Orlando S

Where to Get More Information

If you want additional information on attractions, accommodations, or

just about anything else that’s in Orlando, the city has some excellent

sources for tourist information, discounts, maps, and more.

Orlando tourist information offices

The Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau can

answer your questions regarding area attractions, dining, and accommo-

dations, as well as send you maps and brochures. You should receive

the packet in about three weeks, and it includes the Magicard, which

is good for hundreds of dollars in discounts on accommodations, car

rentals, attractions, and more. The Official Visitors Center is located at

8723 International Drive, Suite 101, Orlando, FL 32819. For information,

call % 407-363-5872 (voice — you can talk to a real person!), 800-643-

9492, or 800-551-0181 (automated). Or log on to the Internet to www.

orlandoinfo.com.

Get your info straight from the Mouse’s mouth. Contact Walt Disney

World, Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000 (% 407-934-7639;

www.disneyworld.com), to order vacation brochures and get infor-

mation on all the theme parks, attractions, dining, accommodations,

and more.

For information on Universal Studios Florida (see Chapter 18), Islands

of Adventure (see Chapter 19), and CityWalk (see Chapter 25), contact

363

Appendix: Quick Concierge

Universal Orlando, 1000 Universal Studios Plaza, Orlando, FL 32819

(% 407-363-8000; www.universalorlando.com). They will also send

you vacation brochures, including information on restaurants and

accommodations.

SeaWorld offers vacation brochures with information on the park, its

restaurants, its hotel partners, and on Discovery Cove, where you can

swim with dolphins. Write to 7007 SeaWorld Dr., Orlando, FL 32801,

or call % 407-351-3600. Online, surf over to www.seaworld.com.

For information on Discovery Cove, call % 877-434-7268 or head to

www.discoverycove.com.

Get in touch with the Kissimmee–St. Cloud Convention and Visitors

Bureau, 1925 E. Irlo Bronson Hwy./U.S. 192, Kissimmee, FL 34744

(% 800-327-9159 or 407-847-5000; www.floridakiss.com), for maps,

brochures, coupon books, and a guide to local accommodations and

attractions.

Newspapers and magazines

Check out the Sunday travel section in your hometown paper for the

latest bargains, ideas, and tips. After you land in O-Town, pick up a copy

of the Orlando Sentinel (www.orlandosentinel.com) to find out about

current events and deals. Go2Orlando, www.go2orlando.com, is the

Sentinel’s online section dedicated to visitors. The paper’s Calendar and

CityBeat sections are gold mines for current information on the area’s

accommodations, restaurants, nightclubs, and attractions, as is the

Orlando Weekly (www.orlandoweekly.com).

Other sources of information

Deb’s Unofficial Walt Disney World Information Guide (The

All Ears Net) (http://wdwig.com, www.allearsnet.com) is

an excellent information source and arguably the best unofficial

Disney guide on the Internet. Though Disney doesn’t own it, it’s run

and written by true-blue fans of Mickey, so while it’s not entirely

objective (and you should take that into consideration when look-

ing at the tips it offers) the information is extremely detailed and

up to date. There are also sections aimed at travelers with special

needs that include good tips for touring the Disney parks if you’re

physically challenged, elderly, or with kids in tow.

Visit www.icflorida.com for information about dining, clubs, per-

formances, theme parks, sports, and special events.

Frommer’s Walt Disney World & Orlando with Kids (Wiley

Publishing, Inc.) has lots of tips and advice for those traveling with

children ages 2 to 16, while Frommer’s Irreverent Walt Disney

World (Wiley Publishing, Inc.) is a fun-filled guide aimed at singles

and couples.