Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies 2008 (Walt Disney World and Orlando for Dummies)

for Dummies Travel Guides Are The Ultimate User-friendly Trip Planners, Combining The Broad Appeal And Time-tested Features Of The For Dummies Series With Up-to-the-minute Advice And Information From The Experts At Frommer’s. Small Trim Size For Use On-the-go focused Coverage Of Only The Best Hotels And Restaurants In All Price Ranges tear-out “cheat Sheet” With Full-color Maps Or Easy Reference Pointers Walt Disney World & Orlando for Dummies® 9th Edition 5 Table of Contents 13 Introduction 23 Part I Introducing Walt Disney World and Orlando 29 Chapter 1 Discovering the Best of Walt Disney World and Orlando 31 The Best Orlando Experiences 31 The Best Hotels 35 The Best Restaurants 36 The Best Thrill Rides 37 The Best of the Rest 38 Chapter 2 Digging Deeper into Orlando 41 History 101: The Main Events 41 Taste of Orlando: Local Cuisine 43 Word to the Wise: The Local Lingo 44 Background Check: Recommended Books and Movies 45 Chapter 3 Deciding When to Go 48 The Secrets of the Seasons 48 Orlando’s Calendar: Attractions in Review 52 Part II Planning Your Trip to Walt Disney World and Orlando 59 Chapter 4 Managing Your Money 61 Planning Your Budget 61 Cutting Costs — But Not the Fun 64 Handling Money 66 Dealing with a Lost or Stolen Wallet 68 Chapter 5 Getting to Orlando 69 Flying to Orlando 69 Driving to Orlando 71 Arriving by Train 72 Choosing a Package Tour 72 Chapter 6 Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests 76 Traveling with the Brood: Advice for Families 76 Making Age Work for You: Tips for Seniors 81 Accessing Orlando: Advice for Travelers with Disabilities 81 Advice for Gay and Lesbian Travelers 85 Chapter 7 Taking Care of the Remaining Details 87 Renting a Car — Or Not 87 Playing It Safe with Travel and Medical Insurance 90 Staying Healthy When You Travel 91 Staying Connected by Cellphone or E-mail 93 Keeping Up with Airline Security 95 Part III Settling into Orlando 97 Chapter 8 Arriving and Getting Oriented 99 Arriving in Orlando 99 Figuring Out the Neighborhoods 102 Finding Information After You Arrive 105 Getting Around Orlando 106 Chapter 9 Checking In at Orlando’s Best Hotels 110 Getting to Know Your Options 110 Finding the Best Room at the Best Rate 114 Arriving without a Reservation 117 Orlando’s Best Hotels 117 Index of Accommodations by Neighborhood 148 Index of Accommodations by Price 149 Chapter 10 Dining and Snacking in Orlando 151 Getting the Dish on the Local Scene 151 Trimming the Fat from Your Dining Budget 154 Orlando’s Best Restaurants 155 Dining with Disney Characters 182 Index of Restaurants by Neighborhood 185 Index of Restaurants by Cuisine 186 Index of Restaurants by Price 188 Part IV Exploring Walt Disney World 191 Chapter 11 Getting Acquainted with Walt Disney World 193 Introducing Walt’s World 193 Finding Your Way to the Fun 198 Traveling within the World 198 Preparing for Park Admission Costs 199 Getting the Most out of Your Trip to the World 201 Chapter 12 The Magic Kingdom 204 Managing Magic Kingdom Logistics 204 Making the Rounds: The Magic Kingdom’s Top Attractions 208 Index of Attractions by Land 222 Chapter 13 Epcot 223 Discovering Epcot’s Essentials 223 Touring Epcot’s Top Attractions 226 Index of Attractions by Land 238 Chapter 14 Disney’s Hollywood Studios 239 Acquainting Yourself with Disney’s Hollywood Studios 241 Pitting Disney’s Hollywood Studios against Universal Studios Florida 242 Entertaining the Whole Family: G-Rated Attractions and Rides 243 Exploring PG-Rated Attractions and Rides 246 Taking Time Out for Fantastic Parades and Fireworks 250 Index of Attractions and Rides 251 Chapter 15 Disney’s Animal Kingdom 252 Finding Helpful Services in Animal Kingdom 252 Deciding between Animal Kingdom and Busch Gardens 255 Checking Out Animal Kingdom’s Top Attractions 256 Index of Attractions by Land 264 Chapter 16 Enjoying the Rest of Walt Disney World 265 Playing It Up at DisneyQuest 265 Fielding the Fun at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex 266 Gearing Up at the Richard Petty Driving Experience 267 Preparing for the PGA at Disney Golf 268 Puttering Around at Disney Miniature Golf 269 Making a Splash at Disney’s Water Parks 269 Enjoying the Holiday Season at Disney 272 Sailing the Seas with Disney 273 Chapter 17 Shopping in Walt Disney World 276 Money-Saving Tips for Top-Notch Take-Homes 276 Loading Up Your Cart at Walt Disney World 277 Disney Shopping outside the Theme Parks 282 Part V Exploring the Rest of Orlando 285 Chapter 18 Universal Studios Florida 287 Finding Out Important Park Information 288 Exploring the Top Attractions at Universal Studios Florida 293 Grabbing a Bite to Eat 300 Shopping at Universal Studios Florida 301 Index of Attractions by Area 302 Chapter 19 Islands of Adventure 303 Knowing Essential Park Information 304 Practical Advice for Island Adventurers 308 Exploring the Top Attractions at Islands of Adventure 309 Dining at Islands of Adventure 315 Shopping at Islands of Adventure 316 Index of Attractions by Area 317 Chapter 20 SeaWorld and Discovery Cove 318 Gathering Important SeaWorld Information 320 Exploring the Top Attractions at SeaWorld 322 Dining and Shopping at SeaWorld 327 Checking Out Discovery Cove 328 Index of SeaWorld Main Attractions 330 Chapter 21 Discovering Orlando’s Other Attractions 331 Checking Out the City’s Best Attractions 331 Getting Wet at Orlando’s Water Parks 337 Chapter 22 Shopping in Orlando 340 Surveying the Scene 340 Exploring Great Shopping Neighborhoods 342 Checking Out the Big Names 343 Antiquing Downtown 346 Chapter 23 Going Beyond Orlando: Two Day Trips 348 Trekking to Busch Gardens 348 Blasting Off to John F. Kennedy Space Center 352 Part VI Living It Up After Dark: Orlando Nightlife 355 Chapter 24 Taking In the Dinner Shows 357 Getting the Inside Scoop on Orlando Dinner Theater 357 Getting Information and Tickets for Other Events 362 Chapter 25 Hitting the Clubs and Bars 363 No More Guilty Pleasures at Pleasure Island 363 Exploring Downtown Disney’s West Side 364 Strolling Along Disney’s BoardWalk 368 Dancing the Night Away at CityWalk 368 Locating the Best Hotel Lounges 370 Exploring Orlando’s Other Hotspots 372 Part VII The Part of Tens 375 Chapter 26 (Not Quite) Ten Cheap Alternatives to the Theme Parks 377 Audubon Center for Birds of Prey 377 Central Florida Zoo 378 Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art 378 Cornell Fine Arts Museum 378 Eatonville and the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts 379 Lake Eola Park 379 Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards 380 The Peabody Ducks 380 Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour 380 Chapter 27 Ten Recreational Activities in Orlando 381 Biking 381 Boating 381 Fishing 382 Golf 382 Horseback Riding 383 Jogging 383 Surfing 383 Swimming 384 Tennis 384 Water-Skiing, Wakeboarding, and other Watersports 384 Appendix Quick Concierge 385 Fast Facts 385 Toll-Free Numbers and Web Sites 389 Where to Get More Information 391 Index 393

