Walt Disney World offers recreation, outdoors fun, from surfing to
parasailing
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Ninety-five percent of Walt Disney World
Resort is a world beyond the theme parks. It's a world of horsepower
-- both equine and internal combustion. It's a world of water -- both
tranquil and roiling with fun. It's a world where "fore!"
echoes through stands of towering tropical trees. Where fitness takes
no holiday.
In fact, most of the 47 square miles is a world of recreation where
guests can expand the horizons of a family vacation. Where they are
wiled by the wild. Where water whets the spirit of adventure.
Welcome to wild and waterful Disney.
The fun of it began as early as the Magic Kingdom itself -- in October
1971. That's when exotic South Seas sights and sounds filled the southern
shoreline of Seven Seas Lagoon with the opening of Disney's Polynesian
Resort. When golfers began teeing it up for the first time on two championship
courses threading through forests of palms, pines, and hardwood trees.
When curious kids began peering over the side of the marina dock at
Disney's Contemporary Resort to discover schools of fish darting through
the waters of Bay Lake.
Less than two months later, a forest setting of more than 600 acres
became a home away from home for vacationers in love with the great
outdoors as Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground greeted its
first guests.
There are two water parks where the daring can plummet at nearly 55
miles per hour, snorkel with sharks and tropical fish, and learn to
surf. Lakes where skillful guides teach novice anglers how to land largemouth
bass bigger than a fish story, and self-described "water bums"
take guests on waterskiing, wakeboarding and parasailing adventures.
Canals for canoeing. Trails for jogging and biking. Others for ambling
rides on horseback beneath a canopy of trees. The list -- and the fun
-- goes on and on . . .
There's a mile tri-oval speedway where the horsepower under the hood
is in the hundreds and the speeds are hardly ambling. There are health
clubs. And six golf courses, complete with private instruction and a
reputation as some of the best resort golf in America.
Here's a sampling of the wild and waterful fun in store:
Surfing
Adventurous guests can catch a wave and feel like they're sitting on
top of the world at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park. Its 2.75-million-gallon
wave pool provides consistent waves every 90 seconds that can range
from three to six feet high -- and no sharks! Craig Carroll's Cocoa
Beach Surf School invites guests to learn from professional surfers
how to cut, carve and "hang 10." The program is available
by reservation for an extra charge on selected mornings prior to regular
park hours. Guests may call 407/WDW-PLAY (939-7529) for more information.
Scuba Diving
Certified divers can slip into dive gear for an unforgettable encounter
with creatures of the deep. Imagine browsing a salt-water world of coral
teeming with marine life without ever entering the sea. Walt Disney
World guests can do just that at The Living Seas pavilion at Epcot.
One of the world's largest aquariums (6 million gallons) is home to
thousands of creatures -- from angelfish to 300-pound sea turtles. Disney's
twice-daily DiveQuest program welcomes certified divers on expert-led
tours. Rates include equipment, so guests don't have to bring dive gear
from home. Guests may call 407/WDW-TOUR (939-8687) for more information.
Scuba-Assisted Snorkeling
Guests without scuba certification can experience the wonder of The
Living Seas at Epcot by means of the Epcot Seas Aqua Tour. This is get-wet
action at its most exciting -- an up-close experience with the species
of the deep that make The Living Seas their home. Participants use scuba-assisted
snorkeling equipment. For more information, guests may call 407/WDW-TOUR
(939-8687).
Boating
Guests can skim across Walt Disney World waterways aboard a personal
Sea Raycer watercraft. These modern-looking mini-powerboats, created
exclusively for Walt Disney World Resort, make waves as they cut through
open water. They are environmentally sound, meeting recent federal laws
requiring small engines to meet pollution control and fuel efficiency
standards. Sea Raycers by Sea Ray are available at marinas throughout
Walt Disney World Resort. Guests can also experience water adventures
with sailboats, pontoon boats, canopy boats, pedal boats, rowboats or
canoes at select Walt Disney World marinas.
