In 1964, Walt Disney began secretly buying millions of dollars worth of central Florida farmland. As vast areas of land were purchased in lots of 5,000 acres here, 20,000 there -- at remarkably high prices -- rumors flew as to who needed so much land and had the money to acquire it. Some thought it was Howard Hughes; others, the space program. Speculation was rife almost to the very day, November 15, 1965 ("D" Day for Orlando), when Uncle Walt arrived in town and announced his plans to build the world's most spectacular theme park ("bigger and better than Disneyland"). In a 2-year construction effort, Disney employed 9,000 people. Land speculation reached unprecedented heights, as hotel chains and restaurateurs grabbed up property near the proposed park. Mere swampland sold for millions. The total cost of the project by its October 1971 opening was $400 million. Mickey Mouse escorted the first visitor into the Magic Kingdom, and numerous celebrities, from Bob Hope to Julie Andrews, took part in the opening ceremonies. In Walt Disney World's first 2 years, the attraction drew 20 million visitors and employed 13,000 people. The sleepy citrus-growing town of Orlando had become the "Action Center of Florida," and the fastest-growing city in the state.

Additional attractions multiplied faster than fruit flies, and hundreds of firms relocated their businesses to the area. SeaWorld, a major theme park, came to town in 1973. All the while, Walt Disney World continued to grow and expand, adding Epcot in 1982 and Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, along with water parks, more than a dozen "official" resorts, a shopping/restaurant village, campgrounds, a vast array of recreational facilities, and several other adjuncts that are thoroughly described in this guide. In 1998, Disney opened yet another theme park, this one dedicated to zoological entertainment and aptly called Animal Kingdom.

Universal Orlando, whose Universal Studios Florida park opened in 1990, continues to expand and keep the stakes high. In late 1998, it unveiled a new entertainment district, CityWalk, and in 1999, it opened Islands of Adventure, a second theme park including attractions dedicated to Dr. Seuss, Marvel Comics, and Jurassic Park. Also in 1999, it opened the Portofino Bay Hotel, a 750-room Loews property. In 2001, the curtain went up on the Hard Rock Hotel, and in summer 2002, the Royal Pacific resort opened as Universal announced plans to add two more hotels to the property in the next decade.

SeaWorld, too, got in on the action when it opened its $100-million sister park, Discover Cove, in 2000. Now, visitors have the chance to swim with dolphins even in landlocked Orlando.

While the tourist economy suffered for almost 2 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it has slowly rebounded. One unfortunate casualty of the economic slowdown following the attacks: Cypress Gardens, the first major park in Orlando, which closed its doors in the spring of 2003. Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld, however, seem to be back in a building mode, albeit not as enthusiastically as during the late 1990s. All the parks have added new attractions, ranging from Mission: Space at Disney's Epcot to Universal's new Revenge of the Mummy to SeaWorld's new entertainment and dining district, the Waterfront. In the resort department, Disney's opened up the first phase of its Pop Century Resort in 2003 and its new Saratoga Springs Resort in mid-2004. That's just a taste of what will likely be many new debuts throughout the parks over the next few years, and they'll be joined by new resorts, and shopping and dining experiences springing up throughout the entire Orlando area.