Press Tours

Adventure Enthusiasts Only —
Outdoor Thrills

Maximum 13 attendees

Get ready for an adrenaline-pumping, action-packed afternoon of adventure that could only happen in Orlando. First stop, Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, where you’ll board an airboat and skim across the water at 40 mph (64 kph) in search of Florida wildlife and have a chance to interact with authentic Native American Indians. You’ll then have an opportunity to experience Fantasy of Flight, literally. In addition to touring more than 40 restored vintage aircraft, including a B-17 Flying Fortress, journalists will be able to fly in a bi-plane or restored plane. And finally, get ready to skydive, Orlando-style! At SkyVenture Orlando, you’ll enjoy indoor skydiving on a 125 mph (201 kph) column of air. Restrictions:

• Closed-toe tennis shoes must be worn at SkyVenture Orlando

Adventure Enthusiasts Only —
Forever Florida

Maximum 33 attendees

At Forever Florida, a 4,700 acre (1,092 hectare) eco-ranch and wildlife conservation area, you’ll experience a true outdoor Orlando adventure. The preserve includes nine distinct ecosystems where natural streams, forests, pastures and wetlands are part of the landscape. Learn about wildlife including alligators, black bears, white-tail deer and the endangered Florida panther. You’ll also have a chance to visit Crescent J, a picturesque Florida ranch featuring a living museum of Spanish Colonial Cattle and Florida's unique Cracker Horses. This is a truly unique opportunity to see how Orlando appeared to early explorers hundreds of years ago. Choose from exploring the ranch in three different ways — an exhilarating zipline experience (12 slots), serene Coach Safari tour (15 slots) or an enjoyable horseback ride (6 slots). Restrictions:

• Limits on tour activity
• Zipline experience (12 slots)
• Coach Safari tour (15 slots)
• Horseback ride (6 slots)
• Must wear closed-toed shoes for zipline and horseback riding
• Must wear long pants for horseback riding

Arts & Culture Club — Loch Haven Park

No maximum

Led by Autumn Ames, the executive director of the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Central Florida, this tour of Loch Haven Park takes you into the heart and soul of Orlando arts and culture. Located just outside of downtown Orlando, this park includes the Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center, Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre and the Orlando Repertory Theatre. You’ll get an inside view of each of these properties and discover there’s more to Orlando than you may have thought.

Countdown to the Fun on Florida’s Space Coast

Maximum 45 attendees

The countdown to endless fun begins with a quick trip to Florida’s Space Coast. Located just 35 miles east (56 km) of Orlando, the destination is noted as Orlando’s closest beach, home to Port Canaveral. You’ll visit Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where 1.5 million visitors come each year to get up close and personal with U.S. space history. Get vertical on Shuttle Launch Experience, an incredible journey of vertically launching into space aboard the space shuttle. And be among the first to experience the newest attraction at Kennedy Space Center, Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted, where you'll be immersed in NASA's future plans for space exploration. Then, have a blast on 72 miles (110 km) of untamed beaches and shop in the area’s famed beach and surf shops, world-famous Ron Jon Surf Shop and the world’s largest surf complex, Cocoa Beach Surf Co. Feel free to bring your beach wear and take off for the fun on the Space Coast!

Culinary Craze

Maximum 15 attendees

Savor the amazing culinary evolution the destination has undergone during the past decade with former Orlando Sentinel food critic Scott Joseph. With Joseph as your guide, this tour takes you to some of Orlando’s best restaurants and dining establishments. You’ll take part in a cooking demonstration and hands-on experience at Emeril’s Tchoup Choup, owned by famed celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. Then it’s on to Farris & Foster’s, where you’ll watch a professional chocolatier show you how to make — and taste — delicious chocolate treats. But save some room because you end the afternoon dining at Orlando’s “Restaurant Row,” where some of the destination’s finest fare will be waiting.

Essential Winter Park

Maximum 15 attendees

Get to know Central Florida’s oldest community dating back to the 1880s through this unique tour of quaint Winter Park. You’ll start with the Scenic Boat Tour, a one-hour cruise through Winter Park’s beautiful chain of lakes which are connected with man-made canals. Discover wildlife of all kinds while you view the gorgeous estate homes that line the shores. Back on land, a trip to The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is in order. The museum houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, most noted for his leaded-glass windows and lamps. You’ll finish the afternoon off with a visit to the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, where a collection of more than 200 works by Czech-born American representational sculptor Albin Polasek is on display.

Fast and Furious - Daytona International Speedway

No maximum

Fulfill your need for speed with a VIP visit to the Daytona International Speedway, the “World Center of Racing”. Begin your half day tour at DAYTONA 500 Experience, “The Official Attraction of NASCAR,” where you will find the merging of history, technology and velocity in an interactive arena. Board a Speedway tram to the infield, then buckle up and strap in for a Hot Lap ride around Daytona’s famous 31-degree high banks. Get a guided garage tour with a guest speaker. Enjoy a panoramic view of the “World Center of Racing” 14 stories above the Speedway with a visit to Race Control Tower. Leave the Speedway and visit the nearby ISC Archives for an exclusive introduction. The checkered flag finish to your day ends with an afternoon stroll along Ocean Walk Villages located on the beach, where land speed racing in Daytona began.

