Orlando O

Part V: Exploring the Rest of Orlando

Harry P. Leu Gardens

Near Winter Park

This serene, 50-acre botanical garden on the shores of Lake Rowena offers

a delightful break from the theme-park razzle-dazzle. Meandering paths

lead through camphors, oaks, and palms. The camellia collection is one of

the world’s largest, blooming October through March. The formal rose gar-

dens are the largest in Florida and contain 75 varieties. Italian fountains,

statues, and a gazebo enhance the gardens. Other highlights include

orchids, azaleas, desert plants, beds of colorful annuals and perennials, a

butterfly garden, and a 50-foot floral clock.

Businessman Harry P. Leu, who donated his estate to the city in the 1960s,

created the gardens. There are $6 guided tours of his house, built in 1888,

on the hour and half-hour (advance reservations suggested). The interior

has Victorian, Chippendale, and Empire furnishings and pieces of art.

See map p. 303. 1920 N. Forest Ave. (between Nebraska Street and Corrine Drive),

Orlando. % 407-246-2620. www.leugardens.org. Admission: $5 adults, $1 children

grades K–12. Admission is free Mon 9am–noon. Parking: Free. Open: Daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

except Christmas. Leu House is closed July.

The Orange County Regional History Center

Downtown

Located within a beautifully restored and historic courthouse built back in

1927, the history center is filled with a multimedia experience that takes

visitors on a tour of the Florida and Orlando of long ago to the thriving

urban community it is today. The interactive and multisensory experience

makes for a unique walk through history. Among the five stories of exhibits

are a Florida back porch where the sights and sounds of central Florida’s

natural environment surround you; a Paleo and Seminole Indian settle-

ment; pioneer cabins; and Florida Crackers. There is also an old courtroom

where Ted Bundy is said to have scratched his name into the defendants’

table. For those who believe, it is said that ghosts have been known to

roam the hallways, causing supernatural disturbances that have induced

more than a few letters of resignation over the years. Guided tours are

available on Saturdays at 11 a.m. Allow two hours.

See map p. 303. 65 E. Central Blvd. % 407-836-8595. www.thehistorycenter.org.

Admission: $7 Adults, $6.50 students and seniors, $3.50 children 3–12. Parking: Free

at the Orlando Public Library. Open: Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun noon–5 p.m.

Orlando Museum of Art

Downtown

This local heavyweight handles some of the most prestigious traveling

exhibits in the nation. The museum, founded in 1924, hosts special exhibits

throughout the year, but even if you miss one, it’s worth a stop to see its

rotating permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art, pre-

Columbian art dating from 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1500, and African art. Allow

two to three hours.

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Chapter 21: Discovering Orlando’s Other Attractions

See map p. 303. 2416 N. Mills Ave. (in Loch Haven Park). % 407-896-4231. www.omart.

org. Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors, $5 children 6–18. Parking: Free. Open: Tue–Fri

10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat–Sun noon to 4 p.m.

Orlando Science Center

Downtown

This modern, four-story center — the largest of its kind in the Southeast —

has 10 halls in which visitors can explore everything from the swamps of

Florida to the arid plains of Mars. One of the big attractions is the Dr.

Phillips CineDome, a 310-seat theater that features films, planetarium

shows, and laser-light presentations. In KidsTown, small fries wander in a

mini version of the world around them. Science City, located nearby, has

a power plant and suspension bridge, and 123 Math Avenue uses puzzles

and other things to make math fun. This option is a great change of pace,

especially if you’re traveling with children. Allow three to four hours (more

if you have an inquiring mind). If you stomach gets the better of you,

there’s a very casual open cafe area that serves burgers and other famil-

iar favorites.

Strollers are available at no extra charge.

See map p. 303. 777 E. Princeton St. (between Orange and Mills in Loch Haven Park),

Orlando. % 407-514-2000 or 888-672-4386. www.osc.org. Admission (includes

exhibits, CineDome film, and planetarium show): $15 adults, $14 students with valid

ID and seniors 55 and older, $9.95 children 3–11. After 4 p.m. Fri and Sat admission is

reduced $5 for all rates. Parking: $3.50 in a garage across the street. Open:

Mon–Thurs 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri–Sat 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun noon to 5 p.m.

