ORLANDO , a quiet farming town in 1970, now has more visitors than any other place
in the state. The reason, of course, is Walt Disney World , which, along with Universal
Studios Escape, Sea World and a host of themed attractions, pulls more than 25
million people a year to a previously featureless plot of scrubland. Few people head
to Orlando proper, choosing instead one of the countless motels along Hwy-192 ,
fifteen miles south, or International Drive , five miles southwest. Despite enormous
expansion over the last decade, the town itself remains free of the commercialism
that surrounds it.

Discovery Cove , the second of Sea World's theme parks, is a much more exclusive
venture, limiting visitors to those with reservations (and who can afford the high
admission prices that start at $109; tel 1-877/4DISCOVERY, ). This will entitle you to
swim and play with dolphins, snorkel up to sharks and barracudas behind a clear
partition and feed tropical birds in a resort-like setting.

Wet 'n' Wild , 6200 International Drive (hours vary, tel 1-800/992-9453,
$29.95/$23.95, parking $4), defends itself admirably in the face of the Disney
competition, with a range of excellent slides including the challenging seven-story
Bomb Bay and the almost vertical Der Stuka. Lines are shorter, too.

Sea World , at Sea Harbor Drive, near the intersection of I-4 and the Bee Line
Expressway, the cream of Florida's sizable crop of marine parks, should not be
missed; allocate a day to see it all (daily 9am-7pm or later; longer hours in summer;
$50.83, ages 3-9 $41.29; tel 1-800/327-2424, ). The big event is the Shamu
Adventure show - beginning with a pre-show film attempting to justify the twenty
minutes of tricks then performed by killer whales. The Wild Arctic complex, complete
with artificial snow and ice, shows off beluga whales, walruses and a couple of
claustrophobic-looking polar bears; the experience is topped off by a thrilling
simulated helicopter flight through an Arctic blizzard. The park's first thrill
ride, Journey to Atlantis , is part fantasy, part waterslide, part roller coaster, and has
a sixty-foot drop. You will get drenched - by the ride and by other tourists who pay for
the privilege of spraying you. With substantially less razzmatazz, plenty of smaller
tanks and displays explain more than you need to know about the undersea world.
Among the highlights, the Penguin Encounter attempts to re-create Antarctica with
scores of waddling birds scampering over an iceberg; the occupants of the Dolphin
Pool assert their advanced intellect by flapping their fins and soaking passersby; and
Terrors of the Deep includes a walk through a glass-sided tunnel, offering the closest
eye-contact you're ever likely to have with a shark and live to tell the tale.


Universal Studios - For some years, it seemed that US TV and film production would
move away from California to Florida, which, with its lower taxes and cheaper labor,
was more amenable, and the opening of Universal Studios Escape in 1990 appeared
to confirm that trend. So far, for various reasons, Florida has not proved to be a fully
realistic alternative, but that hasn't stopped the Universal enclave here, now known
as Universal Studios (park opens daily at 9am, closing times vary; one-day pass
$48.76, children 3-9 $39.22, under-3s free; two-day pass $84.75/$68.85; parking $7;
tel 1-800/837-2273, ) from becoming a major player in the Orlando theme park
arena. While Disney still holds court, Universal has drawn much attention, adding the
hi-tech, special effects-laden Islands of Adventure and CityWalk , an earthier lure for
nightlife dollars than Downtown Disney. Universal is also aspiring to full-fledged
resort status with the Portofino Bay Hotel and plans for other accommodation. For
access to all areas, park in the garage half a mile north of exits 29 and 30B off I-94.

As significant as air conditioning in making the state what it is today, WALT DISNEY
WORLD turned a wedge of Florida cow fields into one of the world's most lucrative
vacation venues. The immense and astutely planned empire also pushed the state's
media profile through the roof: from being a down-at-the-heel mixture of cheap
motels, retirement homes and tacky alligator zoos, Florida suddenly became a
showcase of modern international tourism.

Walt Disney World is the pacesetter among theme parks: it goes way beyond
Disneyland, which opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955 - delivering escapism at its
most technologically advanced and psychologically brilliant across an area twice the
size of Manhattan. Its four main theme parks are quite separate entities and, ideally,
you should allow a full day for each. The Magic Kingdom is the Disney park
of popular imagination, where Mickey mingles with the crowds - very much the park
for kids, though at its high-tech best capable of thrilling even the most jaded of
adults. Known for its giant, golfball-like geosphere, EPCOT Center is Disney's
celebration of science and technology; this sprawling area involves a lot of walking,
and may bore young children. Disney-MGM Studios suits almost everyone: its special
effects are enjoyable even if you've never seen the movies they're based on. The
newest of the four, Disney's Animal Kingdom , brings all manner of African and Asian
wildlife to the theme park setting, perhaps the lone entry that can be explored fairly
quickly.

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