As the sun descended slowly in the pink sky, the worshippers swayed in prayer to welcome the Sabbath. When the stars appeared, the fervent voices rose in song and clapping hands in sync with catchy melodies. They then strolled over to a long table, covered with a white tablecloth, challah, Kiddush, wine and generous servings of humous and babaganoosh, and sang "Shalom Aleichem." Wearing a white satin kippah, a man turned to two surprised visitors from New York and exclaimed, "Welcome to Orlando." Is this Orlando?

When we had first planned our trip, my husband and I sought to avoid spending Shabbat in Orlando, which we assumed was devoid of Judaism. But our Shabbat experience there turned out to be as vibrant as the theme parks.

The Shabbat service was being held in Orlando's Lower East Side Restaurant, one of two kosher establishments in the Land of Magical Entertainment. This restaurant's offerings are not limited to physical fare; its makeshift synagogue has lively Shabbat services most Fridays and Saturdays.

With the Lower East Side minyan, an Orthodox synagogue, two kosher restaurants and kosher meals available in the Disney parks, there's no reason to feel deprived, hungry or alone in Orlando. The kosher oasis allows exhausted tourists to enjoy respite from Disney's long lines and dizzying rides.

Orlando's Jewish community itself is small, - only 9,500 people. The Maitland's Ahavas Yisrael congregation has 75 families. Orlando's Jewish religious life began in 1985 when Lubavitch emissaries came to cater to the small local community and the throng of tourists, according to Rabbi Dubov of Chabad of Greater Orlando.

The small community now has a mikvah and a pre-school, and they plan to start a yeshiva day school next year. In September, Chabad in Orlando will launch a new center in Southern Orlando.

During communal Shabbat meals, we met a pair of businessmen from New Jersey who told of their disappointments in the mating game, a doctor and her husband from Monsey who talked of child rearing, and Israeli-born Orlando residents who enchanted us with their Sephardic melodies.

At first, we balked when we heard that Disney visitors cannot bring in food. But to our relief, we found that we could dine on pre-packaged kosher meals (by Danziger Caterers) at any Disney restaurant by reserving 24 hours in advance. The Disney staff was quite knowledgeable of the Kosher procedures, keeping the meal double wrapped and providing plastic silverware. The food was fresh and delicious, even after dining on them for several days!

We also found plenty to munch on in between meals since many chocolate and ice creams sold at the concessions bear kosher certification.

Disney World's most recent addition is the sprawling Animal Kingdom, featuring 1,500 live animals, a whitewater rafting tour, an exotic bird show and a safari ride. Aboard an open-sided vehicle, we took a jungle trek through an expansive preserve and marveled at a slice of Africa in the heart of Florida, complete with lions, giraffes and elephants.

The park's centerpiece is a majestic 14-story structure called Tree of Life. Made of steel and rockwork, the faces of over 300 animals are carved into its roots and branches. It houses a theater with a three-dimensional movie entitled "It's Tough To Be a Bug."

In Magic Kingdom, Disney's most famous park, we flew through the air on Dumbo, braved a cruise with the Pirates of the Caribbean and through Snow White's Scary Adventure. We also experienced a boat ride past hundreds of colorfully costumed dolls from around the world, including a Chasid with Payis and a shtreimel standing under a tallis chupah with his lovely bride.

At MGM Studios, we liked the Backlot Tour with its wardrobe department and movie sets, and the amazing special effects of fires, floods and battle scenes.

At EPCOT visitors can sample future technology, as well as a rich array of world cultures. Within EPCOT's tall aluminum globe, we rode Spaceship Earth that included a scene of ancient rabbis huddled over a Talmud. At the World showcase, visitors walk through replicas of various countries.

The Italy pavilion bore a striking resemblance to Venice (which once had a large Jewish ghetto) with its gondolas and life size replicas of the Doge's Place and piazza San Marco.

The French exhibit included canals and kiosks and French buildings so convincing we practically broke out into French. Cooling off at the Coca-Cola International Tasting Station, we were happy to see "Kinley" proudly identified with an Israeli flag among the array of soft drinks from around the world.