Looking for Orlando, Disney World tips for Road Trip 2008

Next Tuesday, I officially begin Road Trip 2008, my reporting journey through the U.S. South.

As I've written here, I'll be doing stories and photo packages from some of the most interesting destinations and attractions in the region, many of which I've already planned. But I am also very keen on seeing what you might suggest for various locations along the way.

On Road Trip 2008, I will begin in Orlando, Fla., and will spend at least a day perusing Disney World looking for stories. Help me find something to write about and you could win a ticket to the Cirque du Soleil.

(Credit: Disney)

My first stop when the trip begins on June 10 will be Orlando, Fla. As you can imagine, that means I'll be stopping in on Disney World.

But I've never been there before, and I'm not entirely sure what kinds of things at that Manhattan-sized theme park would make for the best Road Trip fodder.

So here's the deal: I want to turn to you for advice on what would make the most sense for this project. And if you're the first person to send me a Disney World tip that I actually act on, I have a ticket to La Nouba, the Cirque du Soleil show there, for you.

Before you rush to send me an e-mail (daniel-dot-terdiman-at-cnet-dot-com) about your favorite ride, here's the catch: In order for me to take you up on the tip, it needs to fit into the theme of Road Trip. And the best way I can illustrate for you what works is to give you links here to the trips I did on Road Trip 2007 in the Southwest and on Road Trip 2006 in the Pacific Northwest. If your suggestion is in the same vein as what I've done the last couple of years, send it along.

What works: Tech angles; behind-the-scenes access; infrastructure; aviation themes; and the like. Whatever it is, it needs to be highly photogenic.

As I alluded to above, I have a ticket to give away for the 9:00 p.m. La Nouba show on Tuesday, June 10. If you're the winner, you need to be in front of the theater no later than 8:30 p.m.

Similarly, I'm looking for a suggestion about something else to write about in or near Orlando. But not Kennedy Space Center. I'm already planning a visit there. Again, it should be something that would fit alongside what I've done previously on Road Trip 2006 or Road Trip 2007.

If you're the one who gives me a great idea on something to do in the Orlando area (outside of Disney World), I've got a gift for you in return: Season one of the Showtime show, The Tudors.

I look forward to hearing any ideas you have. And maybe I'll be meeting one of you and taking in a couple of hours of the Cirque du Soleil with you next week. Good luck and thanks for your help.

In the meantime, in addition to staying tuned to this blog, be sure to follow my progress on Twitter and through videos of the many places and people I'll see on Qik.

[amandachuck]

On the theme of transportation: The "Test Track" attraction at Epcot is something to look at. And combining infrastructure and transportation, a study of the WDW Transportation system (if you can get behind the scenes access) would be interesting. This system consists of: monorails, riverboats, ferries, and busses, busses, busses! All for free.
In human interest, visit: Give Kids the World, which is a facility built to grant terminal children their wishes. It has themed places to stay, medical care, group events (including Christmas once a week, for kids who may not live to the next one), and of course, is across the highway from WDW. Founded by a Holocaust survivor turned Florida hotel magnate, it helps children from all over the country and the world including kids in the "Make a Wish" program.

[4schler]

Expedition Everest, the Rockin' Rollercoaster, Splash Mounain and Space Mountain - check out the progression of rollercoaster technology and multimedia advancement/involvement through some of the park's top rides.

Also, make sure you check out some of the ways the park makes you feel like you're not necessarily waiting in line, even if you are, and maybe share some of your ponderings on their speedpass ticket system.

[twingonaut]

I've never been there, but south of Disney is a place called Fantasy of Flight that has lots of planes and an airshow.

At Disney: Mission Space...though the space shuttle ride at Kennedy might be better. I agree with amandachuck about the transportation infrastructure at Disney World

Tech in a fuzzy way: PalMickey puts a PDA soul in a stuffed Mickey Mouse. Was in the news a bit a ways back, but have hardly heard if they are expanding or updating it.

[Daniel Terdiman]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. I'll look at them and see if any of them make sense for my trip. I appreciate the input.

[zapperz2000]

I would make the following recommendations:

1. Soarin' at Epcot. If you like flying/aviation, this would be it. For a techie, check out the seat system.

2. Do the Segway tour around the World Showcase, also at Epcot (you need a separate ticket for this). Do this tour early in the morning before World Showcase opens.

3. Behind The See Tour at The Land Pavilion, also at Epcot. This gives you a look at the research activities at The Land, and you get to see all the different ways they are growing plants for food.

4. Ride the monorail. Ask to sit in the front car.

5. Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom. This is one of the most sophisticated ride vehicles around. You feel as though you are riding on bumpy, rocky, uneven surface, when in fact you are not. It is all in the vehicle.

