Fun in Orlando ... without the Mickey Mouse ears

Apr 26 2008 Travel by Jayne Howarth

Jayne Howarth splashes down in Orlando at a new water park.

My husband dislikes flying, prefers temperate climates and hates theme parks, particularly white knuckle rides.

Could this be why our friends looked puzzled when we told them we’d booked a two-week holiday to Orlando, Florida?

Yes, a whole fortnight in the land of Mickey Mouse. The whole concept was anathema to him, but we’d promised the children that one day, when they were old enough to appreciate it, we would take them to Walt Disney World in Florida. And that time was now.

In return, we had to promise that we would not be enveloped in a magical Disney glow for the duration: we had to experience the other parts of Orlando.

The trouble is, is that there is just too much to do. Friends who had visited Orlando advised us to plan the holiday like a military campaign: list what you want to do and try to find the time, but, they warned, you will not be able to fit it all in.

We had to be realistic about it. Central Florida is vast, so there was no way we could shoe horn in a visit to Miami, the genteel town of Mount Dora, go across to Tampa Bay or down to Lake Okeechobee. Everglades was definitely out and even a drive to Daytona beach looked unlikely.

We also had to be truthful about our motives for the trip. It was not to discover the "real America" or – if there is such a thing –the untouched Florida. It was to drink deep from the cup of the unashamedly commercialised attractions. Of course, it was for the children.

So the list was compiled: the Disney parks (naturally), Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Centre, Sea World and Aquatica. Then there was the other list of "would like to do . . . " and that was even longer" a helicopter ride, hot air balloon ride, museum trips, botanical gardens, airboat ride, smaller attractions such as Gatorland, a sports event.

One thing was clear – two weeks was nowhere near enough time. Something else was also abundantly clear: you could do Orlando without even stepping close to a Disney attraction.

I’m not sure how many of the 50 million visitors a year to Orlando would do that; I get the impression it would be contrary to the American way not to pay homage to the big-eared mouse and friends.

So that was it. The credit card was duly handed over and the deal was sealed: Orlando, it was, for two weeks. Mickey Mouse and all. For the children, of course.

We flew into Sanford Airport, about an hour’s drive from Orlando and the first challenge was the car.

While some say it isn't absolutely necessary to hire a car while over there (plenty of hotels have free transport to the main parks), if you want to get the most of your holiday and have the freedom to do what you want, then a car is a must.

This is the land of BIG cars and even bigger roads. We’d paid to hire a full-sized Dodge Charger, but Dollar upgraded us to a Jeep, which is bigger than any car I have ever driven. It was naturally automatic, with the driver’s accoutrements on the "wrong" side.

I did what any intrepid, know-no-fear journalist would do: panicked and sat in the passenger seat and waited for someone to take control of the vehicle. Pathetic, I know.

I had taken the precaution of hiring a sat-nav and would recommend it highly if you are planning to fly-drive for the first time. It saved a lot of arguments and map rearranging, even if it did send us on a scenic route a couple of times.

Our destination was International Drive South, an area which is undergoing much development. Our condo apartment, Floridays, was next to a building site, but thankfully the cranes and piles of bricks that are completing the huge Fountains development were not in full view.

Our two-bedroom apartment was one of 432 suites on the site. The 20-acre resort is just a couple of miles from SeaWorld and Aquatica and less than five from Disney, making it a close enough to the attractions, but a world away from the tackier end of the famous highway.

There were plenty of amenities on site: a swimming pool, mini beach, games room, play room, bar, take-away, bar/café, as well as shuttle buses to some of the theme parks. If you needed help or tickets to attractions, the on-site concierge was a mine of information.

As great as our serviced apartment was, with its 37 inch flat screen tv, it was to be no more than a comfortable base after a busy day’s adventure.

First on our list was Orlando’s newest attraction: Aquatica, the first park to open in eight years.

Bright and colourful, this is a 60-acre water park that combines high-speed water rides with more gentle lagoons.

The South Seas-themed park features 36 slides, six rivers and lagoons and more than 7,400 square metres of sandy beaches. Not only that, the water is warm.

Its showcase is the Dolphin Plunge, which takes riders down 76 metres of clear tubes, underwater, through the pool where four Commerson dolphins, who were born at Aquatica’s sister park SeaWorld, frolic.

A great ride it may be, but I flew down the tubes so quickly that I missed the dolphins completely. Instead, I sneaked a peek at these beautiful mammals at the dolphin lookout.

My favourite was the Taumata Racer where you throw yourself down a 300ft slide head first, with just a plastic mat to cling onto. Unbelievably fast, I could barely muster a scream before I slid to the end.

