Best known as the home of Disney World, this city is also the center of the largest concentration of family entertainment attractions in the world.

The Climate is semi-tropical

The climate in central Florida is semi-tropical. Summers are oppressively hot and humid with almost daily afternoon Thunderstorms. Winters are pleasantly mild with sunny weather and comfortable temperatures. Hurricane season, between August and December, can produce some unpleasant weather on the rare occasion when a tropical storm chances to veer inland in the immediate vicinity. Many US families brave the heat and flock to Orlando during the summer school holidays from the beginning of June until the end of August. They invariably fill the hotels, amusement parks and restaurants with hordes of raucous children. Adult vacationers and retired folks usually choose the winter months of December through March to visit Orlando. The off seasons in the fall and spring are often the best times to visit.

Two major airports serve the Orlando area. Orlando International Airport is located 8 miles southeast of downtown. It has numerous daily fights to major cities throughout the USA. Orlando Sanford Airport is situated about 15 miles north of downtown. It serves numerous charter airlines from overseas destinations. The Tampa St. – Petersburg airport is less than two-hour drive to the west and the Melbourne airport is a bit over an hour to the east.

Airport buses provide convenient, inexpensive transportation to downtown Orlando and an airport van service provides quick transport to the International Drive area hotels.

Major attractions are along route 4 southwest of downtown

Most of the major attractions in the Orlando area are located along a ten-mile stretch of Route 4 southwest of the city. The Disney Resort Complex is situated along Route 4 ten miles southwest of downtown. Disney World Tickets can be procured at a discount by using an authorized and contracted ticket broker. Universal Studios is located just 5 miles southwest of downtown. Sea World, Wet and Wild, plus many other attractions, numerous hotels, hundreds of restaurants and several shopping malls are all located along route 4 between those two giant theme parks. Check our Orlando Attraction Map to view the locations.Keep in mind, an Orlando Car Rental makes visiting each of these attractions quick and convenient.

The Disney Resort Complex is immense. With over 40 square miles (100 square km.) of land, it is the size of a small country or at least a province. It contains four major theme parks. Each of them is equivalent in size to the Disney parks located in California, France or Japan. The complex also contains three water parks, eight golf courses, twenty-five themed hotels, hundreds of restaurants, several shopping centers and a wide variety of additional entertainment and recreational sports facilities.

Universal Studios Great Escape contains two major theme parks, a luxury hotel and an assortment of restaurants and shopping facilities. Sea World has a marine theme park and will soon be adding a water park with a dolphin encounter experience. Wet and Wild is a major water park. There are dozens of other attractions in this area and along route 192 in Kissimmee, 5 miles east of Disney World.

Accommodations are concentrated along route 4 and route 192

Accommodations are concentrated in and around the major theme parks, all along this stretch of route 4 and along route 192 in Kissimmee.This area is also where you will find the best deals on Orlando Hotels. There are additional accommodations near downtown Orlando, in the vicinity of the two airports and scattered throughout the area. There are also many Disney vacation home communities that are located just outside the main entrance to the Disney parks. There are additional accommodations near downtown Orlando, in the vicinity of the two airports and scattered throughout the area.

Disney Resorts has at least 18 different hotel and vacation home complexes within its realm with 7 more just outside the main gates. Each has a different historic or geographic theme with prices varying from moderate to very expensive. There are no budget accommodations at Disney, but all the facilities are very nice and all include free access to the convenient Disney internal transportation system.

Lake Buena Vista offers a number of moderate to expensive hotels near the entrance to Disney Resorts. The ten-mile stretch of route 192 between Disney World and the town of Kissimmee is lined with moderate and budget priced accommodations along with a wide array of restaurants, shops and entertainment facilities. You can still find hotel rooms in the $25 to $50 range along this highway.

Universal Studios offers luxury accommodations at its Portofino Bay hotel on-site and is currently constructing a second hotel. There are large concentrations of moderate priced hotels in this area especially along International Drive and near the exits of route 4.

Need to stay in Orlando? Find yourself a good Orlando hotel.

