More on Florida Culture in Palm Beach Ybor City: cigars, streetcars, hip-hop The shy beauty of the Everglades
REAL DEALS
What's new at Orlando's parks
By Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Staff, 2/16/2003
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More on Florida Culture in Palm Beach Ybor City: cigars, streetcars, hip-hop The shy beauty of the Everglades
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Yet that hardly means the parks aren't worth it. Yes, there are people who don't like theme parks at any price, but if you're a fan of fantasy, animals, golly-gee rides, lighthearted shows, and smiles on children's faces, you get all of those. What's more, something new almost always awaits you on a return visit, whether it's a just-opened attraction or one you either didn't have time for before or didn't know existed. Some highlights:
Universal Orlando. With two attraction-filled theme parks, an entertainment complex, and three very nice hotels, Universal Orlando is promoting itself as a vacation alternative to Walt Disney World. The 2,300-acre resort is self-contained, with interconnecting waterways and a fleet of water taxis that eliminate the need for any other kind of motorized transportation.
Beginning Feb. 21 at Universal Studios, a lively Mardi Gras parade and celebration runs Friday and Saturday nights through April 11, then continues nightly through April 26. Come spring, a new rocket adventure, Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast, will be launched. And in summer, a multi-sensory attraction, ''Shrek 4D,'' will be added. If you're staying at one of the resort hotels - the Royal Pacific Resort, the Hard Rock Hotel, or the Portofino Bay Hotel - showing your room key gets you preferred access to the major rides and other attractions. Otherwise, you can reserve a window of time for those attractions.
Also new is a personalized vacation service that provides options like being picked up at the airport in a PT Cruiser, stretch limo, or 1956 Chevy; taking a VIP tour of either park; or spending a day or two at a Florida beach. Prices vary.
Something's missing, though: Kongfrontation, the six-story ride featuring an encounter with old banana breath himself, King Kong, is being replaced with a yet-to-be-announced major attraction.
Call 407-363-8000 or visit www.universalorlando.com.
SeaWorld/Discovery Cove. SeaWorld Orlando is a wonderful place for all things fishy, with a few lovable mammals thrown into the mix. There are thrill rides such as Kraken and Journey to Atlantis that twist, turn, and have been known to drench guests.
Two new dining opportunities have been added. In Dine with Shamu, park guests get to eat poolside near killer whales and with their trainers. Guests can ask questions and watch training sessions. The meal is buffet style and costs $32 for adults and $18 for children ages 3 to 9. Park admission is also required.
The park has also debuted an upscale, full-service restaurant within the Shark Encounter attraction. While dining, guests look through floor-to-ceiling windows into an underwater world teeming with 50 sharks. Guests can also watch participants in the new Sharks Deep Dive program plunge into the sharks' lair. The menu is ''Floribbean'' style, a blend of Florida and Caribbean cooking with the emphasis on seafood. (And if eating seafood in a marine park seems strange, well this is Orlando.) Menu prices vary. The Sharks Deep Dive costs $150 a person to scuba-dive or $125 to snorkel and includes two-day park admission and a T shirt. Scuba divers must be certified, participants must be at least 10, and only two at a time are allowed.
Also new is the Adventure Express, a guided tour of the park's highlights with front-of-the-line access to rides, animal feeding, lunch, and reserved seating at shows. The cost is $80 for adults and $75 for children 3 to 9. Park admission is required.
For either dining experience, call 407-351-3600 and press 3. For Sharks Deep Dive, call 800-406-2244 or 407-363-2380 or visit the SeaWorld Behind-the-Scenes Tour counter inside the park. For Adventure Express, call 800-406-2244 or visit the park's Guided Tour counter. For general park information, call 407-351-3600 or visit www.seaworld.com.
SeaWorld's sister park, Discovery Cove, is a lushly landscaped area, presenting the opportunity to swim with dolphins and snorkel with rays. A dolphin swim package costs $219; without the swim, it's $119. Admission includes a meal, use of gear, parking, and a seven-day pass to SeaWorld. But if you've got money left over, there are some packages for truly special occasions such as a proposal or anniversary. The premium package, at $399, includes a buoy with your special message (or engagement ring), delivered by a dolphin; a private cabana; champagne, roses, and dipped strawberries; an underwater disposable camera and picture frame; a photo and video of you and the dolphin; and other amenities. Other packages range from $55 to $155. All are in addition to admission.
Call 877-4-DISCOVERY or visit www.discoverycove.com.
Walt Disney World. The 43-square-mile resort that started it all continues to grow and to amaze fans of fantasy. Scheduled for Epcot later this year is a major new attraction, Mission: Space, a simulated space adventure. And coming to the Magic Kingdom in fall will be an elaborate 3-D movie, ''Mickey's PhilharMagic,'' starring my hero and alter ego, Donald Duck, and, of course, Mickey Mouse. While you're waiting, there's a new version of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney-MGM Studios featuring random drop sequences and more special effects. Also at Disney-MGM, the ''Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play It'' game now has a Disney Cruise Line vacation as the grand prize. For food fun, there's dinner with Cinderella and her friends at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The buffet costs $23.99 for guests 12 and up and $10.99 for children 3 to 11. More stores have been added to the Downtown Disney Marketplace, and the Caribbean Beach Resort has reopened after a renovation that includes a new table-service restaurant, called Shutters at Old Port Royale, featuring American cuisine with a Caribbean accent.
Disney World has announced its latest vacation packages. Among them: a three-night Disney's Dream Maker Package beginning at $349 an adult (less for children, with the price depending on their ages) and including hotel, a multi-day park ticket, two trading pins, a round of miniature golf, a storytelling session with a Disney character, and other features. (Air fare is not included.)
Call 407-824-4321 or visit www.disneyworld.com. For the Cinderella dinner, call 407-WDW-DINE.
More on Orlando
During the March-April spring break period, Orlando draws more than 350,000 families and thus claims the title of number one US family spring break destination. In any case, many special events, ranging from shows and concerts to sporting events, occur during that time. For activities, hints, discounts, and packages, including some available nowhere else, log on to www.orlandoinfo.com or call 888-ORL-4FUN.
Florida guide
For a free copy of the new Official Visit Florida Vacation Guide, containing information on the state's eight regions, call 800-7FLA USA. Travelers can also receive a free copy of the newly revised ''Worth the Drive'' guidebook containing 17 self-directed driving tours by calling the same number.
The guides are also available at the five Official Florida Welcome Centers on Interstate 10, US 231, Interstate 75, Interstate 95, and at the state capitol in Tallahassee, or can be ordered at www.flausa.com by clicking on Tools and then Guide.
On Expedia
Travel websites often have plenty of Florida deals. Here are some on Expedia: Boston to Miami, air fare and three nights at the four-star Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, from $518 per person; sample dates, March 7-10. Boston to Orlando, air and three nights at the three-star Doubletree Club Hotel Lake Buena Vista, from $422.11 per person; sample dates, March 14-17.
In its drive to become a one-stop site, Expedia also lets you book popular activities. From Fort Lauderdale, for example, the following are available: a Bahamas cruise, an Everglades tour, a tour of the Keys and Key West, and a tour of the Kennedy Space Center.
Visit www.expedia.com.