|
Orlando is Touched by MagicDisney and OtherwiseBy Carol Muse Evans
The late animator started with swampland, pine forest and farmland here and turned it into America’s number one family vacation destination. Since Disney World opened in October 1971, to say growth here has been dramatic would probably be an understatement. Phylis Intro of the Metropolitan Orlando Economic Development Commission came to Orlando in the 1950s, and she said the main thing folks did for entertainment then was visit Ronnie’s Deli of Miami, Florida fame. Ronnie’s is no more.
While popular figures prior to 1960 were around 394,899, Intro pointed out, the population figures by 1980 had doubled at 804,774, and in 2001, the Orlando population topped at 1.6 million people. While the citrus industry, cattle and even cotton has held on, the high-tech industry has continued to be a major player in Orlando economics and still attracts other high-tech business to the area.
The Walt Disney World complex itself now covers about 30,000 acres, or about 46 square miles, in two counties in Florida. Its “cast members” (employees), first numbering around 5,500, have grown to 51,500. There are now four major theme parks, three water parks, two nighttime entertainment districts and more than 25 on-site resorts/hotels. If you wanted to stay in every room on the property, it would take you more than 61 years, according to the Disney web site. In 1990 Universal Studios Orlando opened with its own version of movies and thrill rides. Universal is also home to the national children’s cable network, Nickelodeon, where visitors can see many of the shows shot live. Universal Orlando opened its second theme park, Islands of Adventure, in late 1999 with great success. Add on the 30-acre entertainment and restaurant complex, CityWalk, and Universal’s own hotels, and you have yet another Orlando destination which can stand alone.
You’ll still see cattle along Interstate 4 if you drive into Orlando, along with many citrus trees, but the growth has definitely been around the tourist attractions, namely Walt Disney World and its four major theme parks, water parks, shopping and more, Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Orlando Odditorium, Florida Splendid China, Guinness World Records Experience, Gatorland, WonderWorks, Titanic ~ The Exhibition, Water Mania, Wet /N Wild, and even nearby Busch Gardens/Tampa Bay and Cypress Gardens have also followed. While both Walt Disney World’s resorts and the Universal Studios complex are destinations unto themselves, there’s plenty to do outside the parks, as well. In addition to those attractions previously mentioned, Orlando is home to more than 180 special events annually, from rodeos to celebrity concerts to ethnic festivals and art shows. In addition, the city hosts performing arts troupes such as the Orlando Opera Company, Southern Ballet Theatre, the Orlando/UCF Shakespeare Festival, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and even the Orlando Broadway Series.
If shopping is your “bag,” there is more than 44 million square feet of retail feet in Orlando, and this number is growing as one of the fastest growing retail markets in the United States. Orlando has everything from outlet and souvenir shopping to upscale boutiques and antique shops. The city is home to seven shopping malls and numerous outlet/theme shopping centers. Orlando Premium Outlets, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, Belz Factory Outlet World and Belz Designer Outlet Centre are some of the most familiar in the area. Festival Bay is a 1.1 million-square-foot themed restaurant and entertainment complex, just opened in 2001. Kissimmee Manufacturers Outlet offers more than 25 factory stores like Nike, G.H. Bass & Co. and Van Heusen, all close to the major theme parks and hotels. In downtown Celebration, the Disney-conceived suburbia, there are specialty shops along Main Street. Downtown Orlando offers antique shops, specialty shops and the Church Street Market, all in a Victorian atmosphere. Another themed shopping venue is Pointe* Orlando right on International Drive, the “main tourist drag,” where there is upscale shopping in exclusive stores, an IMAX theater and restaurants. Just down the street you can shop The Mercado with 75 specialty shops.
