Orlando, Florida, is a Mecca for theme park lovers, who travel from around the globe to let their inner child loose in Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios and beyond. But there’s a lot more to Orlando than fast rides.
The Orlando County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has crunched some numbers and decided it would take 67 days to experience the more than 100 attractions they have on offer. To help draw attention to this concept, they held a competition to find two people willing to put their theory to the test.
Hundreds of couples applied to become Orlando’s “Smile Ambassadors”, with Broadway performer Kyle Post and childcare worker Stacey Doornbos taking the prize. The childhood friends grew up in Holland, Michigan, and now live in New York City, when they’re not hard at work exploring theme parks and taste testing at restaurants around Orlando.
Splash Around Discovery Cove and see a Space Shuttle Launch in Orlando
Within 48 hours of starting their adventure on the 28th of August 2009, Kyle and Stacey had taken a tour of the Hard Rock Café, swum with dolphins at Discovery Cove, and watched the Discovery Shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Centre.
From there, it has been a long list of things to do, see, and eat, including getting up close and personal with alligators at Gatorland, learning to surf at Typhoon Lagoon, off roading and taking an airboat ride, and refuelling at a wide range of local restaurants and cafes.
As of Day 20, Kyle and Stacey were on track and doing well, with their eyes on the ‘every attraction in Orlando’ prize.
Free Tickets to Orlando Theme Parks and Attractions
While Kyle and Stacey have taken out the main prize, living in a condo in Downtown Orlando, being given a rental car, phones, video cameras and more to document their experiences, and being paid $25,000 to cover living expenses back home, they are also sharing the love by giving away free tickets to people following their adventures.
Throughout the 67 days, competitions are being held on Kyle and Stacey’s Visit Orlando Facebook page with free tickets up for grabs to a number of Orlando theme parks and attractions. Including one prize of a free holiday in Orlando. Kyle and Stacey can also be found on Twitter sharing their Orlando Vacation tips.
In creating the prize, a spokeswoman from the Orlando CVB says they were testing the axiom “smile and the whole world smiles with you.” We will have to wait and see what kind of a smile Kyle and Stacey have to share with the world at the end of their whirlwind 67 days.
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Amanda Woods - Amanda Woods is a journalist and producer with more than 15 years experience in radio, television and print. She now enjoys sharing her ...
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