In the beginning, Orlando was a collection of cow patties and orange groves, water-skiing shows and gators. Then came the Mickey mouse.
February 17, 2006 (Press Release) --
In the beginning, Orlando was a collection of cow patties and orange groves, water-skiing shows and gators. Then came the Mouse. Or, more specifically, a mouse named Mickey and his creator, a man of fantastic imagination and vision (and not a little horse sense) named Walt Disney. And life in Orlando A.D. (After Disney) hasn't been the same since. Since the opening of Walt Disney World back in 1971, Orlando has grown to become one of the world's top vacation destinations.
Over 43 million people make their way to this city each year to sample its unending array of exciting, unique, and diverse activities. And for many, one trip is never enough; they (like me), return year after year, with each new visit providing a host of happy memories and amazing experiences.
When Disney World first opened its gates to the public, I doubt if anyone but Walt Disney, the original Imagineer, could have predicted what lay ahead. Disney, searching for an East Coast location for his second theme park, decided Orlando was just the place he was looking for. In 1964, in a covert operation that would have made James Bond proud, Walt Disney began quietly purchasing large quantities of land in and around the Orlando area, and within months he had acquired property nearly twice the size of Manhattan. In 1965, Walt announced to the public his plans to bring to Orlando the world's most spectacular theme park. Fashioned after Disneyland in California, construction soon began on Disney's Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, Walt Disney was never able to see his dream come to life, as he passed away in 1966, just five years shy of the opening of what, to this day, still is the world's most spectacular theme park -- Walt Disney World.
Disney's legacy has been commercialized over the years, but it's still practically a national shrine to which visitors flock by the millions. And the opening of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom started a tourist boom in Central Florida the likes of which has never been seen elsewhere. Nowadays, The Kingdom That Walt Built tempts visitors with four theme parks, a dozen smaller attractions, two nightclub districts, tens of thousands of hotel rooms including timeshare holdings, scores of restaurants, and two cruise ships. Universal Orlando tacks on two theme parks, three resorts, and an entertainment complex, home to several unique restaurants, clubs, and entertainment venues. SeaWorld tosses in two theme parks and a new entertainment district of its own. And those are just the major theme parks and enticements. All in all, there are over 95 attractions, both large and small, to keep you coming back for more. There's also an avalanche of restaurants (including, of course, many themed ones), and more than 110,000 rooms to house the multitudes. And if you can believe it, the landscape is still changing, evolving, growing, and expanding to ensure your experiences will do the same each and every time you come to play in Orlando.
Source: http://away.com
Over 43 million people make their way to this city each year to sample its unending array of exciting, unique, and diverse activities. And for many, one trip is never enough; they (like me), return year after year, with each new visit providing a host of happy memories and amazing experiences.
When Disney World first opened its gates to the public, I doubt if anyone but Walt Disney, the original Imagineer, could have predicted what lay ahead. Disney, searching for an East Coast location for his second theme park, decided Orlando was just the place he was looking for. In 1964, in a covert operation that would have made James Bond proud, Walt Disney began quietly purchasing large quantities of land in and around the Orlando area, and within months he had acquired property nearly twice the size of Manhattan. In 1965, Walt announced to the public his plans to bring to Orlando the world's most spectacular theme park. Fashioned after Disneyland in California, construction soon began on Disney's Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, Walt Disney was never able to see his dream come to life, as he passed away in 1966, just five years shy of the opening of what, to this day, still is the world's most spectacular theme park -- Walt Disney World.
Disney's legacy has been commercialized over the years, but it's still practically a national shrine to which visitors flock by the millions. And the opening of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom started a tourist boom in Central Florida the likes of which has never been seen elsewhere. Nowadays, The Kingdom That Walt Built tempts visitors with four theme parks, a dozen smaller attractions, two nightclub districts, tens of thousands of hotel rooms including timeshare holdings, scores of restaurants, and two cruise ships. Universal Orlando tacks on two theme parks, three resorts, and an entertainment complex, home to several unique restaurants, clubs, and entertainment venues. SeaWorld tosses in two theme parks and a new entertainment district of its own. And those are just the major theme parks and enticements. All in all, there are over 95 attractions, both large and small, to keep you coming back for more. There's also an avalanche of restaurants (including, of course, many themed ones), and more than 110,000 rooms to house the multitudes. And if you can believe it, the landscape is still changing, evolving, growing, and expanding to ensure your experiences will do the same each and every time you come to play in Orlando.
Source: http://away.com
Email
Print
SPAM
LEAVE A COMMENT
