Visiting Orlando
(Orlando, Florida - FL, USA)
Orlando is a world-class paradise for tourists, both young and old. Home to the vast Disney World complex, the city is overflowing with man-made wonders and natural sightseeing opportunities.
Those looking for more than Orlando's endless array of theme parks will not be disappointed, with museums, art galleries, an incredible selection of restaurants, large areas of green and plenty of shopping malls in plentiful supply throughout this part of Florida.
Many holidaymakers choose to stay within official Disney hotels, where guests are able to enter the parks up to 90 minutes earlier than the general public, meaning that they can enjoy queue-free rides before the attractions officially open. Orlando vacation rentals provide a good lodging option for family groups, while those prepared for a short drive each day will discover that the hotels within nearby Kissimmee are much better value.
Visiting Orlando: Places to Visit
- Cypress Gardens, known for being the first amusement park in the whole of Florida, featuring many fast rides, together with landscaped gardens and seasonal live entertainment
- Disney's Magic Kingdom, without doubt the most famous Orlando theme park in the Disney World complex, overflowing with spectacular rides, roller coasters, side shows, restaurants and stage performances
- Disney's MGM Studios, another popular Orlando park with guided tours of the studios, together with themed movie rides and theatrical shows
- Epcot Center (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), an acclaimed Disney World attraction, known in Orlando for its hands-on experiences and glimpses into the possible future
- Disney's Animal Kingdom, with a range of rides featuring a strong nature and animal conservation theme, including an area devoted to extinct animals, including dinosaurs
- Downtown Disney, a popular place to head for evening entertainment in Orlando, offering a diverse selection of shops, entertainment and restaurants, including the acclaimed Rainforest Café
- Universal Studios, one of Orlando busiest theme parks, home to a range of rides and movie memorabilia, also featuring the 'Islands of Adventure'
- Wet 'n' Wild, the ultimate Orlando water park with tall slides, pools and a relaxing lazy river area, together with many attractions specifically aimed at young children
- SeaWorld, one of Orlando's greatest family days outs, home to a host of educational marine information, together with killer whales, dolphins, sharks and seals
- Big Tree Park, standing on the outskirts of Orlando in nearby Longwood, home to many truly enormous bald cypress trees
- Museums, with Orlando's most popular including the Orlando Science Center, Ripley's Believe it or Not and the Orlando Museum of Art, which boasts a mixture of modern American art and international works
- Kennedy Space Center, with enormous rockets, shuttles, an IMAX theater and an endless array of space-related exhibits
- SunTrust Center, a stunning skyscraper with contemporary architecture and crowned with four large pyramids, standing along Orlando's South Orange Avenue
