IN THE PAST 30 years, Orlando in Central Florida has been transformed from a quiet town to a seething metropolis thanks mostly to the impact of Walt Disney World. Other attractions, such as Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and The Kennedy Space Center are all within easy driving distance of Disney.
You're sipping a brandy in a big leather armchair next to a roaring fire. You're in Wilderness Lodge, in America's North West; you're miles from anywhere and the year is 1900. You wonder if the supply wagon will get through the snow. The firewood is running low, so you cross the stone floor, past sepia photographs and mounted tomahawks and, deciding to brave the elements, step outside. Welcome to Walt Disney World. Wilderness Lodge is at the high end of the Disney market, but it's just one alternative. Walt Disney World in Orlando is about 50km square, roughly the size of Greater Manchester, and has more than 20 hotels, villas and camping areas.
At the other end of the spectrum is the newly-opened Pop Century Resort. To adult eyes, the massive plastic cartoon sculptures and bubblegum-coloured apartments at this value resort are perhaps garish, but for children it is the stuff of their wildest dreams. Then there are the theme parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom. Throw in a couple of water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), a downtown area with shops, bars, restaurants, cinemas and nightclubs, a Boardwalk, a spa and beaches and you have nothing less than the holiday of a lifetime. So, where do you start? Disney regulars may want to head straight for Epcot's latest thrill ride, Mission: SPACE. Created by Disney's Imagineers and Nasa, it is the park's most technologically advanced attraction to date.
The hype surrounding Mission: Space's launch before Christmas was, well, astronomical. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovell were there for lift-off and the final countdown was made via satellite link to the real Nasa Space Station. By the time my turn came to try it, I had actually convinced myself I was going to Mars. The build-up was fascinating and nerve-racking - at the Recruiting Center, we learned about training and saw a model of the spacecraft we were about to board. Later we came to the Pre-Flight Corridor, modelled on the White Room at the Kennedy Space Center, where astronauts wait for the countdown.