Been there
Want to go
Ask friends for recommendations
Things to do
*Visit the major theme parks around Orlando - Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Sea World and more
*Go gator- and bird-watching in the swamps on airboat tours
*Test your skills at Orlando's numerous challenging golf courses
*Check out the surprisingly good art scene at the Orlando Museum of Art and elsewhere
*Sunbathe and swim on beaches near Orlando
*Go gator- and bird-watching in the swamps on airboat tours
*Test your skills at Orlando's numerous challenging golf courses
*Check out the surprisingly good art scene at the Orlando Museum of Art and elsewhere
*Sunbathe and swim on beaches near Orlando
Attractions and sights
-
Florida's biggest theme park, Walt Disney World is made up of four theme parks. The Disney character-themed Magic Kingdom has its Cinderella Castle, rides and parades Disney's Hollywood Studios offers TV and movie-themed rides such as Rock'n'Roller Coaster and stage shows, Disney's Animal Kingdom combines jungle trails, safaris and animal encounters with extreme rides and a petting zoo for smaller kids, while Epcot showcases world cultures and futuristic innovations.
-
Universal's Islands of Adventure offers numerous exhilarating movie-themed rides, from The Incredible Hulk Coaster to the 3-D Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and the 85ft waterfall drop of the Jurassic Park River Adventure At the Wizarding World of Harry Potter you can visit Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, choose your wand, drink Butterbeer and ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey .
-
A marine mammal park, SeaWorld Orlando combines Shamu the killer whale show and sea lion and dolphin shows with rides such as the Kraken themed animal exhibits such as Wild Arctic (polar bears, beluga whales, walruses) and Turtle Trek (turtles, manatees, alligators), 3D-movies and simulators. Nearby sister park Discovery Cove offers swimming with dolphins snorkeling with eagle rays and an exotic bird aviary, while Aquatica is a water park with lazy river, rafts, tubes and racing slides.
-
Universal Studios is a popular theme park and movie production studio, divided into six themed areas such as Hollywood and New York and home to such rides as Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster, Transformers 3D Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Jaws and Men in Black Alien Attack
-
Orlando is a prime destination for golfers and out of the 170+ golf courses in the area, ones consistently rated highly for both location and the challenge factor include Champions Gate Golf Club Eagle Creek Golf Club Harmony Golf Preserve Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club and Victoria Hills Golf Club
-
A good way to get up close and personal with alligators, wild deer and endangered birds such as the whooping crane and bald eagle is to go on an airboat tour through swampland surrounding Orlando. Recommended operators include Kissimmee Swamp Tours for their in-depth tours and Spirit of the Swamp for their accessibility.
-
Orlando has a thriving art scene. Orlando Museum of Art showcases African art and art of the ancient Americas, as well as 20th century American art and graphics. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art focuses on the work of designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, including Tiffany lamps and objects from the designer's former home, while the Mennello Museum of American Art revolves around its collection of "primitive" artist Earl Cunningham and its lakeside sculpture garden.
-
Wet'n Wild Orlando's main water park, features everything from exhilarating multi-person rides that involve water tobogganing, tubes and hairpin curves to solo rides involving near-vertical drops, as well as wakeskating and paddle boarding.
More attractions
More attractions and sights
* Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium showcases strange objects from around the world, from a 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost model made entirely out of matchsticks to a human shrunken head and a seven-legged sheep.
*There are several good white-sand beaches within easy reach of Orlando, such as Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Melbourne Beach, all with restaurants and water sport facilities.
*At the Richard Petty Driving Experience you choose between riding shotgun with a pro NASCAR driver or racing solo laps around the track at 180mph.
* La Nouba is a Cirque du Soleil show-in-residence at Downtown Disney, featuring high wire acts, trapeze artists, juggling, acrobats and BMX bike stunts.
*At the Safari Wilderness Ranch you can make your way through herds of African Watusi and other exotic game either on the back of a camel or in a customised safari vehicle. Kids can feed lemurs, budgies and guinea pigs.
*There are several good white-sand beaches within easy reach of Orlando, such as Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Melbourne Beach, all with restaurants and water sport facilities.
*At the Richard Petty Driving Experience you choose between riding shotgun with a pro NASCAR driver or racing solo laps around the track at 180mph.
* La Nouba is a Cirque du Soleil show-in-residence at Downtown Disney, featuring high wire acts, trapeze artists, juggling, acrobats and BMX bike stunts.
*At the Safari Wilderness Ranch you can make your way through herds of African Watusi and other exotic game either on the back of a camel or in a customised safari vehicle. Kids can feed lemurs, budgies and guinea pigs.
When to go
|
Best time to go:
Hurricane season is between June and November. Temperatures are hottest in July and August. There are huge crowds during Spring Break and other holidays. Winter and spring are the most pleasant, weather-wise.
How to get there
Fly into Orlando International Airport and rent a car