Circus World and Universal Studios Florida On A Disney Map

My, how Orlando, Florida has changed!  The Walt Disney Travel Co. distributed this "Full Color Souvenir Guide" (produced by Landmarker) many years ago.  I can't find a year anywhere on it, but my guess is 1983 or 1986.  The artwork is great fun, and the map is gigantic.

The map is interesting because it features "Future MCA/Universal" (near the top) and the long-closed Circus World theme park.

Universal Studios Florida opened in Orlando in 1990.  Universal expanded with its Islands of Adventure in 1999.  The CityWalk shopping district links the two parks together.  Universal Orlando is a major theme park player, especially with its 2010 addition of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure.

Circus World opened in 1974 and shut down in 1986.  The owners of Sea World (at that time, Harcourt Brace and Jovanovich) bought Circus World and changed the theme, opening it in 1987 as Boardwalk and Baseball.  Sea World promoted Boardwalk and Baseball extensively, giving out free passes to families during some of the animal shows (they did this on my visit to Sea World in 1987).  In 1990, Busch Entertainment (Sea World's new owners then) closed down Boardwalk and Baseball.

Other highlights on the map include Sea World, Mystery Fun House, Wet N' Wild water park, Gatorland Zoo, and the Tupperware World Headquarters.

This is actually two maps in one!  The cartoon map is the "Sunseeker's Guide."  On the flip side, there's the "Navigator's Guide," which is strictly directional (and less fun).

Thanks to the Navigator's Guide, I am pretty sure that my family stayed at the Ramada Inn at Circus World (we did not visit Circus World, though) as part of our first visit to Walt Disney World back in 1981 (we did not get to visit the Magic Kingdom then, either----that's another story).