Synopses & Reviews
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide(r) to Walt Disney World(r)
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
-Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
-The New York Times
Seven Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide(r):
* Practical tips on when to go and how to beat the crowds at 11 of Central Florida's best theme parks
* Firsthand information on what's worthwhile and what's not at major attractions
* The inside scoop on where to go for the best roller coaster action
* Complete coverage of Universal Florida, including Islands of Adventure(r), CityWalk(r), and detailed restaurant reviews
* Comprehensive chapters on SeaWorld and Discovery Cove(r), Busch Gardens(r), Kennedy Space Center, Gatorlande(r), and the Holy Land Experience(r)
* Comparisons of all area water parks
* The straight story on Orlando-area dinner theaters and nightlife
Sample Rating
Revenge of the Mummy
Appeal by Age Preschool Grade school Teens Young adults Over 30 . Seniors
What it is Combination dark ride and roller coaster. Scope and scale Super headliner. When to go The first hour the park is open or after 6 p.m. Special comments 48" minimum-height requirement. Author's rating Killer! ....H. Duration of ride 3 minutes. Probable waiting time per 100 people ahead of you 7 minutes. Loading speed Moderate.
Synopsis
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
—Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
—The New York Times
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide:
- Comprehensive coverage of theme parks, dinner theater, mini-golf, water parks, adventure outings, sports, museums, and more
Field-tested Touring Plans for Universal Orlando that can save four hours of standing in line a day
Each attraction rated by age group based on a survey of over 10,000 families
Complete descriptions and ratings for all the best non-Disney hotels for families
Insider tips on the best restaurants, buffets, and meal deals
Synopsis
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide® to Walt Disney World®
"A Tourist's Best Friend!" Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable" The New York Times
Five Great Features and Benefits
offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide®
Synopsis
Seven Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by the Unofficial Guides®:
- Practical tips on when to go and how to beat the crowds at 11 of Central Florida's best them parks
- Firsthand information on what's worthwhile and what's not at major attractions
- The inside scoop on where to go for the best roller coaster action
- Complete coverage of Universal Florida, including Islands of Adventure®, CityWalk®, and detailed restaurant reviews
- Comprehensive chapters on SeaWorld and Discovery Cove®, Busch Gardens®, Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland®, and the Holy Land Experience®
- Comparisons of all area water parks
- The straight story on Orlando-area dinner theaters and nightlife
About the Author
Bob Sehlinger is the publisher of Menasha Ridge Press and the author of numerous Unofficial Guides, including the best-selling Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.
Table of Contents
List of Maps.
About the Authors.
Introduction.
Why “Unofficial”?
There’s Another World Out There.
The Attraction That Ate Florida.
It Takes More Than One Book to Do the Job Right.
PART ONE: Accommodations.
Orlando Lodging Options.
Selecting and Booking a Hotel.
Getting a Good Deal on a Room.
Condominiums and Vacation Homes.
Orlando’s Best Hotels for Families.
Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked.
What’s in a Room?
Room Ratings.
A Word about Toll-free Telephone Numbers.
The Top 30 Best Deals.
HOW THE HOTELS COMPARE.
HOTEL INFORMATION CHART.
PART TWO: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting Busch Gardens.
Attractions.
Morocco.
Crown Colony.
Egypt.
Nairobi.
Timbuktu.
Congo.
Stanleyville.
Bird Gardens.
Dining.
Shopping.
PART THREE: Cypress Gardens.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting Cypress Gardens.
Attractions.
Adventure Grove.
Kids’ Rides.
Splash Island.
Jubilee Junction/Lake Eloise.
Nature’s Way.
The Junior Water Ski Experience and the Junior Belle Program.
Star Haven Amphitheatre.
Dining.
Shopping.
PART FOUR: Gatorland.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting Gatorland.
Attractions.
Gatorland Adventure Tours.
Dining.
Shopping.
PART FIVE: The Holy Land Experience.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting the Holy Land Experience.
Attractions.
Dining.
PART SIX: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting Kennedy Space Center.
Attractions.
Visitor Center Complex Hub.
Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour.
Other Tours.
Viewing a Launch.
Dining.
Shopping.
PART SEVEN: SeaWorld.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting SeaWorld.
Attractions.
Dining.
Shopping.
Discovery Cove.
Getting There.
Prices and Reservations.
Arriving.
PART EIGHT: Universal Orlando.
Disney-MGM Studios versus Universal Studios Florida.
Universal Orlando.
Lodging at Universal Orlando.
Arriving at Universal Orlando.
Early Entry and Universal Express.
Singles Lines.
Lockers.
Universal, Kids, and Scary Stuff.
iVillage Live and Blue Man Group.
Universal Studios Florida.
Universal Studios Florida Attractions.
Live Entertainment at Universal Studios.
Universal Studios Florida Touring Plan.
Universal Studios Florida One-day Touring Plan.
Buying Admission to Universal Studios Florida.
Touring Plan.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Beware of the Wet and Wild.
Getting Oriented at Islands of Adventure.
Islands of Adventure Attractions.
Marvel Super Hero Island.
Toon Lagoon.
Jurassic Park.
The Lost Continent.
Seuss Landing.
Islands of Adventure Touring Plan.
Islands of Adventure One-day Touring Plan.
PART NINE: The Water Parks and Water Sports.
Wet ’n Wild and Adventure Island versus Disney Water Parks.
A Flume-to-Flume Comparison.
Wet ’n Wild.
Body and Mat Slides.
Raft and Tube Rides.
Other Attractions.
Wakezone.
Adventure Island.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Getting There.
Contacting Adventure Island.
Attractions.
Water Sports.
Buena Vista Watersports.
Orlando Watersports Complex.
PART TEN: Miniature Golf.
PART ELEVEN: Old-Town.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting Old-Town.
Rides and Attractions.
Nonticket Rides.
Ticket Rides.
Dining.
Shopping.
PART TWELVE: International Drive.
Plan Ahead.
Getting There.
Attractions.
PART THIRTEEN: Airboat Tours, Horse Rides, Zoos, and Nature Tours.
Airboats.
Airboat Tours.
Other Animal Attractions.
PART FOURTEEN: Museums and Cultural Attractions.
Kids and Museums.
Attractions.
PART FIFTEEN: After Dark.
Dinner Shows.
The Shows.
Family-friendly Comedy Shows.
The Shows.
Universal Orlando CityWalk.
Getting There.
Admission Prices.
Arriving.
Contacting CityWalk.
CityWalk versus Pleasure Island.
CityWalk Clubs.
Metropolis and Matrix.
Downtown Orlando/Church Street Station Area.
Getting There.
Bars and Clubs.
PART SIXTEEN: Dining.
Dining outside Walt Disney World.
Take Out Express.
Dining at Universal CityWalk.
One Man’s Treasure.
Buffets and Meal Deals Outside Walt Disney World.
Fast Food in the Theme Parks.
Dining at Universal Orlando.
Universal Orlando Restaurant Profiles.
Indexes and Reader Survey.
Accommodations Index.
Restaurant Index.
Subject Index.
Unofficial Guide Reader Survey.