Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Florida Page 15
It’s Tough to be a Bug!® Inside The Tree of Life, see what it means to be a bug, as A Bug’s Life characters turn this 3-D movie into a creepy, crawly experience.
Kilimanjaro Safaris® Hop aboard a jungle taxi to ride across a dry savanna in Africa, within feet of live zebras, giraffes, rhinos, and elephants.
Primeval Whirl® Spin on two dipping, twisting coasters that go back to the age of the dinosaurs, in DinoLand, U.S.A.
Expedition Everest® A leaping Abominable Snowman interrupts this hair-raising coaster as it goes up a treacherous mountain in Asia, at which point the car slams into reverse, to travel downhill at 50 mph (80 km/h).
The tree of life Spot elephants, iguanas, lemurs, sea horses, and serpents among the 325 animals carved into this exquisite man-made tree in Discovery Island®.
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Kids’ Corner
Gorilla facts
Gorillas are great apes, not monkeys.
The male gorillas are called “Silverbacks” because of the patch of gray hair on their backs. They can live up to 50 years, and weigh as much as 500 lb (230 kg).
A group of gorillas is called a “band” – but they don’t play any instruments!
Hanging out
Look up above the windows in the tiger habitat in Asia … those are Indian fruit bats, with wings up to 5 ft (1.5 m) across.
The Yeti’s roar
Like North America’s Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, or Yeti, is a mythical giant ape, said to inhabit the Himalayas near Nepal and Tibet. The Yeti howling inside Expedition Everest® is an Audio-Animatronic beast 25 ft (7.5 m) tall and weighing 20,000 lb (9,000 kg).
Tall green woman
As you go through Africa, keep an eye out for a woman on stilts. She’s covered in foliage, so even though she’s very tall, it’ll be hard to spot her. Her name is Divine, and she hangs out on the pathway between Africa and Asia, and sometimes in the Oasis near Rainforest Café.
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< Orlando and the Parks
Disney’s Hollywood Studios®
Hollywood magic meets the wizardry of Disney
Arched entrance leading to the park
From adventuring treasure hunters and swashbuckling spacemen to living toys and friendly monsters, the attractions at Hollywood Studios® immerse visitors in the history of Hollywood, Disney-style. Opened in 1989 as a working film- and TV- production facility, today the park features shows and rides based on famous films and TV shows.
Key Features
1. Hollywood Boulevard The whole family will love the Citizens of Hollywood improv acting troupe, which calls the audience into play while bringing the silver screen to life.
2. Sunset Boulevard Ride a runaway elevator on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ or zoom away on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith, before ending the day at a fireworks show.
3. Echo Lake The American Idol® Experience re-creates the TV show with new singing stars chosen by the audience. The Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular! offers pyrotechnics of another sort.
4. Muppet Courtyard Enter the madcap world of the Muppets, where the Muppet*Vision 3D film, with its hilarious pre-show and 4D special effects, entertains young and old alike.
5. Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue The most popular attraction in this park, Star Tours® uses characters and scenes from the Star Wars™ films and leads guests on a multiple-storyline intergalactic adventure in the Backlot.
6. Animation Courtyard Meet Disney and Pixar characters before the Magic of Disney Animation show. Puppets take the stage during the Voyage of the Little Mermaid live show.
7. Pixar Place Board a spinning car in Toy Story Mania!® to practice pie-throwing and play ring toss with Toy Story characters and giant green Army men.
Left Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Sunset Boulevard Middle Arched entrance leading to the park Right Visitors at the Pixar Place
Top 10 Attractions
Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue Board a Starspeeder 1000 and ride along with C-3PO and R2-D2 from Star Wars™ through a 3-D universe.
Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular! Amid explosions and fire, daredevil stunt artists re-enact scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark in this 30-minute show in the Backlot.
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage The magic and romance of the film are re-created in this kid-friendly live show in Sunset Boulevard, featuring dancing, music, brilliant colors, and hilarious characters.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid Experience the land of Ariel and friends in this 15-minute live show in Animation Courtyard, in which water, lasers, music, and glow-in-the-dark puppets re-create scenes from the movie.
Toy Story Mania!® Located in Pixar Place, this carnival-themed ride is straight out of the beloved Toy Story movies. Kids can shoot virtual darts and eggs at 3-D targets, as Woody, Buzz, and Jessie offer helpful hints and cheer them on.