Additional attractions in the Orlando area

In addition to the major theme parks and water parks, Orlando provides a wide variety of family entertainment options. For typical Florida diversions, I recommend that you visit Gatorland with its vast collection of native alligators and crocodiles and its “gator-wrestling” shows or that you try an airboat ride through the swamps at Boggy Creek Airboats. For adventure and excitement, try a hot air balloon ride with Magic Sunrise Ballooning or a high-speed spin in a genuine NASCAR racer at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Even dining can become an adventure in Orlando. Theme dinner shows such as Medieval Times provide you with entertainment like jousting tournaments and sword fights while feasting. The dinner show themes run from Medieval to Cowboy, Arabian Nights, Gangster or Broadway Show motifs.

Shopping opportunities abound in the area

There are great concentrations of souvenir shops, boutiques, specialty stores and shopping malls in the theme-park strip along route 4 southwest of downtown. You will find shops scattered throughout the major theme parks and in the hotel complexes. Disney also offers a variety of shopping at its downtown area. Universal does the same at its City Walk. There are many shops and malls in Lake Buena Vista or along route 192 to Kissimmee and along International Boulevard near Universal Studios. Additional shopping centers are concentrated in downtown Orlando at Church Street and in the suburban communities of Altamonte Springs and Winter Park.

For serious shoppers, there are two very large Belz Factory Outlet Malls at West Oakridge Road and along International Drive. Orlando Premium Outlets and the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores are outlet malls located near Disney World.
Written by: Mike Leco

source: www.usatourist.com/english/places/florida/orlando.html

If you’re looking for things to do on a Tampa vacation that revolve around wildlife or are family friendly, consider stopping by the aquarium.

The aquarium in Tampa Florida is ranked by as one of the top ten aquariums in the country and is listed in the top five by Parents Magazine as being a kid-friendly attraction. It’s also a world-class aquarium with species of plants and animals from around the world.

The Florida Aquarium is one of Tampa’s popular attractions for adults and children. Not only do visitors have the opportunity to interact with aquatic animals and their habitat, the aquarium is within walking distance of Riverwalk that encompasses over 2 miles of the waterfront with parks, museums and shopping venues along the way.

At the Florida Aquarium, visitors can observe more than 20,000 varieties of marine life including fish, mammals, turtles, invertebrates, and plant life in entertaining and educational formats. Through several exhibits at the facility, you can learn about aquatic animals and their habitats in a variety of ways.

The Wetlands exhibit, for example, tells the story of water by following a drop from its source all the way to the sea, with free-flight birds, river otters, and alligators along the way. At Bays and Beaches, you’ll learn about the aquatic animals that inhabit Tampa Bay, along with watching videos and observing habitat exhibits that include a variety of interesting creatures such as sea turtles, lobsters, seahorses, stingrays, sharks, angelfish, and a 300-pound grouper.

Visitors to the Florida Aquarium can even participate in the 30-minute Swim with the Fishes interactive program, which provides an opportunity for children to learn about the world beneath the water without ever leaving the surface. The in-water encounter requires a scuba tank, regulator, goggles, certified scuba diver and a flotation device that keeps the child on the surface at all times. Children learn the basics of scuba diving and discover the wonders of the 2,300 fish that inhabit the waters in the safety of a manmade coral reef.

Certified scuba divers ages 15 and older can dive with the sharks at the Tampa aquarium when participating in the 90-minute interactive program that includes a presentation and a 30-minute dive at Shark Bay. The 93,000-gallon saltwater tank is filled with a variety of shark species and sea turtles from all over the world, and it gives divers the opportunity for up-close observation. Divers enter the exhibit accompanied by two master divers who are there to keep both visitors and marine life safe.

Another popular tour at the aquarium in Tampa Florida is the Wild Dolphin Eco-tour, which takes visitors on a 90-minute adventure into Tampa Bay aboard the Bay Spirit. They learn about the importance of the bay in providing habitats for endangered manatees and numerous birds, some threatened or endangered, and about the impact the bay and man has on their lives.

If you’re with your family, a popular and fun activity for anyone at the aquarium in Tampa Florida has visitors participating in the Penguin Promenades interaction show, which features the aquarium’s resident African Black-foot penguins mingling with the guests—with no walls or barriers between you and them. The one-hour Behind the Scenes Tour for children ages 5 and older explains food preparation for all of the animals and includes time to observe Coral Reef and Shark Bay. The two-hour Shark Feeding Tour, which is for children 12 and older, actually prepares food and feeds the sharks; reservations are required for the feeding tour.

