Florida's Attractions
are Second to None ...
Walt Disney World
What
a year to be visiting Disney!
Disneyland was officially dedicated by Walt Disney on Sunday, July 17,
1955
- since then the Disney empire has grown .... and grown .... spreading its
branches far and wide across the world making it possible for many to
enjoy Disney world family vacations. This year the celebrations will
be vast as it's reached it's 50TH.
MILESTONE
For those of you who have never been to Disney World -
it's more
than fun - it's an experience never to
be forgotten!
From the moment you
arrive at the car parking lots you are struck by the cleanliness and slick
operation - you simply cannot fail to be impressed. And once you're
through the gates of your chosen theme park the real
magic begins!
Magic Kingdom - The land of imagination for young and old alike - you'll journey to imaginary lands of adventure, fantasy, the past and the future. Thrills and spills galore as you sail on magic carpets, plunge down waterfalls, hurtle through space, ride the rocky mountain pass and travel to places beyond your imagination - the Magic Kingdom truly is a place for everyone.
Epcot - Discover
the fascinating cultures and numerous wonders of the world around you
through interactive experiences, amazing attractions and dazzling
shows. Go on a mission to space, be a test dummy on the test track, soar
above Yosemite and redwood forests ... and marvel at the power of the
human imagination to set your spirits soaring.
Animal Kingdom - Venture
into the wild on an
expedition for the entire family. Come face-to-face with some
amazing African animals - giraffes, hippos, elephants, rhinos and lions
are all on the prowl (along with some poachers, too!)
Ride
off in an open-air safari vehicle for a thrilling animal-filled African
expedition, zoom back 65 million years to rescue a dinosaur, venture
deep into an Asian rainforest and get drenched aboard a raft
adventure. Savor thrilling attractions, shows, the majesty of nature
and the fascinating animals - real and imagined - that enrich our planet.
MGM Studios - Showbiz at its best - where you can take center stage as the star of your own adventure, experience a 13 storey elevator plunge, ride a rock and roll coaster, watch glittering live shows, enjoy magical musicals and have your breath taken away by adrenaline filled extreme live stunts - now that's entertainment!
Blizzard Beach - Dare you take a vertical plunge from the top of the world's tallest and fastest free-fall body slide? How about hurtling down a speed slide at 25 miles per hour? Have you got what it takes to race down the 90-foot tall Mount Gushmore in a slush-banked mountain gully?
Lots of fun for pre-teens too at the training camp play area, slide hanging from a T-bar, whisking down curvy slides and taking a challenging walk across floating icebergs. Little ones can also splash and slide away to their hearts content or play in interactive fountains, pop jets and the wading pool. A great day out for all the family.
Typhoon Lagoon - Three
speed slides that send you zooming in a blaze of water - and you can't see
where you're going 'til you get there! Storm slides, falls, surf
pool (and even surf lessons) or get carried away in a giant inner tube
large enough for the whole family!
And as for this years new attraction - just hop on your one-person raft
and brace yourself for a white-knuckle coaster-style ride whilst
jets of water propel you through hairpin bends, dips and drops reaching
peaks of 35 feet and speeds of up to 20 m.p.h. - this is a water-ride
innovation that will leave you gushing !
Universal Studios
Universal
Studios - This
is THE #1 Movie Studio and Theme Park
in the World
and is the
largest working film and television production studio outside Hollywood.
You'll
find
yourself in the only place on earth
where you can Live The Movies®!
See, hear and actually FEEL the action right from your seat as you
watch the hilarious Shrek in 3D, then climb
on board your flying bikes and soar across the stars to help E.T.
save his home planet, plunge into total darkness and face fireballs,
scarab beetles and more as you experience the psychological thrill of
feeling the Revenge of the Mummy from over 3000 years ago ... then go
screaming through time as you go Back to the Future to ride it out through
a Twister and an Earthquake ... then, just as you thought it
was safe to go back in the water ....
