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economist suntribune saturday august 31 2002 11 advertising feature passport to everything new again in orlando renaissance by bart card contributing travel editor its been 11 years since i last visited florida with my family my children were a lot younger and our excitement was quite high as florida was even then considered the destination of choice for a family vacation now more than a decade later i have returned to orlando to be perfectly honest my expectations were different this time around as my family werent coming along and none too happy about it i might add it was just bart and the rest of the tourists but it didnt take long to figure just how much has changed in orlando throughout the past 11 years ive said before that so many of my destinations and excursions begin with a simple phone call its often to venture on a cruise or outback safari but this time orlando florida beckoned and without my kids in tow an opportunity to explore orlando is an opportunity to experience the attractions as a child with adult eyes well my phone rang and i was soon deep in conversation with lori babb public relations manager for the fourdiamond renaissance orlando resort at seaworld a bubbly person to say the least with stacks of personality lori then transferred me to a dear old friend ralph schmitz now general manager of the renaissance ralph and i worked together many years ago ralph is a man of few words and always takes the issue straight to the point we didnt swap old sto ries he just said bart id like you to come down to the hotel and have a look with that i knew i was in for an experience ralph a fantastic operator arranged for a chauffeur at the orlando international airport and as we drove up to the front steps of the renaissance i was breathless with 778 guest rooms and 64 suites stemming from within a 10foot atrium lobby your first sight is of the nearly 200 exotic brightlycoloured japanese koi who swim in crystalclear ponds formed by a cascading waterfall amid soaring palms more than 1 00 species of plants and a multitude of lush flowers frame the lobbys centre attraction an imposing 600000 50foothigh venetian aviary which hous es colourful tropical birds in a natural habitat the renaissance orlando resort is located in the heart of the central florida attraction area and a recent 18million renovation project has made everything new again there are five restaurants to choose from another two lounges a 24hour health centre and a myriad of outdoor recreation facilities at your fingertips over the years the hotel has earned a cherished rep utation as a distinctive hotel for families and leisure trav elers according to ralph the resort was specially designed to let children fully enjoy themselves while secure in the knowledge that their parents will be taken care of i know from past experiences that if parents feel relaxed on vacation everyone will enjoy themselves even more there just isnt a fault to be found just absolutely spot less with firstrate service the renaissance is ideal for fam- the shimmering outdoor pool at the orlando renaissance the resort is also home to a five- awardwinning restaurant and caters to families and leisure travelers ilies who wish to experience seaworld and discovery cove considering the hotel is directly across the street from these two great venues both locales are absolutely brilliant and the 21st century technology has helped to radically alter two of orlandos most popular destinations of choice nearby you can visit walt disney world universal studios escape the kennedy space centre on the east coast or the gulfcoast beaches around st petersburg not to be forgotten is the renaissances fivestar awardwinning restaurant the atlantis i was lucky enough to spend some time with master chef hiroshi noguchi the renaissances executive chef who has guid ed all food operations at the resort for more than 1 2 years hiroshi immigrated to the united states from japan as a young man with one suitcase and 500 in his pocket along the way the personable chef has garnered a suitcase of awards and is renowned for his ice and chocolate carv ings that are often found on display at the renaissance dont be fooled however there is much more to orlando than the renaissance as i walked through the gates of seaworld i glanced over my shoulder and real ized with no children in tow i could experience seaworld in my own time with others not dictating the days itiner ary i would not be responsible for someone screaming for ice cream a stuffed toy or a soft drink and when i found out the cost of these items i must admit i was somewhat glad i was flying solo yet souvenirs are part of the overall orlando experience it was amazing viewing the attractions and watching the handlers with the animals one of the worlds premier marine adventure parks seaworld features more than 200 acres of worldclass shows thrilling rides and unforgettable animal encounters more than 80 million visitors have already experienced seaworld and learned about many mysteries of the sea if you get the opportunity dont miss out on this excursion mindboggling that one word captures my thoughts and experiences of discovery cove whatever you do while in orlando discovery cove must be on your todo list i just cant stress that enough the admission is worth every single penny considering only 1000 customers are allowed to walk through the doors each day and you must make reservations well in advance i was fortunate enough to arrange my day through sarah rogers and she didnt disappoint walking from the lobby into discovery cove i was knocked off my feet how this fantastic adventure was created wth its manmade beach i thought for a moment that i was back on the shores of my native bermuda relaxing with our turquoiseblue water and delicious white sand to my left visitors were swimming with the dolphins interacting with per haps one the most intelligent creatures on earth to my right folks are wading with mysterious rays snorkeling through colourful clouds of tropical fish before coming eyetoeye with sharks and barracu da with one staff member for every five guests serv ice at discovery cove is never far away whether its a cool drink on the beach information on a particu- lar animal or guidance in half a dozen languages the discovery cove staff is dedicated to giving every guest a day in paradise lets be honest vacations are not just about places and activities they are about people and their experiences based on that philosophy adven tures such as seaworld and discovery cove are sure to leave you and your family with an immeasurable amount of memories after playing tourist for days the end of my trip drew near but there was still time to sit down with ralph and share old memories and relive some of our good times together if i recall the last time we sat and talked was in the south of france in nice to be exact that was a decade ago european born and internationally trained ralph takes a personal interest in the quality of service and con ducts factfinding tours of the property each day he may very well be the most visible member of his 700plus team ralph has an opendoor policy yet hes rarely in his office to welcome visitors ralph has certainly put his array of talents to good use and the renaissance is proof of that hes one good reason why a trip to orfando can be so enjoyable for you and your entire family contact bart card at bcardpassporttodiscoverycom check on the web at wwwwpassporttodiscoverycom star pity the pickpockets while visiting five countries in the mediterranean over the past three weeks i was the intended victim of three robbery attempts in each your ingeniously designed clothes thwarted the perpetrators robert c petersen silver spring maryland the worlds finest travel clothing has secret pockets security pockets stoploss pockets plus smart appearance ease of care wash in a hotel sink in the evening wear neat and dry to breakfast durability mix and 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