Page 315 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

ORLANDO & THE SP A CE C O AST  313

with its LEGO Technic® Test
Track Coaster, and Aquazone®
Wave Racers. LEGO® City and
Imagination Zone offer an entire
scaled-down town and hands-on
display. Younger visitors will enjoy
Duplo Valley and Pirate’s Cove.
The Water Park features a raft
river, a wave pool, and high-
speed slides. The on-site resort
hotel, with rooms built around
LEGO® themes, is a favorite
with LEGO® fans.
Popular LEGO® characters Emmet, Wyldstyle, and Benny at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort
r International of Lake Eloise. LEGOLAND® y Disney
Drive Florida Resort is located just Wilderness
45 minutes from both Walt
£ Orlando. @ Orlando. n Visitor Disney World® Resort and Tampa, Preserve
Center, 8723 International Drive, (407)
363-5872. in the city of Winter Haven. Built 2700 Scrub Jay Trail, 12 miles (18 km)
on the site of the former Cypress SW of Kissimmee. Tel (407) 935-0002.
A stone’s throw from Walt Disney Gardens, the native plants and £ Kissimmee. @ Kissimmee.
World®, “I Drive” is a 3-mile exotic species, including the Open 9am–5pm daily. Closed Sat &
(5-km) ribbon of hotels, shops, Banyan tree planted when the Sun in Jun–Sep. & 8 Sun 1:30pm
and theaters. Its most popular gardens opened in 1939, have Oct–May.
attraction is the Orlando Eye, been carefully preserved.
a giant Ferris wheel that offers The park contains ten different Orlando’s best wilderness
breathtaking views across miles. zones, ensuring an exciting preserve is a haven for native
The SEA LIFE Aquarium and experience for every family plants and animals, and also for
Madame Tussaud’s are also member. The Beginning features people wanting to get away
major highlights at I-Drive. a 100-ft- (30-m-) high rotating from the crowds. Unlike other
Filled with fantastic objects, platform offering a 360-degree Disney attractions, there are no
illusions, and film footage of view of the whole park, while thrill rides on these 12,000 acres
strange feats, Ripley’s Believe Fun Town has a two-story (18.75 sq miles), but there is still
It or Not! was created by the carousel, and 4-D movie theater. plenty to do. There is an off-road
American cartoonist, Robert Ripley. Castle Hill brings the medieval buggy tour on Sundays, and
It is housed in a building that era to life, and Miniland USA three hiking trails that lead to
appears to be falling into one presents eight miniature Lake Russell. The interpretive
of Florida’s sinkholes, which replicas of American landmarks. trail is 0.8-mile (1.2-km) long and
occur due to the erosion of the With its life-sized LEGO® dinosaur visitors can learn about nature
limestone bedrock. Titanic The and roller coasters, Land of along the way. The longer trails
Experience displays artifacts, Adventure will delight thrill- are mostly unshaded, so bring
movie memorabilia, and re- seekers, while XTreme caters sunscreen, a hat, plenty of
creations of the ship’s interior. for more courageous visitors water, and insect repellent.
Two blocks from the mall is
Orlando’s Official Visitor
Information Center, which has
coupons for many attractions,
such as discounts on admission
and bargain meals.

t LEGOLAND®
Florida Resort
One Legoland Way, Winter Haven.
Tel (877) 350-5346. £ Winter Haven.
Open 10am–5pm daily. Closed Tue &
Wed in slow periods. & 7
∑ florida.legoland.com

Enjoy an action-packed day of
adventure and education in a
beautiful setting on the shores Lake Russell, one of many lakes at the Disney Wilderness Preserve

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