There were lines to get on the monorail at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and half-hour waits to ride the Space Mountain coaster.
After seeing attendance plunge following the attacks in New York and Washington, the turnout Saturday at the MK offered a glimmer of hope for Florida's tourism industry.
Tourist spending has dropped by about $20 million a day, or more than a third, since the attacks, economic consultant Stan Geberer estimates. Hotels and attractions are cutting back worker hours and have laid off some workers.
Workers and guests estimated that the Magic Kingdom was about three-fourths full Saturday, a vast improvement over the quarter-full attendance the park experienced earlier last week.
``Everywhere has been dead all week,'' said Catherine Carlton, a British tourist who sat outside the Space Mountain ride.
Orlando's other major parks weren't faring as well.
Universal's Islands of Adventure park and SeaWorld Orlando was only about half full, according to guests and workers.
Gov. Jeb Bush, meantime, had a day of meetings with tourism industry leaders in Miami.
``We need to respond quickly so people regain confidence and consider it their patriotic duty to go shopping, go to a restaurant, take a cruise, travel with their family,'' Bush said afterward. ``Frankly, the terrorists win if Americans don't go back to normalcy.''
Bush flew on a commercial plane from Tallahassee to Miami Saturday to demonstrate his support and confidence in the airlines.
``The first step in any economic recovery for our state is to make sure people understand how safe it is to fly and how convenient it is,'' Bush said.
As fears subside, the governor said the economy would improve.
Workers and tourists at all the theme parks said attendance was the best it has been since the attacks, which raised concerns about airline safety and kept droves of visitors from flying.
This weekend was considered an important test of what to expect for the rest of the year for Florida's attractions and theme parks, economic engines of the state's $50.7 billion tourism industry. It was the first weekend since the attack that airlines were running regular schedules.
``In September, weekend business is the real gauge of how business is doing,'' said Donna Ross, president of the Florida Attractions Association.
Many visitors decided to drive to Orlando instead of fly.
Mike and Ethel Stansbury canceled their airline tickets and rented a car to make the 12-hour trek from New Orleans to the Magic Kingdom.
``For the short-term, we're not flying,'' said Ethel Stansbury as she sat outside an ice cream shop along the park's Main Street U.S.A. ``But you can't let the terrorists bother you. You've got to go on with your life.''
