Orlando Travel Guide

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Orlando Travel Tips

Plan everything, especially meals. Having a master plan of what you really want to see will save you a lot of time wasting. Restaurants at Disney World can book up solid, so make reservations (you can reserve months in advance, which is recommended!). Better yet, get a hotel room or condo with a kitchen.
Use the Fastpass system. Disney World offers Fastpass machines that allow you to use your park tickets to make appointments for the most popular rides rather than having to wait in long, long lines. You're only allowed to make one reservation at a time, so get to the major rides early.
Take side trips. Tampa and beachy St. Petersburg are about an hour and a half west of Orlando and offer a nice break from the inland heat. Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center are less than an hour's drive to the east.
Encounter sharks and penguins at SeaWorld.
Swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove.

Orlando Travel Guide

In the beginning, Orlando may have been a sleepy little southern town filled with farmland as far as the eye could see, orange groves galore, and only two attractions to its name (a water-ski show and some great big gators). Then came the Mouse. More specifically, a mouse named Mickey and his creator, a man of fantastic imagination and vision named Walt Disney. Life in Orlando would never be the same. Since the opening of Walt Disney World back in 1971, Orlando has grown to become one of the world's top vacation destinations. Almost 49 million people from all parts of the world make their way to this city each year to sample its unending array of exciting, unique, and diverse activities. Those of us who continue to return year after year can count on each new visit to provide a host of new experiences and memories. Read More

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10 Questions | 8 Answers

what can me age 45 and my 12 year old son do in the Orlando area that is outside and not in a "theme park" and is not too expensive?
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What is it to do in Orlando for a couple at the age of 27?
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we are traveling with 8 children ages 6-17, looking for other things to do at minumim cost other than theme parks
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Top Ten Family Resorts

Hotels

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Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Best Resorts & Lodges

2901 Osceola Parkway
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 Map

Distance: 18.9 mi.
(from destination center)

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from: $228

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Universal's Hard Rock Hotel

5800 Universal Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32819 Map

Distance: 6.5 mi.
(from destination center)

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from: $258

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Universal's Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

5601 Universal Studios Plaza
Orlando, FL 32819 Map

Distance: 7.0 mi.
(from destination center)

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Attractions

Canyon Ranch SpaClub at Gaylord Palms

Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
6000 West Osceola Pkwy.
Kissimmee, Florida 34746

Distance: 16.0 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Slip into vacation mode at Canyon Ranch SpaClub, where beauty, skin, and body treatments range from... Read More

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Sky Venture

7600 Dr. Phillips Boulevard, Suite 58
Orlando, Florida 32819

Distance: 8.9 mi. (from destination center)

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Orlando Museum of Art

In Loch Haven Park
2416 N. Mills Ave
Orlando, Florida

Distance: 2.5 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

This local heavyweight handles some of the most prestigious traveling exhibits in the nation.... Read More

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Airports

Major Airports near Orlando

	Distance (mi.)
Orlando International Airport	6.5 map
Tampa International Airport	80.6 map
Jacksonville International Airport	130.9 map

Other Smaller Airports near Orlando

	Distance (mi.)
Orlando/Sanford Central Florida Regional Airport	18.7 map
Daytona Beach Regional Airport	48.9 map
Melbourne International Airport	54.6 map

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Feature Articles

Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn, Orlando (FL)
Florida's Best Family Resorts
Top Ten Family Vacation Spots in North America and Mexico
Our travel expert Stephen Jermanok hones in on his favorite places to vacation with the entire brood.
April Family Travel Guide
January Family Travel Guide
Human Nature
outside

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Trip Ideas

Delray Delightful
Sundy House, Florida

GORPtravel Adventure Trips & Guided Tours

Florida Sunshine Southbound
Intrepid Travel
from $596, 7 days
Chase the sun west-bound on this seven-day Overland Adventure. Kick off in the crazy theme parks of Orlando and then regain the equilibrium on a...