Orlando, United States. [Encyclopedia Entry]

Orlando, United States Brendan Richard University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA Email Address: Brendan.Richard@ucf.edu Marissa Orlowski University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA Email Address: Marissa.Orlowski@ucf.edu Kelly Kaak University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA Email Address: Kelly.Kaak@ucf.edu Recommended Citation Richard, B., Orlowski, M. & Kaak, K. (2017). Orlando, United States. In The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism. New York, NY: Sage. The final publication is available at Sage via https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-international-encyclopedia-of-travel-andtourism/book244212 Orlando, United States 1 Orlando, United States Welcoming over 50 million visitors per year and holding the title of the most-visited city in the United States, Orlando is best known as the theme-park capital of the world, hosting familiar household names such as the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios and Sea World. From theme parks and resorts to a diverse selection of attractions, meeting facilities, shopping, golf, fine-dining and nightlife, the “City Beautiful” has transformed itself into a tourist mecca of entertainment and leisure. History Orlando has a past divided into two eras: the founding of the city and its initial development, and the introduction and rapid expansion of the entertainment industry. Originally settled by cattle ranchers, Orlando was incorporated as a city in 1875, growing alongside the citrus industry and as a resort destination for Northerners in the winter months. This all began to change in 1965 when Walt Disney directed the purchase of almost 43 square miles of land southwest of the city. This project, destined to become the Walt Disney World Resort, would shape the future development of the city. The Magic Kingdom, the Walt Disney World Resort’s first theme park, opened its gates in 1971. Over the next 30 years, a multitude of theme parks followed in its footsteps: Sea World (1973), Epcot (1982), Disney’s Hollywood Studios (1989), Universal Studios Florida (1990), Disney’s Animal Kingdom (1998), and Universal’s Islands of Adventure (1999). The city has also seen the introduction of several water parks, including: Universal’s Wet ‘n Wild Orlando (1977), Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon (1989) and Blizzard Beach (1995), and Sea World’s Aquatica (2008) (Frommers, 2014). Features The fifth largest city in Florida (and sixth largest metropolitan area in the Southeast), Orlando encompasses 111.2 square miles (288 km2) with a population of 245 thousand (2012). The greater Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan statistical area includes an estimated population of 2.3 million, making it the 26th largest metropolitan market in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). In order to accommodate its over 50 million visitors per year, Orlando relies on an extensive infrastructure network, including major roadways, an international airport, and public transportation. The Orlando International Airport (MCO) provides non-stop service to over 100 destinations and accommodates more than 35 million visitors annually, making it the thirteenth busiest airport in the U.S. In addition to the multitude of theme and water parks Orlando contains over 450 hotels (including 35 AAA Four Diamond properties), over 5,000 restaurants (including 10 AAA Four Diamond and 1 AAA Five Diamond), 12 shopping malls and outlet centers within a 20-minute radius of the attractions area, and a plethora of spas, golf courses, and entertainment experiences. Orlando hosts more than five million conference delegates each year, and contains the second largest convention center (by exhibition space) in the U.S., the Orange County Convention Center (2.1 million ft2, 640 Orlando, United States 2 thousand m2). The city is the home to several professional sports teams, including: the Orlando Magic NBA Basketball team, the soon to be MLS (2015) Orlando City Soccer Club, the Solar Bears ECHL hockey team, and the Orlando Predators AFL arena football team. In collegiate sports, the city hosts the Capital One Bowl (BCS), the Russell Athletic Bowl, and the Florida Classic (Visit Orlando, 2014). Tourism Statistics As of 2014, Orlando has 454 hotel properties and 118,100 hotel rooms. YTD occupancy is 77.3%, which is a 4.9% increase over the prior year, and YTD ADR is $114.26, which is 5.9% increase over prior year. Visitor volume is also on the rise, increasing from 43.3 million domestic and 3.3 million international visitors in 2009 to 54.5 million domestic and 4.8 million international visitors in 2013. Of these visitors, approximately 3.3 million were