Walt Disney World includes four theme parks and a dozen lesser attractions, two entertainment districts, tens of thousands of hotel rooms, and scores of restaurants. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld add another four theme parks, three resorts, and an entertainment district to the mix. So how do you know where to go? This friendly guide puts you in a Mouse mood and in the know. From Terminator 2 to Shrek or Shamu, wild life to nightlife, Finding Nemo to finding souvenirs, it gives you great info on accommodations, restaurants, attractions, and more, covering:

• Disney’s ticket system and the best options in each major park

• Highlights of Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and Discovery Cove, plus two great day-trip options

• The top 11 stomach turners and G-force generators in Orlando, including Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Summit Plummet, the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, and more

• Tamer rides and shows, including The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Shark Encounter, and more

• Orlando night life, with the scoop on dinner shows, Pleasure Island, CityWalk, and other hot spots

Like every For Dummies travel guide, Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies 2008 includes:

• Down-to-earth trip-planning advice

• What you shouldn’t miss—and what you can skip

• The best hotels and restaurants for every budget

• Lots of detailed maps

Whether you’re traveling with kids or want to recapture your own childhoodor whether your style is adventurous andaction-packed or laid-back and relaxed, this friendly guide helps you plan a magical vacation.

Walt Disney World includes four theme parks and a dozen lesser attractions, two entertainment districts, tens of thousands of hotel rooms, and scores of restaurants. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld add another four theme parks, three resorts, and an entertainment district to the mix. So how do you know where to go? This friendly guide puts you in a Mouse mood and in the know. From Terminator 2 to Shrek or Shamu, wild life to nightlife, Finding Nemo to finding souvenirs, it gives you great info on accommodations, restaurants, attractions, and more, Like every For Dummies travel guide, Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies 2008 Whether youre traveling with kids or want to recapture your own childhoodor whether your style is adventurous and action-packed or laid-back and relaxed, this friendly guide helps you plan a magical vacation. Walt Disney World includes four theme parks, two entertainment districts, thousands of hotel rooms and restaurants. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld add another four theme parks, three resorts, and an entertainment district to the mix. This guide includes: trip-planning advice; the best hotels and restaurants for every budget; and, maps.