2014 Official Florida Travel Industry Guide - (Page 24)
FAMILY
I
is for imagination, which is offered up in droves at the
Museum of Discovery & Science in downtown Fort
Lauderdale. The museum recently underwent a major
expansion, adding the new 34,000-sq.-ft. EcoDiscovery Center,
in the process more than doubling the museum's current exhibit
space and offering dynamic hands-on explorations. The new center
features five new exhibit areas: Otters at Play, Everglades Airboat
Adventure, Prehistoric Florida, Florida Water Mysteries and Storm
Center, plus the Mangurian Foundation Lifelong Learning Center
features four new learning labs. Kids will have the opportunity to
watch the playful antics of North American river otters; take a ride
on the Everglades Airboat Adventure; experience hurricane force
Loggerhead Marine Life Center, courtesy of Palm
Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau
winds; dig for fossils alongside a giant prehistoric Megalodon;
come face-to-face with a saber-toothed cat; walk under a 12-ft.-
Five Top Hotels for Families in Orlando
1
Universal Orlando Resort (universalorlando.com)
saw the addition of "Despicable Me"-themed suites
at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel last year. The
2-room suites, 18 in total, feature a kid's room decorated with
custom-designed missile beds and Minion-inspired bedding,
and the adults' room has a king bed and new Italian luxury
decor. A new feature of the suites is that they only have one
door, so the children's side does not open to the hallway.
Debuting in March at Universal Resort will be the 1,800-room
Cabana Bay Beach Resort, the fourth hotel within Universal
Orlando Resort and one that evokes the classic, retro-feel of
iconic beach resorts from the 1950s and 60s.
2
The four-diamond Castle Hotel (castelhotelorlando.
com), located on International Drive in Orlando,
became part of the Autograph Collection late last
year. The 214-room property, part of The Kessler Collection, is
modeled after European castles with Bavarian-inspired walls; a
pool with a fountain, surrounded by a garden; tennis courts; two
sky terraces; the Garden Bistro & Bar; the Poseidon Spa; and the
Antlers Lounge. Accommodations include jr. suites with "castleinspired touches," such as a red and purple color scheme, a
plush velvet chair, carved headboards and gilded mirrors.
3
The Mediterranean-inspired Wyndham Grand
Orlando Resort, Bonnet Creek (wyndham.com),
located next to its sister property, the Wyndham
24 Official Florida Travel Industry Guide | 2014
18-33_2014_Family.indd 24
Bonnet Creek Resort, offers 400 guestrooms, a spa, five
restaurants and six pools overlooking a private 10-acre lake.
The pools are the centerpiece of the resort, including a zeroentry pool that features cabanas with TVs and refrigerators;
pools with two lazy rivers, a pirate ship kid's water activity
pool, and a splash activity pad.
4
Let all your luxe clients know that the Four Seasons
Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort
(fourseasons.com) is coming to Mickey Mouse's
universe this summer. It will have a lazy river, water slides,
climbing wall, and recreational centers for kids and teens,
as well as Kids For All Seasons centers. The property, which
offers 444 spacious guestrooms, including 68 suites, will also
feature a rooftop restaurant with fireworks views on all sides.
5
The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort &
Spa (disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/
resorts/grand-floridian-villas) opened for Disney
Vacation Club Members this past October. The new resort-
offering complimentary monorail rides to Magic Kingdom-
features a variety of villa accommodations that sleep anywhere
from five to nine guests, and it's the first Disney Vacation Club
property to feature deluxe studios that sleep up to five guests.
Additionally, expansive grand villas sleep 12 guests and feature
multiple bathrooms and bedrooms, as well as a media room
with a home theater system.
VISITFLORIDA.COM
1/9/14 4:22 PM
http://www.universalorlando.com
http://www.fourseasons.com
http://www.castlehotelorlando.com
http://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/
http://www.wyndham.com
http://www.VISITFLORIDA.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2014 Official Florida Travel Industry Guide
Beach hangouts
Dive into Family Fun
Activities Abound
Destination Weddings
Pool, Spa and Restaurant Picks
Agent Resources
Travel Agent Incentives
2014 Official Florida Travel Industry Guide
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