Experience the Magic of Walt Disney World

Arguably the number one resort vacation destination in the world, Walt Disney World near Orlando has attracted more than a half billion visitors. In this article (which originally appeared in Northeast Weekend Flyers magazine), Cara Schmid Mocarski describes how she and her family flew there on vacation in the family Piper Seminole, and includes all the information you'll need to do the same: airports, FBOs, parking, ground transportation, where to stay, where to eat, and what to do.

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Fun, fun and more fun! That’s what you willexperience when you visit Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the number oneresort vacation destination in the world! Disney World has it all, from impeccablymanicured resorts, exquisite dining facilities and world-class shopping, to the latestrecreational activities, imaginative theme parks and exciting nightclubs.

Since the resort is in a near-constant state of expansion and modernization, it’simpossible to get bored at Disney World. That’s what makes the resort such an idealvacation destination for people of all ages. To date over five hundred million visitorshave passed through the gates of the Vacation Kingdom.

Walt Disney WorldNow is the time to make arrangements for a trip to Orlando. The Vacation Kingdom hasplanned a major expansion with nine future projects set to open over the next few years.

Once you’ve caught the Disney bug, that’s it, you are hooked! Our family has visitedthere three times and we plan more trips.

Flying to Disney

Disney charactersRather than fly commercially, we chose to make the 893 NM journeyin our Piper Seminole. It was the experience of a lifetime as we flew from our home baseof Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Bridgeport, CT (BDR) to our final destination of KissimmeeMunicipal Airport (ISM), the closest airport to Disney. Flying via V299 to Kennedy, V1 toMyrtle Beach, then V1 to V267 to Orlando, and direct ISM, we had a birds-eye view of sevenstates — we flew at an altitude of 8,000 feet heading south and 7,000 feet going north.

What’s more, we saved money! Our fuel bill totaled $536 round-trip, while a commercialflight and the associated limousine costs from our house to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in NewYork would have totaled approximately $1,500, nearly triple the cost!

Norfolk, VA was our first stop to refuel and eat lunch. We then stayed overnight atMyrtle Beach, SC to refuel and eat more. Here we had access to a courtesy van in MyrtleBeach, SC, through the Best Western Landmark. The driver gave us a complimentary ride toour hotel on the Grand Strand and recommended a nearby restaurant popular with manypilots, the Spring House Restaurant. The food was tasty and reasonably priced.

The next day we completed the final leg of our journey to Kissimmee.

We were airborne for six and one-half hours and made two stops en route to accommodatethe needs of our two preschool children.

About 83 nautical miles away from ISM, we started a gradual decent from 8,000 feet. Bythe time we were 8 NM out we were at 1,500 feet. The tower at ISM is open from 7 a.m. to 9p.m. Contact them at 124.45.

"Breathless" and "awesome" were some of the expletives we utteredas we flew within eyeshot of Disney World. As our Piper began its visual approach, wespotted familiar sights from the air such as Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Disney’s 15-storyContemporary Resort and Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom.

Kissimmee MunicipalPilots will have no problem spotting the Kissimmee Airport withrunway 15/33 measuring 6000′ by 100′, and runway 06/24 measuring 5001′ by 150′. Since thisarea is densely populated, avoid the noise sensitive area to the northwest of the field.Watch for helicopters, low-flying banner-towing planes and blimps to the east and west ofthe airport during the winter.

Tim Shea, Kissimmee’s Airport Manager, noted, "ISM is a busy airport with 150,000operations annually. We have many projects outlined in our long-range plans, including theinstallation of a precision approach and a new terminal with a restaurant."

Both runways have pilot controlled lighting on 122.725. Flight information can be foundon the Jacksonville Sectional Chart. Note that in the Airport/Facility Directory ISM islisted as Orlando-Kissimmee Airport because it is situated 16 miles SW of the Orlando VOR.However, the airport is listed under Kissimmee Municipal Airport in the IFR ApproachCharts.

Since ISM is located in Orlando’s Class B Airspace, you must contact Orlando Approachon 119.4. You can obtain the weather conditions at the airport through AWOS-3 on 128.775.There is an NDB on the field (329). Other instrument approaches include a VOR-DME, a GPS-Aapproach and an R-NAV approach to runway 15.

