Mr. and Mrs. Newlywed,
where are you going to go,
now that you've sealed your vows?
"We're going to Disney World!"
America's number-one travel destination -- and named by Newsweek as one of the ten best cities to live in -- Orlando is awfully popular with honeymooners. Mecca for the kid in us all, its many attractions provide more than enough diversions.
There are also more than 100 golf courses in Central Florida, an abundance of tennis courts, water sports galore, seaplane adventures, and hot-air balloon rides.
To reach the beach, it's under two hours' drive from downtown Orlando to sandy Cocoa, New Smyrna, or Daytona shores.
August is nesting season for sea turtles, and lucky nocturnal beach-combers get to watch one hatch. The Kennedy Space Center is a man-made marvel. For a car nut, the trip north to Don Garlits' automotive extravaganza in Ocala can be a sentimental journey. In town, sophisticated delights include museum-hopping in Winter Park, antiquing in Orlando, and dining on innovatively prepared fresh seafood.
THE WORLDS OF DISNEY
Wherever you start, it's worth getting up early to beat the crowds. Dress casually and wear comfortable shoes. There's lots of ground to cover.
EPCOT is divided into World Showcase, which represents 11 nations, and Future World, awash in technical wizardry and corporate benevolence.
Innoventions in Future World features developmental products from Apple, Sega, AT&T, and others. Visitors may get to play video games no one else has yet or make a call on a wristwatch cellular phone. MetLife's Wonders of Life explores the workings of the human body. Since it's wise to see what the competition's up to, stop by General Motors' World of Motion. There's a tour of civilization's progress in mobility, a look at transportation of the future, and new GM models on exhibit.
Across the lagoon, at World Showcase, the art and architecture, culture and cuisines of Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada are represented. Shoppers will find imported treasures such as Royal Doulton china, Pringle of Scotland cashmeres, and Guerlain perfumes. (If you don't want to carry a purchase, have the store send it to package pickup. You can retrieve it as you leave.) The nightly Illuminations show explodes with fireworks, music, and laser lights.
The Magic Kingdom: Everyone enters at Main Street U.S.A., where visitor services and shops are located. Goodyear's Grand Prix Raceway in Tomorrowland puts you behind the wheel of a race car. Space Mountain remains the ultimate indoor roller-coaster ride. New rides include Astro Orbiter, a miniature spaceship, and Transit Authority, a guided tour good for resting the feet. The Walt Disney World Railroad chugs its way to Frontierland, where no one departs dry from the incredibly steep Splash Mountain water flume. A big draw for little kids, Fantasyland is where "It's a Small World" is located. The ride's high-piped refrain may haunt you for hours. If not days.
Disney-MGM Studios: Free tickets to TV shows being taped are distributed at the Production Information Window on Hollywood Boulevard. Then check the Sunset Boulevard Tip Board for information on attractions' performance and waiting times.
The Backstage Studio Tour: features the Catastrophe Canyon ride, which takes you into the world of special effects. The Magic of Disney Animation Building shows real animators at work.
Achieve that you-are-there feeling at the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, which emulates the underwater experience. Star Tours, the Star Wars thrill ride, zooms passengers through space on a "runaway" Starspeeder. The new Twilight Zone Tower of Terrortakes travelers through an old Hollywood hotel and dead ends in a runaway elevator that drops 13 stories... the safe Disney way.
MAN-MADE NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
Discovery Island: Peaceful, open, and accessible only by boat, this 11-acre zoo and wildlife preserve is home to many species of mammals, birds, and reptiles.
River Country: Come to the ol' swimming hole and cool off. There's a pool with water slides, a whitewater rapid ride, and even a man-made sandy beach in the midst of land-locked Orlando.
Typhoon Lagoon: Snorkel among tropical fish or ride the waves surrounding this recreated Caribbean island beach. There's also a park and pool.
