Things to Do in Orlando, Florida

You have plenty of things to do when visiting Orlando, Florida. There are various shopping malls, museums and tourist attractions to choose from. The city is ideal as a vacation destination because of its humid and warm subtropical climate that ranges from dry and mild winters to rainy and hot summers.

The number one tourist attraction is, of course, the Walt Disney World Resort, which has various sections, including Downtown Disney, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom has attracted tourists from all over the world.
SeaWorld Orlando is also a theme park but it focuses on marine animals, various zoological displays and rides. The Key West area displays dolphins, stingrays, alligators, manatees and sea turtles. Shamu’s Happy Hour is hosted by the killer whale mascot known as Shamu and it features a play fortress and various family rides.

Universal Orlando is made up of the Islands of Adventure theme park, CityWalk, and Universal Studios Florida. The Universal Studios theme park features various rides based on movies, such as the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster, a boat ride based on “Jaws” and attractions such as Twister, Shred 4-D, Terminator 2 and Men in Black.

For those of you who enjoy the arts, there are various museums in Orlando. These include the Mennello Museum of American Art, the Morse Museum of American Art, Orlando Science Center, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, the Orange County Regional History Center, the Arboretum of the University of Florida and Harry P. Leu Gardens.

You can also enjoy fine dining in Orlando with its many and varied restaurants. These include Todd English’s Bluezoo, that is found at the Walt Disney World Dolphin; the Venetian Room that specializes in gourmet cheeses and fresh seafood at the Caribe Royale; the Boheme restaurant at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando; Emeril’s Orlando, which specializes in Creole food at the Universal City Walk Orlando; Roy’s restaurant, which features the Hawaiian fusion cuisine of chef Roy Yamaguchi and Ming Court, which offers Chinese cuisine.

And after an exquisite dinner, you can also enjoy Orlando’s nightlife at its clubs and lounges. The Wall Street Plaza has several bars with each establishment showcasing its own flavor. You could also watch local bands and national Indie acts at the Bosendorfer Lounge at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, the BackBooth and the Lodge. For a hip nightlife experience, you may want to also explore the Beacon in Thornton Park.