After our recent visit to Orlando, we can assure you this city is more than just Mickey Mouse’s hometown, its year-round sunny weather, high quality of life and attractions, wonderful spas, amazing shopping malls, incredible restaurants and more. Nobody really knows how this city got its name, it has had various nicknames over the years including City Phenomenal, Mouse-Town and City of Light but nowadays it is known as The City Beautiful. According to most travel agents, Orlando is the second most popular domestic travel destination in the country after Las Vegas. In 2014 almost 50 million tourists visited Orlando, 2 million were international visitors. If you have not been there yet, take a look at WOW Travel’s Top 7 Things To Do In Orlando and book your dream vacation today.
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Wekiwa Springs State Park
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It takes one hour to drive to this gorgeous park but it is worth the ride. Visitors have the opportunity to relax in a natural setting, enjoy a picnic, take a swim in the cool spring or to do some hiking, bicycling or horseback riding. For the Canoeists and kayakers Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run are a great option.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
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This amazing theme park is the fourth of four theme parks built at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. This is the place to go to meet with exotic animals and to engage in exciting adventures. This incredible park is home to more than 1,700 animals in 6 different “lands”: Oasis, Discovery Island, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia and DinoLand. See African elephants, go on an expedition to Mount Everest, take a Kilimanjaro Safari or sit and enjoy Finding Nemo the Musical.
Magic Kingdom
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This is the place where every child’s dreams and fairytales come true. Enchanting fireworks, musical parades and famous Disney characters walk all over the park welcoming visitors from all over the world, that is Magic Kingdom. See fantasy become a reality as you explore Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland. Do you want to travel to the outer space? Would like to be a pirate or a princess for a day? Here you can do this and more and at the end of an unforgettable day watch fireworks light up the sky over Cinderella Castle.
SeaWorld Orlando
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SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, in Orlando. It is a great attraction for adults and families alike. Visitors enjoy an interactive and educational experience that blends imagination with nature and enables them to celebrate and connect with the natural world. Seaworld Orlando has been separated into different areas, called “seas”, each with a unique themed element such as Sea of Mystery with Shamu the Killer Whale, Sea of Shallows with Green Sea Turtles and Stingrays and more.
Universal Orlando
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Universal Orlando consists of two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure), a night-time entertainment complex (Universal CityWalk Orlando), and four Loews Hotels (Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Cabana Bay Beach Resort). At Univeral Studios for instance visitors experience unforgettable thrills and magical experiences while going behind the scenes, beyond the screen, and jump right into the action of their favorite movies like the new The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. At Universal CityWalk is where it all comes together and anything can happen, the streets are paved with excitement. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of music, comedy, dance, movies, or just hanging out and having fun. You could play mini-golf at Hollywood Drive-In Golf, catch a movie at the AMC Cineplex 20 with IMAX or enjoy live music at an array of clubs and concert venues.
Wet ‘n Wild Orlando
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The words “wet” and “wild” are just euphemisms. This theme park is simply incredible, it offers its visitors more rides and more multi-person slides than any other Orlando waterpark. One of its newest attractions is the Aqua Drag Racer where people can slide through four lanes of high-speed, head-to-head competition on the tallest and fastest ride of its kind in Florida.
Orlando Eye
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The Orlando Eye is a giant Ferris wheel where you can admire the magic of this beautiful city from above. This amazing attraction offers 30 air-conditioned passenger capsules, each of which can carry up to 15 people. It is a great place to visit after a long day of walking, jumping or shopping. Board one of the capsules and enjoy the calm and serenity while enjoying breathtaking views of Orlando’s skyline.
Just So You Know…
- Orlando is home to more than 100 lakes.
- Church Street Station, also known as the Old Orlando Railroad Depot, was built in 1889 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SunRail now has a stop nearby.
- Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida offers eco-safaris via horseback, zipline or in a swamp buggy through a nature preserve with nine ecosystems. Observe native species such as alligators, bald eagles, ospreys and barred owls in their natural habitat.
- Visit a Mobile Food Fair at Tasty Tuesdays in the Milk District with all the best food trucks of Orlando gather together. Each week, the rotating roster of trucks changes, they cover all the bases and you can get carnivorous meals, vegetarian and vegan options and delicious desserts in the same place.
- View the city from the best hotel pools in Orlando. Sunset or sunrise? Your choice!
- Orlando also offers some of the best pet friendly hotels and overall the 11 Best Hotels in Downtown Orlando.
- Florida is filled with interesting cities to visit. Come check out the 11 Best Hotels in Pensacola, 11 Best Hotels in Gainesville, and 11 Best Hotels in Kissimmee to see why these cities must be on your list!
Get Some Culture:
- Cornell Fine Arts Museum – With a good mix of paintings, sculpture and other installations. There is a wide variety of pieces ranging from the 1500s to today.
- Orlando Science Center – a private and interesting science and technology museum.
Grab A Bite:
- The Whiskey – With the best burger in Orlando, courteous staff and great atmosphere.
- Dandelion Communitea Café – A beloved organic cafe located in the heart of Orlando, which serves healthy vegetarian fare and premium loose leaf tea.
- Scratch – A family owned Tapas Bar & Restaurant. Specialize in fresh, locally procured ingredients prepared with both modern and traditional techniques.
- Chili’s Grill & Bar – Chili’s may be “Your Margarita Place,” but it also offers an extensive menu of wines, beer, mixed and delicious food.
