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 Orlando
is the number one tourist destination in the world today
with current figures estimating that over 45 million
tourists visit every year. There are hundreds of
attractions and places of interest to visit ranging from
the high-octane rides found at the theme parks to the
peace and tranquility of an afternoon on the beach, it can
all be found in or around the Orlando area.
Many
of the better-known attractions and theme parks are
located to the south of Orlando. They include Universal
Studios, Sea World, Island of Adventure, Discovery Cove,
Wet N Wild and of course the Walt Disney World Complex
with its four parks (the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal
Kingdom and MGM), three water parks (Blizzard beach,
Typhoon lagoon and River country) and Downtown Disney.
Also in the area is International drive, which is home to
over 150 restaurants and an abundance of attractions
including Wonderworks, Ripley’s believe it or not and
Dolly Partons Dixie Stampede.
A
little further a field to the North East on the Atlantic
coast you’ll find miles of glorious golden beaches at
Daytona and Cocoa, as well as the Daytona International
speedway where many of high profile races are held
including NASCAR, and you may even be lucky enough to
experience a shuttle taking off from the Kennedy Space
Center.
  
An
hours drive to the west of Orlando will bring you to the
Gulf coast and the fantastic Busch Gardens theme park in
Tampa. If you continue further down the Gulf coast you
will pass through a number of picturesque towns such as
Clearwater, St Petersburg, Fort Myers, Naples and Marco
Island, all of which have beautiful beaches and are well
worth a visit. Special mention must go to the white sand
beaches at St Petersburg and Clearwater that were ranked
number one and four respectively in a recent national
survey.
A
lot of tourists come to Orlando to experience the theme
parks and sit around the pool, but there is so much more
on offer. You can take a helicopter or balloon ride, ride
an airboat through the swamps, have a picnic or try out
some water sports in one of the many state parks, go horse
riding, visit the museums, catch a game at one of the many
pro sports teams in the area, or even go swimming with the
dolphins at the excellent Discovery Cove. No matter how
many times you visit or how long you stay there is always
something new and exciting to experience.
  
After
the theme parks the second biggest lure Orlando has for
many is its rich Golfing environment. With its good all
year round weather and a huge choice of full size courses
(upwards of 125 courses with-in an hours drive of the
theme parks) the majority of which are open to the public,
Orlando is literally a Golfers paradise.
The
nightlife in Orlando offers many different options. There
are hundreds of well-priced restaurants serving dishes
from all around the world to be found and many locations
have live music so you can dance the night away.
Especially popular are the varies dinner shows such as
Medieval Times and Pirates Dinner Party, which mix a full
three or four course meals with a live action show, a sure
winner for all the family.
  
Down
town Disney is a fun place to visit at night. It is made
up of West Side, the Marketplace and Pleasure Island, and
features a number of attractions, shops, live
entertainment, restaurants and a number of clubs. Also
there is Universals City Walk and Old Town, both of which
offer similar amenities to Down town Disney and are well
worth a visit.
Finally,
you cant talk about Orlando with out mentioning the 52
million square feet of retail space!! Home to a large
number of malls and retail outlets including Mall at
Millenia, Osceola Square Mall, Belz Factory Outlet, Belz
Designer Outlet Center, Downtown Disney Marketplace,
Church Street Exchange, Market Street at Celebration, West
Oaks Mall and Orlando Fashion Square Mall, you truly can
shop till you drop in Orlando!
  
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