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There are a lot of things to do in Orlando. Whether you want to explore one of their world-renowned theme parks or discover the other side of Orlando, there is something for everyone to do. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first time visitor or a repeat Orlando explorer, there’s always something new to discover.
Walt Disney World
Visit Walt Disney World: The happiest place on earth has plenty to offer guests. Spread over an area the size of San Francisco, the park encompasses more than 30,000 acres, of which about a quarter is developed. That means there are four fantastic theme parks (Magic Kingdom; Epcot; Hollywood Studios; Animal Kingdom), two water parks (Blizzard Beach; Typhoon Lagoon) and Downtown Disney to treat yourself to while you’re in Orlando.
Disney World Extras: Disney World Theme Park Orlando is more than just rides. The great thing about Disney is that at no extra charge, there are theme parades, like “Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade” at the Animal Kingdom, and spectacular firework displays like “Wishes Nighttime Spectacular” at Magic Kingdom, as well as live shows like “Finding Nemo,” “Festival of the Lion King,” “Illuminations” and “Dream Along with Mickey” to take advantage of. All of these Disney extras make a day at Disney even more magical.
Simpsons Ride
Universal Orlando Resort:
Orlando’s other major theme parks offers two theme parks – Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure. Islands of Adventure promises plenty of thrills with rides like The Hulk, Dueling Dragons and The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man, while also appealing towards younger kids with areas like Seuss Landing, which is a 10 acre are based on the beloved Seuss books. Kids love to see the Seuss characters and take a spin on The Cat in the Hat Ride, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Ride and others.Explore Universal Orlando Resort CityWalk: CityWalk excels at entertainment. Shopping, dining and activities are available at CityWalk and eating at one of their theme restaurants is a must. There is a big nightlife scene at CityWalk, but kids will also love going to the NASCAR Café, NBA City and Hard Rock Café as they have game areas, memorabilia and giants televisions for viewing.
Blue Man Group: Located at Universal’s CityWalk, the Blue Man Group is an indescribable mix of mime, percussion and audience participation that is a must-see show when visiting the Orlando area. People of every age will enjoy their show and will leave with a smile on their face once the one hour and 45 minute show is over.
Gatorland: When you visit Orlando, you’ll want to take a bite out of this attraction. Located on 110 acres, this gator preserve is home to an incredible display of huge alligators and crocodiles, a train ride, aviary, breeding marsh and bird sanctuary, petting zoo, nature walk, gift shop, and one-of-a-kind shows such as the world famous Gator Jumparoo. Kids will love the Gator Gully Splash Park too, because they can splash around in water sources resembling the parks famous residents.
Wet ‘n Wild: This water park is a great combination of thrilling rides and lazy day activities perfect for spending a day in the Orlando sun. With daring rides like The Black Hole, Brainwash. Bomb Bay & Disco H20, as well as a Surf Lagoon, Lazy River and Kids Play area, Wet ‘n Wild promises to be the coolest place to go in Orlando.
Orlando Shows: There is a variety of Orlando Shows to see, all of them with something unique and interesting to offer. A few of the top shows to see in Orlando include Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner, Arabian Nights and The Outta Control Dinner Show. Watching an Orlando show is a fantastic way to top off a great day exploring all that Orlando has to offer.
Disney Dollar Coins
Do you remember when there were $1 coins in the US? Canada has its loonies ($1 CAD) and twonies ($2 CAD) but here in the US we’ve been relying on paper dollars for quite some time now. However, the growing trend of “going green” and changing our habits to be more environmentally friendly has even trickled down to the way we use and make our money. You might be thinking what this has to do with the Orlando theme parks or Walt Disney World Resort we’re always writing about? Well, everything! It’s no secret that the Walt Disney World Resort is keen on conservation efforts. Both Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot are legitimate animal organizations that participate in breeding and rescue efforts. Now the Walt Disney World Resort’s Epcot and Magic Kingdom will be teaming up with the US Mint to distribute dollar coins throughout the parks in certain locations.
Dollar bills aren’t as environmentally friendly as coins. These dollar coins are gold in color and feature the image of Sacagwea both on the front and back of the gold-toned (not real gold) coin. On one side she is carrying a child in a papoose with the regular United States logos and on the other side she is harvesting corn, beans and squash in a field. The agricultural theme matches perfectly with the environmental goals that this collaboration with the US Mint is striving toward.
Many people are talking about these coins becoming a collectible, and we all know Disney fans love to collect! From pin trading to special figurines, we love taking advantage of special opportunities. Over at Epcot you can find the special coins in certain locations at the American Adventure in the United States pavilion at the World Showcase. Over in the Magic Kingdom you can find the coins in certain areas of Liberty Square and near the Haunted Mansion. The special coin usage will only be going on until December
Tinkerbell
Tinkerbell is one of the most popular Disney characters of all time. You can find tons of adorable merchandise in the Disney theme parks from pens to t-shirts and high-quality figurines. The sassy sprite first appeared in 1953’s Peter Pan, where she joined Wendy Darling and Peter Pan on an adventure to Neverland to fight off the evil Captain Hook. It wasn’t until later that the Tinkerbell craze caught on, but it’s hard not to love the blonde pixie with her adorable outfit and her funny crush on Peter Pan. She appeared once more in the 2008 movie Return to Neverland as the Tinkerbell merchandise mania continued to grow.