Go Orlando!

The newly introduced Go Orlando Card is a great way to see the “best of the rest” that

Orlando has to offer, with admission to attractions like Gatorland, Ripley’s, Watermania,

WonderWorks, Kennedy Space Center, and discounts at area restaurants and shops.

Here’s how it works: You purchase the all-inclusive Go Card instead of individual tick-

ets to each venue. You then have two weeks in which to use the card at any of the

participating venues. They are available in two-, three-, five-, or seven-day increments;

the card is activated with the first use and is good for up to 14 days after activated (For

example a two-day ticket can be used any two days during the two-week time frame).

Depending on the number of attractions you plan to visit, the Go Card may very well save

you some bucks. For details go to www.goorlandocard.com. When you purchase

a Go Orlando Card, you’ll receive maps and a free guidebook with information on the

included attractions. The cost of a two-day card is $99 for adults, $79 for kids ages 3

to 12; a three-day card costs $149 for adults, $109 for kids; a five-day card is $199 for

adults, $149 for kids; and a seven-day card runs $259 for adults and $179 for kids.

306 Part V: Exploring the Rest of Orlando

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium

International Drive

Do you crave weird science? If you’re a fan of the truly bizarre, come here

to see lots of oddities. Among the hundreds of exhibits in its 16 galleries:

a shrunken head, a two-headed calf, a 1,069-pound man, a five-legged cow,

a three-quarter-scale model of a 1907 Rolls-Royce made of 1 million match-

sticks, a mosaic of the Mona Lisa created from toast, torture devices from

the Spanish Inquisition, and a Tibetan flute made of human bones — you’re

getting the idea right? You’ll also find exhibits on Houdini, films of people

swallowing coat hangers, and other human oddities. Visitors are greeted by

a hologram of Robert Ripley himself. There are 27 Odditoriums throughout

the world, and no two are alike. The tour makes for a fun rainy afternoon

or late-night activity. Allow two hours.

8201 International Drive (11⁄2 blocks south of Sand Lake Road). % 407-345-4501.

www.ripleys.com/orlando2.htm. Admission: $17 adults, $12 children 4–12.

Parking: Free. Open: Daily 9 a.m.–1 a.m.

WonderWorks

International Drive

On an uncharted island somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle, a tornado

was inadvertently created by scientists experimenting with some seriously

weird science. In the midst of the storm, the gigantic building where they

were working was swept up and carried off, dropping right in the middle

of Orlando — amazingly, the building is fully intact, but it is now upside

down. This attraction is educational and fun, just don’t come expecting

things to be as glitzy as they are in some of the major parks. Throughout

the three levels you’ll feel the tremble of an earthquake, experience the

rush of hurricane-force winds, create massive bubbles, lie on a bed of nails,

walk across the bridge of fire — a hair-raising, electrical experience — and

even ride the rails via a simulator on a create-your-own-coaster ride. You’ll

learn dozens of fun and interesting facts. (Where are a cricket’s ears? On

its knees.) And experience plenty of mind-boggling visual effects. More

than 100 exhibits are included, but if you’re not a good shot, steer clear of

the Laser Tag game: It costs $5 above regular admission and can make for

a frustrating few minutes — and while you’re at it, skip the arcade extras

as well.

The attraction also features a nightly combination of magic and comedy in

the dinner show called The Outta Control Magic Show. The 90-minute show

features magic and improvisational comedy, as well as unlimited pizza,

popcorn, soft drinks, and beer. It’s a fun time for the kids, and not too bad

for adults either. Call to reserve a spot for the show.

Combination tickets are available for discounted admission to WonderWorks,

Laser Tag, and the dinner show and are a good buy. Discount coupons are

also available on the attraction’s Web site, so check it out before you arrive.