For young children, who are not ready to plunge quickly on the water rides, there is an incredible interactive play area with buckets, slides, tubes and walkways. It is huge, though, so keep a close eye on them.

Keeping the watery theme, SeaWorld, just across the road from Aquatica, is another attraction that gets ticked off on the I-Spy book of Orlando must-dos.

This marine attraction is the place to learn about animals, watch shows and – if you are over 48 inches tall – enjoy a ride on Kraken, a terrifying floorless rollercoaster.

The centrepieces are the shows with the famous Orca whale Shamu. Despite misgivings about seeing such a magnificent beast perform in a seven million gallon pool, it is awesome to witness the interaction of human and powerful killer whale.

We didn’t get to see the evening viewing of Shamu Rocks, but managed to squeeze into the performance of Believe, a rather schmaltzy affair, with declarations of how we can make the world a better place and a tribute to the American and Allied armed forces.

The killer whales, however, were the stars and their acrobatic displays were jaw-dropping. The choreography and state of the art multimedia at this show, which has run for two years, was brilliant.

The highlight for me at this compact park, however, was Blue Horizons, which featured birds, dolphins and – of course – humans. A fast-paced, dazzling and colourful performance of diving, acrobatics and swimming, it was a joy to watch.

For the rest of the family, however, the talking point for them was the Clyde and Seamore comedy show, featuring two sealions, an otter and two hapless humans. It was real slapstick stuff.

Interaction is an important feature of SeaWorld and visitors are encouraged to touch stingrays, dolphins (if they swim near you, of course. We weren’t lucky). We saw the gentle manatees slowly blimping their way around, polar bears, penguins and disappointingly-small alligators.

If it's big you want, then abandon the theme parks altogether and head out east to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, located on a nature reserve that is eight times the size of Manhattan.

As you approach the space centre, alligators casually crawl along the grassy pathways while vultures and eagles swoop high in the sky.

But the most awe-inspriring sights are inside the gates of visitor centre: those rockets are jaw-droppingly MASSIVE. Almost 1.5 million people a year visit the complex for a day of education and entertainment.

It is worth taking the coach to different areas of the complex, including where modules for the international space station are being built.

Typically, as we visited on a Sunday, the place was deserted, but go during the week and you will see scientists and engineers working on the components that will end up floating in space.

For an unforgettable sight, go to the Saturn V/Apollo area, where you can see a Saturn V rocket.

There is so much to take in and numerous films to watch, but thankfully none is more than 10-minutes long so even young children don't get fidgety.

As well as the tour, there are a number of innovative attractions. You can dine with an astronaut, take part in a two-day astronaut training programme, and now there is a phenomenal Space Shuttle simulation ride.

This is the closest most of us will ever come to experiencing a launch into space.

It is a visual and physical feast, with a pre-launch briefing via videolink from some of NASA's astronauts, including Space Shuttle Commander Charlie Bolden, who takes you step-by-step through the launch sequence.

Once you are strapped in, the "shuttle" moves to a vertical hold before blasting you into space, g-force and all. It was dramatic and exciting and rivals anything at the big theme parks.

My ambition there was not fulfilled, however: we didn't see a shuttle take off or land, but do check the schedules while you are over there, just in case. Those who have witnessed this are lost for words.

Not so quiet, however, were my two children. Yes, they'd loved what they'd done so far, but why weren't we at Disney or Universal Studios? This trip was, they reminded us, for them. Although, we had to admit, we were beginning to warm to Orlando ourselves . . . 

FACTBOX
* Jayne Howarth and family travelled to Orlando with Travel City Direct. 
* Travel City Direct offers 14 nights at the Floridays Hotel from £449 per person based on two adults and two children sharing a two-bedroom bed condo. The price includes flights from London Gatwick with XL Airlines departing on selected September dates and car hire from Dollar third party insurance. Sat nav costs an additional £80 per fortnight.
*  A one-day admission to Aquatica costs $38.95 US per adult and $32.95 US per child, plus tax (add six and a half per cent). For SeaWorld, the cost is $67.95. adults, and $57.95 children, but you get free admission for a second visit within 13 days of the first visit. Admission to both SeaWorld and Aquatica costs $79.95 for adults and children, if bought seven days in advance. Parking costs $10 US at each park.
*  Kennedy Space Center admission is $38 US per adult and $28 US per child, plus tax. The price includes entry to the visitor complex, the US hall of fame, which is located about five miles away, the IMAX cinemas and the Apollo/Saturn V Center.
*  For further information, call Travel City Direct on 0871 911 2415 or visit www.travelcitydirect.com.