Finally, Tinkerbell got her own animated movie where she was the star of the show in a 3D animated feature that told Tinkerbell’s origin. We got to learn that all of the fairies live in Pixie Hollow and they are born whenever a child in the world laughs. Once the fairy is born he or she gets to choose her profession. Will she be a fairy of the elements or a tinker fairy? Tinker fairies create the little items used in Pixie Hollow every day. We’re sure you can figure out what kind of fairy Tinkerbell is after that explanation. So, based off of the success of her first solo feature, Disney is releasing a sequel called Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure.
New fairies were introduced into the Tinkerbell world and in this sequel they will be voiced by famous celebrities. Silvermist will be voiced by Lucy Liu, Iridessa by Raven Symone, Fawn by America Ferrera, Rosetta by Kristen Chenoweth and Mae Whitman voices Tinkerbell. Along with her fairy friends Disney gave Tinkerbell a male companion in Terrence, who is voiced by Jesse McCartney. Disney is hoping Terrence will help draw some boys into Tinkerbell’s world, which is important considering the Magic Kingdom will be getting its own Pixie Hollow as part of the huge Fantasyland expansion.
Although Fantasyland’s Pixie Hollow won’t be open until 2013, you can still find Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinkerbell, Terrence and the rest of the Pixie Hollow crew at the Magic Kingdom. It’s a great time to be a Tinkerbell fan!
Disney World App for Verizon
Verizon fans already enjoy a number of perks at the Walt Disney World Resort. They get to participate in the Kim Possible mission at EPCOT where you receive text message clues as you travel the World Showcase Pavillion helping Kim and her friends. Now Verizon users will be able to have a fully interactive guide to both Disney World and Disneyland on their mobile phones with great features that will make their theme park experience efficient and fun.
Disney Mobile Magic is fully loaded with important theme park information that is constantly updated. You will have full access to wait times, FASTPASS return times and extensive information on where and when your favorite Disney characters will be appearing next. The application is colorful, bright and easy to use. Because the Disney Mobile Magic app is GPS-enabled, that means you can follow your journey throughout the parks in real time. Your position will be marked by a white circle that shows you which attractions you are passing along with providing you information about them.
This is also great for those of you that want to experience Disney restaurants. The app not only provides pictures and information about the restaurant, but it gives you the phone number you need to call in order to make reservations through the Disney reservation system. This app is a great feature for customers of the Verizon Wireless network, who already experience great perks for being part of this cell phone service provider within both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Like all apps Disney Mobile Magic will be updated with more information as time goes on. If you aren’t a member of the Verizon network you can still receive Walt Disney World info via text message. iPhone users can check out the iTunes store for a variety of apps related to the Disney parks and company.
With everything going digital in this day and age, it’s great to have the option of a wonderful Disney app like Disney Mobile Magic and other cell phone applications. We can only imagine what’s next in the world of Disney.
Cinderella Castle
Whenever you’re thinking of where you’d like to take your family on next vacations, why not think about Florida, especially the Orlando area. For all ages there are lots of things to do in Orlando and activities each member of your family will enjoy. Orlando, Florida is the #1 vacation destination in the United States, hosting more than five million visitors each year and is definitely the ultimate US vacation destination for all kids.
The city is best known as the vacation capital of the world and with just about 100 theme parks and attractions including the highlights such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios it is easy to see why. Walt Disney World is possibly one of the most popular attractions on the globe. It is the destination that has put family vacations on the map.
Visiting Disney World is a trip in itself, as it offers seven totally unique attractions in this area best experienced with the usage of a Disney multi-day pass, including Epcot Center, Blizzard Beach, Pleasure Island, Magic Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Discovery Island, and MGM studios all which can be found at the WaltDisney World Resort featuring a wide range of hotels and spas too.
Perhaps you’re not quite sure where to start due to the lot of wonderful things to do in Orlando like Disney World, Busch Gardens, Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, Cypress Gardens, and the fantastic Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, full of galleries and exhibits that are all true and bound to fascinate.
Besides Orlando is also home of seven performing arts theaters, nine performing arts companies, seven museums, and eight colleges and universities including the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in Florida. Even beyond them Orlando also offers a wide range of other activities ranging from a huge choice of exceptional golf courses to exciting shopping malls.
As you can see, there are a lot of things to do in Orlando, so let’s go on with a hand-picked list of great activities and places to visit in Orlando. There are only few vacation spots that have as many things to offer as Orlando.
