What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando

Little has stood in the way of Walt Disney World's explosive growth since it opened its first Florida theme park in 1971. But the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, coupled with a still struggling economy, have had a lingering impact on Orlando tourism. While the tourist culture has climbed back slowly, Disney, Universal, the smaller attractions, and the area's hotels and restaurants are in an economic slump that continues to keep business off by 25% or more.

Disney and the wannabes have countered declining revenues and attendance with reduced operating hours. Some attractions and restaurants close seasonally, and some shows have fewer daily performances or are dark certain days of the week. And in the 20 months following the attacks, all three of the major players -- Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld -- hiked single-day admission prices twice. As of June 1, 2003, Disney charges $52 per adult and $42 per child, 3 to 9; Universal and SeaWorld charge $51.95 for adults and $42.95 for kids.

On a broader scale, heightened security remains in effect. And you can expect beefed up security at some hotels, the theme parks, and other public places.

Planning Your Trip

The area's "other" airport, Orlando Sanford International, continues to grow slowly, becoming an alternative landing zone for mainly international travelers. Its big sister, Orlando International Airport, however, is still the overwhelming choice of most visitors.

Motorists who haven't been to Orlando in the last year will also find something new: Exit numbers have changed on all of the state's interstates, including I-4 from Daytona Beach through Orlando to Tampa. You'll find the new exit numbers in the directions to the accommodations, restaurants, theme parks, and other attractions in chapters 5 through 8. If you have Web access, you can view the new changes at www11.myflorida.com/trafficoperations/exitnumb.htm, then click "I-4."

Where To Stay

The moderately priced and Polynesian-themed Royal Pacific resort (tel. 800/232-7827 or 407/363-8000; www.universalorlando.com), the third Loews hotel at Universal Orlando, opened in June 2002, adding 1,000 rooms to Universal's capacity. Shortly after the new resort opened, Universal confirmed plans for two more hotels, but their names and themes haven't been announced.

Disney's long-delayed Pop Century Resort will open half of its 5,760 rooms in December 2003. No word on when the rest of the rooms will follow. Much like the All-Star resorts, the inexpensive Pop Century will have themes, in this case decade-long capsules of the 20th century.

For those who want to be near but not on Universal's property, the business-oriented Crowne Plaza Orlando-Universal (tel. 866/864-8627 or 407/355-0550; www.crowneplaza.com/universalfla) debuted in mid-June 2002 with 400 rooms and rates around $100 double.

Where To Dine

Tchoup-Chop (tel. 800/232-7827 or 407/363-8000; www.universalorlando.com) is the most noteworthy new arrival in town. Emeril Lagasse's second Orlando property is the signature restaurant at Universal's new Royal Pacific resort and features Pan-Asian cuisine.

Across town at Walt Disney World, character-dining aficionados will find a new reservations policy at Cinderella's Royal Table (tel. 407/939-3463; www.disneyworld.com). Guests wishing to make a Priority Seating reservation must leave a nonrefundable credit-card deposit of $10 for adults and $5 for kids. You can thank a New York state veterinarian and his followers for that. They used to jam the phone lines at the 7am opening bell and lock up all of the reservations, then offer them on an Internet site, in the process, blocking out other hopefuls.

Note: Don't plan on lighting up during dinner. Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2002 that bans smoking in public work places, including restaurants and bars that serve food. Stand-alone bars that serve virtually no food and designated smoking rooms in hotels are exempted.

Exploring Walt Disney World

In addition to raising its single-day admission prices, Disney has also increased the admission for DisneyQuest, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach to $31 adults, $25 kids. The Mouse also increased the parking fee at its theme parks to $7 for a car or pickup truck, and raised the price of most multiday and special event passes. And Cirque du Soleil in Downtown Disney bumped its adult admission prices to $72 and $82, a jump of $5 and $15, respectively.

Construction on Epcot's Mission: Space (tel. 407/824-4321; www.disneyworld.com), a motion simulator similar to the ones NASA uses to train astronauts, is expected to open just about the time this guide reaches bookstores.

At Disney-MGM Studios (tel. 407/824-4321; www.disneyworld.com), the Star Tours ride is getting a retrofitted film that will include scenes from Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but the work may not be done until 2004. The park's The Hunchback of Notre Dame musical closed its run in September 2002.

Primeval Whirl is the newest ride to debut at Animal Kingdom (tel. 407/824-4321; www.disneyworld.com). The carnival-style twin roller coaster with spinning, rider-controlled cars opened in May 2002.

The news isn't so good at River Country. The smallest of Disney's three water parks, normally closed during the winter for refurbishment, didn't reopen in spring 2002 and its future at this point appears to be uncertain.

Newly installed Web terminals at eight Magic Kingdom locations give guests 25-cent-per-minute access to their e-mail and the Internet. There are plans to add 60 more in the other theme parks, resorts, and restaurants.

Disney's sports-and-recreation department has added 30-minute horse-drawn carriage rides for $30 at Fort Wilderness (tel. 407/824-4321; www.disneyworld.com).

Exploring Universal Orlando

About the time this guidebook is published, Universal Studios Florida plans to open two new attractions: Shrek 4-D (tel. 800/837-2273 or 407/363-8000; www.universalorlando.com) will be a 15-minute show that can be seen, heard, felt, and smelled thanks to film, motion simulators, OgreVision glasses, and other special effects, including water spritzers. Shrek replaces Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies.

Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast (tel. 800/837-2273 or 407/363-8000; www.universalorlando.com) lets you sign aboard a spinning, careening adventure that includes a battle against Yokians -- evil, egg-shaped aliens. This attraction replaces the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera.

Universal Studios Florida has also Closed Kongfrontation, which opened with the park in 1990. It will be will be replaced in spring 2004 with the $40 million Revenge of the Mummy, an indoor roller coaster based on The Mummy. Universal also moved Halloween Horror Nights to Islands of Adventure and boosted daily parking fees to $8 for cars and pickups.

At Seaworld & Elswhere In Orlando

SeaWorld (tel. 800/327-2424 or 407/351-3600; www.seaworld.com) is diving deeper into the restaurant pool with Dine with Shamu, a reservations-only seafood buffet served poolside with Shamu as a special guest. The park also opened Sharks Underwater Grill, where diners can dig into Florida and Caribbean treats while watching denizens of the deep swim by.

Gatorland's new Adventure Tours program (tel. 800/393-5297 or 407/855-5496; www.gatorland.com) lets up to five guests become a Trainer for a Day. The $190 experience puts you side by side with trainers and includes a chance to wrangle an alligator (minimum age 12). Cypress Gardens, one of Orlando's oldest attractions, closed its doors in 2003 after 64 years of continuous operation, a victim of the country's economic downturn and waning attendance.

Mall at Millenia (tel. 407/363-3555; www.mallatmillenia.com) opened in October 2002. The 1.3-million-square-foot shoppers' paradise near Universal Orlando is home to such high-end retailers as Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton.

The on-again, off-again story of Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede appears to be on again, with the alcohol-free, country-and-cowpoke-themed dinner show hoping to open by the time this guide is in bookstores.