ORLANDO VACATION
There’s no greater place than Orlando, Florida to get an education
without opening a book. Many of Orlando’s attractions offer
opportunities for visitors to get up close and personal with animals,
always a big hit with children. The three best edutainment parks,
Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando and Disney’s Animal Kingdom
operate on a similar philosophy; combine animals, lush vegetation,
and equal amounts of education and entertainment to create an
enriching experience for guests of all ages. Your children will have
so much fun, they won’t even know they’re learning.
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM:
Disney outdid themselves once again when they opened the Animal
Kingdom Theme Park. Five times larger than the Magic Kingdom,
Animal Kingdom's theme revolves around animals, but it’s definitely
not a zoo. Upon arrival, go straight to the popular Kilimanjaro
Safaris. This attraction comes as close to an authentic African safari
as you can get without flying to Africa. An open-air vehicle takes you
on an expedition through a savannah where animals such as
giraffes, hippos, rhinos and elephants roam freely. Take plenty of
film and don’t be surprised if a rhino ambles alongside the vehicle
or an elephant blocks your path.
On the Maharajah Jungle Trek, you can watch tigers romp like
oversized kittens and observe giant fruit bats hanging upside down.
Take the train to Observation Station to learn about animal habitats
around the world and to observe the park’s veterinarians perform
procedures.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM THEME PARK
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE:
A stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is the perfect way to
extend your edutainment vacation into the evening hours. Nestled on
74 acres west of Animal Kingdom theme park, the 1,293 room resort
is built in the middle of its own savannah, providing most of the
guest rooms with direct views into the animal sanctuary. The
savannah is home to more than 200 mammals and birds
representing a cross-section of African animals, including Greater
kudu, Grant’s zebra, wildebeest, impala, and Marabou stork to name
a few.
The lodge also showcases an extensive collection of authentic
artwork. Approximately 380 museum quality pieces are located in
public areas, with more than 4,000 handcrafted pieces in the guest
rooms. Keeping with the resort’s theme, the art tells stories about
the relationship between man and animals while also helping
guests understand the diversity of the different regions of Africa.
To truly appreciate all the resort has to offer, plan a few hours of
downtime to enjoy the 9,000 square-foot Uzima Pool, relax in a
secluded, bubbling hot tub and soak up the unusual African
ambience. You’ll soon feel a continent away.
DETAILED REVIEW OF DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE
DISCOVERY COVE:
There’s two things you need to know about Discovery Cove. One, it’
s expensive at $229 per person for the all-inclusive package, and
two, it’s worth every penny. The park limits attendance to 1,000
guests per day so there are no lines or crowds. Discovery Cove
takes the thrill of interacting with animals to a new level, allowing
guests to play in paradise with dolphins, hand-feed exotic birds,
snorkel with thousands of colorful tropical fish, and swim with
stingrays.
The highlight of everyone’s visit is the dolphin encounter. After
learning how trainers use hand signals and positive reinforcement
to communicate with the dolphins, you’ll be invited to swim out into
deep water for the most exciting part of the day-being towed back to
shore by a 450-lb bottlenose dolphin.
Spend the remainder of the day floating along the heated tropical
river, staring down sharks through invisible glass walls, and feeding
gentle stingrays.
DETAILED REVIEW OF DISCOVERY COVE
SEAWORLD, ORLANDO:
Known as Orlando’s best kept secret, SeaWorld is a great park for
adults and children of all ages. Along with the opportunities to touch
stingrays and feed dolphins, SeaWorld also offers special programs
for a limited number of participants who desire an even closer
animal encounter. Surprisingly inexpensive, the one-hour programs
include tours of rescue and rehabilitation facilities, a behind-the-
scenes arctic tour where you can pet a penguin, and a predators
tour of the shark tank where you can even touch a white-spotted
bamboo shark. For the truly adventurous, SeaWorld offers the
chance to scuba dive enclosed in a shark tank in the Shark
Encounter attraction.
Don’t miss the penguin exhibit or the Wild Arctic where you’ll be
transported into a simulated twilight zone of the Arctic circle.
Children will enjoy watching the baby-faced beluga whales toss
balls around, but don’t forget to visit the enormous walrus on the
lower level. He loves interacting with visitors.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF SEAWORLD ORLANDO
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Discovery Cove at www.discovery.com or 1-877-4-
DISCOVERY.
The $229 all-inclusive package includes parking, lunch, use of wet
suits, vests and masks, a complimentary snorkel, showers, lockers,
animal-safe sun screen, a quality 5X7 photo of your family and
admission to SeaWorld or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for 7
consecutive days. The non-dolphin swim package is $129 per
person. The minimum age for the dolphin swim is six.
Contact SeaWorld, Orlando at www.seaworld.com or 1-800-327-
2424.
Admission is $51.95+tax for adults and $42.95+tax for children ages
3-9.
Behind-the-scenes tours are $15.00 for adults and $12.00 for
children.
Contact Disney’s Animal Kingdom at www.disneyworld.com or 1-
407-W-DISNEY.
Admission is $52.00 for adults and $42.00 for children ages 3-9.
For reservations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, contact
Disney Reservations at 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639). Rates range
from $199 to $510 per night. For the best view, ask for a Zebra or
Kudu trail room facing the main savannah.
ORLANDO ACCOMMODATIONS
For budget accommodations contact Quality Inn Plaza at www.
qualityinn-orlando.com or 1-800-999-8585. Rates range from $40 to
$90 per night. The hotel is located one mile from SeaWorld and
Discovery Cove.