Water Skiing
The recipe for adventure at Disney's Contemporary Resort includes skis
and speed at Sammy Duvall's Watersports Centre. "Air time in no
time" is the motto when guests slalom, kneeboard and wakeboard
on Disney waterways. Guests can book tournament-level ski boats and
ride the waters of Bay Lake near Magic Kingdom on skis, boards or tubes
with guidance from a professional instructor. Hour-long sessions can
be reserved by calling 407/939-0754.
Water Parks
Slides, sunshine, shrieks, screams, surf, splashes. Water fun is a
main event at the birthplace of the water park. Walt Disney World Resort
has two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Information
about water park hours is available by calling Walt Disney World guest
information (407/824-4321) or by visiting disneyworld.com.
Blizzard Beach
* What do you do when a freak snowstorm hits Florida? Build a ski
resort, of course. But as our lift went up, so did the temperature,
leaving some of the world's fastest, longest, slushing, gushing, downhill
thrills. Disney's largest water park offers 66 acres of whitewater raft
rides, water slides and floats. Guests can travel side by side at speeds
up to 25 mph on the Downhill Double Dipper or plunge 120 feet from Summit
Plummet's "ski jump" tower. Designated areas for pre-teens
and young children in addition to a one-acre wave pool create a magically
wet experience for the entire family.
Typhoon Lagoon
* Boats were tossed and palms were bent. And when the storm of storms
finally blew out to sea, it left behind a topsy-turvy tropical playground.
A paradise for snorkeling, sliding and bodysurfing, the park also includes
a 2.25-million-gallon wave pool with waves averaging four feet. The
56-acre Typhoon Lagoon features speed slides, and a 362,000-gallon salt-water
coral reef where guests can snorkel amid colorful fish, live sharks
and coral. A water park "first" in Central Florida is Typhoon
Lagoon's Crush 'n' Gusher "water coaster" that sends guests
on a twisting and turning adventure that includes steep drops with gravity-defying,
coaster-like inclines as screaming jets of water propel riders back
uphill.
Bass Fishing
Even sport fishermen's dreams really do come true at Walt Disney World
Resort, where trophy-sized largemouth bass in the 14-pound range sometimes
lurk in lakes and canals almost within casting distance of Cinderella
Castle. But this fish story gets even better: "Wannabe" sports
fishermen's dreams also come true. On BASS fishing excursions led by
expert guides, guests with lots of experience -- or with little or no
fishing experience -- can enjoy the exhilarating thrill of a feisty
largemouth "striking." The two-hour catch-and-release excursions
are for a party of up to five people and are on a boat stocked for the
excursion with Bassmaster rods and reels and other fishing gear, cold
drinks, and a camera to prove you're not telling "fish stories."
All guests receive a one-year membership to BASS, the Bass Anglers Sportsman
Society, and other benefits. Information and reservations are available
by calling 407/WDW-PLAY (939-7529).
Parasailing
The sky is the limit when guests take a parasailing adventure high
above Bay Lake. Single and tandem fliers can have a bird's-eye view
of Magic Kingdom at altitudes nearing 600 feet for 8 to 10 minutes.
Instead of the traditional water approach, the uniquely designed boat
enables a "dry" take-off and landing from the back of the
boat. For "flight" times guests may call 407/939-0754.
Workout Facilities
Fitness buffs can pump it up at health club facilities located in Disney
resorts. Programs and state-of-the-art equipment are available to guests
at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Disney's
Beach Club Resort, Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Disney's
Old Key West Resort, Disney's BoardWalk, Disney's Coronado Springs Resort,
Disney's Wilderness Lodge Villas, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Biking
Guests can pedal their way to adventure with more than 10 bicycle rental
locations at Walt Disney World resorts. Guests can spend an afternoon
with the wind in their hair on bicycles or charming four-seater surrey
bikes that resemble covered carts.
Tennis
Walt Disney World Resort has some 30 lighted tennis courts. Disney's
Contemporary Resort is home to instructional programs -- private lessons
to clinics to "play the professional," a program in which
guests play against a professional and are critiqued following the match.
