Disney World - The Online Guide

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2003
(UK customers)

In the Middle of the Magic Florida’s Central Region

Central Florida reaches from the oak-lined horse farms of Marion County, across one the top tourist destinations in the world — Orlando — to the fragrant orange groves of Polk County. Home to perhaps the most famous mouse on the planet, as well as the largest sand pine forest in the world, Central Florida is a thrilling combination of modern man-made attractions and centuries-old natural beauty.

Family-Friendly Vacations

Central Florida’s world-famous family oriented theme parks attract millions of visitors every year. With magical mice, mammoth sea creatures, glitzy movie stars and a wide variety of outdoor activities, it's no wonder Orlando is a top choice of visitors of all ages the world over. Families experience Orlando’s magic at more than 80 area attractions, including Sea World of Florida, Universal Studios Florida, and the family entertainment mecca — Walt Disney World.

Kids of all ages thrill at the familiar sight of Cinderella castle as they come into view over the Central Florida landscape. For more than 25 years, Walt Disney World has been making dreams come true and turning fantasy into reality. The Walt Disney World Resort is a 30,500-acre world-class entertainment and recreation complex featuring three, soon to be four, theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom, opening in spring 1998 — plus resort hotels, a complete shopping village, nighttime entertainment, water parks, campgrounds and restaurants.

Built around Cinderella’s castle, Disney’s Magic Kingdom branches out into seven whimsical lands with rides, shows, restaurants and shops based on the favorite Disney themes of Fantasy, Yesterday and Tomorrow. Families can take a Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, sing along with country bears in Frontierland, visit a haunted mansion in Liberty Square, take flight with Peter Pan in Fantasyland, encounter aliens in Tomorrowland, and that’s just for starters! Be sure to take a break between rides to enjoy the colorful parades that dance through the streets several times a day. And the children will love the chance to dine with their favorite Disney characters. Disney-specified resorts serve eight breakfasts and five dinners with Mickey, Minnie and all their pals each day.

Another world-famous Disney landmark is the massive silver geosphere of Spaceship Earth in Epcot. Here visitors will find two amazing dimensions of discovery. In Future World, visitors can explore the newest inventions, plunge into the mysteries of the deep or take a nerve-wracking ride through the human body. While at the 11-nation World Showcase, visitors can stroll around the world, enjoying rides and sampling food and entertainment from Mexico to Norway and Morocco to Japan — all in a day!

At Disney-MGM Studios, fantasy becomes reality every day. Here, such movie favorites as "Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid," "Indiana Jones" and "The Twilight Zone" come to life in dazzling shows, exciting rides and colorful parades.

Venturing out of the Walt Disney World theme parks, visitors are faced with a dizzying array of family-oriented attractions. At Sea World of Florida, the world’s most popular marine life adventure park, children delight in watching the creatures of the deep flip, flirt and frolic. In more than 20 major shows, attractions and educational exhibits, the park opens a window into the fascinating mysteries of the sea. Visitors can chat with friendly dolphins, touch baby stingrays, laugh at the antics of polar bear cubs, play in Shamu’s Happy Harbor and, of course, watch a "killer" show starring the 5,000-pound whale and friends. Watch out for the splash zone!

At nearby Universal Studios Florida, families can actually step into the action. Soar through the air on E.T.’s bicycle, rocket into the future in the Delorean from "Back to the Future" and try to escape the terror of the Terminator. Guests can also experience a behind-the-scenes peek at Universal’s working motion picture and television production studios. Kids will love touring Nickelodeon Studios, where they can test out new games that may be used on Nickelodeon television shows. And if the kids should happen to get slimed or soaked, just head over to make a splash at Wet ‘n Wild. With acres of slides and flumes to choose from, visitors to Wet n’ Wild’s water park can float down the Lazy River or experience the exhilaration of the Black Hole.

From racing cars and jarring movie rides to crooked mansions and spooky fun houses, visitors can enjoy full- and half-day excursions to more than 80 Central Florida attractions. Swashbuckling, arrow throwing and fire blowing aren’t usually allowed at the dinner table, but at the themed dinner theaters in the Orlando area, expect the unexpected. Families can end their day in Orlando with plenty of great food and riveting live entertainment.

Location, location, location — right at Walt Disney World’s doorstep — may be what brings many visitors to Kissimmee-St. Cloud. But what keeps them there is the area’s beautiful scenery and small-town charm, along with unique attractions all its own, making Kissimmee-St. Cloud a favorite family destination. Visitors can explore the mysterious Orient, wander past lovingly restored warplanes, gaze at exotic flowering orchids and gasp at huge alligators — all within in a few short miles!

To the southwest, Polk County offers plush gardens, daring water skiing and the fantasy of flight. The most famous Polk County attraction is the 61-year-old Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, known for its premier botanical gardens, world-famous water ski revues and old-fashioned Southern hospitality. At this botanical paradise, guests can meander through a wonderland of free-flying butterflies, meet the world-famous Southern belles, stroll past gigantic topiaries, thrill at the high-octane ski shows or take a leisurely boat cruise through the gardens and nearby lake.

Visitors can also explore the area’s fantastic aviation attractions, featuring aerial adventures ranging from high-tech flight simulators to antique aircraft.

Polk County's historic districts offer families a slight change of pace and scenery. Stroll through more than 30 antique shops and boutiques in the heart of Lakeland's Munn Park Historic District. Or take a delightful walking tour of the area's historical buildings.

To the northwest, Marion County’s family attractions include deep springs, drag racing and horse farms. Just outside of Ocala, Silver Springs, Florida’s oldest attraction, has been thrilling visitors for more than a century. Tourists first arrived by stagecoach and steamboat in the late 1800s to marvel at the largest artesian spring system in the world. Today, Silver Springs is a 350-acre nature theme park, where glass-bottom boats glide through crystal-clear waters as pure as they were more than a century ago. And the pristine, undeveloped Florida wetlands are still teeming with native wildlife. But modern-day families will find plenty of exciting new attractions, such as a Jungle Cruise past giraffes and monkeys, a Jeep Safari through a teeming alligator pit or a Lost River Voyage past the vessel remains from early Spanish settlers. The park's newest exhibit, the "World of Bears," offers heart-pounding encounters with huge grizzly and Kodiak bears. At the wildlife rehabilitation outpost, naturalists talk about the wild animals that are rescued and rehabilitated at Silver Springs.

At other Marion County attractions, vacationers can trace the history of drag racing or view art and antiquities from around the globe. Driving through the rolling countryside of Marion County, travelers will spot numerous horse farms. Home to champion thoroughbreds, the county boasts more than 400 horse farms, many of which are open to visitors.

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