There’s no greater place than Orlando, Florida to get an education
without opening a book. Many of Orlando’s attractions offer
opportunities for visitors to get up close and personal with animals,
always a big hit with children. The three best edutainment parks,
Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando and Disney’s Animal Kingdom
operate on a similar philosophy; combine animals, lush vegetation,
and equal amounts of education and entertainment to create an
enriching experience for guests of all ages. Your children will have
so much fun, they won’t even know they’re learning.
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM:
Disney outdid themselves once again when they opened the Animal
Kingdom Theme Park. Five times larger than the Magic Kingdom,
Animal Kingdom's theme revolves around animals, but it’s definitely
not a zoo. Upon arrival, go straight to the popular Kilimanjaro
Safaris. This attraction comes as close to an authentic African safari
as you can get without flying to Africa. An open-air vehicle takes you
on an expedition through a savannah where animals such as
giraffes, hippos, rhinos and elephants roam freely. Take plenty of
film and don’t be surprised if a rhino ambles alongside the vehicle
or an elephant blocks your path.
On the Maharajah Jungle Trek, you can watch tigers romp like
oversized kittens and observe giant fruit bats hanging upside down.
Take the train to Observation Station to learn about animal habitats
around the world and to observe the park’s veterinarians perform
procedures.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM THEME PARK
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE:
A stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is the perfect way to
extend your edutainment vacation into the evening hours. Nestled on
74 acres west of Animal Kingdom theme park, the 1,293 room resort
is built in the middle of its own savannah, providing most of the
guest rooms with direct views into the animal sanctuary. The
savannah is home to more than 200 mammals and birds
representing a cross-section of African animals, including Greater
kudu, Grant’s zebra, wildebeest, impala, and Marabou stork to name
a few.
The lodge also showcases an extensive collection of authentic
artwork. Approximately 380 museum quality pieces are located in
public areas, with more than 4,000 handcrafted pieces in the guest
rooms. Keeping with the resort’s theme, the art tells stories about
the relationship between man and animals while also helping
guests understand the diversity of the different regions of Africa.
To truly appreciate all the resort has to offer, plan a few hours of
downtime to enjoy the 9,000 square-foot Uzima Pool, relax in a
secluded, bubbling hot tub and soak up the unusual African
ambience. You’ll soon feel a continent away.
DETAILED REVIEW OF DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE
DISCOVERY COVE:
There’s two things you need to know about Discovery Cove. One, it’
s expensive at $229 per person for the all-inclusive package, and
two, it’s worth every penny. The park limits attendance to 1,000
guests per day so there are no lines or crowds. Discovery Cove
takes the thrill of interacting with animals to a new level, allowing
guests to play in paradise with dolphins, hand-feed exotic birds,
snorkel with thousands of colorful tropical fish, and swim with
stingrays.
The highlight of everyone’s visit is the dolphin encounter. After
learning how trainers use hand signals and positive reinforcement
to communicate with the dolphins, you’ll be invited to swim out into
deep water for the most exciting part of the day-being towed back to
shore by a 450-lb bottlenose dolphin.
Spend the remainder of the day floating along the heated tropical
river, staring down sharks through invisible glass walls, and feeding
gentle stingrays.
DETAILED REVIEW OF DISCOVERY COVE
SEAWORLD, ORLANDO:
Known as Orlando’s best kept secret, SeaWorld is a great park for
adults and children of all ages. Along with the opportunities to touch
stingrays and feed dolphins, SeaWorld also offers special programs
for a limited number of participants who desire an even closer
animal encounter. Surprisingly inexpensive, the one-hour programs
include tours of rescue and rehabilitation facilities, a behind-the-
scenes arctic tour where you can pet a penguin, and a predators
tour of the shark tank where you can even touch a white-spotted
bamboo shark. For the truly adventurous, SeaWorld offers the
chance to scuba dive enclosed in a shark tank in the Shark
Encounter attraction.
Don’t miss the penguin exhibit or the Wild Arctic where you’ll be
transported into a simulated twilight zone of the Arctic circle.
Children will enjoy watching the baby-faced beluga whales toss
balls around, but don’t forget to visit the enormous walrus on the
lower level. He loves interacting with visitors.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF SEAWORLD ORLANDO
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Discovery Cove at www.discovery.com or 1-877-4-
DISCOVERY.
The $229 all-inclusive package includes parking, lunch, use of wet
suits, vests and masks, a complimentary snorkel, showers, lockers,
animal-safe sun screen, a quality 5X7 photo of your family and
admission to SeaWorld or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for 7
consecutive days. The non-dolphin swim package is $129 per
person. The minimum age for the dolphin swim is six.
Contact SeaWorld, Orlando at www.seaworld.com or 1-800-327-
2424.
Admission is $51.95+tax for adults and $42.95+tax for children ages
3-9.
Behind-the-scenes tours are $15.00 for adults and $12.00 for
children.
Contact Disney’s Animal Kingdom at www.disneyworld.com or 1-
407-W-DISNEY.
Admission is $52.00 for adults and $42.00 for children ages 3-9.
For reservations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, contact
Disney Reservations at 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639). Rates range
from $199 to $510 per night. For the best view, ask for a Zebra or
Kudu trail room facing the main savannah.
ORLANDO ACCOMMODATIONS
For budget accommodations contact Quality Inn Plaza at www.
qualityinn-orlando.com or 1-800-999-8585. Rates range from $40 to
$90 per night. The hotel is located one mile from SeaWorld and
Discovery Cove.
FAMILY TRAVEL FUN.COM
ORLANDO IS TOPS FOR AN EDUTAINMENT VACATION
ORLANDO IS TOPS FOR AN EDUTAINMENT VACATION
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