Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Florida Read online

  E.T. Adventure® Bring E.T. back to his home on this part-movie, part-virtual flying bike ride that ends with a personalized farewell from E.T. himself.

  >>Practical Information

  >>More Things to Do

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Keen eyes

  Look carefully in the treasure room of the Revenge of the Mummy® ride for a golden King Kong statue. This building was once an ape-themed ride called “Kongfrontation.”

  Pick your targets on the Men In Black™ ride: shoot Frank the Pug near the Crashed Spaceship, and zap the alien holding up Steven Spielberg’s head next to the Locksmith.

  Say cheese

  Make sure you collect the pictures taken of you on these thrilling rides – Revenge of the Mummy®, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit®, and The Simpsons Ride™.

  A melodic coaster

  It took an entire year to build the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit® roller coaster, where you get to pick a song out of 30 choices for the ride. But pick fast, because you get only 45 seconds before the coaster blasts off!

  Create your own amusement park

  Which movies do you like the best? Can you plan an amusement park around them?

  What kind of rides would you like in your park, and which characters would you want there? Try drawing the rides and then color them in.

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  < Orlando and the Parks

  3. Universal’s Islands of Adventure®

  Where superheroes hang out

  The Pharos Lighthouse at the entrance

  When the snow-covered Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ opened here in 2010, Potter fanatics snatched up a year’s worth of Butterbeer™ and Ollivanders™ wands in its opening weeks, and it continues to be a popular draw. But there’s a lot more at this Universal Orlando® Resort theme park, including stunning pyrotechnics, thrilling roller coasters, and rides for younger kids, inspired by everyone’s favorite movies.

  Key Features

  Wizarding World of Harry Potter™

  Explore Hogwarts™ Castle, ride a dual-headed dragon and the one-of-a-kind Hippogriff™, enjoy a thrilling Quidditch™ match, or shop in Hogsmeade™ Village.

  Lost Continent®

  Witness legends, myths, and heroes at the Eighth Voyage of Sindbad® Stunt Show, or talk to the Mystic Fountain, which squirts water in reply.

  Marvel Super Hero Island®

  Meet your favorite superheroes and villains on the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® 3-D ride, the Incredible Hulk Coaster, and Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®.

  Jurassic Park®

  Dinosaur-fueled excitement awaits, from the 85-ft (26-m) drop inside the Jurassic Park River Adventure® to the fun of the sky-high Pteranodon Flyers®.

  Toon Lagoon®

  Children love the crashing log-ride adventure of Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls® and the water-based action of Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges® and Me Ship, The Olive.

  Seuss Landing™

  From the house of The Cat In The Hat™ to the spinning fun of the Caro-Seuss-el™ and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish™ rides, this is the place for Dr. Seuss fans. Don’t miss the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™.

  Left Seuss Landing Middle Toon Lagoon Right Incredible Hulk Coaster

  Top 10 Rides

  Incredible Hulk Coaster Dive underwater and rocket upside down on this thrilling coaster on Marvel Super Hero Island®.

  Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ Fly a broomstick with the Hogwarts™ gang in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, an amazing 3-D experience that is one of the most popular attractions here.

  Dragon Challenge™ Choose a Chinese Fireball or a Hungarian Horntail dragon on this upside-down, dual roller coaster ride in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™.

  Skull Island: Reign Of Kong Enter the wild terrain of King Kong, and voyage through an ancient temple and a series of caves, to eventually meet the legendary ape.

  Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® Spidey and his friends swing off the page in this 3-D living comic book on Marvel Super Hero Island®.

  Popeye and Bluto’s bilge-Rat Barges® Head to Toon Lagoon® for a ride along rapids on giant rafts, as onlookers shoot water cannons.

  Jurassic Park River Adventure® Journey on a river, past quiet lagoons, before the raptors attack and the only escape from a giant T-Rex is an 85-ft (26-m) dark plunge.

  The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™ The storytelling trolley in Seuss Landing™ roams over carousels and roller coasters, and even through the Circus McGurkus Café.

  The Cat In The Hat™ Join Things One and Two on this wacky tour of The Cat’s home in Seuss Landing™.

  Pteranodon Flyers® Fly under the outstretched wings of a pteranodon as it glides over the playground in Jurassic Park®.

  >>Practical Information

  >>More Things to Do

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Where can you find these characters on Marvel Super Hero Island®?

  Dr. Bruce Banner

  Professor Xavier and Magneto

  Peter Parker

  The Fantastic Four

  >> Answers

  Water fight

  The Me Ship, The Olive playground has water cannons and hoses that can be aimed right at the riders on Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges®. Go get ‘em!

