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There wasn't much to Orlando until a famous little man living in California started buying up property at the city's southwestern edge in the 1960s. That famous man was Walt Disney, and the property he bought became Disney World in 1971.  Since then, waterslides, roller coasters, fairy tale palaces and costumed characters have made Disney World one of the world's most visited tourist attractions.

Before Orlando became an extension of Disney Corp's expansionist dreams, it was known as the 'city built on the peel of an orange.  In other words, citrus was at the turn of the century what mouse ears are today.  The citrus boom straddled railroad and real estate booms, but none of these compare to the well-honed tourist boom in full swing today.

Orlando is the fifth-ranking US destination of overseas travelers - after San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles and New York City - and it claims the second highest number of hotel rooms in the US, lagging just behind Las Vegas in the bedroom stakes.  The city has also established itself as part of Florida's high-tech corridor, boasting not only the space technology industries focused on the Florida Space Coast (also keen on 'booms'), but a healthy dose of bits and bytes makers as well.

You can't help but be happy in 'the happiest place on earth.' You're expected to be so at peace that it seems as if the air in Disney World has been infused with high doses of Prozac. Anti-depressants aside, the world that is Disney is a true testament to one man's vision to amuse the masses and make money for the favor.  While Uncle Walt remains a controversial, authoritarian figure, everybody's still crazy about his famous mouse.

When California's Disneyland, built in 1955, took off in a big way, Walt Disney realized that tons of hotels, restaurants and other tourist draws were springing up nearby and cashing in on his visitors.  As a result, he became determined to control every aspect of vacations to his theme parks (and to keep all the profits himself).  In the years to follow, Disney discreetly bought up thousands of acres of land in central Florida until his death in 1966.  His successors opened the second Walt Disney park - Disney World - 5 years later.

In its first year, Disney World saw over 10 million visitors, and it remains one of the world's top tourist destinations, now attracting more than 20 million visitors a year.  It's also the world's biggest amusement resort, covering an area twice the size of New York's Manhattan.  It has its own transport system, emergency services, police force, energy plant and more than 20,000 employees.  It would have made Walt very, very happy.

Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT Center and Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park are the three main parks within Walt's Disney World.  The centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom is Cinderella's Castle, the most recognizable of Disney's logos. Within the Kingdom are a series of 'lands,' including the tautological New Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and Adventureland.

EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and its trademark silver geodesic dome is visible throughout Disney World. EPCOT Center is divided into two main sections: Future World, a combination amusement and educational park, and World Showcase, a well-presented re-creation of 11 countries - Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, the UK and the USA (there's a logic in there somewhere).

Disney-MGM Studio's rides and attractions are absolutely first rate, but it's far less of a working studio than they'd have you believe.  Most of the 'rides' here are 3D, with the notable exception of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which is arguably the park's best and most terrifying ride.  The 3D stuff in Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D is so real that kids (and, fess up, adults too) try to reach for the characters.

It's best to buy your tickets before you arrive, either at a Disney store or by mail from Walt Disney Guest Communications, since lines to buy tickets can be very long. There are numerous ticket prices and options.  Disney World is about 20 miles (32km) southwest of downtown Orlando, west of I-4, in a town called Lake Buena Vista.  The best way to access the park is by car; if that's not an option, a bus leaves every two hours from Orlando's Lynx Bus Center.