Alex Chai, winner of the family category in our travel writing competition, discovers there's more to Orlando than Disneyland
Two things are necessary for a perfect trip to Orlando. An ability to suspend reality and a willingness to wear sequinned Mickey Mouse ears. We were able to tick both boxes. And so it was that we entered Florida's parallel universe. On first impression, the endless highways, incongruous palm trees and tacky fast-food joints spell nothing but blandness. Yet, don't be deceived. Beyond all this suburban flotsam is the vision of two extraordinary artists.
The first, of course, is Walt Disney. As you enter the Magic Kingdom and the brass band starts playing and the flags are a waving and the dollhouse perfection of 19th-century America unfurls around you, I dare you not to get a lump in your throat. From that point on you see the world through Walt's eyes ? and they are starry. An hour and a half wait for a ride doesn't faze, a stage full of wax doll American presidents enchants. Everyone is smiling. No one is cross with their children or bickering with their partner.
By lunch it's time to crash back to reality. All those beaming faces and beatific crowds turn nasty when it's time to eat. There are only a handful of restaurants and they seem to be booked out years in advance. Not that you will ever encounter a surly waiter or reception clerk in Disney. Everyone from the street cleaner to the bloke dressed as Pluto is in character: this is the biggest production you will ever see.
Yet if you come to Orlando and just do the theme parks you will be missing out. Through a series of unfortunate events and one lucky break, the largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany's work is now housed in Orlando's Charles Hosmer Morse Museum (morsemuseum.org, adults $5, children under 12 free).
It's a stone's throw from the chi?chi village of Winter Park ? do not even think of visiting without trying the red velvet cake at the Briarpatch Restaurant (252 North Park Avenue, briarpatchrestaurant.com) and having a mooch around the Lilly Pulitzer store (118 North Park Avenue, lillypulitzer .com) and the giant Pottery Barn (329 South Park Avenue).
Tiffany's work, mainly in glass, will blow your mind. He led the art nouveau movement in America, and culminated his career by creating Laurelton Hall, his Long Island home. After his death, his work fell out of vogue and his home, set up to be a foundation and museum, was sold. A fire raged there in the 50s and destroyed most of the collection. Everything that could be salvaged was bought by Jeanette and Hugh McKean and brought to the Morse Museum in Orlando. After years of restoration work the new Tiffany wing opened in February. You can now wander into Tiffany's dining room, replete with wisteria stained-glass windows, through the breathtaking Tiffany Chapel and on to the terrace held up by overblown glass daffodils.
In the middle of an otherwise rather soulless city, built on a swamp and stamped indelibly with giant Mickey Mouse ears, rests the life work of another great American artist and his beautiful vision.
Orlando, a city of artists: who'd have guessed it?
? A seven-night stay at the CoCo Key Water Resort (+1 407 351 2626, cocokeyorlando.com) costs from around $1,000 for two adults and two children staying in one room. Virgin (virgin-atlantic.com) flies to Orlando from Heathrow from ?1,900 for a family of four. For another side of Orlando, Florida Ecosafaris (+1 407 957 9794 ext 1, floridaecosafaris.com) offers adventure activities including a zipline safari and a cowboy experience. Wallaby Ranch hang-gliding (wallaby.com) has a tandem flight for $120pp. Car rental through Dollar Rent A Car (dollar.co.uk) costs from ?110 per week. For more information and hotel reservations, see visitorlando.com
Source: http://www.travel-guide-tourism.com/travel-to/2010-winner-family-holiday-in-orlando-florida.html
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