Universal got in on the restaurant and shopping game with its incredible and beautiful CityWalk, a 30-acre entertainment complex with restaurants, nightclubs, specialty shops and even theaters, all flanking the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks. There is no cover charge for CityWalk; however, some clubs do carry individual cover charges. CityWalk boasts the world’s largest Hard Rock Café and Hard Rock Live Orlando, Emeril’s Restaurant Orlando, a creation of famed Chef Emeril Lagasse, Motown Café Orlando and even NASCAR Café Orlando and NBA City. Other popular spots along the walk include Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, CityJazz, Bob Marley- A Tribute to Freedom and Pat O’Brien’s, of New Orleans fame. Other great restaurants include some of the dinner show attractions, combining entertainment, thrills and food. The Pirates Dinner Show carries a swashbuckling theme and is great for children, as they are invited into part of the act from time to time. Food is a feast and served all during the show. Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is another popular show offering a European-medieval theme taking guests back 900 years with great pageantry and horses. Nightlife here includes comedy clubs such as SAK Comedy Lab, an improvisational comedy show, 8 Seconds, a radio bar with live bull riding and dance lessons. Pointe* Orlando is a popular nighttime complex with restaurants such as Adobe Gila’s, XS Orlando and Lulu’s Bait Shack. Don’t forget there’s grown-up entertainment and nightlife at Downtown Disney with Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney West Side, the home of numerous nightclubs and restaurants including Wolfgang Puck Café and the House of Blues. Disney’s Boardwalk Resort offers its Entertainment Complex with the feel and look of the 1930s. The waterfront complex has the Atlantic Dance Club, Jellyrolls piano bar and numerous restaurants, entertainment venues, shopping and hotel accommodations. For those who have a strong interest in the outdoors, there’s plenty to do with more than 100 lakes in this inland area of Florida. Take an airboat ride with a guided tour of Florida’s wetlands or see the scenic marshlands of the St. John’s River while visiting Indian mounds and bald eagles and alligators. Unwind with a horseback ride on wooded trails and beaches at the Ace of Hearts Ranch or Horse World Riding Stables, where children can even ride. Of course, there are many opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing and water skiing all around the area. It can’t be Florida without golf, and more than 150 courses are within a 45-minute drive of Orlando. Golf schools, golf events and golf specialty outlets are all part of the Orlando scene. Many hotel facilities will offer or arrange golf tours and packages. In fact, Walt Disney World is home to six golf courses of its own. Nearby in Maitland, you can visit Audubon of Florida’s National Center for Birds of Prey. There’s also the Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve, a great place to see bald eagles, Sherman’s fox squirrel and eastern indigo snakes. The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne and the Zoo Orlando at Sanford offer two great zoo experiences, as well. Whatever you want to do, there’s something for everyone in the magical city of Orlando. Whatever you wish for might just come true. Carol Muse Evans is an Alabama writer specializing in family travel. RESOURCES:Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau Walt Disney World (parks, restaurants and
accommodations) Universal Studios Orlando/Islands of Adventure
(parks and accommodations) Guinness World Records Experience Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Orlando Odditorium SeaWorld Orlando Discovery Cove Orlando Gatorland Pirate’s Dinner Adventure Arabian Nights dinner show Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Water Mania Wet ‘N Wild Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Cypress Gardens Holiday Inn Family Suites Marriott Village at Little Lake Bryan GREAT BOOKS:Birnbaum’s Official Guide to Disney World Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World For Kids, By Kids Universal Orlando With Kids
WWW.AFFORDABLEDISNEY.COM |
|
TM
It seems that
everything Walt Disney touched was filled with magic, and Orlando is
definitely enchanted.
Long
before Disney came, the “three C’s” drove the city’s economy: cotton, cattle
and citrus, according to city history. Martin-Marietta (now Lockheed Martin)
brought “big industry” to the city around 1956, and it really “took off”
then, according to Intro. In fact, Intro said the company actually attracted
the University of Central Florida to the area because the Martin Company
needed a trained labor pool. 
However,
it was 1971 that was pivotal for the city in terms of growth and economics.
When Walt Disney World opened, it was the drawing card for many more tourist
attractions, hotels, restaurants and more to ride Disney’s coattails to
success. Today, Orlando is a major, international attraction with more than
42 million visitors annually and an economic impact of $19.7 billion,
according to the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Today’s Orlando
offers more than 90 other attractions, 102,000 hotel rooms, and 3,800
restaurants and is one of the largest convention centers in the nation. It
is also the home of a world-class airport, the Orlando International
Airport, Intro added, something the city might not have ever seen without
Disney’s magical touch.
Orlando
is home to numerous museums and historical sites, including the Holocaust
Memorial Resource and Educational Center, The Cornell Fine Arts Museum, the
Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum, the Orlando Museum of Art, the
Orange County Regional History Center, the University of Central Florida Art
Gallery, the Wells/Built Museum of African-American History, the Orlando
Science Center and more.
Of
course, tourists won’t want to miss the Downtown Disney Marketplace,
adjacent to the Disney resort complex, where you can shop at the world’s
largest LEGO store, the largest Disney store, The World of Disney, numerous
specialty shops and Disney-themed shops, along with great themed restaurants
like the Rainforest Café and Planet Hollywood. All these shops center on
Lake Buena Vista lagoon, where you may even hear outdoor entertainment from
time to time. Next door is Downtown Disney Pleasure Island and Downtown
Disney West Side with its popular nightclubs, restaurants and Virgin
Megastore.