Islands
of Adventure - Steven
Spielberg has creatively put together the most thrilling and
technologically advanced rides and attractions ever made at Universal
Studios - Islands of Adventure.
Your journey begins at the exotic Port of
Entry and takes you through five uniquely themed islands - Seuss
Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon and Marvel Super
Hero Island.
Take
a thrilling river raft trip through primeval dinosaur habitats, be catapaulted
on a high speed roller coaster, go for an eye popping, first of it's kind,
3D thrill ride with Spider Man, or help the X-Mens super hero Storm
battle the evil Magneto.
Sea
World
You'll
be entering the world's
most popular marine-life park
bringing
education,
research
and conservation together in an entertaining and fun-filled way.
There's something for everyone
at Sea World -
feed the
dolphins,
seals and sealions, count
the teeth on a shark, pet a stingray and learn about the animals
inhabiting our oceans.
See
amazing
theatrical
performances,
incredible
shows
and a fantastic
360 birds-eye
view from Sea Worlds 400 foot landmark tower.
And
if that's not enough - a world of excitement awaits you when you challenge
Kraken, Orlando's only floorless coaster, experience a part water / part
roller coaster Journey to Atlantis, encounter the frozen North in Wild
Arctic and
be enveloped in the beauty, exhilaration and danger of Arctic exploration
where you'll
come face-to-face with real walruses, beluga whales and two famous polar
bears named Klondike and Snow!
Busch
Gardens
Want
to get up-close and personal with African wildlife?
- well not you can on a half hour Serengeti Safari tour
in an open truck giving
you a unique look at our Serengeti Plain habitat hosted by a Busch Gardens
education specialist. Encounter giraffes, zebra, antelopes, and other
African wildlife up close!
You
can also check out almost 500 tropical birds from around the globe in the
bird gardens, watch a presentation of Birds of Prey, see a variety
of musical shows, watch
an exciting 4-D theater attraction,
or take a
self-guided walking tour through a scenic habitat of hippos, hyenas,
meerkats, vultures, a Nile crocodile, baboons ... and so much more.
If
you love roller coasters - you'll go crazy over these - the newest
one is SheiKrat,
and at 200 feet,
is Florida's tallest roller coaster.
Twisting and plunging it gives it's riders a 70 mph, adrenaline-pumping experience like no other. This
thrill machine is also the tallest dive coaster in the world and the first
of its kind to incorporate an Immelmann loop (a water
feature and rolling maneuver), a second, 138-foot dive into an underground tunnel
and a water-feature finale. SheiKra offers three minutes of over-the-edge
excitement on more than half a mile of steel track.
Gwazi is the Southeast's
largest and fastest mammoth double wooden coaster boasting more than 1.25
million board feet of lumber and over 2 million bolted connections. Named
after a fabled lion with a tiger's head, Gwazi races riders through almost
7,000 feet of track and is two distinct coasters intertwined
Kumba is one of the world's best roller coasters. After the blood-curdling thrill of an initial 135 foot drop, you will plunge from 110 feet into a diving loop, feel a full 3 seconds of absolute weightlessness while spiraling 360 degrees, and tear through one of the world's largest vertical loops.
There is
also the Python, Montu and Scorpion along with Cheetah Chase (a little
more sedate for the family) but if coasters are not for you - how about
some water rides like Congo River Rapids, Stanley Falls or Tanganyika
Tidal Wave or 
sedately
taking in the view of some spectacular scenery as you fly through the air
from the Crown Colony area to the Congo on the opposite side of the park
on Skyride.
Cypress
Gardens
One of Florida’s original theme parks, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park
blends thrilling new adventures with its storied past. , spectacular daily shows, and Jubilee Junction, a
picturesque village where food and shopping take an entertaining
old-fashioned twist.
