Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/821088
DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2017 26 YES, YOU CAN VISIT ORLANDO WITH CHILDREN, SEE THE BIG-EARED MOUSE AND COME HOME BOTH SANE AND SOLVENT. ALL IT TAKES IS A BIT OF PLANNING. I f sanity is your primary goal, book a room at one of the 36 resorts within Walt Disney World itself. Yes, you read that right—the Disney property, which is twice the size of Manhattan Island, includes more than 30,000 hotel rooms, as well as nine timeshare properties, and a camp- ground with 799 campsites and 409 cabins. There's an accommodation style for just about every travel fantasy and budget: Disney's Wilderness Lodge for national park fans, Disney's Yacht Club for Cape Cod types, and properties with Caribbean, sports or Old South themes—you name it, they have it. And prices run the gamut; in the off-season, rooms at "value" properties such as Disney's All-Star Music Resort are available for as little as US$100 a night. One of the key advantages of staying at Disney is that you don't have to drive to Disney. Instead, you can take complimen- tary transportation (bus, boat or monorail) from many properties to Disney's four theme parks and other sites, such as the Disney Springs shopping and dining area. My daughter Stephanie and I checked into the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, which is a bit hard to pigeonhole; "deluxe convention hotel" sort of covers it. It is also within walking and boating distance of Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. In combination with the adjacent Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, it offers five pools, meeting space and 17 restaurants and lounges, ranging from coffee shops and sandwich bars to upscale spots that BY LAURA BYRNE PAQUET ABOVE: The Orlando Eye, a giant Ferris wheel near Orlando, is the largest observation wheel on the east coast. Visit Orlando OPPOSITE TOP LEFT: Recognized worldwide, Cinderella Castle is the flagship attraction at Walt Disney World Resort. Visit Orlando OPPOSITE TOP RIGHT: A Scenic Boat Tour in Winter Park takes passengers to lakes connected by canals. Laura Byrne Paquet OPPOSITE CENTRE: Grab a mat and rip down a staggeringly steep hill, head first, at Taumata Racer at Aquatica, SeaWorld's Waterpark in Orlando. Visit Orlando ORLANDO Hitmakers