RESTAURANTS Downtown Disney -­‐ within walking distance to the hotel, Downtown Disney offers a huge assortment of restaurants from food trucks to waterfront fine dining and everything in between. Rainforest Café and T-­‐
Rex are themed, interactive restaurants that are particularly popular with kids. Consider reservations as these places are known for long waits. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-­‐
disney/ SHOPPING Premium Outlet Mall (Vineland Ave. location) – located east on I-­‐4, this outlet mall has over 160 stores to choose from. Local advice: go early, especially on the weekends, as it gets crowded quickly (10 minutes from hotel). http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=17 Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores – this is a smaller outlet mall with fewer stores; however it is equally close by and the hotel provides shuttle transportation at no cost. http://lbvfs.com/Orlando-­‐Outlet-­‐
Stores.cfm Mall of Millenia –east on I-­‐4, this mall has many medium and high end stores. Nicely laid out, easy to maneuver and usually less crowded than the outlets (20 min from hotel). http://www.mallatmillenia.com/ Park Avenue, Winter Park – This outdoor village is a great place to spend time away from the mall madness. It offers an inviting “Main Street” setting which includes high-­‐end retailers and restaurants (35 min from hotel). http://experienceparkavenue.com/ THEME PARKS Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom Disney's Magic Kingdom, the sister of Disneyland in California, opened in 1971. The park's six themed areas -­‐-­‐ Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland -­‐-­‐ are home to classic Disney favorites, like It's A Small World and the Jungle Cruise, as well as some new offerings. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/magic-­‐
kingdom/ Disney's Hollywood Studios Go to the movies with Disney at Hollywood Studios, a theme park that takes you inside the world of show business with live stunt shows, animation galleries, a backlot tour and plenty of live shows, rides and attractions. Thrill seekers should be sure to take the plunge down the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/hollywood-­‐
studios/ Epcot What started as a showcase for the latest in innovation has transformed into one of Orlando's largest theme parks, Epcot. You will find an aquarium, 1.3-­‐mile promenade around the World Showcase Lagoon, 11 pavilions celebrating nations of the world and numerous attractions, like the iconic Spaceship Earth. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/epcot/ Disney's Animal Kingdom At the Animal Kingdom, Disney elevates the concept of a zoological park to something completely new. Here you can take a safari ride through the wilds of Africa -­‐-­‐ complete with real animals, raft down the Amazon or ride a runaway train through Mount Everest. The park is home to about 1,500 animals representing 250 species. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/animal-­‐kingdom/ Disney's Blizzard Beach This park looks like a ski resort but it’s actually a water park for the whole family. This park is home to one of the world’s tallest and fastest free-­‐falling waterslides, so even the adventure-­‐
seekers will get a thrill. For the younger visitors, Tike’s Peak provides a children’s play area complete with a snow-­‐castle fountain and mini water slides. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/blizzard-­‐beach/ Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Typhoon Lagoon has everything you would expect from a waterpark and more. You can catch 6-­‐foot waves in a surf pool, snorkel with real sharks, or just relax in the sun at this lush tropical setting. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/typhoon-­‐lagoon/ Universal Orlando Resort Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida, the original park of Universal Studios Resort, brings pop culture to life on its 107 acres of Orlando real estate. Relive classics like E.T. and The Terminator or catch up with the characters of newer releases, like Despicable Me and Shrek. https://www.universalorlando.com/Home.aspx Islands of Adventure Universal Studios Islands of Adventure bring some of your other favorite movie experiences to life. Wander through the world of Hogwarts at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, take a thrilling raft ride past dinosaurs on the Jurassic Park River Adventure, get wet in Toon Lagoon or fly through the air on the Marvel Super Hero Island attractions. https://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-­‐Parks/Islands-­‐of-­‐Adventure.aspx SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment SeaWorld Orlando At SeaWorld Orlando, you and your family can meet Shamu, the world's most famous killer whale. After you've observed all the underwater critters living at the park, get your heart racing on SeaWorld's rides and roller coasters, catch a comedy show featuring sea lions and otters or grab a bite at Sharks Underwater Grill. http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-­‐