Girlfriends Getaway

No maximum

Sometimes the girls just want to hang with the girls and shop, shop, shop. When it comes to distinctive shopping, Orlando has deep closets. While we can certainly bring out the glitz, we also know a great deal when we see one. You'll head to Orlando Premium Outlets where renowned expert Jackie Walker will give you a fashion personality assessment while you check out the amazing brands at unbeatable prices. More value-shopping awaits you at Prime Outlets Orlando. And no Orlando shopping spree would be complete without a stop at The Mall at Millenia, where world-famous designers and the latest trends go hand-in-hand.

Guys Getaway

Maximum 12 attendees

Sometimes the guys just want to hang with the guys. This man’s-man excursion touches on all of the basics — golf, cigars and ... race car riding. Start the morning off with a personalized golf lesson to improve your swing at the Brad Brewer Academy located in the Shingle Creek Golf Club. After learning how to take a few strokes off your game, you’ll be ready to sit back and relax at the Corona Cigar Bar. Sample a cigar from the nearly two million selections and enjoy a refreshing drink as you prepare for the next round. Then get ready for a thrill of a lifetime at the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Indy Racing Experience, where you’ll ride shotgun in a two-seat stock car driven by a professional instructor for a three-lap run at speeds up to 165 mph (266 kph). Restrictions:

• Each rider for the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Indy Racing Experience must be 18 years of age or older, under 6'5" in height and less than 250 lbs.

A MAGICAL PEEK BEHIND-THE-SCENES
AT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT

 
Maximum 75 attendees

Tour participants will be treated to an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the Walt Disney World Resort. See how the Disney hallmarks of storytelling and innovation are combined with new and emerging technology to produce the elaborate daily show that is a Disney theme park. This tour will showcase how these elements create immersive guest experiences and thrilling attractions, while also giving journalists a rare opportunity to see the operations behind the magic. Restrictions:

• All participants must be older than 16 years old and have a government issued photo ID at all times.
• Participants should wear comfortable shoes since the tour requires a lot of walking.
• Certain locations visited during the tour are photo restricted. Disney Institute and Disney Destinations Public Relations team will have information and photos available to the press during the tour.

Orlando Has a Really Cool Downtown

Maximum 40 attendees

What many visitors do not realize is that Orlando has a vibrant, historic downtown district that is approximately 20-30 minutes from the attractions area. With a sizable skyline, downtown Orlando is both trendy and classic. By day, more than 65,000 professionals populate the numerous office towers. By night, downtown restaurants, night clubs, concert venues, lounges and bars entertain thousands more. With Lake Eola Park at its centerpiece, downtown also includes the Orange County Regional History Center, the Wells’ Built Museum, numerous art galleries, hip neighborhoods like Thornton Park and even a Farmer’s Market on Sundays. As part of this tour, you’ll visit the Mad Cow Theatre, where you’ll experience a 45-minute vignette from one of Orlando's most respected professional theatre companies.

Photographer’s Tour

Maximum 15 attendees

This special tour for photographers presents Orlando in three distinct frames — natural beauty, man-made monuments and exciting spectacle. You’ll spend some time at the magnificent Harry P. Leu Gardens, a park owned by the City of Orlando that includes the country’s largest Camellia collection outside California and the largest formal rose garden in the state. For a view of a more urban world, downtown Orlando provides a nice contrast with tall buildings, crowds and historic features. And then for pure action, nothing beats watching the gators during feeding time at Gatorland, one of Orlando’s oldest family attractions.

SeaWorld Orlando — What’s New

Maximum 12 attendees

If you haven’t been to SeaWorld in the past few years, you’ll be amazed at all that’s new. In the past decade, SeaWorld has added a new Shamu show called Believe, a theatrical dolphin show, Blue Horizons, and most recently, in May 2009 was the addition of Manta, an all-new flying roller coaster that allows you to spin, glide and fly like a giant ray. Experience these new additions, plus all the thrilling up-close animal interactions, shows and attractions that SeaWorld is known for. Take an abbreviated version of the new Adventure Express Tour which provides reserved seating at shows, animal feeding opportunities and no-wait access to rides.

Universal Orlando Resort — Flagship Experiences

Maximum 30 attendees

On this exclusive Pow Wow tour, you will experience Universal Orlando Resort’s Flagship experiences including: “Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit,” “The Simpsons Ride,” “Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride,” “The Incredible Hulk Coaster,” “The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man” and a special experience involving The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Voluntourism — Giving Back to Those in Need

Maximum 50 attendees

Orlando offers diverse charitable and “voluntourism” opportunities for socially conscientious guests or groups to participate in. This outing will tour Give Kids The World Village, an organization that helps create memories for children with serious illness by bringing them to a special 70-acre (28-hectare) resort in Kissimmee. The idea is to provide magical, cost-free experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The Village includes 138 villas, in addition to entertainment attractions, whimsical venues and fun activities designed for children with special needs. Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 97,000 families from all 50 states and 65 countries since its inception in 1989. During your visit, you’ll also have an opportunity to get involved with a hands-on, giving-back activity.