Marathon, one of two FBOs, has been at Kissimmee Airport for over 30 years. There aremany tie downs on the ramp, but contact them on their ARINC at 122.775 to find out exactlywhere to park. The airport is busiest during the months of March and October.

Marathon offers a pilots’ lounge, an aviation store with unique pilot gifts andreasonably priced catering by Red Lobster. There is no restaurant on the airport grounds.Marathon is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and has a repair shop on thepremises. There is no landing fee, but tie down fees are $5 per night. Parking discountsare given for stays of a longer duration.

Kissimmee Jet Center, also located on the field, is a full-service FBO offering Texacobrand fuel products aircraft maintenance, 24 hour on-call line service, well-lightedtiedown areas and hangar space availability. Jet Center is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily andovernight tiedowns are $4 per night with discounts for extended stays. Their ARINC is122.875.

Getting Around

Small MapSince ISM is the closest airport to DisneyWorld and is only ten miles from the main gate of Magic Kingdom, transportation is widelyavailable.

There are two airport-based car rental companies. Kelley Rent-A-Car is stocked withcars for daily usage. Enterprise Car Rental is available through Kissimmee Jet Center.Budget Rent-A-Car is located close to the airport and offers a range of rental options.They will pick up and drop cars off at the airport.

No hotel in the Kissimmee/Lake Buena Vista area provides free transportation from theairport.

Taxi service is provided by A Affordable Transportation and the fee from the airport toDisney World is about $18 for the ten-mile ride, which takes about 10 minutes to complete.You can also utilize Kissimmee/Orlando Airport Limousine if you want a more luxuriousride.

Disney Attractions

WDW ParksDisney World is a special place of fantasies, memories and magic, from theenchanted Cinderella Castle of the Magic Kingdom Park to the silvery sphere of SpaceshipEarth in Epcot to the whimsical Earffel Tower of the Disney-MGM Studios.

This time we planned a leisurely visit to Disney with a nine day package. This extendedstay enabled us to see all the sights we wanted, yet gave us extra time to enjoyrecreational activitiesBe sure to inquire about park hopper passes in order to chalk upadditional savings.

Mickey!Our first stop inside Disney World was the Magic Kingdom to see Mickey andMinnie. This park features 41 major adventures on a 100-acre site. There are seven landswith attractions, restaurants and shops based on favorite Disney themes: Adventureland,Liberty Square, Frontierland, Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Mickey’sStarland. We especially enjoyed the new, upbeat "Mickey Mania" parade down MainStreet, U.S.A.

Epcot, which stands for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow should not bemissed. This international showplace covers three hundred acres and is divided into twodistinct areas.

Future World focuses on discovery and scientific achievements. The major attractionsare Universe of Energy, World of Motion, Journey into Imagination, the Land and the LivingSeas. In addition, the World Showcase spotlights eleven nations surrounding the WorldShowcase Lagoon.

WDW MGM StudiosDisney-MGM Studios, combines a working TVand film studio with a theme park. Visit Jim Henson’s "Muppet Vision 3D,""Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage" and "The Spirit of Pocahontas StageShow" with live performers, special effects, puppetry and animated scenery.

Discovery Island, a wildlife sanctuary and nature park, is located in the middle of BayLake at Disney World.

Discovery Island is home to dozens of different plant and animal life and provides ahands-on experience for visitors who want to "get close to nature."

WDW Misc.Recreational activities abound at Disney with five championship golf coursesand a nine-hole family-play course, tennis courts, pools and lakes for swimming, boating,water skiing and fishing, jogging paths and horseback riding. There are three water themeparks including: Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon and River Country.

After-hours, you can head over to Pleasure Island, a six-acre nightclub theme park,adjacent to the Disney Village Marketplace. The park features seven nightclubs plus shopsand restaurants. It also houses a 10-screen theater complex and the unique 400-seat PlanetHollywood restaurant.

Where to Eat

Food is plentiful everywhere you turn at Disney World. We purchased Disney’s Food ‘NFun package when we booked the trip, so we had all our meals at Disney restaurants. Duringeach day of the prepaid program, we received two hours of recreation, plus two meals froma designated list of restaurants. We definitely came out ahead on this money-savingpackage. And we never had one bad meal served during our stay.