meeting and convention attendees, which equates to an estimated economic impact of over $2 billion. The travel and tourism industries in Orlando account for over 370,000 employees, approximately 36% of all jobs in the region. Overall the tourism industry in Orlando is estimated to be responsible for over $54 billion of annual economic impact, generating over $2.3 billion in local taxes in 2011 (Visit Orlando, 2014). Promotion Orlando is marketed by various government entities in addition to the marketing campaigns of several local companies. VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing non-profit corporation, is a public/private partnership created in 1996 by the Florida Legislature. VISIT FLORIDA partners with industry through cooperative advertising campaigns and promotional programs, and estimates that for every $1 spent on tourism marketing, it generates more than $390 in tourism spending (Visit Florida, 2014). At the regional level, Visit Orlando is the official tourism association for Orlando, operating in partnership with Orange County and member companies. Visit Orlando focuses on forging relationships among local tourism businesses, engaging in marketing and advertising efforts to ensure the health and growth of the tourism industry (Visit Orlando, 2014). In addition to governmental and private-partnership efforts, individual companies, such as The Walt Disney Company, Comcast (Universal Studios), and the Blackstone Group (Sea World), heavily invest in marketing the region. Tourism Education & Research Orlando is home to the University of Central Florida (UCF), now the 2nd largest university in the country with over $122 million in annual research, a #3 ranking on the IEEE Patent Scorecard and a top ten incubator network. The Rosen College of Hospitality Management (RCHM), an independent college within UCF, is the largest hospitality and tourism college in the United States, enrolling over 3,500 students and offering five academic degrees. Orlando is also home to Valencia College, the inaugural winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Orlando, United States 3 Excellence. Valencia offers A.S. degrees in four hospitality and culinary tracks (Rosen College, 2014). Recent developments / Future Growth Orlando is a constantly evolving entertainment destination supported by both public and private investments in its future. In 2010 the City of Orlando began a construction initiative called the “Triple Crown for Downtown” which includes the construction of the Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts and the renovation of the Florida Citrus Bowl. In 2014 the Orlando International Airport began a $1.1 billion capital improvement plan to almost double its passenger capacity, and Orlando began service of SunRail, its commuter rail system for the Greater Orlando area. In 2015 construction will begin on tracks from Cocoa to Orlando as part of All Aboard Florida’s plan to connect Miami and Orlando via a higher-speed rail service (Orlando Airports, 2014). The theme parks have spurred the growth of tourism in the area by investing in new park areas, building new attractions and offering new experiences. Disney World recently completed its Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom in 2014, has plans to complete an Avatar-themed land within Disney’s Animal Kingdom by 2017, and has announced that it will be expanding the presence of Star Wars in its domestic parks. Disney World also completed the rollout of its ambitious MyMagic+ effort in 2014, consisting of an integrated website, online reservation system and RFID ticketing. The Universal Orlando Resort opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure in 2010, with an expansion themed around London and Diagon Alley in Universal Studios completed in 2014. Meanwhile Sea World Orlando opened “Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin,” a newly themed area within the park, in 2013. A world-renowned vacation destination where dreams can come true, the theme-park capital of the world entices its visitors with an ever-expanding complement of entertainment and leisure experiences. Orlando, United States See Also: Unites States; Destination Management; Theme Park Tourism, Water Park Tourism Further Readings Orlando Airports. (2012). Retrieved August 01, 2014, from http://www.orlandoairports.net/ Orlando History. (2012). Retrieved August 01, 2014, from http://www.frommers.com/destinations/orlando/681710 Rosen College. (2014). Retrieved August 01, 2014, from http://hospitality.ucf.edu/ United States Census Bureau. (2014) Retrieved August 9, 2014, from http://www.census.gov Visit Orlando. (2014). Retrieved August 01, 2014, from http://www.visitorlando.com Visit Florida. (2014). Retrieved August 01, 2014, from http://www.visitorlando.com 4