Amenities include ball machines, racquet rental and a hitting wall.
Jogging
Lace em' up for a run on one of Walt Disney World Resort's scenic jogging
trails. A sylvan 1.5-mile trail threads through Disney's Fort Wilderness
Resort and Campground. There's a bike path to the Fort Wilderness trail
from Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Guests can take a leisurely three-quarter-mile
stroll on the promenade that surrounds Crescent Lake and connects the
Epcot resorts or the 1.4-mile promenade around the lake at Disney's
Caribbean Beach Resort. There are two trails at Disney's Port Orleans
Resort: one-mile and .7-mile. Runners, bicyclists and strollers at Disney's
Coronado Springs Resort enjoy the nearly one-mile Esplanade. Small jogging
trails are offered at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian
Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Horseback Riding
Active vacationers can saddle up for a trail ride at Disney's Fort
Wilderness Resort and Campground. Riders mosey along beneath tall pines,
bay trees and palmettos on this 45-minute wrangler-led tour. Tours leave
several times daily from Tri-Circle D Corral. Guests may reserve their
spot in the action by calling 407/WDW-PLAY (939-7529).
Golf
Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Ron Garl and Joe Lee have combined to design five
championship courses and a nine-hole course -- a total of 99 holes of
golf -- that have earned Walt Disney World Resort a place among America's
Gold Medal Resorts as honored by Golf Magazine. Four of the courses
have hosted the PGA TOUR, with the Funai Classic currently played on
the Palm and Magnolia courses. Other courses are Eagle Pines, Osprey
Ridge, Lake Buena Vista and the nine-hole Oak Trail. Private lessons
are offered and group clinics can be arranged. For tee times, call 407/WDW-GOLF
(939-4653).
Mini Golf
Disney's Winter Summerland
* Walt Disney World Resort is host to two delightful courses where
Santa and his elves come to play. The "winter" course is a
fun and exciting challenge for the whole family. From an ice castle
to a snowman and a trip to the North Hole, 18 holes of snow send a chill
through any golfer. The "summer" course is pure Florida. From
sandcastles to surfboards and a visit with Santa on the WinterNet, the
summer course is 18 holes of fun in the sun.
Fantasia Gardens
* Hippos dance, fountains leap and broomsticks march at this 36-hole
miniature golf adventure inspired by Disney's classic animated film
"Fantasia." Choose Fantasia Gardens for a fantastic escapade
complete with music and interactive obstacles. Experienced golfers can
challenge Fantasia Fairways, complete with par-three and par-four holes
ranging in length from 40 to 75 feet long that offer sand traps and
water hazards.
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
Thousands of amateur athletes at all levels from youth through college
decide dozens of conference, regional and national championships each
year at Disney's own sports community -- 220 acres of perfectly manicured
fields and diamonds plus a fieldhouse that reverberates with court action.
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex was designed for athletes who
participate and spectators who cheer the action. The two-tier ballpark,
Cracker Jack Stadium, features 80 percent of its 7,500 seats between
first and third base, and there isn't a bad vantage point in the 5,500-seat
fieldhouse, The Milk House, with its vintage design.
Richard Petty Driving Experience
Motorsports fans come out of the grandstands and into a scene most
only dream about: behind the wheel of a stock car on the one-mile tri-oval
Walt Disney World Speedway. The Richard Petty Driving Experience features
a choice of driving programs daily in vehicles with 600 horses under
the hood. Guests can also choose a three-lap thrill ride as a passenger
at a top speed of up to 145 mph. Information is available by calling
800/BE-PETTY (237-3889).
Where to stay
Even Disney lodging can be geared to lovers of the great outdoors.
Actives can choose campsites, Wilderness Cabins or pull their RV up
at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Guests can enjoy
the rustic splendor of Disney's Wilderness Lodge, showcasing the Pacific
Northwest. Both resorts artfully capture the charm of the great outdoors.
