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Orlando-or actually the entire
slice of central Florida that surrounds the city-is the theme-park
capital of the planet. You'd need many more than three days
to visit all of its scores of attractions, most of which have
nothing to do with Walt Disney World or Universal Studios. And
don't be surprised to see a lot of couples walking through the
turnstiles; it's more than possible to spend three perfect adult
days in Orlando. Astoundingly high-tech special effects are
increasing evidence that you don't have to be 10 to have fun.
Factor in fine dining and nightlife, and Orlando has arrived
as a destination that doesn't require children.
Still, theme parks can be grueling without a smart approach.
Back during the hot, rainy days of summer, you could have waited
in line two hours for a single ride. That's why locals-and you-have
waited till November, when schools are back in session and temperatures
are cooler. Lines will be short, perhaps nonexistent.
Although theme parks have made Orlando internationally famous,
the area's appeal goes back to the 1800s when wealthy Northerners
flocked to the region to spend the winter. Old-time, small-town
Florida still exists. In three perfect days, you'll savor the
very best of Orlando, past and present.
DAY ONE / Orlando has more than 100,000
hotel rooms, the nation's second-largest supply, making where
to stay a truly difficult choice. But considering the places
you'll be
visiting over the next three days, the Mediterranean-themed
1 / Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando offers distinct
advantages, first of which is its convenient location between
Orlando and Disney World. This luxury hotel is only a short
water taxi ride away from Universal's two theme parks and CityWalk,
its adult nighttime entertainment complex. It's also one of
the most colorfully themed hotels, a startling reproduction
of the waterfront at Portofino Bay, Italy. As a guest you gain
express access to rides and attractions throughout your day
at Universal simply by showing your room key.
Dress casually your first morning, because you're going to get
wet. And eat a light breakfast, because it's also going to be
an upside-down kind of day. From the Portofino, take the water
taxi to 2 / Islands of Adventure and go to the Marvel Super
Hero Island to board The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. This
high-tech ride, one of the park's most popular, uses filmed
3-D action and special effects-including a sensory drop of 400
feet into darkness. (As you'll discover, sudden drops are a
hallmark of Orlando theme parks.)
Now you're ready for The Incredible Hulk Coaster, that twisted
mass of green metal you walked under on the way to Spider-Man.
In just two seconds, this ride catapults you to the top of a
150-foot tower with the same thrust as an F-16 fighter. Then
you're weightless 100 feet above the ground. In all, you'll
do seven rollovers, plummet below ground twice, and hit speeds
of up to 60 miles per hour. The Hulk does eventually return
you to solid ground-it just feels wobbly.
Time to cool off at Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls in Toon Lagoon.
If you remember Dudley from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons
of the 1960s, you know that you'll be trying to save Nell from
the evil Snidely Whiplash.
Next, it's time to get an overhead view of Jurassic Park on
the tame aerial ride Pteranodon Flyers. Afterward, you'll be
able to pet a "living" dinosaur at Triceratops Discovery Trail;
the animatronic creature actually reacts to touch. You'll see
many more-and larger-dinosaurs (up to five stories high) on
the River Adventure. After your boat is chased by a tyrannosaur,
it plunges 85 feet down-what's advertised as the longest, fastest,
and steepest water descent built so far.
Leaving Jurassic Park for The Lost Continent, head toward the
one-of-a-kind roller coaster Dueling Dragons. This is actually
a pair of roller coasters that pass each other three times-only
inches apart-at 55 miles per hour. On this ride your feet dangle
off your seat, which makes it seem particularly precarious.
Your last ride is Poseidon's Fury: Escape From The Lost City,
a multimedia presentation and water ride depicting a war between
Poseidon and Zeus. Afterward, check your watch. You probably
have time to repeat a favorite ride.
For lunch, walk to the adjacent theme park, 3 / Universal Studios,
for sit-down service at Finnegan's Bar and Grill, an Irish pub
with authentic food and atmosphere. Rides this afternoon will
be much tamer, so enjoy yourself. Check the timetable for two
live shows-everything else should revolve around their schedules.
Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue is a 25-minute rock concert featuring
stars from such Universal horror classics as Frankenstein, Dracula,
and The Wolfman. Do they sing "Monster Mash"? Wait and see.
And you don't want to miss the 15-minute Wild, Wild, Wild West
Stunt Show, a fun if sometimes hokey comedy with the requisite
guns, bullwhips, horses, and stunt men and gals.
On the list of other must-sees is Terminator 2: 3-D, an elaborate
film with the Terminator cast and all-new footage shot just
for this attraction. It's probably the best 3-D you'll ever
see. From there, go Back to the Future on a wildly bucking DeLorean.
If you've ever enjoyed a video game, you're going to love Men
in Black Alien Attack, as well as other movie-based rides: Jaws,
Twister, Kongfrontation, and Earthquake: The Big One. You ought
to be able to fit them all in, but keep an eye on your watch
since you'll be driving over to Downtown Disney West Side for
dinner. Plan on a 45-minute trip from the Universal parking
garage.
Central Florida is known for fresh seafood, and 4 / Fulton's
Crab House is a good place to sample it, especially the stone
crab claws. The restaurant, formerly the Empress Lily, is a
three-deck paddle wheeler; try to catch the sunset from its
rear deck. From here it's a short walk to the 9 p.m. showing
of 5 / Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba. This acrobatic troupe always
puts on a funny and visually spectacular perfor-mance-this one
created especially for Disney.
Afterward, back at Universal, have a nightcap in the 6 / Velvet
Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel. Look for some of the chain's best
memorabilia-the military-style vest worn by Jimi Hendrix and
a rhinestone-encrusted bell-bottom jumpsuit worn by Elvis in
Las Vegas. When you're ready, board the water taxi and meander
back to the Portofino.
DAY TWO / Sleep in this morning and,
after a room-service breakfast, take about a 45-minute drive
east on I-4 to Winter Park, where massive oak trees and brick
streets take you back in time to the Florida of old. At Lake
Osceola, take the 1 / Scenic Boat Tour for an hourlong narrated
journey through the foliage-lined canals that connect the Winter
Park chain of lakes. The boats, which leave on the hour, motor
past Rollins College, Kraft Azalea Gardens, and numerous fashionable
estates. You can explore the waterways on your own-rent a canoe
or a small boat at the docks.
Walk west to Park Avenue and the 2 / Charles Hosmer Morse Museum
of American Art. This smallish building houses the world's largest
collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Besides the famous
lamps, the museum showcases jewelry, pottery, paintings, and
numerous large stained-glass windows. The highlight is the marble
chapel designed by Tiffany for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
Returning to Park Avenue, go right, and you'll soon be strolling
down central Florida's most picturesque shopping street. It's
lined with small cafés and stores that feature stylish fashions
and antique furnishings. Walk past the train station and the
sizable open park for lunch at à Park Plaza Gardens restaurant,
a local favorite.
Your next destination is downtown Orlando for walks in two very
different parks. First is 4 / Leu Gardens (Exit 43 off I-4;
go east on Princeton Street), a 50-acre formal garden on Lake
Rowena. The rose garden is one of Florida's largest, containing
75 varieties. And be sure to tour the Leu house, built in the
1880s and furnished with Victorian, Empire, and Chippendale
pieces.
Now head to the heart of downtown and 5 / Lake Eola Park on
North Rosalind Avenue. Lake Eola is where locals go to jog or
just hang out; it's a side of Orlando you don't see at the theme
parks. Nothing here is very high-tech. The paddleboats are shaped
like huge swans, though the lake's strange-looking fountain
does resemble a 1950s flying saucer.
