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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