Disney World Dining
Anyone who has visited the Walt Disney World® Resort in the past can tell you about their excellent dining options. From the ethnic restaurants in the World Showcase at EPCOT®, to the class act dinner theater like Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, and the one-of-a kind restaurants like 50’s Prime Time Café, there is something for everyone. But when you have a dietary restriction, you may think that you choices are limited. With the MAGIC of Disney it is actually quite the opposite.While recently traveling with someone with a food allergy, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of service provided. When placing my advance dining reservations (ADRs), I notified the cast member of the allergy. All of my reservations were noted to alert the staff of the extra care needed. Just let your personal Dream Maker know of your special needs and they will communicate those to Disney. They can also provide you with additional information relating to your restrictions including suggested restaurants that will be able to best meet your needs.
At our table service meals, our waiter/waitress told us that their chef would be out to talk about our particular dietary need. Each chef went to great lengths to ensure a meal was made without any allergen contamination. If it was a buffet meal, the chef escorted him around to identify “safe” foods.
For counter service, we just notified the cast member at the order podium of our restriction. They once again notified a manager to come and consult us on what our available options were.
The Special Dietary program at Disney is just another example of how Disney continues to provide great service to their guests
Typhoon Lagoon
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, one of 2 Water Parks in Walt Disney World Resort, features attractions for the whole family—from fast waterslides to a children’s area with pint-sized raft rides. Catch 6-foot waves in the Surf Pool and snorkel Shark Reef —with real sharks!
According to Disney legend, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park was created in the wake of the storm-of-storms. During the meteorological disturbance, surfboards were hurled into palm trees and boats were tossed through thatched roofs of beach houses… and onto mountains.
A hapless shrimp boat, Miss Tilly, journeying from Safen Sound, Florida, found itself swept up by the twisting tides of the fierce typhoon. The storm’s force propelled the boat onto the peak of the volcanic mountain, Mount Mayday.
To this day Miss Tilly, the shrimp boat, still sits—impaled and precariously perched. Every half hour, the boat’s whistle blows and the volcano attempts to dislodge its burden by bursting, causing an enormous geyser of water to shoot skyward.
After the storm swept out to sea, the Disney legend concludes, Mount Mayday became the source for many waterslides. Surrounding the mountain, a 56-acre topsy-turvy tropical paradise was formed—full of waterways, rivers, rapids and slides: a sun-drenched Water Park.
Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park, one of 4 Theme Parks in Walt Disney World Resort, offers behind-the-scenes glimpses of Hollywood-style action with live shows, thrilling attractions, backstage tours and special events that only happen in this Disney Park dedicated to entertainment.
The glitz and glamour of the Hollywood Heydays from the 1930s and 1940s are captured by the neon, chrome, art deco and modern architecture throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. The streets and sections of the 4 areas of the Park blend together like a large, bustling movie set.
Step into the action with new attractions—like the American Idol Experience —that might put you center stage and under the spotlight. Feel like a star, or come face-to-face with one! Collect autographs and pose for photos at special events or at Character greeting locations.
Live out your desire for stardom by participating in parades, being part of a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy and experiencing spectacular attractions based on blockbuster movies and top TV shows—all at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park where movie magic comes to life
Animal kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, one of 4 Theme Parks at Walt Disney World Resort, is full of attractions, adventures and entertainment that reflect Walt Disney’s dedication to nature and conservation, and in doing so, the Park leads the way in animal care, education and research.
Home to more than 1,700 animals from 250 species and sprawling across 500 acres of lush landscape, Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park is the largest animal-themed park in the world!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park is divided into 7 areas:
- Oasis
- Discovery Island® area
- Camp Minnie-Mickey
- Africa
- Rafiki’s Planet Watch® area
- Asia
- Dinoland, U.S.A.® area
Within each area, encounter real and fantastic animals. Get close enough to pet some of them, or ask for their autograph! Exciting attractions await, as does live and wild entertainment—like Broadway-style musical shows and parades that invite you to be part of the excitement
Epcot Center
Epcot theme park, one of 4 Theme Parks at Walt Disney World Resort, sprawls across 300 acres—twice the size of Magic Kingdom theme park —and is divided into Future World and World Showcase.
Future World
Future World is full of sensational attractions—including one of the fastest attractions in all Disney Parks—as well as inspiring entertainment and shows, all of which focus on technological advancements, innovation and wonder. In Future World, ideas become reality.
The Epcot theme park icon, Spaceship Earth , looking like a giant golf ball rising high above the horizon, welcomes you as you walk through the Park’s main entrance.
World Showcase
Beyond Future World, if entering from the main gate at Epcot theme park, is the World Showcase area. World Showcase is a collective of Pavilions that wrap around the World Showcase Lagoon. Inside the Pavilions, find shops, attractions and restaurants that represent the culture and cuisine of these 11 countries:
- Mexico
- Norway
- China
- Germany
- Italy
- United States
- Japan
- Morocco
- France
- United Kingdom
- Canada
While walking between Pavilions, be amused by live performers—some may even invite you to participate in the show! There’s also plenty of kid-centric entertainment, too, like Disney Character meet and greet locations and Kidcot fun stops. At Kidcot stations , kids can create one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
In Epcot theme park, creativity is encouraged, imagination is celebrated and countries are united. Be amazed, inspired, enlightened and entertained!
Orlando Vacations 