By midafternoon you should return to your hotel to change. Dinner
will be formal (coat and tie) and early, at 6 p.m., the only
seating offered at Disney's 6 / Victoria & Albert's, located
in the Victorian-themed Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The
pricey prix-fixe, seven-course meal is customized daily and
catered by two servers whose names are easy to remember: Victoria
and Albert. Dressed in the formal attire of a Victorian maid
and butler, they will attend to you closely, aided by an able
sommelier. This is one of Disney's two best restaurants.
Equally good in its own way is the 7 / California Grill on top
of Disney's Contemporary Resort, a 10-minute monorail ride from
the Grand Floridian. It's where you want to go next, not for
sushi and pizza but for a nightcap. The restaurant's nighttime
view of the Magic Kingdom is spectacular, even more so if there's
a fireworks show. Just don't stay out too late. Tomorrow starts
early.
DAY THREE / Your day starts at 1 / Animal
Kingdom, Disney's newest theme park, and you need to be there
when it opens at 8 a.m. The critters are most active early and
late, as in the wild. During the day they disappear to nap.
That's why you want to hurry first to the Pagnani Forest Exploration
Trail for a chance to see the silverback gorilla family. The
giant male silverback is an awesome sight. Be happy if you spot
only the smaller family members, because these gorillas are
something most people never see. Next, make a beeline for the
park's best-known ride, Kilimanjaro Safaris, a truck ride through
a 100-plus-acre savanna populated with hippos, lions, and elephants.
Considering this is a live animal zoo, Animal Kingdom's Dinosaur
simulator ride seems a bit out of place. Nonetheless, the animatronic
dinosaurs that chase you are masterfully done. After escaping
yet again, get ready to get wet on the Kali River Rapids ride.
Then examine the sculpted maze of animals on The Tree of Life
before heading to 2 / Disney-MGM. You can't possibly get through
all four Disney parks, so you're bypassing the Magic Kingdom
and Epcot.
The main Disney-MGM rides are all technological marvels. At
The Twilight Zone-inspired Hollywood Tower, an elaborate ghostly
setup leads to startling 3-D effects and a breathtaking ride.
The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster ushers you into an Aerosmith recording
session and then off with the group in a limo that blazes though
a day-glo maze of L.A. rock 'n' roll landmarks. Then comes Star
Tours, a rocking 'n' rolling flight simulator.
After your stomach rejoins you, dine like the stars with a late
lunch at The Hollywood Brown Derby, famous for its original
Cobb salad. During lunch, consider your alternatives. You can
continue to explore MGM, but better options await.
Here, in the heart of NASCAR country, the 3 / Richard Petty
Driving Experience at the WDW Speedway will strap you into a
600-horsepower racecar and run you around the track at 145 miles
per hour, or you can drive yourself at a slightly lower speed.
If you're a certified scuba diver, head for the 5.7-million-gallon
aquarium at Epcot's 4 / The Living Seas and swim with a sawfish,
sharks, huge jewfish, spotted eagle rays, and reef fish of all
types.
Your final evening starts quietly with an Italian dinner at
your hotel in the 5 / Delfino Riviera restaurant. It has a superb
view of the Portofino setting and was named the area's most
romantic restaurant by the Orlando Sentinel. Following dessert,
take a water taxi or walk to 6 / CityWalk, Orlando's hottest
concentration of nightspots, just a quarter-mile away.
Set off with CityWalk Party Passes and you have unlimited admission
to an incredible array of clubs. Pat O'Brien's is a replica
of the famed New Orleans watering hole. If reggae is your thing,
head to Bob Marley-A Tribute to Freedom, patterned after his
home and gardens in Jamaica. For a little nostalgia, try the
Motown Cafe Orlando or Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. Satisfy
a dancing mood at The Groove or Latin Quarter. Whatever you
choose, you can be sure of one thing: Never again will you think
that theme parks are just for kids. Not in Orlando, anyway.
M. Timothy O'Keefe has lived in central Florida since 3 B.D.
(three years Before Disney, or 1968). His books include Hiking
Florida and Great Adventures in Florida.  |
