{big}
Nestled among the shops, restaurants and budget hotels of Orlando’s bustling I-Drive is Titanic the Experience. Aptly named, this unique “living” exhibit offers visitors a more intimate look at the legendary vessel that continues to captures the imagination over 100 years after her tragic journey.
“Titanic the Experience” is unassuming from the outside unlike the ship it honors, and its entry lobby decor was surprisingly basic and focused on film memorabilia including items from the cultural phenomenon “Titanic” from James Cameron. However, once our guide – in character as the charming Harry Elkins Widener (passenger aboard the Titanic) – invited us inside for the tour I found myself more engaged in the story of Titanic than I had been since I first discovered her story while reading Walter Lord’s “A Night To Remember”. Our adventure began with our boarding pass, a brief introduction to a Titanic passenger featuring their name and basic information about their journey — their age, traveling companions, what class they were booked, their destination and reason for travel.
My pass featured Dagmar Jenny Ingeborg Bryhl. She was traveling to Rockford IL with her brother and fiance. Her brother planned to emigrate eventually and was serving as the couple’s translator.
As we wandered the exhibits of “Titanic the Experience” Harry continued to weave little anecdotes from his life and adventures aboard the Titanic that added just the right amount of humor and energy to the museum-like environs. The exhibit features a blend of authentic artifacts recovered from the Titanic with re-creations and items authentic to her sister ship, the Olympic, to offer a sense of what was on Titanic.
Beautifully detailed full-size re-creations of the Titanic’s famous Grand Staircase and First Class Parlor Suite were among the tour highlights but I especially enjoyed reading the ship’s menus that were displayed in a re-creation of the Cafe Parisien. The cafe was proved particularly popular with its younger travellers with its ala carte menu and large cafe windows that offered a view of the ocean while dining and even had the option of being open air when the weather permitted.
Always hesitate to show similarities to Titanic but it reminds me of the Disney Dream Class ships Enchanted Garden — thanks to the trellis and ivy
Our delightful guide, now wearing his heavy overcoat, now led us to the ship’s bridge. He began to share the story of Titanic’s tragic evening and led us out to the Promenade deck. The temperature was quite cool and I was glad to have my light sweater. His demeanor changed as he shared the events of Titanic’s tragic evening. He talked of his parents and the struggle he had convincing his mother to board a lifeboat while he and his father awaited the rescue they were sure was coming. It no longer felt like an event that happened over 100 years ago. Instead it was as if it happened to someone I knew. Recalling the thrill he shared at the tour’s beginning of the ship’s construction and the amazing safety features, including more lifeboats than the law required, I developed a better sense as to why there was little sense of urgency when the disaster began.
Following our guide we entered a darkened room with the names of all those aboard the Titanic displayed — those who survived were presented in a solid font while those who died were in a hollow font making their names almost ghostly. With a quick scan I found Dagmar’s name. She had survived but neither of traveling companions did. Our guide, no longer in character, answered the varied questions members in our group had. He shared the epilogue of his character’s story. You may have recognized his name, Harry Widener. In his memory his mother Eleanor donated his book collection and established the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at Harvard University.
Turning the corner we were able to view the many newspaper headlines about the Titanic’s sinking. While I was still processing the magnitude of the story at the time and thought about how challenging it must’ve been to discover the fate of family and friends who were aboard, we were face to face with a large piece of ice. Our guide suggests we place a bare hand on the ice for 10 seconds to have a sense of how challenging it was to simply survive the elements.
Image presented of Titanic’s bench seated thousands of feet deep on the ocean floor
The tour concluded with a two ton section of the ship’s hull, the second largest piece of Titanic ever recovered. The massive 3,000 pound piece was raised 12,500 feet from the ocean floor in 1998 and took two attempts to bring to the surface. This piece was added during the exhibit’s recent expansion when the attraction was purchased by Premiere Exhibitions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of RMS Titanic, Inc., that is the only company permitted by law to recover objects from the wreck site. Our tour of the exhibit concludes with a display on their recovery and conservation efforts and serves as the transition back to the modern day along with small gift shop with the obligatory souvenirs.
Titanic the Experience succeeded in rekindling my interest in the Titanic as I spent a good portion of the next day browsing the web for stories about my assigned Titanic passenger Dagmar Jenny Ingeborg Bryhl and our guide Harry Widener including, historical newspaper clippings, and also sought out more information on the recovery efforts of Dr. Robert Ballard and the efforts to conserve the ocean ravaged artifacts.
What You Should Know About Titanic the Experience:
No cameras of any sort are permitted. All photos here were provided by RMS Titanic Inc. They do offer photo momento using skillful green screen technology to put you on her grand staircase or other ship locales.
Tickets can be purchased at www.TitanictheExperience.com, by phone 407 248-1166 or at the door. The exhibit is open seven days a week. Tours begin at the top of each hour. While tours travel in an organized flow through the exhibit you are free to go back and take a longer look following your tour.
Admission Costs:
Adult $21.95
Child (4-12) $12.95
Discounts are available to Florida residents.