See map p. 303. 9067 International Drive, Orlando % 407-351-8800. www.Wonder

WorksOnline.com. Admission: regular admission $19 adults, $13 kids 4–11 and

seniors 55 and older; combination ticket offering admission to WonderWorks, Laser

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Chapter 21: Discovering Orlando’s Other Attractions

Tag, and Outta Control $38 adults, $27 kids 4–12 and seniors 55 and older. Outta

Control alone is $22 adults, $15 kids 4–11 and seniors. Parking: $2 an hour next door

at the Pointe Orlando parking garage. Open: Daily 9 a.m. to midnight. Dinner show

nightly at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Getting Wet at Orlando’s Water Parks

For more aquatic fun, see Chapter 16 for information on Disney World’s

pair of water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

Water Mania

Kissimmee

This 36-acre water park offers a variety of aquatic thrill rides and attrac-

tions. You can boogie board or body surf in the wave pools, float lazily along

an 850-foot river, enjoy a white-water tube run on Riptide, and spiral down

the Twin Tornadoes water slide. If you dare, ride The Screamer, a 72-foot

freefall speed slide, or the Abyss, an enclosed tube slide that corkscrews

through 380 feet of darkness, exiting into a splash pool. There’s a rain

forest–themed water playground and a pirates’ lagoon for children; a minia-

ture golf course; and picnic area with arcade games, a beach, and volleyball.

Allow four to five hours. Tubes, towels, and lockers are all available for

rent for a small fee and a $1 deposit ($2.15 for a towel, $5–$6.40 for a tube,

$4.30–$6.40 for a locker; a child-size life vest can be rented at no charge).

This park offers fewer thrill rides than the city’s other water parks and,

therefore, attracts fewer teens and young adults, which may make it a little

more attractive to families with smaller children.

See map p. 303. 6073 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy./U.S. 192, Kissimmee. % 800-527-

3092 or 407-396-2626. www.watermania-florida.com. Admission: $30 adults;

$27 kids 3–9. Parking: $6. Open: Daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Mar–early Sept; Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–

5 p.m., Sat–Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m. mid- to late Sept. Call for hours during the month of Oct.

Wet ’n Wild

International Drive

Unlike Water Mania (see the preceding entry), this 25-acre Universal-owned

water park is in the same league as Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

In terms of popularity, it ranks third in the country, right behind the two

Disney parks. It has several first-rate water rides, including The Flyer, a

six-story, four-passenger toboggan ride packing 450 feet of banked curves;

The Surge, which offers 580 feet of greased curves and is billed as the fastest

tube ride in the Southeast; Black Hole, where two-person rafts shoot through

500 feet of twisting, sometimes dark passages; and the new Disco H2O, which

takes riders back in time on a four-person raft through an enclosed and

rather wild flume ride. Riders eventually end up floating about in the Aqua

Club, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase Disco Duck. Laser lights

and disco balls flash all around as you move and groove to the sounds of

the ’70s. All three require that kids 36- to 48-inches tall have an adult with them.

308 Part V: Exploring the Rest of Orlando

You can also ride Raging Rapids, a simulated white-water run with a water-

fall plunge; Blue Niagara with its 300 feet of loops and dips (48-inch height

minimum); Knee Ski, a cable-operated knee-boarding course only open in

warm weather (56-inch height minimum); and Mach 5, which consists of a

trio of twisting, turning flumes. The park also has a large kids’ area with

miniature versions of some of the grown-up rides. If you enjoy the water,

plan on spending a full day here. You can rent tubes ($4), towels ($2), and

lockers ($5); or a combination of all three ($9); each rental requires a $2

refundable deposit.

If you’re considering visiting several of the non-Disney theme parks, the

most economical way to see Wet ’n Wild, Universal Studios Florida,

Islands of Adventure, and SeaWorld is with a FlexTicket. It enables you to

pay one price to visit any of them during a 14-day period. The four-park

pass costs $185 for adults and $ 151 for children 3 to 9. A five-park pass,

which adds Busch Gardens, in Tampa (see Chapter 23), is $225 for adults

and $190 for kids. You can order the FlexTicket through Wet ’n Wild.

See map p. 303. 6200 International Drive (at Universal Boulevard), Orlando. % 800-992-

9453 or 407-351-9453. www.wetnwild.com. Admission: $34 adults, $28 kids 3–9.

Parking: $6. Open: Hours vary seasonally, but the park is open at least 10 a.m.–5 p.m.,

sometimes as late as 11 p.m., weather permitting.

