>>>With two days to go before the spring break season officially ends, Orlando theme parks are still crowded, many hotels are counting profits and the tourism industry's expectations for summer are rising.
"Our attendance this spring has been stronger than originally anticipated," said Susan Lomax, a spokeswoman for Universal Orlando's two parks. "It has been growing steadily in April, including this week."
The season's grand finale is a happy end to this year's longish spring break, which started on Feb. 17, Presidents Day, and is stretching until Saturday -- the weekend after Easter. The holiday fell on March 31 last year, making for a shorter season.
The throngs of out-of-town tourists at the theme parks have been bolstered by locals eager to take advantage of promotions and generally mild weather.
But perhaps most important, attractions and lodgings are finding a bit of fortunate timing in the end of the war. The Iraqi capital of Baghdad fell on April 9, signaling the end of major fighting and giving travelers some incentive to make quick spring break plans.
"The date the U.S. entered Baghdad is the day the phones starting ringing again at the hotels," said Ray Maladecki, president of the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association. "A lot of phones had stopped ringing the day the war started" on March 19, he said.
"The week before Easter and the week so far after Easter couldn't have been better," said Michael Sansbury, regional vice president of Loews Hotels' three upscale inns at Universal Orlando. "Every single room has been occupied, with just about maximum occupancy in every room. We have had about 8,000 guests over the last two weeks."<<<
Business is up and getting busier in Orlando. Look foward to bigger crowds as we get into the summer months. The war is for all intents and purposes over, and people really aren't concerned that much with SARS. Things are going to be rising towards more normal numbers now. 