Our children especially enjoyed the Character Breakfast Stampede at Artist PointRestaurant in the Wilderness Lodge because they got a close-up visit with Disneycharacters. Advance reservations are a must for this show, which runs from 7:30 to 11:30a.m. daily. A fixed price includes an all-you-can-eat meal of fresh fruit, grain pancakes,stuffed French toast, scrambled eggs and thirst quenchers.

Another popular character show is Mickey’s Tropical Luau, which is staged at thePolynesian Resort. The show begins at 4:30 p.m. Fire dancers, Mickey and Minnie, a luaufeast and unlimited specialty drinks are part of the festivities. Our total bill came to$86, not an outrageous price for a dinner show.

You are in for a special evening at Pioneer Hall in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort,when you reserve a seat at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. It’s the most popular dinnershow at Disney, so make your reservations as soon as you plan your trip. Hilarioushoe-down style entertainment and unlimited country vittles are its hallmark. Prices rangefrom $35 for an adult, $25 for a junior and $17 per child.

Two restaurants we previously dined at in Epcot and returned to were the Biergarten andTeppanyaki Dining Rooms. The Biergarten is located in Germany at World Showcase andfeatures live Oktoberfest music, audience participation and authentic German food. For ataste of German cuisine, this restaurant is not to be missed.

Another restaurant we revisited was the Teppanyaki Dining Rooms in Japan at WorldShowcase. Guests sit around large flat grills, while white-hatted chefs chop vegetables,meat and fish rapidly, then stir-fry it all. The seating arrangements make it easy tostrike up a conversation will fellow diners. Dinner prices start at $15 per person.

Where to Stay

ResortsWhen planning lodging, vacationers have two options: either stay within theboundaries of Disney or off the premises. Rates are generally higher at Disney resortsthan at most other motels in the area with the exception of the new All-Star Sports andAll-Star Music Resorts. Basically, you are paying a higher rate for the convenience ofstaying on Disney grounds. Guests are guaranteed park admission, free use of Disneytransportation, including the monorail, bus and boat; closed-circuit TV announcing eventsas well as early admission to all parks during certain periods and free package deliveryto your room.

Disney World offers over of 20,000 rooms. A special hotel reservation line has beenestablished for Disney accommodations. Dial (407) W-DISNEY (934-7639). Resort rates varydepending upon the room type, location and season you select.

Great savings also are available at Disney Resorts if you are a member of the MagicKingdom Club with its Gold Card status. A family membership entitles the bearer todiscounts on hotels, Disney Store purchases and admission. Hotel discounts vary from tento thirty percent, depending on the travel season you pick. Call (800) 56-DISNEY for avariety of membership options.

Our favorite hotel is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, one of the newer additions to DisneyWorld. This beautiful 728-room hotel is nestled among the pines and provides a spectacularview of Bay Lake and Discovery Island. The hotel boasts the only geyser east of theMississippi River and is based on turn-of-the-century National Parks lodges.

But if your vacation plans include more than visiting Disney, a variety of economicalto luxurious accommodations are available, including hotels/motels, villas, suites,vacation homes and condos and campgrounds. The Kissimmee-St. Cloud area, which is tenmiles from Disney World, offers more than 30,000 accommodations. Call (800) 333-KISS, 7a.m. to 2 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, seven days a week.

Be sure to contact the Kissimmee-St. Cloud Convention and Visitors Bureau beforeplanning your trip because you will receive vacation discounts to central Floridaaccommodations and attractions. For a free copy of the Vacation Guide with discounts, call(800) 526-KISS (5477).

Off the Disney Path

There is plenty to do once tourists leave Disney World for nearby Kissimmee-St. Cloud.Pilots can head for the Flying Tigers Warbird Air Museum at ISM. This flying and workingmuseum specializes in the display and restoration of World War II aircraft. We took aguided tour of the hangar and came across the rare interior sections of a Boeing B-17Flying Fortress, including the cockpit, tail pieces and wing. Two Lockheed P-38 Lightningswere also in the process of being restored at an estimated cost of $1.7 million each! Themuseum is a pilot’s paradise and is open daily, including holidays, on Monday throughSaturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Aviators might also want to visit Fighter Pilots USA in Kissimmee. Become a fighterpilot for the day. Fly aerial combat with guidance from F-16 pilot instructors in aMarchetti fighter trainer, not a simulator.

