Michael in Florida from 12.9 to 26.9.1997

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Friday 12.9.1997

Fly : Zürich (ZRH) - Chicago O'Hare (ORD) non-stop with American Airlines (AA37) in B 767-300
Departure 10:10
Arrival 13:14
I was on seat 29A. Good quiet fly.

Fly : Chicago O'Hare (ORD) - Orlando (MCO) non-stop with American Airlines (AA624) in B 727-200
Departure 14:50
Arrival 18:30
I was on seat 13A. Good flight and great view. Some big clouds over Orlando.
Our Pilot flow arround the clouds and landed normaly.
Tranfert to Alamo to pick up my rent-car.
At 19:20 a toyota corolla DX, Model 97 waits for me. Here they have a low fare ticket-desk for the different attractions.
I drive to my Hotel, the Best Western Maingate in Kissimmee.
I stay here until wednesday 17.9.1997. They offers a free round trip transportation to Walt Disney World.
They also have a low fare ticket-desk. I know that the prices here are better than these of Alamo.


Saturday 13.9.1997

Today morning i'll buy a lot of Packages (Disney 4 Day Park Hopper, Sea World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens).
I'am paying cash and get more discount.
Today i starts with "Magic Kingdom". They celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the park and
a commemorative lithograph waits for me (I'm a guest of honor).
A new attraction since 1994 : The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (Very great).
Take an entire day to see and ride all the attractions.


Sunday 14.9.1997

Today i go to "Epcot". This park is more oriented to science. But all is easy to understand.
There is also the World Show Case. Go round the world in 4 hours. Here you can eat different types of meals (Mexican, Chinese, German, and so on...).
Here another new attraction : Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (Great show in 3-D)
Norway has a good attraction, the "Maelstrom". There are some 360° movies too.
Here like the other parks, you'll need all the day.


Monday 15.9.1997

Today in need space. i'm here to see the launch of a spaceshuttle.
I drive to Cape Canaveral to the "Kennedy Space Center. Here i'll get the last infos about the start.
All is OK, the flight STS-86 is scheduled for the 25.9.1997 at 22:30.
I buy a mission pass. It's includes a bus tour (including the new Appollo/Saturn V Center) and two IMAX Movies (one in 3-D)
It's a full day NASA space odyssey.


Tuesday 16.9.1997

The last of the 3 WDW Parcs: the Disney-MGM Studios.
Here you can see some movies and how to make them.
And there is "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror". Here wou'll falling 13 stories straight down in a split second.
Not only once, but TWICE.
An here again, you'll need the whole day.


Wednesday 17.9.1997

After the MGM studios, the Universal Studios.
Great, this year again the "2^nd Day Free" pass is available. I won't miss it.
A great new attraction : "Terminator 2: 3-D". An incredible way to ride the movies, 3 screens, actors are live, a lot of special effects, 45'620 Watts through 159 speakers, ...
Here again, you must stay all the day.


Tuesday 18.9.1997

Near 1 week sunshine. I drive to the Sea World. It'll be refreshing for me.
Some ot the shows with dolphins, sea lions, killer whales and water ski are updated.
You must also see the pinguins and the sharks.
The new attraction here is : Wild Artic. Polar bears and Beluga whales are here.
This evening, i change the Hotel. I drive to Tampa, on the "Silvery Coast".
My hotel is the Best Western Tampa At Busch Gardens


Friday 19.9.1997

The last parc : Busch Gardens
Here, a great new attration : Montu. An inverted roller-coaster. I'ts the tallest and longest of the world.
3 loopings and a G-force of 3.85. All in a Egypt atmosphere.
The rest of the parc must be seen too (A lot of wild animals). Kumba, is one of the 3 other roller-coasters.
In the afternoon, i drive to the south until Sanibel Island.
On the way there, i stop at the "Edison & Ford" Museum. Very interresting and a lot to see.
I sleep in the Best Western Sanibel Island Beach Resort.


Saturday 20.9.1997

I drive to the the everglades. I'll make a tour on an airboat.
The alligators swimms around our airboat. They want some marsh-mallows. They aren't the only ones.
After that, i drive to Key Largo. It's one of the first "Keys".
I'll stay here for 2 nights in the Best Western Suites at Key Largo


Sunday 21.9.1997

Today i drive to Key West. Here is the most southern point of the continental U.S.
On the way there, thousands of bikers drive to north on they Harley-Davidson.
There was a meeting on Key West this weekend. On Key West, i see Harley's in every road.
One beautiful than the other. The women too.
On the evening, i drive back to my hotel. Oh the way there, i make some stops on the other "Keys".
My hotel room is a duplex with view on the quiet part of the harbor.


Monday 22.9.1997

Now i drive along the "Golden Coast" of Florida on the US 1. I drive through Miami, Ft. Lauderdale.
I saw some beautiful beaches and houses. I whish to live here in some years.
I stopped in Jupiter. No, it's not the planet, it's a city.
I stay the night in the Best Western Intracoastal Inn


Tuesday 23.9.1997

I go at first to the U.S. Postal. i'll buy the stamps of Bugs Bunny and Humphrey Bogart.
Those with James Dean are here too.
Now lets go to the north.
I stop in Daytona Beach. Here it's possible to drive on the beach.
I play lottery here. The jackpot is 18 Mio Dollars (I checked it later in Switzerland. I won only 6$).
My hotel ist the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn.


Wednesday 24.9.1997

My reserve day. With the 2^nd Day Free ticket, i go back to the Universal Studios.
This evening i sleep in the Best Western Cocoa Inn. I'll stay 2 nights here.
Next night will be short, due to the shuttle launch. I'm lucky, the hotel is in the south of Cape Canaveral.
On this way, i'll have less trafic than on the west side.


Thursday 25.9.1997

I'm at 15:00 in the Visitors Center. It's early. But the acces will be closed at 17:00.
Some explanations are given and we can see pictures from over 100 NASA-cameras who are on the site.
At 22:00 all lights go off. We're waiting the end of the countdown.
22:34 a little light at the horizont. Emmotions in the public.
The shuttle lift off and enlightens the black sky.
After one minute, we hear the sound of the start. Five minutes later, it's all over. Bye.


Friday 26.9.1997

I return my car to Alamo. Transfert at the airport.
Fly : Orlando (MCO) - Chicago O'Hare (ORD) non-stop with American Airlines (AA663) in MD-80
Departure 13:34
Arrival 15:15
I was on seat 10A. Good flight and great view on the golf courses of Chicago.

Fly : Chicago O'Hare (ORD) - Zürich (ZRH) non-stop with American Airlines (AA38) in B 767-300
Departure 16:35
Arrival 8:30
I was on seat 35B. Quiet fly.

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The pictures below aren't mine.

Walt Disney World's 25^th anniversary

Epcot Center

Disney's MGM Studio's: The Tower of Terror

Killer Whales at Sea World

Universal Studios of Florida

Bush Gardens at Tampa Bay

Edison's home at Ft.Myers

Airboat tour through the Everglades

Bridges over the Keys

Atlantic view from BW Aku Tiki Inn (Daytona)

Atlantis (flight STS-86) on the lauch pad 39-A