Chapter 22

Shopping in Orlando

In This Chapter

Getting acquainted with Orlando’s shopping districts

Checking out the malls, the outlets, and more

Exploring the antiques district

I

n this chapter, I provide you with a rundown of some of the better

spots outside the Disney district where you can shop to your heart’s

content, if you’ve anything left in your bank account after the theme

parks have wangled their share. Because Walt Disney World is so expert

at separating you from your money, you’ll find the lowdown on shopping

(and spending) at Disney in Chapter 17 . . . yes, it actually requires its

very own chapter.

Surveying the Scene

Orlando is a shopper’s paradise, offering everything from antiques to

souvenirs to upscale one-of-a-kind boutiques. Bargains, however, are

few and far between. If you’re the kind of person who prides yourself on

unearthing a good buy, you’ll be doing a lot of digging before you find

any noteworthy deals. Orlando hosts an array of indoor multilevel malls,

many of them with a fine collection of upscale department stores and

unique specialty stores. There are also a few factory outlets, but the

bargains there are often not much better than the sale prices offered

at many department stores. The city proper has an antiques district

where its lots of fun to window shop, but unless you’re a serious collec-

tor, the prices tend to be prohibitive. Most of Central Florida’s tourist

areas (Orlando, Kissimmee, and the surrounding territory included) are

riddled with T-shirt shacks, jeans joints, and souvenir stands promising

bargains that don’t (or rarely) exist.

The same is true of the theme parks. If you line up at the registers at

Disney, Universal, and the other parks, you pay more than what the

merchandise is worth. But if you must have those mouse ears, check

out the Disney shopping options in Chapter 17 with the other major

theme parks’ merchandise mentioned in Chapters 18, 19, and 20.

310 Part V: Exploring the Rest of Orlando

You can actually get cheaper authentic theme park merchandise outside

of the parks than you can within them. Both Disney and Universal operate

outlet stores in some of the city’s most popular malls (though selections

are often very limited, so don’t expect to find any unique merchandise).

See “Checking Out the Big Names,” later in this chapter for more details

on these rare opportunities.

Here are three shopping heads-ups before you get started:

Sales tax: In Orange County, which includes the International Drive

area and most of the parks, sales tax is 6.5 percent. Kissimmee and

the rest of Osceola County charge 7 percent sales tax.

Store hours: Most of the stores I mention in this chapter are open

seven days a week, from 9 or 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. (6 p.m. on Sun).

Small stores, including those in the antiques district, usually close

around 5 or 6 p.m. and often aren’t open on Sunday. Be sure to call

before you head out; the hours are subject to change.

Money: Most stores accept major credit cards, traveler’s checks, and,

of course, cash (U.S. currency only). An ATM may not be handy in

some areas, and none of the stores listed in this chapter accept for-

eign currency or personal checks. So be prepared before heading out.

All the places listed in this chapter can be found on the “Orlando Area

Shopping” map on page 311.

Finally, know that because Orlando is geared toward travelers, many

retailers offer to ship packages home for a few dollars more. So, if you’re

pondering an extra-large or a fragile purchase you don’t want to drag

home on the plane, train, or in the car, ask. If a retailer doesn’t offer this

service, check with your hotel. Many either have a business center where

you can mail it yourself, or they can arrange a pick-up by United Parcel

Service, the slow-but-good-old U.S. Postal Service, or another carrier to

keep you from dragging a 6-foot stuffed Pluto into the Friendly Skies.

Exploring Great Shopping Neighborhoods

Orlando doesn’t have a central shopping district or districts. Instead,

most shops are sprinkled throughout and around the tourist hot spots

and in retail areas where locals shop, such as malls and so on. The fol-

lowing is a list of some of the more frequented shopping zones:

Celebration: Think Pleasantville à la Disney. Created by Disney, the

town of 25,000 is more of a charming diversion than a good place to

power shop. The downtown area has a dozen or so stores and bou-

tiques, a handful of art galleries, a grocer, and a parfumerie among

others. The storefronts are filled with enticing displays, while inside

they peddle interesting and, often, unique — though highly priced —

merchandise; but, the real attraction is the mid-20th-century, Main

Street atmosphere. Those nostalgic for yesteryear, or in search of

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Chapter 22: Shopping in Orlando

Orlando Area Shopping