Village Squire, 1975-02, Page 25The new Space Mountain. One more in the long list of attractions
at Walt Disney World.
Florida is still the Mecca for Jnost eastern
Canadians when it comes time for a winter
holiday. And Florida has prepared itself for
winter -weary Canadians and Americans with
many attractions for the whole family, headed
of course with the fantastic Walt Disney
World. •
It is three years since the opening of Walt
Disney World in central Florida and the
tourist business of the state has been
radically transformed.
The traditional southern vacation spots of
Miami Beach, Key West and Fort Lauderdale
have been fighting a losing battle to attract
the traveller's dollar. People who once
headed for coastal beaches now stop before
they get to the sea, at Disney World 20 miles
southwest of Orlando.
Officials o;i the 5500 million amusement
park predict that more than 350,000
Canadians will visit Disney World this year,
about half the Florida vacationers from
Canada.
It becomes obvious as one approaches
Orlando that this is an area of economic
boom. Large hotels line newly -paved
throughways, the roadside is dotted with
restaurants of every description and
billboards competing for the tourist's
attention.
The focus of all the activity is a 2,500 acre
fantasy world through whose gates 33 million
visitors have already passed. Everything at
Walt Disney is done in grand scale.
A major ride can cost up to 20 million
dollars to build, more than most communities
spend on entire parks. Attractions are
designed to accommodate as many as 3,000
persons per' hour. Monorail trains whisk
visitors around the massive park, and bigger
Travel
Florida
still the Mecca
for
Canadian tourists
and better amusements are constantly under.
construction.
There are 20 restaurants and snack bars in
Walt Disney World and 1„650 hotel rooms
within the resort's boundaries.
"We could fit all of Disneyland - the
amusement park in California on which this
one was modelled - into one of our parking
lots,” remarked one official. Clearly Walt
Disney World is a thriving, profitable
enterprise.
For the visitor this means two things. First
he or she can expect the largest and most
exotic forms of amusement money can buy.
What Disney officials do, they do all-out.
Second, a guest in the World must realize
he is one of thousands, one tiny part of a
highly efficient operation. The fuel of the
smoothly -functioning enterprise is money.
General admission is 55.25 for adults, 54.25
for juniors (12 to 17 years old) and 52.25 for
children. Once inside the gate, a book of
tickets to get into eight attractions costs an
adult 56.50, a junior 56, and a child 55.50.
Disney officials estimate an average family
of four spends about 5115 in the park per day
and probably another 550 for accommodation.
"A treat for the kids" at Disney World is no
cheap proposition.
But let's forget about money for a moment.
Let's take a Walt -Disney -like flight of fantasy
and imagine we could wander at will in the
world his successors have created.
There is a Cinderalla castle 18 stories high
with spires that glisten in the sun. There is a
haunted house with a floor that sinks into the
ground and wall portraits with people that
grow old before your very eyes.
There is a jamboree of singing bears, an
underground cavern :;where pirates lurk
behind every corner and a voyage with
Captain Nemo 20,000 leagues under the sea.
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto
wander through the streets dancing with
shocked mothers and delighting little ones.
Brass bands appear out of nowhere and
parade up and down Main Street.
The gardens are full of flowers, the bushes
are shaped like animals and the grass is
meant to be walked on.
But back to reality.
Here are a few tips for prospective visitors
to Walt Disney World.
Get there early. The park opens at 9 a.m.
and there is more than a full day's worth of
activity. Getting a good start gives you a
chance to get to the more popular attractions
before their lines become too long.
Don't start out with a rigid plan for the
day's activities. Adapt your schedule to
circumstances. If the line at one attraction is
too long, leave it till later. •
Eat at abnormal times. This lets you avoid
crowded restaurants and explore the park
while other people are eating.
Stay at the Disney World campground
instead of a hotel. (If you don't have your own
trailer you can rent one for 535 a night). A
camp site costs 512 and includes electricity,
free transportation to any part of the park, a
charcoal grill, water and picnic tables and
free open-air Walt Disney films for children
each night.
If you prefer to stay at a hotel, shop around.
Competition is sufficiently fierce that many
hotels are forced to offer reasonable rates to
get customers.
And relax. It's fund to be a kid again.
Although Florida entertainment centres did
not come out of the energy crisis months
VILLAGE SQUIRE/FEBRUARY 1975, 23