Here's a trip report from 1999:
During each of my Orlando visits, Ive wanted to visit the Titanic exhibit. I think that its due in part to James Camerons Titanic movie. I finally had some time, so I thought I might as well.
The exhibit is located in the Mercado (located on the uncluttered end of International Drive). I noticed that a Guinness Book of World Records museum is being built right next door. I hope its not a gross-out fest like the TV show.
I arrived there around 8:30 pm. The Titanic exhibit is very easy to find since there are many signs. I got my tickets at the ticketing office. The admission price was $14.95 plus tax (total: $15.85). On the ticket was a name of one of the passengers or crewmember. At the end of the exhibit, I could check to see if that person survived or not. The name I had was Mr. William G. Dashwood. Then I had to walk into the Mercado to the exhibit. The attendant took my ticket and I entered. The first room had an actress who took the group back to a time before the Titanic was built. She points out details about the ship. Then the group was lead into another room where we met one of the ship builders and he explained more about the ship. After that, we were left on our own.
The first room was a loading dock with a platform to enter Titanic. All around the room were displays explaining a little more about the ship. I heard a voice calling for passengers to board. After entering the ship, I went into a large room that showed off the grandeur of first-class accommodations. There were displays of first-class plates, furniture, and other objects. A roped-off area showed what a first-class room looked like. I suppose this is what a room would look like at a high-end Disney resort. There was a screen that was a CGI walk-through of parts of the ship.
The next room was another first-class area, although I didnt know which part of the ship it was. There were several wicker chairs and mirrored windows. Behind the window you could hear first-class people talking. There were several more displays of first-class items. I turned the corner and there was a recreation of the grand staircase. Overhead you can hear the instrumental for My Heart Will Go On and I heard a voice of a Titanic survivor. I had a hard time hearing her voice though. The next room was a hallway where you saw a gated area. This gated area lead to the third-class area.
The next room took me into the storage area of the ship. I saw crates, bags of mail, and a car. Then I went though a door and this room was about the actual collision of the ship to the iceberg. I learned a bit about what happened and the SOS transmission. There was a mock-up of the steering wheel and the telegraph. A big piece of ice was on the wall. This represented the iceberg. I put my hand into the handprint area and I thought my hand would go numb. It was very cold! Screens overhead showed a CGI recreation of the Titanic hitting the iceberg.
A door lead to the next room and this room was the most moving to me. It was the deck of the ship. I saw a big starfield and you could see the water right over the edge. Titanic was sinking at this point. I could hear in the background people rushing to the lifeboats. You could also hear the string quartet playing. The room was also quite chilly, much like a night on the North Sea. I felt like I was right there, sinking along with the Titanic.
I exited through the doors and the room showed a CGI recreation of the ship sinking. The compartments filled up on the bottom and the ship sank, broke apart, and finally went into the sea. It reminded me of the part in the Titanic movie where the explorer explained to Rose how Titanic sank. I turned the corner and there were a few more artifacts. One wall listed all the passengers and crew on Titanic. I took out my ticket stub and checked to see if Mr. Dashwood survived or not. He was a crewmember and was lost at sea. I sighed and felt a bit sad.
I then turned the corner and this was a dark room with small glass displays. Each display had a personal item that was recovered from the Titanic, like a mirror, bowl, and a necklace. Light shone from the bottom of each display. This gave the room a graveyard type of look. The next room showed a few letters and other tidbits about the Titanic sinking. The final room was a display about every film made about the Titanic. Did you know that there was a Nazi propaganda film about the Titanic? It showed the ineptitude of the British Navy. I thought that film would be an interesting one to see. This room also had some costumes from the Titanic musical.
The next door was the exit and it lead to the gift shop. You can buy mugs, t-shirts, books, and all other things with the Titanic name on it or books and videos about the Titanic. I did not see a video for the Nazi propaganda film though.
I would call this exhibit a living history exhibit. It is a museum exhibit, but with the recreations, it felt like a dark ride without the cars. You moved yourself along with your feet. I would have liked to have seen more actors. One actress was in one of the rooms, but she left before I could talk to her. Near the exit, I saw two actors walking out to their respective rooms. It took me about an hour to get through it and I lingered over most of the items. Its an interesting exhibit and worth a visit if you have an hour or two to spare.
