Beyond the “big three” theme parks, there are still plenty of other attractions to visit…many still operated by Disney. If you want to cool off, Orlando seems to be overflowing with water parks. Blizzard Beach is the newest of Disney's water parks — a 66-acre ski resort situated in the center of a tropical lagoon. Or if you've always wanted to be stranded on a desert island, there's Typhoon Lagoon, which is a “storm-ravaged” tropical island offering rides like Castaway Creek and the Humunga Kowabunga. And don't forget Water Mania and Wet ‘n Wild…. Hotels near to the water parks include the Quality Suites Universal, Enclave Suites Orlando, and La Quinta Inn Lakeside.
If you want to stay out of the water for a while, Disney's Wide World of Sports is a 200-acre sports complex offering a “Multi-Sports Experience.” The Richard Petty Driving Experience is for the “older” kids (you must be 18 years old to ride in a car) where you can race in a 600-horsepower NASCAR Winston-Cup racecar.
And what trip to Florida would be complete without a visit to Gatorland where you can see the typical “Gator Wrestling” show. Those who are daring enough may even choose to snack on smoked gator ribs and nuggets…yum!
For more intellectual pursuits, there is the Orlando Science Center which enables visitors to explore a wide variety of interesting landscapes including Mars! Florida Splendid China is a 76-acre attraction which features over 60 miniature replicas of China 's most notable wonders including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City . And the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum has guided tours and hands-on exhibits of vintage warplanes from World War II through Vietnam .
For sporting pursuits, the Atlanta Braves play 18 spring training games at the Disney Wide World of Sports stadium in early March, or if you're more into playing as opposed to watching, there are a number of golf courses as well as Miniature golf…Winter Summerland is actually quite spectacular as mini-golf courses go.
Yet most times, despite the best-laid plans, most visitors to Orlando find they can't quite find the time to see all that there is to see and do…or they exhaust themselves trying. We haven't even begun to scratch the surface of all the Orlando attractions including the World of Orchids, Wonder Works, Jungleland, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and much more. And we didn't even include day trips like the Kennedy Space Center !
Our advice? Start small. Make a list of your “must sees” and then take it from there. Children wear out quickly (so do adults!) and if you are tired, you probably won't remember the experience well or may not enjoy it. The next best option is to stay a few more nights…since you are getting such great rates…or plan to come back to Orlando again real soon! <<--Back |