Some of the other major attractions in Kissimmee include: JungleLand, which featuresalligators, exotic cats, birds and monkeys; Green Meadows Petting Farm, which offerstwo-hour guided tour of more than 200 farm animals, and Splendid China, a Chinese-themedpark with 60 detailed miniaturized replicas of China’s most historic landmarks. Inaddition, Water Mania, a premier family waterpark, encompasses over 36 acres of slides,flumes and a wave pool, while A World of Orchids showcases thousands of rare and exoticflowering orchids from the around the globe.

Other major attractions in nearby Orlando include Sea World of Florida, the world’smost popular marine zoological park, and Universal Studios Florida, the largest motionpicture and television facility outside of Hollywood with more than 40 rides, shows andattractions.

New Disney Projects

And that’s not all. The magic of central Florida continues to grow as Disney World addsnew exhibits to its theme park.

Wild Animal KingdomDisney’s Wild Animal Kingdom, a newkind of live-action adventure park, opened in the spring 1998. It is the largest of allDisney parks in the world and will combine thrill rides, exotic landscapes and closeencounters with great herds of wild animals.

The Disney Village Marketplace is being expanded to include two celebrity nightclubs, a1,500-seat performing arts theater, an expanded 24-screen movie complex, two star-namerestaurants and two Disney superstores.

The Disney Institute, the Walt Disney Company’s first resort for adults and familieswith older children, opened in February 1996. The first-class resort features discoveryvacations including a hands-on experience in a range of stimulating activities and anextensive Artists-in-Residence program.

Disney’s Boardwalk, a turn-of-the-century waterfront resort and entertainment district,opened in July 1996; a new General Motors Pavilion opened at Epcot to replace GM’s former"World of Motion" as well as the Walt Disney World International Sports Complex.

So if you haven’t flown to central Florida in a while, now is the time to enjoy theexcitement of the area’s famous attractions at Walt Disney World and nearby Kissimmee-St.Cloud.


Kissimmee-St. Cloud Information

Area Code: 407

Zip Code: 34741 or 34742

Kissimmee Municipal Airport: 847-4600
301 N. Dyer Blvd., Suite 101

Kissimmee Jet Center: (800) 266-6354 or 847-9095
3031 West Patrick St.

Marathon FBO: (800) 327-9123 or 846-6128
301 N. Dyer Blvd.

Tourist Information

Kissimmee-St. Cloud Convention & Visitors Bureau: 847-5000 or (800) 327-9159
P.O. Box 422007

Transportation

A Affordable Transportation: 846-3677

Budget Rent-A-Car: 933-8055Kelley Rent-A-Car: (800) 327-9123

Kissimmee/Orlando Airport Limousine: (800) 262-7979

Lodging

Disney Hotel Reservations: W-DISNEY (934-7639)

Kissimmee- St. Cloud Hotel Accommodations: (800) 333-KISS

Walt Disney World Restaurants

WDW-DINE (939-3463)

Magic Kingdom Club, Gold Card: (800) 56-DISNEY

Kissimmee Attractions

A World of Orchids: 396-1887

2501 Old Lake Wilson Rd.

JungleLand: 396-1012
4580 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.

Fighter Pilots USA: 931-4333, (800) 56-TOPGUN
3033 W. Patrick St.

Flying Tigers Warbird Air Museum: 933-1942
231 N. Hoagland Blvd.

Green Meadows Petting Farm: 846-0770
1368 S. Poinciana Blvd.

Splendid China: 396-7111, (800) 244-6226
3000 Splendid China Blvd.

Water Mania: 396-2626, (800) 527-3092
6073 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.

Major Attractions in Nearby Orlando

Sea World of Florida: (800) 327-2424 out of FL, 351-3600, ext. 3625
7007 Sea World Dr.

Universal Studios Florida: 363-8000, (800) 232-7827
1000 Universal Studios Plaza

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