For The First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration This 30-minute live show is a crowd favorite, with live actors and a movie screen bringing to life the Frozen saga and inviting the audience to sing along to some of the movie’s popular songs.
Muppet*Vision 3D Join Jim Henson’s creations on a 17-minute, multiscreen kids’ delight while Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie sing, dance, and play along inside the theater, in Muppet Courtyard.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ Take a ride on an out-of-control elevator in the Hollywood Tower Hotel, where guests are taken to a height of 170 ft (52 m) in a dizzying combination of lifts and faster than gravity drops.
Magic of Disney Animation Go behind the scenes with real Disney animators and discover the tricks of making cartoons like Mulan, Aladdin and The Lion King, in Animation Courtyard.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Rock out on this very fast, very loud roller coaster in Sunset Boulevard, where guests sit in souped-up limousines and are launched from a full stop to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.8 seconds, upside down, in the dark.
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Kids’ Corner
Hollywood quiz
Who originally wrote The Little Mermaid?
On which book is the movie The Wizard of Oz based?
What is Indiana Jones’s profession?
Can you name the icy kingdom where the story of Anna and Elsa in the movie Frozen takes place?
>> Answers
Mind your manners
Don’t tell your parents, but when eating at 50s Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Boulevard, the servers watch to see if anyone puts their elbows on the table – they could even send your dad or mom to stand in the corner!
A big hat for a tiny mouse
The gigantic Sorcerer’s Hat is 100 ft (30 m) tall and weighs 312,000 lb (141,520 kg). Mickey would have to be 350 ft (106 m) tall to wear it – and have a very strong neck!
Hidden fun
At the entrance to Muppet*Vision 3D, where the sign says “Closed – Key is under Mat,” look under the mat. What did you find? Outside the Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!, there is a warning sign near an archaeological dig site asking you not to pull the rope – What happens if you pull it?
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< Orlando and the Parks
Blizzard Beach
A water park – with snow
The thrilling 90-ft- (27-m-) high Slush Gusher ride, Blizzard Beach
Walt Disney World® Resort’s creatively designed winter ski resort-turned adventure park looks like a snowy wonderland, and has plenty of thrilling rides. The waterslides of Summit Plummet shoot straight down 120 ft (37 m) at 60 mph (97 km/h) and the twisty-turny double slides of Downhill Double Dipper are 50 ft (15 m) high and 200 ft (61 m) long. Try the family white-water raft ride Teamboat Springs, which drops down 1,200 ft (366 m) of waterfalls, or take a water-slicked bobsled ride down Mt. Gushmore on the eight-lane Toboggan Racers. The Wi
nter Summerland mini-golf course is right at the entrance.
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Kids’ Corner
Spot from the top
Pause at the top of Mt. Gushmore at Blizzard Beach and see if you can spot all four Disney Parks in different directions. Look for: The spires of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom®
Epcot®’s giant sphere, Spaceship Earth®
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®
Disney’s Animal Kingdom®’s Tree of Life
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< Orlando and the Parks
Typhoon Lagoon
Ten ways to get really soaked
Scuba diving in Shark Reef, Typhoon Lagoon
This Disney water park has everything from gentle raft rides for the whole family to daredevil waterslides for the fearless. The tropical island theme is reflected in the park’s lush palm trees and the white-sand beach. Visitors can snorkel among benign sharks in Shark Reef, while the Surf Pool with its 6-ft (2-m) waves tempts experienced board riders. The roller-coaster-like slides of Crush ‘n’ Gator let three people take the plunge, and the slides of Gang Plank Falls can take four people for a wet ride. Go over the edge at the three raft rides of Mayday Falls, the winding waterways of Storm Slides, or the five-story high-speed drop of Humunga Kowabunga.
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Kids’ Corner
Surf in a water park
The Surf Pool at Typhoon Lagoon holds 3 million gallons (10 million liters) of water – or 44,000,000 cups! For a special thrill, stand at the big red line in the pool – that’s where the wave comes down.
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< Orlando and the Parks
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Hoop-Dee-Doo!
More than just a themed camping resort, the Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground offers visitors the opportunity to hike, ski, and take horse-drawn carriage rides, or sit by the campfire and sing along with Chip and Dale behind the Meadow Trading Post. Families come year after year, and during the holiday season, the campground is ablaze with lights. Kids will enjoy the dinner show Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.