orlando/ Aquatica by SeaWorld Aquatica is SeaWorld’s unique waterpark featuring slides, rides, and rivers – complemented by some real life sea creatures. Dolphin Plunge lets you race side-­‐by-­‐side in tubes through an underwater world that is home to a playful pod of real dolphins! http://aquaticabyseaworld.com/en/orlando/ GOLF Orlando is not only known for its amusement parks but also for its many golf courses. It is also home to many PGA tour players including Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter , and Graeme McDowell. Here are a few highlighted courses but there are many more to choose from. Walt D isney W orld ( disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation; $ 104-­‐$165) The p remier D isney c ourse i s T om F azio's O sprey R idge, d istinguished b y i ts m ounds, w etlands and h uge, v ery t hree-­‐puttable g reens. Celebration G olf C lub ( celebrationgolf.com; 4 07-­‐566-­‐4653, $ 79-­‐$129) One o f t he f inal c ollaborations b etween R obert T rent J ones S r. a nd J r. o pened i n 1 996. T he hugely s loped g reens a nd s trategically d eployed w ater h azards l et y ou k now q uickly w ho designed t his o ne. Shingle C reek G olf C lub ( http://www.shinglecreekgolf.com/, $85-­‐$149) Opened in December 2003, this course features undulating fairways, interconnecting waterways, tournament playing conditions daily, and large, rolling greens. A feeling of nature abounds as dense oaks and pines provide a backdrop along historic Shingle Creek Resort. BEACHES While the beaches are at least an hour away, they are worth mentioning for those looking to extend their stay and enjoy the water! Cocoa Beach – located due east of Orlando, this beach is the easiest to access. Make sure to explore its 800-­‐foot pier, a historical landmark boasting restaurants, bars, gift shops, and free live musical entertainment. Save time to discover the Ron Jon Surf Shop. It’s the world's largest surf shop, encompassing 52,000 square feet chock-­‐full of beach gear (1 hour, 10 min from the hotel). New Smyrna Beach -­‐ Located north east of Orlando, this beach is renowned for its surfing, but that’s just the tip of the sandbar. You can cruise its hard-­‐packed sand in your car until you find the perfect spot for your beach towel. Save some energy to discover its quirky shops and vibrant arts community (1 hour, 25 min from hotel). Clearwater Beach – sitting on the Gulf of Mexico, this west coast beach is known for its fluffy white sand and beautiful sunsets. It can be crowded but many find the blue gulf waters worth it. (1 hour, 45 min) St. Petersburg / Pass-­‐a-­‐Grill Beach – another west coast beach, located just south of Clearwater. This beach is more low key. One thing we like most is the ample metered parking and easy access via numerous beach boardwalks (1 hour, 40 min). TRANSPORTATION The hotel provides shuttles to the four Disney parks and to the Lake Buena Vista Factory stores http://www.lbvfs.com/ at NO cost. The hotel will provide transportation to SeaWorld and Universal for $20 roundtrip.
Group transportation can be arranged through the concierge. The cost depends on the number of people and
where you are going.
Taxis are readily available at the hotel, at all times.
FUN FACTS
Orlando alone draws more than 50 million visitors a year, second in the US only to Las Vegas. Orlando is also known as the Theme Park Capital of the World. It’s also frequently called The City Beautiful or O-­‐town. Before the theme park industry sprung up, cattle ranching used to be pretty popular here in Central Florida. Don’t be surprised if you still see cattle or horses grazing in pastures that still exist throughout the state. Ever wonder why there are so many Olive Gardens and Red Lobsters in town? Orlando is the corporate headquarters of Darden Restaurants, which also run the Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 restaurants on International Drive. The size of the entire Walt Disney World resort is 40 Square miles, or the size of San Francisco. You heard me. The same size as the city of San Francisco. It's not easy keeping the magic alive. Disney World employs 62,000 people, making it the largest single-­‐
site employer in the country. Every single day, more than 200 pairs of sunglasses are turned in to the Lost and Found department at Disney World. Good luck sifting through that pile if your aviators go missing over in Toon Town. When Disney's Magic Kingdom first opened in 1971, adult admission cost $3.50. OTHER HELPFUL LINKS Disney World – Guests with Disabilities FAQs https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/guests-­‐with-­‐disabilities/ Visiting Disney with Special Needs Children http://blog.trekaroo.com/visiting-­‐disney-­‐parks-­‐with-­‐special-­‐needs-­‐children/