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Epcot is a
two-part educational and cultural attraction
designed to challenge the mind and satisfy the
senses. Here, you can sample a warm croissant at
a bakery in France, tap your foot to an
authentic oom-pah band in Germany, learn about
the age of dinosaurs, and take an exhilarating
trip through the human body all in one day!
Disney-MGM Studios allows visitors to see Disney
animators creating wonderful characters and
explains movie-making on an entertaining backlot
tour.
Universal
Studios Florida shares the movie-making theme of
Disney-MGM Studios, but attractions are
presented quite differently here. At Universal,
promoters say you can "ride the
movies." Some rides provide an entertaining
look at famous movies of the past, such as
"Kongfrontation," where guests meet King Kong on the New York subway.
Jaws, Earthquake, Terminator 2: 3-D Battle
Across Time and the works of Hitchcock are among
the park's other movie attractions. Twister, a
technological marvel, invites guests to
experience the awesome live spectacle and
destructive nature of an actual tornado, a mere
20 feet away.
Universal's
newest park is Universal Studios Islands of
Adventure. Five islands, each with a distinct
personality, offer something for everyone.
Experience the bustling marketplace of Port of
Entry, battles between good and evil on Marvel
Super Hero Island, slapstick ruckuses at Toon
Lagoon, prehistoric megalosaurs in Jurassic
Park, mythical sorcerers on the Lost Continent,
and fanciful revelry at Seuss Landing.
Visitors to
Central Florida will want to explore natural
attractions as well as fantastical ones, and
SeaWorld is a wonderful place to start. Now
guests can be Trainer for a Day, working
alongside real SeaWorld animal trainers to learn
training techniques, feeding, and show
preparation.
Attractions include the "Pacific Point
Preserve," a sea lion and seal habitat
which mimics the rocky, northern Pacific
coastline; and "Manatees: The Last
Generation?" an up-close look at the
endangered sea cow. SeaWorld's newest attraction
is Wild Arctic, which takes visitors on a
chilling adventure to experience the natural
beauty of the arctic. Visitors come face to face
with real polar bears, walruses, harbor seals
and beluga whales. The highlight of a visit to
SeaWorld is the "Shamu: New Visions"
show during which killer whales interact with
trainers, defy gravity in breathtaking leaps;
and make a big splash (and a wet audience!) with
a flick of the tail and 52-degree water.
Dinner
attractions are very popular in the Orlando area
and also center around themes, whether of an era
or an ethnicity. Medieval Times Dinner and
Tournament in Kissimmee allows you to cheer a
knight to victory. Disney's Pleasure Island
celebrates New Year's Eve every night with laser
lights and dancing in
the streets. Universal Studios CityWalk is a
colossal 30-acre entertainment mecca, where
themed restaurants, nightclubs, cinemas, live
entertainment, and shopping abound.
Shopping
areas in Orlando have as much variety as the
local attractions. Souvenirs of your adventures,
for both yourself and your friends back home are
easy to find. Outlet centers and factory stores
abound here and offer some of the best bargains
in town. Shopping areas in Orlando and Kissimmee
are also popular for their fun environments,
such as at Pointe*Orlando, Disney Village Market
Place or Old Town in Kissimmee.
Water
fun is everywhere in Central Florida, though
it's not a beach destination. Wet 'n Wild,
Watermania, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard
Beach are water parks where visitors can beat
the Florida heat and have a slipping, sliding,
good time of it! The newest, Disney's Blizzard
Beach combines water with "snow" from
a "freak Florida snowstorm," creating
snowy slopes.
HISTORY
The state of Florida has a distinctive location,
nestled on the southeasterly most shore of the
United States. It is this unique position which
has ensured the states eclectic history; a
mixture of plantations and fur trappers,
frontier life and export economy. Florida has
experienced both Indian wars and the battles of
slave labor. It is this appreciation of their
states origins, which has inspired the people
who make up Florida’s diverse population to
make the Sunshine State a place where all
citizens have equal rights under the law.
It was at least twelve thousand years ago that
humankind first discovered the allure of Florida
and there have been many parties justly keen to
benefit from the multitude she has to offer. The
sunshine state enjoyed both Spanish and British
influence, passing from Spanish to British
control in 1763 in return for Havana. The end of
major European influence in the area would come
when; on the third of March 1845, Florida became
the twenty-seventh state of the United States .
Although Tallahassee was selected as the capital
in 1824, the location being a compromise between
groups interested in locating the capital in
Pensacola in west Florida and St. Augustine in
east Florida. It is probably, Orlando, nestled
in Orange County, which has become one of the
states most famed cities. There are several
different versions to the origin of this city's
name. The official story being that it is named
in honor of Orlando Reeves, a brave young
soldier who died selflessly defending his city
from Indian attack.
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CLIMATE
Climate is synonymous with Florida. In
fact, if Miami were in the eastern
hemisphere, it could be located on the
Nile River and is situated closer to the
equator than any other American state,
with the obvious exception of Hawaii. It
is this, which along with her position
on the southeastern tip of North America
gives the state its humid subtropical
climate. Sunshine really is a year round
pleasure and thus Florida's comfortable
climate has lured vacationers for more
than a century. With average annual
temperatures of 82.7 (F) degrees (28.2
C) in the summer and a delightful 68.5
(F) degrees (20.3 C) in the winter, the
state really does prove a haven, year
round.
Coastal winds provide pleasant breezes
during summer months and the 1197 miles
of coastline ensure that you are never
more than 80 miles from the sea. It
seems fitting that within a state famous
for her 663 miles of divine beaches
that, Miami Beach pharmacist Benjamin
Green invented the first suntan cream.
He accomplished this development by
cooking cocoa butter in a granite coffee
pot on his wife's stove in 1944.
Along with all that salt water, the
state also offers a stunningly diverse
4424 square miles of inland waterways,
including lakes, rivers and swampland
all rich with wildlife. Charmingly, Fort
Lauderdale is known as the Venice of
America because the city has 185 miles
of dramatic local waterways.
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INDUSTRY
During the final quarter of the
nineteenth century, cattle raising
along with industries such as cigar
making, grew in importance, taking
root in the state. It was from these
roots that investors became interested
in the abundant resources of both land
and seas in Florida. These extractive
operations were to become widely
diverse encompassing enterprise such
as the infamous sponge harvesting in
Tarpon Springs and profitable
phosphate mining in the southwestern
part of the state. We must not of
course forget the Florida citrus
industry, which stems from this era of
development and despite occasional
freezes and economic setbacks, became
inconceivably successful.
As the turn of the century approached
it seemed that the rapid increase in
per capita wealth of Florida’s
rapidly expanding population, knew no
bounds. As was perhaps the case, for
with her population of 15,982,378,
Florida today stands as the fourth
most populous US State. Logically it
followed that by the end of World War
I, land developers had descended on
this virtual gold mine. As more
Americans owned cars, holidaying in
this delightful state had become very
much in vogue. Some who came were too
enchanted to leave and exotic projects
sprang up in southern Florida swamps.
The reasons for this growth were
easily discernible: a desirable
climate, inexpensive land, a diversity
of resources, and a history of
accepted outside investors and
residents. Florida was portrayed as a
low tax, friendly environment for
anyone with ambitions.
Although tourism in Florida has been
highly influenced by technological
developments, it can be argued that a
formula of good weather,
transportation systems and warm hosts
dating back from the 1900’s remain
central to the popularity of this
destination. Naturally, tourism has
dominated the headlines particularly
following the 1970’s invasion of a
certain mouse.
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