Orlando is a city located in the central part of the US state of Florida. The city, which has more than one and a half million inhabitants, is an important tourist destination. The city owes this to the presence of several large theme parks such as Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios and SeaWorld Orlando. It is not for nothing that Orlando is high on the list of places to visit during a trip through Florida, especially for families with children. If you don’t feel like walking around in an amusement park in tropical temperatures, it’s better to forget the summer holidays. The mercury here rises daily to tropical values of thirty degrees or higher. In addition to the larger theme parks, Orlando has more to offer. We have put together a top ten of Orlando’s attractions.
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The city of Orlando is unfortunately less and less often offered as a package holiday. Many people therefore have to arrange their own flight and hotel. This is now possible via the internet.
Top 10 Orlando Attractions
Walt Disney World Resort
After all the successes of Mr. Walt Disney, many forays have been made in the entertainment field. For example, the Disneyland theme park was established in California around 1955. It was not until 1971 that the Walt Disney World Resort opened in Orlando Florida. It started with Magic Kingdom, two hotels and a campsite. Today, Florida’s largest entertainment park is almost a city in its own right. There are now four amusement parks, two water parks, a sports complex, various shops, restaurants and no fewer than thirty resorts and hotels. Everything is well organized down to the last detail. Even the transport in and to this entertainment paradise has been well thought out. You can even book a special Disney Magical Express from the airport that will deliver you directly to one of the resorts. In the park a Monorail runs between the parks Epcot and Magic Kingdom and there are ferry connections to use.
SeaWorld Orlando
A few million people visit this water-rich park of Orlando every year. The overwhelming show with orcas is at the top of the list of top sights within this park. Impressive shows with dolphins, seals and other animals are interspersed with attractions such as roller coasters, whitewater slides and other spectacular rides. Marine life is central to everything. In addition to the high entertainment value, there are also educational programs to follow and exhibitions to be admired. In the 3D theater you are taken on a journey through the ocean. SeaWorld Orlando is a top attraction for young and old alike.
Universal Studios
This theme park is all about film and television programs. Some attractions are therefore entirely based on movies and cartoons such as ET, Men in Black, The Simpsons and Revenge of the Mummy. Other parts of the park are a copy of cities such as New York, San Francisco or Hollywood. The shows in this park are top notch. Sometimes you even imagine yourself in the middle of shooting a movie. In the Universal Studio park you also get a look behind the scenes of how a comic or cartoon is created. Just like in the Seaworld and Disney Parks, everything is well organized and neatly cared for here.
International Drive
The main street of Orlando is International Drive, also often simply referred to as i-Drive. This important main road runs parallel to Interstate 4 for a large part. International Drive is where most hotels, various theme parks and the entertainment area for tourists are, Pointe Orlando. On International Drive you will also find two huge outlet shopping malls, where you can find the best bargains of all kinds of designer clothes.
Downtown Orlando
Most tourists don’t come to downtown Orlando. A pity, because the historic center is well worth a walk. Fire truck enthusiasts can see beautiful specimens at the Orlando Fire Station. The old station is also a sight to see. Lovers of a walk through nature can visit the park that surrounds Lake Eola.
Wet ‘n Wild Water Park
Wild and wet are excellent keywords for the fun that is central to this park. All kinds of crazy rides through the water bring wonderful cooling in the usually warm Florida. It is therefore a great time to visit this park when it is very hot. George Millay who is also the founder of Seaworld has cleverly responded to this. The family park has found the right interpretation for young and old. For the little ones there is a separate water playground with castles, slides and water sprinklers. And the older children can learn to waterski, surf or slide down a nearly vertical slide. One of the top attractions is ‘The Black Hole’.
Islands of Adventure
This very popular theme park is located within the walls of Universal Orlando Resort. The Island of Adventure themes are divided into seven areas: Port Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing. The themes are also carried through very far here, which greatly benefits the experience. So you can really imagine yourself in Harry Potter’s Hogwarts here and walk through the classrooms. Or come face to face with one of the many dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. The park guarantees many adventures.
Gatorland
A water fight from the back of a crocodile, float through the jungle hanging on a rope, wrestle with alligators or become a crocodile trainer for a day. This is a selection of the possibilities that Gatorland offers its guests. The park is approximately 110 hectares in size with animals such as alligators, panthers, snakes, birds and turtles. Gatorland is a fun outing for the whole family.
WonderWorks
This property is perhaps the most photographed property in Orlando. This house looks like it landed upside down from outer space. The legend tells with a wink that this house once stood as a research house on an island in the Bermuda Triangle. There, all kinds of scientists worked on artificially generating tornadoes. And you guessed it, this worked. Things went so well that this research lab subsequently landed upside down in Orlando Florida. Once inside, this adventure just continues.
Legoland Florida
opened its doors in 2011, about a 45-minute drive from the amusement parks. This is the fifth theme park based on the popular LEGO toy. With an area of almost 0.6 square kilometers, it is the largest Lego park in the world. Legoland Florida has been placed on the site of the Cypress Gardens Adventure theme park from 1946 to 2009. The botanical garden of this former park has been preserved and is now integrated into Legoland.