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Kids’ Corner
One on top of the other
Next to the Wilderness Lodge Mercantile is a totem pole, featuring several very rugged Disney characters. Can you name them all?
>> Answer
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< Orlando and the Parks
Disney Springs®
Everything here is really big
A variety of plush toys in the World of Disney® store, Disney Springs®
Disney Springs® has no shortage of options to occupy your time. In addition to some superb dining venues, West Side is home to Cirque du Soleil®- La Nouba™, the five-story DisneyQuest® Indoor Interactive theme park, and the 24-screen AMC. Marketplace has the world’s largest Disney merchandise outlet, a Harley-Davidson store, a gigantic LEGO® Imagination Center, and a three-story Planet Hollywood®. To sample world cuisine, head to Morimoto Asia, Raglan Road Irish Pub and Paradiso 37.
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>>Letting Off Steam
>>Eat and Drink
>>Kids' Corner
Kids’ Corner
Brick snake
The 30-ft (9-m) LEGO® sea serpent at Disney Springs® Marketplace is made of 170,000 bricks.
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< Orlando and the Parks
2. Universal Studios Florida®
Rock ‘n’ roll and lots of aliens
Universal Globe at the entrance to Universal Studios Florida®
This Universal Orlando® Resort theme park takes movies and television very seriously, but in a fun way. See Hollywood’s history come alive through classic horror films, characters from famous movies, and vintage cartoon creatures that younger guests may not know. The thrilling rides, based on Harry Potter’s adventures, mummies, earthquakes, and animated ogres, incorporate state-of-the-art technology in themed zones.
Key Features
Hollywood
Hang out with Hello Kitty and her friends at the Hello Kitty Shop, and meet a cyborg time traveler at Terminator 2®: 3-D Battle Across Time.
Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone®
Everything young kids could hope for is here, from Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster® and the E.T. Adventure®, to the Curious George Goes to Town℠ playground, with its cartoonish buildings and plenty of activities for toddlers.
Production Central
Shrek 4D lets guests ride a dragon, while Despicable Me Minion Mayhem hosts a dance party. But the highlight is the thrilling 17-story-high Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit® coaster.
London
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™: Diagon Alley™ is a hair-raising ride from Gringotts Bank™, through Platform 9¾™, and onto the Hogwarts™ Express, heading to Hogsmeade™.
San Francisco
Embark on a thrilling adventure in the heart-stopping world of Fast & Furious: Supercharged. Guests can enjoy high-octane underground racing on this Hollywood action series ride, or alternatively, face realistic fears in the interactive Fear Factor Live show.
World Expo
Wily aliens await in the streets of New York in MEN IN BLACK™: Alien Attack™, and Bart and the gang hang out at Krustyland at the simulated The Simpsons Ride™.
Left Despicable Me Minion Mayhem Middle Simulated The Simpsons Ride, World Expo Right Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone
Top 10 Attractions
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™: Diagon Alley™ Ride the rails at Escape from Gringotts™, shop for quills, robes, Quidditch™ brooms, and wands, then hop on the Hogwarts™ Express and head for Hogsmeade™.
The Simpsons Ride™ There are many surprises and twists on this flying, crashing visit to the Krustyland carnival with the Simpson family, in World Expo.
Men in Black™: Alien Attack™ Join the famous alien hunters in their underground headquarters, and then ride through the streets of New York blasting escaped aliens – who may shoot back.
Terminator 2®: 3-D Battle Across Time Join forces with Terminator robots in this live show that pits humans against futuristic cyborgs in Hollywood.
Revenge of the Mummy® The mummy awakes, along with fiery fireballs, and attacks in total darkness during the coaster’s twists and turns on this New York ride.
Shrek 4-D Ride on a fire-breathing dragon, plunge over a churning waterfall with Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey, and gallop through a haunted forest in Production Central’s hilarious motion simulation movie adventure.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem The mischievous minions, as well as other characters from the hit film, join guests on a tour of Gru’s house in this Production Central ride that ends in a wild dance party.
Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster® Visit the woodpecker’s Nut Factory for a wacky kid-friendly ride full of small thrills, silly jokes, and gentle ups and downs.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit® Pick your music and then strap in to a high-tech car on Orlando’s highest coaster, which climbs 17 stories above the park before plummeting at 65 mph (104 km/h).