Since the weather in Florida is mostly sunny year-round, it is always a fine day to go exploring in the most welcoming town in the nation's sunniest state (sorry, California, you come in second). Of course, the 800-pound gorilla is Disney World, where you could spend an entire two-week vacation and still not see everything.
Yet there is so much more. Why not do a little wine tasting at the Orlando Food and Wine Fest that is held every November? There are other attractions for kids of all ages, including several world-class golf courses for the golfer in the family. There are plenty of water activities, this being Florida, after all, but a great selection of things to do on dry land, too.
Disney World, a triple threat
Four Disney theme parks are spread over an area about the size of Boston. The Magic Kingdom is the best place for families with little kids, while people who try to see all of the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow (EPCOT) will say that the acronym stands for Every Person Comes Out Tired. There is a lot to do there! Rounding out the quartet of parks are Disney's Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom.
There are two water parks, over a dozen other themed mini-resorts that are fun in themselves and much more. Make sure you have a good plan figured out beforehand, because entering "the World" without a map, game plan or time limit is a sure route to exhaustion. If you wanted to, you could stay in Disney World for your entire vacation. Still, there is more than Disney in Orlando.
Other biggies in town
Orlando's other prime time multi-park resort is Universal Orlando. There are two different theme parks. The Islands of Adventure park has a special "zone" for toddlers and "little kids," while the 10-acre Seuss Landing is based on the popular Dr. Seuss books and features "The Cat in the Hat" ride, the "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" ride and more. During the holidays there's a special "Grinchmas" celebration, too.
You will also find a fabulous shopping and entertainment zone at Universal Florida, called CityWalk, which adjoins the two theme parks. The CityWalk area offers shopping, entertainment, the Blue Man Group shows and other entertainments. Despite much of CityWalk being geared to partiers, kids will also get a kick out of the theme restaurants like NASCAR Cafe with its auto-related game area, Hard Rock Cafe with giant desserts and rare rock-'n'-roll collectibles, and NBA City with both videogames and giant-screen basketball games.
Lots of great choices
There are all kinds of other attractions in this exciting Florida city. If you've never been to Miami, you can take the One Day Miami Tour from Orlando and discover the most "upbeat" city on the East Coast. If you only want to invest half a day, then try Gatorland, voted Orlando's "best half-day attraction" in the local papers. The self-described "Alligator Capital of the World" is a huge, 110-acre alligator theme park as well as a working wildlife preserve.
You can also explore the amazing, one of a kind Florida Everglades with a Boggy Creek Airboat Ride. A half-hour airboat ride is both educational and exciting, for all ages. If it's youngsters you're thinking about, though, try the Fun Spot Action Park with its unique elevated go-kart racetrack, family and thrill rides, special "toddler" activities and more. The kids will also enjoy the famous Green Meadows Petting Farm, an animal education disguised as fun, where kids and their parents can all spend some quality time with a variety of farm animals. The Farm also features hay rides, pony rides, small-scale train ride and more.
Additional attractions
Of course, there are activities for the head in Orlando, too. In addition to various museums and parks, there is the Haunted Grimm House (slogan: "It's a scream!") that offers special effects, dark and scary rooms and passages, as well as sudden, unscripted encounters with live actors in various guises. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium is a strange, funny-but-interesting museum that offers interesting, odd and interactive exhibits based on both science and legend.
WonderWorks is a different kind of amusement park. It is definitely one for the mind, and it dares you to stretch your imagination as you explore the various interactive exhibits. It is here that you can experience Orlando's only "upside-down" entertainment attraction. Finally, Train Land International is just what "the conductor" ordered for all of you model train collectors and enthusiasts. Railroad fans both young and old can learn the history of trains, both full- and small-scale, and examine a fabulous collection of miniature models, many still in action after a century or more.
To sum up, there is so much to do in Orlando that you need to plan your visit very carefully. Unless you want to stay put in Disney World, you will need to do a little planning, map-making and scheduling, because there is so much to do you can't expect to show up and make sense of the myriad choices. Get out a map, hit the Internet, poll the family members and then make plans to visit Orlando, where you can do anything and everything under the sun - and under the moon, too!
