I have just spent two weeks going round central Florida to get a handle on what's new and up-coming in the world's favourite vacation destination (where more than 42 million visited in 2000!), and have a few brief thoughts before I get around to the full account (which will, of course, be available in the 2002 version of A Brit's Guide to Orlando!!).
1) Disney parks - New Aladdin ride at MK is purely Dumbo with a different paint job. Slightly disappointing (water FX not working yet). Who Wants to be a Millionaire at MGM is pure genius, though. Great fun - addictive too. Epcot is looking a bit tired - very low crowds on the Sunday I went, too. Animal Kingdom - nothing different here. The new Pop Century resort is definitely All Stars Mark II. Some of the detail is pretty fun and lively, but the essence is, it is just the same. Big success story - Animal Kingdom Lodge; just stunning, from the look, the animals, the styling, the decor, the restaurants, the sounds and even the smells. An awesome job (if a little expensive, plus the rooms are still basically the same as Wilderness Lodge or even DxL and PO).
2) Universal - incredibly busy at the weekends, with some serious traffic backing up on I4 waiting to get in. Mythos is still a great restaurant in IoA, while CityWalk is also getting busier in the evenings (apart from Motown Cafe - almost dead - and Pat O'Brien's - very quiet). Storm Force in IoA is surprisingly good fun, and the Flying Unicorn quite fast for such a small coaster. USF has some 'dead' spots, though, with still nothing replacing Xena and Herc and the next door sound stage also empty. Animal Planet Live at USF is fun, but only a minor re-working of previous animal show.
3) SW - new Hot Rockin' Nights summer programme now under way, with restyled evening Shamu show (Shamu's Big Chill), DJs in the park and firework finale (Rock 'n Rockets) adding to the fun. Kraken is a cool ride at night, too!
4) Other attractions: new parasail operation with Boggy Creek Airboats is just superb; Orange County History Center downtown is pretty neat; Cypress Gardens has more kids' appeal with their mini water-park (but botanical gardens boat tour is closed because of the drought); new Mad Mission to Mars show at KSC is great for kids; Splendid China is starting to recover under new management from 2 years of neglect; Titanic exhibit at Mercado is still improving with great cast interaction; the X/S Entertains venue at The Pointe adds new-style arcade/bar/restaurant appeal.
5) Hotels: apart from AKL, the Hard Rock Hotel is just way cool (brilliant rooms, especially), but the new Grand Bohemian downtown is the tops for 5-star style and cuisine. The Wyndham resort on I-Drive is now finished with it's $50m makeover and looks extremely good in that range of accommodation. For boutique hotels, the Wonderland Inn (in Kissimmee), Veranda Inn and Eo Inn (both downtown, by Lake Eola) are all worth seeking out. The Opryland Hotel on South I-Drive in Kissimmee could well top them all when it opens in February 2002. Awesome detail on a large scale.
6) Restaurants: so many good, up-scale new ones; check out The Palm at Hard Rock (for steak and seafood, with awesome lobster); The Samba Room (Cuban-American fusion) and Timpano's (more great steaks); The Boheme (in Grand Bohemian - a truly stunning menu and wine list); and, my favourite on this trip - Jiko at AKL, an original, mouth-watering menu, fabulous service and a wine list to die for.
7) The fires: they are still burning and producing vast amounts of unpleasant smoke that hangs like fog for hours in the morning. Either pray for lots of rain or that the wind takes this nasty brown blanket in another direction.
That's all for now!
1) Disney parks - New Aladdin ride at MK is purely Dumbo with a different paint job. Slightly disappointing (water FX not working yet). Who Wants to be a Millionaire at MGM is pure genius, though. Great fun - addictive too. Epcot is looking a bit tired - very low crowds on the Sunday I went, too. Animal Kingdom - nothing different here. The new Pop Century resort is definitely All Stars Mark II. Some of the detail is pretty fun and lively, but the essence is, it is just the same. Big success story - Animal Kingdom Lodge; just stunning, from the look, the animals, the styling, the decor, the restaurants, the sounds and even the smells. An awesome job (if a little expensive, plus the rooms are still basically the same as Wilderness Lodge or even DxL and PO).
2) Universal - incredibly busy at the weekends, with some serious traffic backing up on I4 waiting to get in. Mythos is still a great restaurant in IoA, while CityWalk is also getting busier in the evenings (apart from Motown Cafe - almost dead - and Pat O'Brien's - very quiet). Storm Force in IoA is surprisingly good fun, and the Flying Unicorn quite fast for such a small coaster. USF has some 'dead' spots, though, with still nothing replacing Xena and Herc and the next door sound stage also empty. Animal Planet Live at USF is fun, but only a minor re-working of previous animal show.
3) SW - new Hot Rockin' Nights summer programme now under way, with restyled evening Shamu show (Shamu's Big Chill), DJs in the park and firework finale (Rock 'n Rockets) adding to the fun. Kraken is a cool ride at night, too!
4) Other attractions: new parasail operation with Boggy Creek Airboats is just superb; Orange County History Center downtown is pretty neat; Cypress Gardens has more kids' appeal with their mini water-park (but botanical gardens boat tour is closed because of the drought); new Mad Mission to Mars show at KSC is great for kids; Splendid China is starting to recover under new management from 2 years of neglect; Titanic exhibit at Mercado is still improving with great cast interaction; the X/S Entertains venue at The Pointe adds new-style arcade/bar/restaurant appeal.
5) Hotels: apart from AKL, the Hard Rock Hotel is just way cool (brilliant rooms, especially), but the new Grand Bohemian downtown is the tops for 5-star style and cuisine. The Wyndham resort on I-Drive is now finished with it's $50m makeover and looks extremely good in that range of accommodation. For boutique hotels, the Wonderland Inn (in Kissimmee), Veranda Inn and Eo Inn (both downtown, by Lake Eola) are all worth seeking out. The Opryland Hotel on South I-Drive in Kissimmee could well top them all when it opens in February 2002. Awesome detail on a large scale.
6) Restaurants: so many good, up-scale new ones; check out The Palm at Hard Rock (for steak and seafood, with awesome lobster); The Samba Room (Cuban-American fusion) and Timpano's (more great steaks); The Boheme (in Grand Bohemian - a truly stunning menu and wine list); and, my favourite on this trip - Jiko at AKL, an original, mouth-watering menu, fabulous service and a wine list to die for.
7) The fires: they are still burning and producing vast amounts of unpleasant smoke that hangs like fog for hours in the morning. Either pray for lots of rain or that the wind takes this nasty brown blanket in another direction.
That's all for now!
