Visitor Information

The best place to find information on Orlando and central Florida is the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 8723 International Dr., Suite 101, Orlando, FL 32819 (tel. 407/363-5872; www.orlandoinfo.com). Staffers can answer questions, assist you with reservations, help you find discounts, and send maps and brochures, such as the Official Visitors Guide, African-American Visitors Guide, Area Guide to Restaurants, Unexpected Orlando, and Official Accommodations Guide. The free packet should arrive in about 3 weeks and includes the Orlando "Magicard," which is good for over $500 in discounts on hotel rooms, car rentals, attractions, and more. Tip: Keep the card handy so you won't lose out on any available discounts once you get into town.

If you don't require a human voice, you can get all of the above by calling tel. 800/643-9492 or 800/551-0181.

For general information about Walt Disney World, including vacation brochures and videos or to ask questions, you can write to Walt Disney World, Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000; or call tel. 407/934-7639, 407/824-4321,or 407/824-2222. On the Internet, visit www.disneyworld.com. If you don't mind waiting a couple of days for an answer, you can also e-mail questions to wdw.guest.communications@Disney.com.

For information about Universal Studios Florida, CityWalk, and Islands of Adventure, call tel. 407/363-8000, or write to Universal Orlando, 1000 Universal Studios Plaza, Orlando, FL 32819. On the Internet, visit www.universalorlando.com.

For information about SeaWorld, call tel. 407/351-3600 or visit online at www.seaworld.com. For Discovery Cove information and reservations call tel. 877/4-DISCOVERY, or 407/370-1280. For online information visit www.discoverycove.com.

You can also visit the Kissimmee-St. Cloud Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1925 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. (U.S. 192), Kissimmee, FL 34744; or write to P.O. Box 422007, Kissimmee, FL 34742-2007 (tel. 800/327-9159 or 407/847-5000; www.floridakiss.com). The folks there will send a packet of maps, brochures, coupon books, and the Kissimmee-St. Cloud Vacation Guide, which details area accommodations and attractions.

For information on the International Drive area, call tel. 407/248-9590 or head online to www.InternationalDriveOrlando.com. The staff has information about rooms, restaurants, attractions, shops, and the I-Ride Trolley.

For information about places to stay, eat, and visit north of the Orlando metro area, contact the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center at tel. 877/972-4262.

Online Information -- The websites listed above also provide a great abundance of other helpful and necessary information. Disney's www.disneyworld.com has theme park maps; current ticket prices; driving directions; park hours for specific days; information on attractions, special events, recreational activities, resorts, and dining; resort photos and prices; Disney Cruise Line information; an online booking service; a new online tool for vacation planning, and much, much more.

Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Information Guide (http://wdwig.com) is an excellent information source and arguably the best unofficial Disney guide on the Internet. Though Disney doesn't own it, it's run and written by true blue fans of Mickey, so it's not entirely objective (and you should take that into consideration when looking at the tips it offers). The site includes comprehensive insider information on tickets, Disney restaurant menus, the Disney Cruise Line, and the WDW resorts, as well as other valuable tips. Some sections are aimed at travelers with special needs, and include good tips for touring the Disney parks if you're physically challenged, elderly, or with kids in tow.

The sites operated by Universal Orlando (www.universalorlando.com), and SeaWorld (www.seaworld.com), offer ride descriptions, details about the parks, ticket prices, and information not directly related to the theme parks. Both, however, lack the thoroughness of Deb's and the Disney sites.

The city's newspaper, the Orlando Sentinel, produces an online site at www.orlandosentinel.com. It has a variety of entertainment information. If you go to another Sentinel-produced website, www.go2orlando.com, you'll find the focus on attractions, accommodations, restaurants, discounts, and other things important to visitors. Also visit www.insidecentralflorida.com for information about dining, clubs, performances, theme parks, sports, and special events.