  It’s a wonky world

  There’s something odd about Seuss Landing™ – look at the trees, buildings, and streets and you’ll see that there aren’t any straight lines anywhere!

  Wonders of the wizarding world

  Stand by the Owlery clock when it strikes the hour to see the owl “cuckoo clock.”

  Watch the big boar head hanging on the Hogshead Bar – you might see it moving!

  Want to see a screaming mandrake root? Check out the Dogweed and Deathcap shop.

  Watch your fingers when you’re in Dervish and Banges™ – The Monster Book of Monsters is kept in a cage for a reason!

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  < Orlando and the Parks

  4. SeaWorld®, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove®

  A splashing good time

  Logo of SeaWorld® Orlando

  SeaWorld®, and its sister parks Aquatica and Discovery Cove®, are located close to each other, and provide opportunities for families to learn about marine life while having fun. Kids will enjoy the entertaining seals, sea lions, and penguins, and the thrilling rides at SeaWorld® and Aquatica, while Discovery Cove®, a resort-like park, allows visitors to snorkel and interact with dolphins.

  Key Features

  Thrill Rides

  SeaWorld® offers some of the fastest, wettest rides in town, such as the high-flying Manta®, the upside-down Kraken®, and Journey to Atlantis®, a flume-ride and roller-coaster hybrid – filling the air with screams of delight.

  Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin®

  follows the fictional adventures of a penguin named Puck, before exploring the icy world of a penguins’ colony.

  The Animals

  Feed bottlenose friends at Dolphin Cove®, pet velvety rays in the Stingray Lagoon, and play with sea lions at Pacific Point Preserve®, in SeaWorld®.

  Undersea Life

  SeaWorld®’s Manta® Aquarium holds 3,000 animals, from sea horses to octopuses. In Shark Encounter®, see thousands of sharks through glass.

  Aquatica

  This water park features giant surfing pools, zooming underwater mazes, and racing rapids, as well as Loggerhead Lane, the laziest river in town.

  Discovery Cove®

  Swim with dolphins, take an underwater stroll in a diving helmet, and meet otters and marmosets.

  Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High®

  is a fun-filled show that follows the comic adventures of sea lions, walruses, and otters in an aquatic-themed high school.

  Left Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin® Middle Visitors at the
Discovery Cove® Right The flying Manta ride

  Top 10 Attractions

  Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High® Enjoy the fun adventures of these amazing animals in their wacky quest of high-school diplomas.

  Manta® Ride this manta ray-shaped suspended coaster in SeaWorld® that includes an up-close encounter with manta rays and other sea life.

  Journey to Atlantis® Travel through the ruins of a sunken city on this part-boat, part-roller coaster in SeaWorld®, and explore dark passageways before being plunged into the waters below.

  Kraken® This spiraling, upside-down, high-speed monster of a thrill ride suspends riders high above the Serpent’s Lagoon in SeaWorld®.

  Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin Get up close with penguins and see what it’s like to live on ice on this magical SeaWorld® ride, where the adventure is different every time.

  Dolphin Cove® Interact with bottlenose dolphins during feeding time in this massive but peaceful lagoon in SeaWorld®.

  Shamu’s Happy Harbor® Younger kids will love this SeaWorld® mini-park that has boat rides, teacup spinners, an octopus carousel, and the Shamu Express teeny coaster.

  Dolphin Plunge® This thrilling Aquatica ride has side-by-side enclosed tubes that slide through the underwater home of black-and-white dolphins.

  Turtle Trek® Witness the journey of a sea turtle in the world’s first 3-D, 360-degree domed theater, surrounded by giant aquariums and thousands of fish, in SeaWorld®.

  Walhalla Wave® & HooRoo Run In these two connected Aquatica waterslides, guests can ride through a six-story tunnel maze, which then takes them over the edge and racing to the bottom.

  >>Practical Information

  >>More Things to Do

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  See more at SeaWorld®

  Stop by the SeaWorld® Information Center (right of entrance turnstiles) to find out when you can help feed the dolphins, sharks, and whales.

  Head to the Lakeside Patio to dance with Shamu at the all-day Shamu’s Party Zone.

  Climb the 400-ft (122-m) rotating Sky Tower for a bird’s-eye view of Orlando, Walt Disney World® Resort, and Universal Orlando®.

  “Secret” events

  Shamu & Crew sign autographs at the SeaWorld® front gate from 9am to noon, and there is a special pre-show, held just before Clyde & Seamore's Sea Lion High®.

