– Written by Chris Hurley, PHUSE Americas Director
What’s in a name?
Florida was established as the 27th US state on 3 March, 1821. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León discovered the region in 1513 and named the state after the Spanish ‘florida’ (‘flowery’).
Though the state is known for its sunshine, the origins of our host city’s name are mostly cloudy. There are many differing stories, but one thing is ironic: ‘Orlando’ has Spanish origins meaning ‘famous land’. One could wonder if the founders had any idea how tremendously famous this city would become when it was established in 1875.
The History
A thriving citrus industry built up around Orlando in the 20 years that followed its founding. However, the blossoming industry and resulting population boom came to an abrupt halt during the winter of 1894–95. What became known as the Great Freeze forced the citrus growers to move operations further south and out of the area.
Orlando was compelled to re-invent itself and thus, following the Spanish—American War from 1898 through to the Roaring Twenties of 1920–29, became a flourishing tourist destination. The Great Depression and a series of hurricanes put a fresh squeeze on the city and ultimately ended those early boom years.
The period leading up to World War Two and beyond brought military and aerospace to Orlando, but it wasn’t until 1965 when Walt Disney would make a decision that would profoundly impact the city. That was the year Orlando was chosen over Miami and Tampa for the development of a theme park, given its inland location’s greater protection from hurricanes than cities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Walt Disney Productions actually used dummy corporations, such as the Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation and the Latin-American Development and Management Corporation, to buy up the land needed and ensure prices wouldn’t skyrocket in the process.
The Tourism
Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 and has since set the bar as the most visited theme park in the world, with more than 56,000 people on average per day and a total of more than 20 million per year. SeaWorld Orlando, just across the street from the PHUSE conference hotel, opened in 1973 and averages more than 4 million visitors a year. Today, there are 14 theme parks operating in the greater Orlando area, attracting more than 75 million visitors annually. Early March is actually a good time to visit any of these theme parks, when the queues are shorter.
Activities worth doing during your stay
Orlando isn’t just theme parks. There are many excellent golf courses in the area ready to challenge your skills. For the more adventurous of you, take an airboat tour in the wetlands surrounding Orlando and experience the natural beauty of the Central Everglades. There are excellent fishing charters and paddle board tours in the nearby lakes. Take your stay to new heights with a hot air balloon ride or hit the thermals in a tandem hang glider. I’ve taken the helicopter tour over Orlando, which provides a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the parks. Shuffle, or should I say shuttle, out to the Kennedy Space Center, about an hour east of Orlando, for a real out-of-this-world experience!
Orlando is an extraordinary city. Make hay while the sun shines in the Sunshine State and take time out to enjoy some of the many wonderful things there are to see and do.