Favelas were cleared around the lagoon between Ipanema beach and the hills behind and in Leblon, now the most expensive part of town.

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Today, it includes 23 hotels, four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), almost 100 restaurants, two water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), a sports complex (Disney's Wide World of Sports), and two shopping and nightlife districts (Downtown Disney and Disney's Boardwalk), as well as six golf courses, three miniature golf courses and lagoons with water sports, all connected by a complicated system of free buses, boats and monorails.

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The white sand beach faces a small, lagoon-style bay that's great for swimming.

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It is an annual event - one gleeful crowd jumping in the waves, another playing football on the beach, and another idling in the lagoon.

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The 61 villas are either perched on the beach or built directly out over the blue lagoon, including the spa suites that overlook the Indian Ocean.

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Choose from villas on the beach or jutting off a long pier over the turquoise lagoon at this 44-acre Bora Bora resort (both types have butlers).

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