
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, November 19, 1995                   TAG: 9511200119
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-15   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: ORLANDO, FLA.                                LENGTH: Medium

ORLANDO TO BREAK SOUTH FLORIDA'S LOCK ON THE KEYS

By the millions, American families avoid costly trips abroad by coming here for a stroll through Paris, a gander at the Great Wall of China, or fajitas in the shadow of a Mayan pyramid - all through the magic of theme park simulation.

But with all the best foreign sites already replicated at the various tourist attractions here, Orlando has turned its cloning skills closer to home.

In what may be the first step toward making the rest of Florida obsolete, Orlando is building a theme park based on a rival Florida destination; by next summer, visitors to the state will have a new choice: Key West or Key West World.

With all the Margaritaville charm but none of the drug running and licentiousness, developers say Key West at Sea World will distill the essence of the tiny island into a landlocked five-acre theme village in central Florida.

``The concept is a salute to Key West,'' said Nick Gollattscheck, a spokesman for Sea World. The attraction will give tourists ``the ambiance of the Keys, the architecture, sort of the funky feel, the funky colors,'' Gollattscheck said, while sparing them the seven-hour drive to the real thing.

To the chuckles of residents on the real Key West, which lies at the end of an island chain off Florida's southern tip, Sea World's developers say the extension of the aquarium park will introduce guests to the island's ``fascinating inhabitants'' as well as its subtropical ecosystem.

Along with street performers, conch fritters and a replica of Key West's bawdy Duval Street drag, plans include three elaborate displays for dolphins, sea turtles and stingrays.

Because Orlando has no marketable culture of its own, the simulation of other tourist spots has become a growth industry here. It started 25 years ago, when Walt Disney World opened, and has peaked in recent years as central Florida's landscape has quickly gone from citrus groves and swamps to a vast expanse of highways, motels and family restaurants

Key Westers are skeptical about the need for a replica.

``You know what I think?'' said Ann Boese, the editor of The Bone Island Press, which publishes a guide for visitors to the island. ``I think it makes perfect sense that the people who are going to be attracted to the Disney Key West should go there,'' she said, lumping all Orlando attractions under the Disney name.

``They're not the kind of tourists we want. We don't have a Disney store down here to satisfy their needs, so they're making a good choice.''

But Key West's official tourism promoters say they see the imitation as five acres of free advertising.

by CNB