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These vtravellers love Orlando
Overview
There is no disguising the fact Orlando is a city built on theme parks - lots of them. Until 1966, there was precious little here in central Florida, but growth has spiralled thanks to a huge influx of tourists following the arrival of Walt Disney World Resort.
From the original Magic Kingdom, which opened in 1971 after a five-year building programme, Disney has added three more theme parks, two water parks and a host of associated development, including hotels, shops and golf courses to make it a true ‘World’ resort.
With Disney setting the example, SeaWorld (three theme parks) and Universal (two) have added to Orlando’s reputation as the family entertainment capital of the world. Between them, they draw nearly than 50 million visitors every year, and that has meant a huge growth in associated hotels, restaurants and shops, plus a host of smaller-scale attractions.
However, this young city has also developed its own identity, with a number of high-tech industries relocating here. The downtown area is fast developing yuppie overtones and there are ambitious plans to become a major cultural centre. The city is also America’s number two convention location.
Having said that, the main attraction for 99% of visitors remains the theme parks, and the likes of the nearby Kennedy Space Center. And, in order to attract the all-important repeat visitors, Orlando has become adept at re-inventing itself and providing new attractions at regular intervals.
© Columbus Travel Media Ltd.
Check out these features on Orlando:
Orlando: Beyond The Theme Parks
Orlando: The Best New Attractions
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Feature
Guide
Public Transport
The rather plodding Lynx bus system (tel: (407) 841 5969; website: www.golynx.com) is Orlando’s only public transport, but it covers most of the city, Orlando International Airport, the theme parks and most of the main tourist areas. The routes (Links) are symbolised by pink paw-print signs. One-, seven- and 30-day passes are available, all of which represent significant savings if you take more than two regular-price journeys a day. Link 51 runs from the airport to downtown Orlando; Link 42 goes from the airport to International Drive, Link 50 runs from downtown to Disney’s Magic Kingdom; Link 56 runs from Kissimmee’s Highway 192 to the Magic Kingdom; and Link 38 runs from International Drive to downtown. In addition, many hotels offer free shuttle service to the theme parks, and all Disney resort properties offer complimentary transportation (bus, ferry or monorail) to the Disney parks.
In downtown Orlando, the free Lymmo bus service operates around the city centre. On International Drive (one of the main tourist thoroughfares), there is also the I-RideTrolley (tel: (407) 248 9590; website: www.iridetrolley.com), a cheap bus service linking all the main hotels and points of interest. There are one-, three-, five-, seven- and 14-day passes available, all of which represent great savings on individual journeys.
Taxis
Taxis are common in all areas. Three of the biggest taxi firms are StarTaxis (tel: (407) 857 9999), DiamondCabCo (tel: (407) 523 3333) and Yellow/CityCab (tel: (407) 699 9999).
Driving in the City
Most attractions are well signposted and easy to find on Orlando’s road system but traffic can be very heavy on key routes in the morning (0800-0930) and evening (1600-1800). Motorway I-4 is the key east-west route but should be avoided at rush hour, while International Drive can also be seriously congested in the evening. Universal Boulevard is a good alternative. To the south, Highway 192 is the main route to Disney from the busy Kissimmee area, but (toll) Osceola Parkway is often a better bet.
Car Hire
As mentioned above, this is a huge area for car hire and there are rental offices all over the main tourist areas. Alamo (tel: 1 800 462 5266; website: www.alamo.com) and Dollar (tel: 1 866 434 2226; website: www.dollar.com) are easily the two biggest companies in town.
Introduction
There is a small but thriving arts centre in Orlando, the majority of which is centred on the downtown area. The Orlando Ballet (tel: (407) 426 1733; website: www.orlandoballet.org) is Central Florida’s only professional resident ballet company and one of the few ballet companies of its size performing the full-length classical ballets, mostly at the downtown Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre (but in 2009 many arts organisations will move to the new Orlando Centroplex).
Orlando Shakespeare Theater (tel: (407) 447 1700; website: www.orlandoshakes.org) offers classical productions year round at the John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center on Princeton Street in the Loch Haven Cultural Park. The latter also houses the Mennello Museum of American Art (tel: (407) 246 4278; website: www.mennellomuseum.com) and family-friendly Orlando Science Center (tel: (407) 514 2000; website: www.osc.org).