6. Don't miss Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot's Living Seas with Nemo and Friends. In the same vein, don't miss Monsters Inc's Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom. Both of these are amazing animation characters that are on screen that interact live with the audience.

Z.

[Shabbus]

Microsoft Tech Ed is at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The 'doer' conference is June 3-6, and the 'manager' conference is the following week (June 10). How can you get better than that?

[dcreinken]

This tip combines both Kennedy Space Center and Disney, but it's the perfect partnership.

Disney and NASA have always been close - from the days of Werner von Braun narrating Disney films about space travel. NASA astronauts were even the first to ride the Space Mountain attraction at its grand opening.

There are two attractions at Epcot that have a strong NASA connection. First, the Mission:Space attraction not only realistically simulates space flight, but the attraction features an actual Lunar Rover on loan from NASA in the queue, and NASA engineers consulted heavily with Disney on the attraction design.

Second, the Land Pavilion in Epcot has a greenhouse section reserved for experiments coordinated with NASA on growing food in space - the greenhouse is open to public view, but the story behind this is not widely reported or investigated - I bet this is a unique angle that would be of great interest to CNet readers.

Good luck with your trip!

[amandachuck]

Soarin' premiered in California Adventure first, and the interesting thing is that the ride mechanism was invented by an Imagineer over a Thanksgiving holiday using an ERECTOR SET from his family's basement. He worked it out, brought it to work, showed it to the team, and volia. Talk about low tech meeting high tech!

[clorettes]

I used to live in Orlando and I had a season pass to Disney. It is one of my favorite places, period. I am also a techie and my favorite ride in Disney World is Dinosaur, in Animal Kingdom. This is the most technologically advanced ride in Disney and probably in the world because of the animatronics involved in the various dinosaurs' lifelike movement.

On that note you may be able to meet lucky the free moving animatronic raptor who wanders the Animal Kingdom. Also, another idea would be to visit the Tiki Room as well and contrast Disney's oldest (not actually sure of that statement) animatronics to it's newest.

BTW - I loved Mission Space at Epcot and it would be a close second to Dinosaur as far as favorite ride / techie attraction.

[cheerjamlynn]

Going on the theme of transportation I would choose Test Track, located in Epcot. This ride is a 4 person "car" which takes you on a test ride of testing out a car. You ride on bumpy roads, fast turns, go through a very warm enviornment,etc. Then at the end it looks like you are going to crash into a wall, when the wall moves and you break outside speeding around a track up to 65 mph. It is a thrill seeking ride and I recommened it highly.

[bob61744]

For Disney World, you might want to discuss(with the Disney imagineers) the testing and shakeout of a new technically complex ride, Toy Story Midway Mania, in Hollywood Studios. It just opened before Memorial Day, and is basically a ride-through arcade videogame, with individualized scoring. We were there May 23, and the ride shut down for a few hours, just before we were able to ride it. Per an employee, Disney has had challenges on getting this ride working. see http://www.wdwmagic.com/toystorymania.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story_Mania

In Orlando, try the home of the Beat Generation author and "On the Road" writer, Jack Kerouac. Jack Kerouac house info at: http://kerouacproject.org/information/history-of-project

[KevinLeeC]

Check out www.ridemax.com Best $15 I ever spent!

[heatherpiro]

Not sure if it is too late, but ... visit the splendid Bok Tower Gardens in lovely Lake Wales, FL. Description from website (http://boksanctuary.org/index.html) : Bok Tower Gardens offers visitors Florida's most abundant opportunities for aesthetic, cultural and personal enrichment. The lush landscapes of the Olmsted gardens, the majesty and music of the Singing Tower with its 60-bell carillon and the splendor of Pinewood Estate create an experience that inspires all who visit.

For a gut-busting, finger-licking, competitive trip back to the days of jousting and equestrian skills , try Medieval Times (http://www.medievaltimes.com). Medieval Times Celebrates its 25-year reign in North America. Medieval Times? founders first launched their unique idea for a dinner attraction on the Spanish island of Majorca in 1973. This imaginative new entertainment spot was inspired by the true medieval tradition of royal families inviting guests to a festival and feast to watch Knights compete on horseback.

Get backstage at Disney via their backstage tours. From "Keys to the Kingdom" (Magic Kingdom" to "Backstage Safari" and "Wild by Design" (Animal Kingdom - http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/tourDetail?id=WildByDesignTourPage) and the dozen or so other tours available - they are a fantastic way to understand the magic from a different perspective. Book by calling (407) WDW-TOUR.

Have a great trip!