Orlando — Beyond the Mouse
By Geoffrey Biddulph

So you’re going to Orlando?  You’re going to see Mickey and the Magic Kingdom, perhaps take the little ones to EPCOT?  How about Universal Studios and Sea World?

Having lived in Florida most of the past 20 years, I have been to Orlando dozens of times.  It’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive up from Miami.  And I can tell you from hard experience that going to more than two amusement parks during a trip to Orlando is a drain.  All of the rides and the lines seem to run together by the third day.  You find yourself wishing for Barcaloungers and drive-thru entertainment.

Well, I have a few alternatives.  The first is, of course, going to the Orlando Temple, the site of my stake’s monthly temple trip.

And after you go there, check out something completely different: The Holy Land Experience. I know what you’re thinking:  Pink Jesus statues and green copies of the Ten Commandments, with a little Moses bobble doll.  That’s exactly what I thought the Holy Land Experience was going to be when I first went there.

And I was pleasantly surprised.

But first a word of warning:  The Holy Land Experience is run by an evangelical Christian organization and not tied to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in any way.  And it shows.  Some of the literature distributed by the owners of the Holy Land Experience is very negative about the Church (we are evidently a “cult” to be avoided at all costs).

But if you can get past that, there is much to enjoy inside the Holy Land Experience.  Basically, it is a theme park dedicated to scenes from the Bible.  The entrance looks like a passageway into ancient Jerusalem.   A large replica of Golgotha and the garden tomb stands next to a replica of Qumram, the hills where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.

My favorite event was a huge model of Jerusalem at the time of Christ.  An evangelical pastor (get ready for the shouts of "amen" at every turn) provided a very interesting tour of what Jerusalem looked like at that time, pointing out models of the Sanhedrin’s council and Herod’s and Pontius Pilate’s castles.  Possible locations for Golgotha were indicated.

Also worth seeing were a presentation of Moses’ desert tabernacle and the Scriptorium.  The Scriptorium had copies of dozens of ancient manuscripts and early copies of the Bible and discussed the history of the Holy Scriptures.

There are also many live performances with inspirational singing that is really quite good and uplifting.  During the Christmas season, the presentation on the nativity is positive for the spirit.  No smoking or drinking is allowed at the park, and it is closed on Sundays. I felt the Spirit confirm to me during my time there that the Lord is pleased with the environment at the Holy Land Experience. 

We went to the Holy Land Experience between Christmas and New Year’s, one of the busiest times of the year, and the crowds were not bad at all, especially compared to the Magic Kingdom.  You can tour the entire Holy Land Experience in four or five hours.

So, if you’re looking for an educational and inspirational alternative to Disneyworld, I would recommend the Holy Land Experience.  I’ll probably go back again several times.