The Bob Carr Performing Art Centre, 401 West Livingston Street (tel: (407) 849 2001; website: www.orlandovenues.net) is the premier venue for theatre, ballet and opera, while Orlando Repertory Theatre, 1001 East Princeton Street (tel: (407) 896 7365; website: www.orlandorep.com), is a professional company that works in partnership with University of Central Florida to stage family-appropriate classics and riffs on kids’ literature. There’s the regular main stage season, an ‘American Classics’ series that honors US playwrights, and a youth academy for aspiring young actors.
Winter Park, just to the north, is home to two fine museums - The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, 445 North Park Avenue (tel: (407) 645 5311; website: www.morsemuseum.org), which features the world’s finest collection of work by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Cornell Fine Art Museum, 1000 Holt Avenue (tel: (407) 646 2526; website: www.rollins.edu/cfam).
For cinemas, Downtown Disney (AMC 24, Downtown Disney, tel: (407) 298 4488), Universal’s CityWalk (Universal Cineplex, CityWalk, Universal Orlando Resort, tel: (407) 354 5998), Pointe Orlando (Muvico Pointe 21, Pointe Orlando, tel: (407) 926 6850) and Festival Bay (Cinemark 20 at Festival Bay, tel: (407) 352 1042) all boast multiscreen cineplexes, while the non-profit alternative cinema Enzian Theater, 1300 South Orlando Avenue (tel: (407) 629 1088; website: www.enzian.org), in the suburb of Maitland, is home to the Florida Film Festival each April.
© Columbus Travel Media Ltd.
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reviewed by orlandoguy14, 10 weeks ago
My Favourite place
This city is very clean and everyone is friendly. Most of downtown is nice and clean. The buses running in downtown are free and are very fast.
The city is well linked to other areas of Florida thanks to the I4 (Interstate 4) and other roads
reviewed by tjenness, 30 weeks ago
Orlando
I love this place!!
So much to do for everyone, whether you are here as a couple, big group of friends or family with young children.
The weather is generally great all year round, in Sept, you can get rain showers but they stop as quickly as they start.
The list of theme parks is endless, but if you do get bored of rollercoasters, then the shopping opportunities are fab! The Florida Mall is huge-you could easily spend all day there-big foodcourt too.So many outlet shops too offering bargains. If you don't stay at one of the resort hotels then International Drive is a good place to be-most of the theme parks are a short drive away and there are loads of places to eat suiting all budgets.
reviewed by Jeanette, 30 weeks ago
Get a multi park ticket then you can hop between the parks as you want. Easily enough to keep you busy for at least a week and each park offers something different.
Make sure you stay for the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom.
reviewed by tjenness, 30 weeks ago
Brilliant day out! Loads to see and do-even if you're not into scary rides! You can see a scene of a film being acted out (and may even get picked to take part if you are lucky!), 3D cinema, real film and TV sets, as well as loads of rollercoasters!
Good nightlife in the evening too.
reviewed by Jeanette, 30 weeks ago
Loads of great rides.
Best to get a two park ticket so you can go between both of the parks.
reviewed by Jeanette, 30 weeks ago
Great day out. Huge water park with lot's of slides
reviewed by tjenness, 30 weeks ago
Probably my favourite 'theme park'. You can wander around, seeing Manatees, feed the dolphins, touch the rays. Make time to see Shamu the killer whale (sit near the back if you don't want to get soaked!) and the sealion show-the trainers get the crowd going-really good fun.
There a rides/rollercoasters too if you have to have your daily fix!
Visited before I had my daughter and can't wait to take her-just brilliant for kids (and adults!)
reviewed by Jeanette, 30 weeks ago
Brilliant day out.
Catch the shows, feed the dophins and go on the rides. Theres lots to do and if you can get a two day pass then you can spend the second day on the rides while everyone else is at the shows.
reviewed by britaccent, 37 weeks ago
Come see the gateway to space exploration for the last 50 years at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and one of Central Florida’s most popular destinations. Get vertical on the new Shuttle Launch Experience to discover the sights, sounds and sensations of launching into space. Be prepared for an inspiring experience with tours venturing deep into NASA’s spaceport facilities, daily Astronaut Encounters, towering rockets and IMAX® space films. Admission includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame® featuring the world’s largest collection of astronaut memorabilia, plus stimulating simulators, displays and tributes to the heroes of Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space
Shuttle programs.
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