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Epcot is a two-part educational and cultural
attraction designed to challenge the mind
and satisfy the senses. Here, you can sample
a warm croissant at a bakery in France,
tap your foot to an authentic oom-pah band
in Germany, learn about the age of dinosaurs,
and take an exhilarating trip through the
human body all in one day! Disney-MGM Studios
allows visitors to see Disney animators
creating wonderful characters and explains
movie-making on an entertaining backlot
tour.
Universal
Studios Florida shares the movie-making
theme of Disney-MGM Studios, but attractions
are presented quite differently here. At
Universal, promoters say you can "ride
the movies." Some rides provide an
entertaining look at famous movies of the
past, such as "Kongfrontation,"
where
guests meet King Kong on the New York subway.
Jaws, Earthquake, Terminator 2: 3-D Battle
Across Time and the works of Hitchcock are
among the park's other movie attractions.
Twister, a technological marvel, invites
guests to experience the awesome live spectacle
and destructive nature of an actual tornado,
a mere 20 feet away.
Universal's
newest park is Universal Studios Islands
of Adventure. Five islands, each with a
distinct personality, offer something for
everyone. Experience the bustling marketplace
of Port of Entry, battles between good and
evil on Marvel Super Hero Island, slapstick
ruckuses at Toon Lagoon, prehistoric megalosaurs
in Jurassic Park, mythical sorcerers on
the Lost Continent, and fanciful revelry
at Seuss Landing.
Visitors
to Central Florida will want to explore
natural attractions as well as fantastical
ones, and SeaWorld is a wonderful place
to start. Now guests can be Trainer for
a Day, working alongside real SeaWorld animal
trainers to learn training techniques, feeding,
and show preparation.
Attractions include the "Pacific Point
Preserve," a sea lion and seal habitat
which mimics the rocky, northern Pacific
coastline; and "Manatees: The Last
Generation?" an up-close look at the
endangered sea cow. SeaWorld's newest attraction
is Wild Arctic, which takes visitors on
a chilling adventure to experience the natural
beauty of the arctic. Visitors come face
to face with real polar bears, walruses,
harbor seals and beluga whales. The highlight
of a visit to SeaWorld is the "Shamu:
New Visions" show during which killer
whales interact with trainers, defy gravity
in breathtaking leaps; and make a big splash
(and a wet audience!) with a flick of the
tail and 52-degree water.
Dinner
attractions are very popular in the Orlando
area and also center around themes, whether
of an era or an ethnicity. Medieval Times
Dinner and Tournament in Kissimmee allows
you to cheer a knight to victory. Disney's
Pleasure Island celebrates New Year's Eve
every night with laser lights and dancing
in
the streets. Universal Studios CityWalk
is a colossal 30-acre entertainment mecca,
where themed restaurants, nightclubs, cinemas,
live entertainment, and shopping abound.
Shopping
areas in Orlando have as much variety as
the local attractions. Souvenirs of your
adventures, for both yourself and your friends
back home are easy to find. Outlet centers
and factory stores abound here and offer
some of the best bargains in town. Shopping
areas in Orlando and Kissimmee are also
popular for their fun environments, such
as at Pointe*Orlando, Disney Village Market
Place or Old Town in Kissimmee.
Water
fun is everywhere in Central Florida, though
it's not a beach destination. Wet 'n Wild,
Watermania, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and
Blizzard Beach are water parks where visitors
can beat the Florida heat and have a slipping,
sliding, good time of it! The newest, Disney's
Blizzard Beach combines water with "snow"
from a "freak Florida snowstorm,"
creating snowy slopes.
HISTORY
The state of Florida has a distinctive location,
nestled on the southeasterly most shore
of the United States. It is this unique
position which has ensured the states eclectic
history; a mixture of plantations and fur
trappers, frontier life and export economy.
Florida has experienced both Indian wars
and the battles of slave labor. It is this
appreciation of their states origins, which
has inspired the people who make up Florida’s
diverse population to make the Sunshine
State a place where all citizens have equal
rights under the law.
It was at least twelve thousand years ago
that humankind first discovered the allure
of Florida and there have been many parties
justly keen to benefit from the multitude
she has to offer. The sunshine state enjoyed
both Spanish and British influence, passing
from Spanish to British control in 1763
in return for Havana. The end of major European
influence in the area would come when; on
the third of March 1845, Florida became
the twenty-seventh state of the United States
.
Although Tallahassee was selected as the
capital in 1824, the location being a compromise
between groups interested in locating the
capital in Pensacola in west Florida and
St. Augustine in east Florida. It is probably,
Orlando, nestled in Orange County, which
has become one of the states most famed
cities. There are several different versions
to the origin of this city's name. The official
story being that it is named in honor of
Orlando Reeves, a brave young soldier who
died selflessly defending his city from
Indian attack.
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CLIMATE
Climate is synonymous with Florida.
In fact, if Miami were in the eastern
hemisphere, it could be located on
the Nile River and is situated closer
to the equator than any other American
state, with the obvious exception
of Hawaii. It is this, which along
with her position on the southeastern
tip of North America gives the state
its humid subtropical climate. Sunshine
really is a year round pleasure and
thus Florida's comfortable climate
has lured vacationers for more than
a century. With average annual temperatures
of 82.7 (F) degrees (28.2 C) in the
summer and a delightful 68.5 (F) degrees
(20.3 C) in the winter, the state
really does prove a haven, year round.
Coastal winds provide pleasant breezes
during summer months and the 1197
miles of coastline ensure that you
are never more than 80 miles from
the sea. It seems fitting that within
a state famous for her 663 miles of
divine beaches that, Miami Beach pharmacist
Benjamin Green invented the first
suntan cream. He accomplished this
development by cooking cocoa butter
in a granite coffee pot on his wife's
stove in 1944.
Along with all that salt water, the
state also offers a stunningly diverse
4424 square miles of inland waterways,
including lakes, rivers and swampland
all rich with wildlife. Charmingly,
Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice
of America because the city has 185
miles of dramatic local waterways. |
| INDUSTRY
During the final quarter of the nineteenth
century, cattle raising along with
industries such as cigar making, grew
in importance, taking root in the
state. It was from these roots that
investors became interested in the
abundant resources of both land and
seas in Florida. These extractive
operations were to become widely diverse
encompassing enterprise such as the
infamous sponge harvesting in Tarpon
Springs and profitable phosphate mining
in the southwestern part of the state.
We must not of course forget the Florida
citrus industry, which stems from
this era of development and despite
occasional freezes and economic setbacks,
became inconceivably successful.
As the turn of the century approached
it seemed that the rapid increase
in per capita wealth of Florida’s
rapidly expanding population, knew
no bounds. As was perhaps the case,
for with her population of 15,982,378,
Florida today stands as the fourth
most populous US State. Logically
it followed that by the end of World
War I, land developers had descended
on this virtual gold mine. As more
Americans owned cars, holidaying in
this delightful state had become very
much in vogue. Some who came were
too enchanted to leave and exotic
projects sprang up in southern Florida
swamps. The reasons for this growth
were easily discernible: a desirable
climate, inexpensive land, a diversity
of resources, and a history of accepted
outside investors and residents. Florida
was portrayed as a low tax, friendly
environment for anyone with ambitions.
Although tourism in Florida has been
highly influenced by technological
developments, it can be argued that
a formula of good weather, transportation
systems and warm hosts dating back
from the 1900’s remain central
to the popularity of this destination.
Naturally, tourism has dominated the
headlines particularly following the
1970’s invasion of a certain
mouse.
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