By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2009-05-12 20:12:24 | Word Count: 551
Orlando is a major city in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, located in Central Florida. Orlando is also the principal city of Greater Orlando. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida's third largest metropolitan area, behind Miami and Tampa, and the 8th largest metropolitan area in the south. The city itself is the sixth most populous in Florida. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in Florida in student enrolment and has the fifth largest enrolment in the U.S..
The city is well known for the many tourist attractions in the area, in particular the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is located in Lake Buena Vista about 14 miles (23 km) south-west of Orlando city limits via Interstate 4. Other notable area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. The region sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year.
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Walt Disney World opened on 1971 and Roy O. Disney dedicated the property and declared that it would be known as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honor. He was quoted as saying "Everyone has heard of Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford, who started it all? Walt Disney World is in memory of the man who started it all, so people will know his name as long as Walt Disney World is here." After the dedication, Roy Disney asked Walt's widow, Lillian, what she thought of Walt Disney World. According to biographer Bob Thomas, she responded, "I think Walt would have approved."
Roy O. Disney died on December 20, 1971, just a short three months after the property opened.
Disney subsequently opened EPCOT Center in 1982, a theme park adapted from Walt Disney's vision for a "community of tomorrow". The park permanently adopted the name Epcot in 1996. In 1989, the resort added Disney-MGM Studios, a theme park inspired by show business, whose name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.
Each park is represented by an iconic structure: Magic Kingdom (the first and original theme park) - Cinderella Castle, Epcot - Spaceship Earth, Disney's Hollywood Studios - The Sorcerer's Hat and Disney's Animal Kingdom - The Tree of Life.
Disney's property includes five golf courses. The four 18-hole golf courses are the Magnolia, the Palm, Lake Buena Vista and Osprey Ridge. There is also a nine-hole walking course called Oak Trail, designed for young golfers. Additionally, there are two themed miniature golf complexes, each with two courses, Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland.
Catch-and-release fishing excursions are offered daily on the resort's lakes. A Florida fishing license is not required because it occurs on private property. Cane-pole fishing is offered from the docks at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Disney's Port Orleans Resort.
The May 2008 issue of trade magazine Park World reported the following attendance estimates for 2007 compiled by Economic Research Associates in partnership with TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association): Magic Kingdom, 17 million visits (No. 1 worldwide), Epcot, 10.9 million visits (No. 6)
, Disney's Hollywood Studios, 9.51 million visits (No. 7) and Disney's Animal Kingdom, 9.49 million visits (No. 8)