  Trick a grown-up!

  Tell your parents to sit in the front row on the Journey to Atlantis® coaster, but don’t tell them how wet they’ll get!

  Whirlwind spin

  Aquatica’s quiet Loggerhead Lane lazy river has a thrilling secret: from the island in the middle, climb the tower and dive into Tassie’s Twisters – a series of lightning-fast tubes that spin into a giant bowl – for a dizzying ride back into the river.

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  < Orlando and the Parks

  5. The Orlando Eye

  For a view from the top

  The Orlando Eye, offering visitors a grand view of the city

  This stunning observation wheel is a fairly recent addition to the spectrum of Orlando's attractions. Similar to the installation in London, The Orlando Eye takes visitors on a 20-minute ride in an air-conditioned capsule, traveling to a height of 400 ft (122 m). Compass marks on the ceiling give directions, while an accompanying recorded commentary points out the landmarks. The ride offers spectacular views of the skyline and the city – Orlando’s theme parks, pools, and lakes are all within sight, and sometimes visitors can even catch sight of the east coast and Cape Canaveral, nearly 60 miles (97 km) away. At night, the Eye sets ablaze with 64,000 lights, and is an absolutely incredible spectacle.

  The Eye is located in the I-Drive 360 complex and is a part of the Merlin Entertainment Complex, which includes Madame Tussauds, with its many waxworks of faux celebrities from the worlds of music, movies, television, art, science, history, sports, and popular culture, and LEGOLAND® Florida Resort. Before the ride begins, visitors are shown a 10-minute 4D video, and afterwards, they can head to the gift shop and photo booth.

  Located close by, SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando offers visitors a glimpse into the underwater lives of more than 5,000 sea animals, scattered over 32 displays. These displays are arranged in tanks reflecting the different oceans of the world, such as the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. There are varieties of sea creatures – from beautiful, dangerous jellyfish, green sea turtles, and eels, to playful octopi, such as the Giant Pacific Octopus, that wanders and drifts through a shipwreck. Sharks and manta rays swim above and below visitors walking through a 360-degree ocean tunnel, making it an arresting and intensely visual experience. In one room, sardines swim in a silvery vortex above visitors’ heads; another area offers starfish and other rock-pool inhabitants.

  Staff members offer visitors information on rescuing, protecting, and breeding the animals. The aquarium has also set up six sea animal sanctuaries that are currently situated around the world. As many as 150 seals and turtles have had their injuries treated, in order to be released back into the wild.

  >> Practical Information

  >> Letting off steam

  >> Eat and Drink

  >> Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  The Highest Eye

  The Orlando Eye offers a panoramic view from the sky, but it is still not the highest!. There are four Ferris wheels in the world that are taller than the Eye – in London, China, Singapore, and Las Vegas – the last of which is the tallest, at a whop-ping 550 ft (168 m).

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  < Orlando and the Parks

  6. Crayola Experience

  Sculpt, create, and play

  The colorful entry welcoming young children at the Crayola Experience

  Founded in 2015, Crayola Experience offers over two dozen distinct attractions for children to be creative, and to play with colors. Digital versions of art, projected onto the walls, can be created at Art Alive!, while charming spin-board art can be fashioned from wax at the Drip Art station. At Melt & Mold, kids can create cars, seahorses, rings, and much more, with the help of crayon wax and a machine. Imaginative shapes can be sculpted out of tinted clay at Modeling Madness. Visitors should begin at the Crayola Factory, where Scarlet and Turk (short for turquoise) guide you through the Crayola manufacturing process, while the resident 'Crayonologist' answers questions about Crayola's products.

  Over the years, the company has expanded phenomenally and its products are innumerable, from markers and colored pencils to pigments and fine art supplies. Stop by at the Crayola Store for a taste of this – and catch eccentric crayon names like Macaroni & Cheese, Robin’s Egg Blue, and Inchworm.

  >> Practical Information

  >> Letting off steam

  >> Eat and Drink

  >> Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Colorful beginnings

  While Crayola had a humble start in the mid-1800s, today it produces over 1,500 different items. Do you know what Crayola first produced?

  In 1903, Crayola released a box of wax coloring sticks. How many colors did the box contain?

  What were the original colors in the pack?

  There are several popular phrases used today, that involve color. Can you guess what "I'm feeling blue" means?

  >> Answers

  Color blind?

  Being color blind doesn't mean you can't see colors – it just means your perception of specific colors is inaccurate. You simply may not be able to see a green leaf or a red fire engine the same way others do.

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  < Orlando and the Parks