Orlando's Ode to China Closes Down

O R L A N D O, Fla. Jan. 16 -- While Florida Splendid China closed on thelast day of 2003 after struggling for 10 years to find amoneymaking niche, other local theme parks had no such troubles. Acrowded Walt Disney World claimed record attendance over theChristmas holidays, and Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando felthealthy enough to increase ticket prices by $2.

The contrast in fortunes marked the latest in a Darwinianshakeout in central Florida's tourism market, where only the biggestand strongest have survived two years of stagnant growth since theSept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Other properties that have closed their doors recently includethe Hyatt Orlando and decades-old Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven,although a Georgia theme park owner is negotiating to buy CypressGardens. Florida Splendid China's owners hope to find anotherbuyer.

"If the market grows, everybody gets their share," said SteveBaker, a theme park consultant.

A Stagnant Market

The problem for the 76-acre Florida Splendid China was that themarket wasn't growing for the past two years. On good days, thetheme park, indirectly owned by the Chinese government, averaged400 visitors who came to see the park's miniature replicas ofChinese landmarks and watch its acrobatic performers.

By contrast, parks at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando andSeaWorld Orlando average tens of thousands of people each day.

Visitors to Florida Splendid China on its last day lamented itsclosing but were quick to point out the reasons.

Shinji Motoyama, 26, a financial analyst from Miami, noted thatthe park hadn't been well-maintained. Dirt was encased on Buddhastatues and some speaker boxes offering prerecorded narrations ofthe miniatures weren't working.

"It's not so good, the preservation," said Motoyama, who wasvisiting with his parents. "It seems old and broken in someplaces."

Explosions Trump Culture

Serge Huot, a businessman from Quebec visiting with his parents,said Florida Splendid China offered no breathtaking rides or flashyshows like the other theme parks.