from the Norma Canelas and William D. Roth Collection; "The American Collection" is a collection of more than 40 paintings and sculptures from the nation's early years through the 20th century; and "Currents in Contemporary Art" features a collection of contemporary American art the museum has been collecting for three decades.

Outdoor Fun

Known more as an entertainment mecca, Orlando often gets little respect as a top-rate golf destination. But the city and its surrounding area offers golfers a variety of golf course jewels. With courses designed by golf legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Tom Watson and famed architect Robert Trent Jones, golfers will have no problem finding a course suitable for their experience level. If visitors need help deciding on one of the more than 175 courses within an hour's drive of Orlando they want to play, give TEE TIMES USA a call at (888) 465-3356, or visit www.teetimesusa.com.

It's no accident that Orlando is the home to the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). Just minutes from Orlando, the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is respected worldwide for its trophy largemouth bass population. If there's an urge to reel in a lunker while basking in Mother Nature's backyard, contact the Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau at (407) 944-2400 or visit www.floridakiss.com/rec/fishing. Included on the bureau's site is contact information for area fishing guides who specialize in Kissimmee's chain of lakes. However, if freshwater fishing doesn't pique an interest, some guides are more than willing to take visitors over to the coast for some deep-sea fishing.

Parks And Gardens

Mother Nature blessed Central Florida with natural beauty. There are a number of areas dedicated to displaying and preserving the beautiful environment.

Located in Orlando, Harry P. Leu Gardens (1920 N. Forest Ave.) feature paved scenic walkways that take visitors through 50 acres of southern styled gardens that include: America's largest Camellia collection outside California; three acres of idea gardens for weekend projects; the largest formal rose garden in Florida; a house museum dating from the 1880s; two acre Tropical Stream Garden; vegetable and herb garden; butterfly garden; and palm, bamboo and cycad gardens.

Arboretum of the University of Central Florida (4000 Central Florida Blvd.) features five trails that are adjacent to the UCF campus, with several Floridian ecosystems on display. The arboretum is open from sunrise to sunset everyday and is free of charge.

Blue Spring State Park (2100 W. French Ave., Orange City) features the largest spring on the St. John's River, making the park a popular destination for manatees. While manatees enjoy the 73 degrees water during the winter, visitors enjoy the crystal clear waters to swim, snorkel, canoe, boat and fish in.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens (3755 NW Hwy 17-92) is located in Sanford, Fla. The 100-acre zoo includes botanical gardens, a butterfly garden, many species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. The zoo's main function is a refuge for endangered and threatened animals and plants.

Located at the headwaters of the Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs State Park (1800 Wekiwa Circle, Apopka, Fla.) offers a glimpse of what Central Florida looked like when Timucuan Indians fished and hunted these lands. The park offers 13 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. Canoe and kayak rentals are also available.

Shopping

Orlando and its surrounding area is home to many great shopping opportunities. From flea markets and outlet malls to traditional malls, visitors won't have a tough time searching for that special souvenir or gift for family or friends.

Some popular flea markets include, Flea World (Hwy 17-92 in Sanford); Main Gate Flea Market (5407 Irlo Bronson Highway (Highway 192 in Kissimmee); 192 Flea Market (4301 W. Vine Street, Highway 192 in Kissimmee); Osceola Flea & Farmer Market (2801 E. Irlo Bronson Highway, Highway 192); and Visitors Market (5811 Irlo Bronson Highway, Highway 192 in Kissimmee).

A few notable outlet malls are the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores (15657 State Road 535); Orlando Premium Outlets (8200 Vineland Ave.); and Prime Factory Outlet World (5401 W. Oakridge Road).

Traditional malls include, Pointe Orlando (9101 International Drive); Florida Mall (8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail); The Mall At Millenia (4200 Conroy Road); Festival Bay Mall at International Drive (5250 International Drive; and Orlando Fashion Square (3201 E. Colonial Drive).