Come face-to-face with more than 150 animals in
Nature’s Way or take in the beauty of Wings of Wonder, the famed
butterfly arboretum. Revisit historic gardens, graceful southern belles,
and gasp in wonder at gravity-defying water ski shows. It’s adventure
for all ages!
Of course no theme park would be complete without exciting rides - and
Cypress Gardens is no exception - Disk'O is a
unique spinning and rocking ride like you’ve never seen before!
Then there's Delta Kite Flyers - just strap in and experience the thrill
of flying. If you’re looking for head-over-heels, completely
over-the-top excitement - try Inverter! or Power Surge asks How can
we spin you? Of course, the roller coasters are fast and furious
too, although there are some gentler ones for combined family fun.
Silver
Springs
Visit the World of Bears, Panther Prowl, Fort King River Cruise, Lost River Voyage, Kritter Korral Petting Zoo, Kids Ahoy, Wings of the Spring, Wilderness Trail , Big Gator Lagoon, Live Animal Show, Reptiles of the World, Birds of the Rainforest and Creature Features.
Glass
Bottom Boats offer passengers an unparalleled view of underwater life in
the 99.8% pure waters of the Silver River whilst Big Gator Lagoon,
a one-acre cypress swamp habitat, features more than three dozen of
Florida’s largest alligators, most 11 to 13 feet in length!
A new feature at Silver Springs is The Lighthouse Ride. It
stands near the headwaters of the Silver River and features the
combination of a carousel and gondola ride with a unique telescoping outer
tower that quietly rises 80 feet above Silver Springs.
Wet'n
Wild
Anyone
who loves being around water will be in their element at this versatile
water park which caters for all ages - everything from quite
relaxation at the Wet 'n Wild beach, Lazy River or Wave Pool to enormous
and exhilarating fun rides.
Enjoy the Volleyball, become The Flyer as you descend from a forty
foot high awe-inspiring vantage point down a twisting and turning course
high above the park in an eight-foot long toboggan or experience the
Hydra Fighter where you can create your own unique water ride
experience!
There's
nothing to compare when you enter the Black Hole - see Blue Niagara
- ride Mach 5 - catch The Storm or visit Bomb Bay .... if
you dare!!
Tubes, bubbles, slides and more in the kids area makes sure they enjoy
their day too. Voted
by Amusement Business magazine as America's number one water park
this is one place that fanatic water babes can not miss out on!
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Nowhere
else can you see, touch and hear more about the workings of America's
space-craft built to travel to the moon more than 30 years ago.
Present-day missions help support the International Space Station and will
blaze a trail for future exploration of other planets.
Your
exploration of NASA's launch headquarters traverses an amazing area that
includes towering launch pads, huge rockets, history-making technology,
and vast stretches of Florida wildlife.
There are two tours you can go on - The
NASA Up-Close tour and the Cape Canaveral "Then & Now"
tour. They are guided by a space program expert and take you deeper
into the operations of Kennedy Space Center.
New to the Space Centre is “Space Station 3D” –
Narrated by Tom Cruise, this 3D film puts you right in the middle of a
massive international undertaking as Astronauts and Cosmonauts construct
the International Space Station 200 miles above Earth
Also new
at Kennedy Space Center is the special Astronaut Training Experience (ATX)
that immerses you in the world of today’s Astronauts – an
exciting combination of hands-on training and preparation for the rigors
of spaceflight.
You’ll hear first-hand from Veteran NASA Astronauts as you progress
through an authentic day of mission simulation and exploration. Your
training schedule provides a range of interactive activities, from the
multi-axis trainer and the 1/6 gravity chair, to operating a full-scale
Shuttle mock-up and taking the helm in Mission Control. As part of
your training, you’ll take an exclusive tour of Kennedy Space
Center. Stops include the Space Shuttle Launch Pads, the
International Space Station Center and NASA’s Press Site.
What a fantastic opportunity for budding Astronauts! - but note
that, due to their interactive nature, ATX crews are small and advance
reservations are required.
|
|