Orlando: A City that Reinvents Itself Every Day
By: Wilmer Góngora
Photos: Cortesía Visit Orlando, Universal Studios
It seems impossible that any other U.S. destination could ever get more visitors than the world’s theme park capital: almost sixty million people came here by land or air in 2013. But why does Orlando attract the attention of so many travelers? Perhaps because it continues to reinvent itself every day to fulfill its mission of giving joy to the entire family.
Indeed, not a month passes without the opening of a new attraction, the reopening of an old one, or the addition of a huge thematic hotel. And 2014 has been an especially prolific year for new openings, additions, and expansions. It’s impossible to highlight them all, so here is a small sample of some of the most highly recommended attractions.
Fantasyland
The biggest expansion in the history of Walt Disney Resort is now complete. It includes the Seven Dwarfs Mine roller coaster that takes visitors on a musical journey through a mine where “a million diamonds” shine. In addition to this wonderful ride, there is also the Fantasy Parade, a daytime parade that takes place in Magic Kingdom, with characters and music from Disney’s most memorable films.
Duplo Valley
Legoland Florida opened new farm-themed attractions, including a train, a tractor ride, and a water play area geared toward two to five year olds.
CityWalk
The area of restaurants, nightclubs, bars, movie theaters, shops, and more at the entrance to Universal Studios has expanded its range of dining options. The restaurants Vivo, Red Oven, and Antojitos are particularly noteworthy. Antojitos features an extensive menu of authentic, delicious, and nutritious Mexican food as well as a a mariachi show. It has two dining areas—one more formal than the other— that accurately recreate the unique cuisine of the Aztec nation.
Harry Potter Expands
Diagon Alley, a new attraction that opened last July, deserves its own mention. Capitalizing on the popularity of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Universal Orlando Resort continues to give life to the characters and places of this popular series of books and films, vividly recreating the places and situations found in Harry Potter’s London. One by one the iconic areas appear, such as the bookshop Charing Cross Books, Leicester Square (main entrance to the attraction), Wyndham’s Theatre, the Black family home, and the mythical Knight bus, that flies through the air and shrinks when it passes through the narrow London streets in The Prisoner of Azkaban. And all of this was achieved, in part, thanks to the writer J.K. Rowling who helped design and name the places in Diagon Alley.
Certainly the most innovative attraction here is the Hogwarts Express train, which takes travelers from King’s Cross station in Universal Studios to Hogsmeade Station in Islands of Adventure, recreating the trip Harry Potter made to his first experience at the famous school of magic. There are also shops, the Leaky Cauldron restaurant, with dishes found in the stories, and the 3D attraction, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. Visitors enter into a virtual reality and find themselves in the middle of the action, encountering strong security measures in the perilous vaults of the bank, and then meeting Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they try to escape the fury of the villainous Voldemort and Bellatrix.
Time to Rest
A full day is not enough time to enjoy all the attractions Orlando’s theme parks offer, but it does leave visitors exhausted. And to guarantee rest for the weary, two resorts have recently opened: the Four Seasons at Walt Disney World Resort, offering more than 440 rooms, a golf course, a full service spa, a pool area, and a rooftop restaurant with a view of the nightly fireworks in the area’s parks; there is also the Cabana Bay Beach Resort, an excellent option on the grounds of Universal Orlando. Opened last summer, this retro resort recreates the 1950s and 60s, with pastel colors and background music from these nostalgic times.
An aquatic park complex, including a lazy river, pools, and slides, can be found in the middle of the resort, surrounded by 1,800 family suites, each of which has a kitchenette, family room, and comfortable bedrooms. From here guests can walk to the attractions, such as Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk, and enjoy priority entrance.
With the end of the day comes rest and also heartbreak, because several attractions remain on the to do list. But there will always be another opportunity to enjoy them since this destination reinvents itself every day, hoping to soon break its own record of sixty million visitors in a year, each looking to discover why this city is known as the Capital of Happiness.
Fall and Winter Events
Magical Dining Month: In September, the Orlando area’s top restaurants will offer three-course dinners at a fixed price of US$33.
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, at Walt Disney World Resort: Universal cuisine can be found in thirty international markets distributed throughout the park, with cooking demonstrations and a series of concerts, from September 19 – November 10.
Halloween Capital of the World: During the six weeks leading up to October 31, there will be eighty shows in honor of Halloween.
Halloween Horror Nights: From September 19 to November 1 at Universal Orlando Resort the nights will be full of spooky ghosts, themed haunted houses, a “scare zone,” and live shows.
Grinchmas: In Island of Adventure, families will enjoy the popular Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas when it comes alive in December. Meanwhile Universal Studios will recreate the Macy’s Holiday Parade, with the same iconic balloons used in the New York parade, while Santa Claus lights the Christmas tree.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: There will be continuous shows, fireworks, and snowflakes at Magic Kingdom during Christmas.
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration: From November 24 to December 31, the Shamu Christmas Miracles show, and more than one hundred sparkling trees in Sea of Trees, will make Christmas bright and merry.
