Frommer's EasyGuide to Disney World, Universal and Orlando 2020 by Jason Cochran

Author:Jason Cochran
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FrommerMedia
Published: 2019-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

To get the most out of a visit, try to be in the same place as the animal trainers. Ask questions. Get involved. They may even allow you to feed or stroke the animals (set aside another $25 or so for fish food). These zoologists love sharing information about the animals they have devoted their lives to. Feeding times are usually posted outside each pavilion’s entrance.

Infinity Falls FLUME On this new (2018) 5-minute round-raft ride, groups of eight ride along 1,500 curling feet of flume through jungle and are sent flying through rapids, bouncing aggressively between waterfalls and soaking fountains operated by sadistic fellow guests. That’s just the beginning. By the end, the floats are raised on a vertical elevator in 5 seconds and dropped 40 feet along a steep ramp to a messy splashdown. You will not emerge dry. SeaWorld is backing away from fishy exhibits, but that doesn’t mean it can’t immerse guests in water instead. Nearby, Whitewater Supply is a notch more interesting than the park’s other souvenir stores, offering driftwood art, candles, sundresses, and waterproof protection for your electronics. Strategy: Boats have no compartments in which to keep things dry. Deal with your stuff before getting in line; there are lockers by the Waterway Grill next door.

Mako ROLLER COASTER Wholly independent of animals, Mako (“MAY-ko”) takes the crown as Orlando’s longest (nearly a mile of track), fastest (73mph), and tallest (200 ft.) coaster. It’s billed as a “hypercoaster” with “relentless air time,” which means there are lots of humps and drops, including several over water, that combined with its deceptively loose restraint system make you feel weightless. That first brutal sideways drop is called “the hammerhead.” On an industry level, it’s a sign SeaWorld is serious about moving away from animal shows. On a thrills level, this is one helluva ride—Orlando’s best coaster. The nearby lockers ($1/hr., bills and credit cards) are necessary unless your item is small because you can leave little items unattended in a bin on the platform. If someone in your party doesn’t want to make a foray on this nerve-tangler, send them to the flamingo paddleboats on the lake across the walkway ($7/person for 20 min.).

Pacific Point Preserve ACTIVITY Like Dolphin Cove, Pacific Point is an open-air, rocky habitat that encourages feedings, but here the residents are incessantly barking California sea lions and a few demure seals. There’s a narrow moat between the tank and the walkway, but you’re encouraged to lean over and toss the doglike animals fresh fish, which are sold for $5 per tray, $20 for five. More often than not, marauding birds snatch what you toss. The area gets busy around Clyde and Seamore showtimes at the neighboring Sea Lion & Otter Theater.

Shark Encounter ACTIVITY The onetime Terrors of the Deep was given a more responsible name to rehabilitate the public image of the much-maligned creatures within. It’s one of the better exhibitions, with 60-foot acrylic tubes passing through 300,000 gallons of water stocked with sharks—you’re ushered along quickly via moving sidewalks.

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