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Orlando Is Not A One–Mouse TownAuthor Kelly MonaghanOh please, find me something other than Walt Disney World…that’s fun and exciting in central Florida. While you may be returning to Orlando because the kids insist, or your attending a business conference, or maybe you have a time share investment to use…but is there more to Orlando then Mouse Town? “Absolutely”, says Kelly Monaghan, author of The Other Orlando: What To Do When You’ve Done Disney and Universal. He will identify more than 200 attractions and things to do outside Disney World and Universal Studios. Orlando’s and Kelly’s lists, continues to grow. He began tracking “other: Orlando attractions in 1994 and has been adding to his own list of favorites and must do hidden attractions since then. Discovery cove, is an exhilarating experience in Orlando where you can swim with tropical fish, and hand feed stingrays turns into a once in a lifetime experience for most people. Sea World, is the home of Shamu the world famous killer whale. Each day Shamu along with all her friends, the dolphins, sea lions, and even walruses perform in enormous water-filled stadiums for thousand of people. I know for me, a trip to Orlando must contain a visit to Shamu. Where else can you watch as a trainer soars into the air on the snout of a killer whale? If you’re one of those people that tries quickly, of the mega-parks and mega-prices, than an experience at “Gatorland” may be right for you. Gatorland is the original theme park of Orlando, Monaghan says. It is still one of the most interesting attractions around. Guests can watch gators and crocs leap high from the water to snare there meal or marvel at the courage of wranglers who wrestle 6-foot ‘gators into submission. Plan to go in spring when the alligator breeding marshes are alive with nesting herons and egrets that use the alligators below as a sort of security system for their young. Then again, Kelly will take special delight in shattering your preconceptions about Orlando. Many people think Orlando is a cultural wasteland; that the art scene is non-existent…but, Orlando itself is a gallery with as a beautiful canvas filled with places like the Morse Museum in Winter Park, that boasts the world’s largest collection of Tiffany glass, and the Mennello Museum showcases folk art. There is also an active theater scene with off-Broadway style production companies, ballet, opera, and improvisational comedy club and the Orlando Shakespeare Festival to name a few. The other Orlando covers all of Orlando’s non-Disney and non-Universal attractions in its 400 pages; encompassing go karts, the arts, and shopping. This book also features chapters on Bush Gardens Tampa, and the Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s Atlantic coast. You can find your fun in Orlando at the nearest bookstore or on the web. The Intrepid Traveler Reviewed by: Karen Devine |
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