Walt Disney World, Universal, and Beyond
05 539485 Pt05.pagX 11/17/03 12:31 PM Page 239 Part Five Orlando: Walt Disney World, Universal, and Beyond Introduction When Walt Disney flew over the Orlando area and selected 28,000 acres on which to build his theme park, he jump-started a multibillion-dollar tourism industry and forever changed the face of sleepy Central Florida. Truth is, the attractions got their start way before Walt, back in the 1930s when Richard Pope bought 200 acres along the shores of Lake Eloise near Winter Haven and created a water-themed park called Cypress Gardens, with daily ski shows (the park closed in 2003). Today, Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, and other attractions vie for the time (and dollars) of millions of vacationers. There are now more than 110,000 hotel rooms and dozens of man-made attractions that lure vacationers from around the world. Beyond the glitz of the themed attractions, there are little towns such as Winter Park, where you can wander amid the world’s most extensive col- lection of Tiffany glass in the Morse Museum of American Art; and Kissimmee, where camping, horseback riding, bass fishing, and the rodeo take precedence. The ocean may be miles away, but the lakes in Central Florida offer adventures from canoe rides to airboat treks through alligator country. Or you can traverse the St. John’s River, the state’s longest naviga- ble waterway, by pontoon or on guided boat tours. Covering 378,178 acres, Ocala National Forest is divided into three recreation areas linked by a 65-mile-long trail.
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