Introduction to Orlando
Before asking yourself “what are we going to do on our trip to Orlando?”, the better question would be “what aren’t we going to do in Orlando!”. Orlando, Florida is famous for it’s theme parks, museums, sports teams, and of course, it’s tourists. Whether you’re traveling alone or with your family, Orlando is filled with great possibilities to ensure you have a memorable trip. There are numerous theme parks and water parks that make florida famous, but how about something a little different?
There is beautiful Lake Eola located downtown, while there you can take a walk around the lake, rent paddle boats or gondolas, feed the swans and waterfowl, check out the beautiful floral arrangements or grab a bite to eat! The paddle boats are shaped like swans, which can be romantic for adults or cute for the kids! They do charge a small fee to rent the boats, but where else can you paddle a giant swan?
In the Everglades you can look for alligators (or hide from them) and even take a ride in an airboat. There are also alligator parks where can you see, touch and (unfortunately) smell alligators up close and personal. For those of you who have a more gentler side, you can swim with dolphins or visit manatees. There are many private tours you can take and they even give you a video or photos of yourself with manatees or dolphins.
And we can’t fail to mention the great diversity of theme parks that call the Orlando area home:
- SeaWorld Orlando
- Aquatica Orlando
- Discovery Cove
- LEGOLAND Florida
- Universal Studios Florida
- Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Walt Disney World / Disney Magic Kingdom
- Epcot
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
As for restaurants, you could eat out at every meal for a week and still not experience all that Orlando has to offer. You can dine with your favorite cartoon characters, try some Moroccan food, or grab your sneakers and take a stroll down ’restaurant row’. With a huge range of choices for cuisine, you can try food from all over the planet and get the exercise to work it all off afterwards! Make sure to check out the selection of African wines while you’re there too!
With this much tourism, there are literally hundreds of hotels looking for your custom, and outside of (the quite long) peak season, prices are very favorable. Looking for addtional options for places to stay? Check out Orlando Vacation Rentals which are a great budget-friendly alternative to hotels for your family.
If you still haven’t found enough to do in Orlando, it must be because you haven’t left your hotel room yet. Get out there and enjoy all that Orlando has to offer!
Photo by Express Monorail on flickr