In fact, the Florida Aquarium has many exhibits and interactive areas for kids, such as Explore a Shore. This two-acre area has an interactive two-story pirate ship, waterslides, water jet sprays, geysers, a rock-climbing wall, caves, and tunnels to entertain and cool off the kids.

For younger children and toddlers visiting the Tampa Bay aquarium, Shipwreck Shore and Ocean Commotion, which have interactive and animated exhibits, provide educational exhibits and activities, plus a chance to have fun. The No Bone Zone at the Tampa aquarium provides children with an opportunity to explore a selection on invertebrates in two separate water tanks. Visitors have a hands-on experience with mollusks, clams, crabs, sea urchins, and corals to get a feel for these marine creatures.

For visitors planning the best time and when to go to the Tampa Bay aquarium, the facility is open daily from 9:30 am to 5 pm and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas day.

If you’re looking for things to do in Daytona Beach, you can always add surfing to the list. While Florida isn’t as renowned as Hawaii and California when it comes to surfing, you can still expect to catch some good breaks here. This is especially true in the autumn, when the biggest waves wash ashore.

On average, the surf conditions in Daytona Beach are relatively calm, though you can catch waves that top out at around ten feet tall if you show up on the right days. When the swells are low, it’s an ideal time to practice surfing in Daytona Beach. Advanced riders are definitely encouraged to try Daytona Beach surfing, but it might just be the beginners who will feel more at home here.

If you are new to surfing or you just want to brush up on your skills, the Daytona Beach Surfing School is for you. You can arrange group surfing lessons here, not to mention private lessons and semi-private outings. The Daytona Beach Surfing School also offers a summer surfing camp for kids, which is something that might pique the interest of those who are planning a Daytona Beach family vacation.

You can find the Daytona Beach Surfing School at 143 Sandpiper Ridge Drive in Ormond Beach. Ormond Beach is a small coastal community that can be found due north of Daytona Beach. Life is a little more relaxed here, and the Ormond Beach hotels have you covered if you are interested in staying in the area.

It’s not unusual for first time surfers to get the hang of things rather quickly when taking Daytona Beach surfing lessons. In fact, many students are able to ride the waves within a half hour, which is enough to put a smile on most of their faces. Another advantage to booking lessons at the Daytona Beach Surfing School is the fact that they will provide you with a surfboard. Not to worry if you’re heading out on your own and need a board. You can rent them at the surf shops in and around town. Two of the best shops that specialize in surfing in Daytona Beach can be found on the A1A, which is the main route through the city.

While the main beach in Daytona Beach and beach in Daytona Beach Shores are two of the best places to go surfing in Daytona Beach, you can essentially enjoy the sport anywhere along the coast. Another good place to head if you’re interested in finding some of the best surf conditions in Daytona Beach is the Canaveral National Seashore. In addition to some consistent waves, the Canaveral National Seashore also offers some of the best beaches in Florida, which is part of the reason why it’s such a popular attraction.

Both the main beach in Daytona Beach and the beach in Daytona Beach Shores have piers, and many surfers stick close to the piers. In Daytona Beach, the north side of the Daytona Beach Pier is known as Pier Bowls, and it’s the ideal place to surf when there are south and east swells. The south side of the pier is also ideal when the south swells hit, especially for advanced riders, as it can get quite mechanical.

Even if the surf conditions in Daytona Beach aren’t exactly ideal, you can still have a blast riding whatever waves there might be. Just be sure not to visit during one of the city’s main festivals and annual events if you want to do some Daytona Beach surfing. The local surf shops are known to close when events like Bike Week and the Daytona 500 are going on, since many of the visitors who frequent these events simply don’t surf.

The huge increase in congestion also has a lot to do with the local surf shops closing during major festivals and events. Surfing in Daytona Beach can be enjoyed at any other time of the year, and you might as well give it a try if you are looking for some added excitement. If nothing else, you can at least say that you’ve tried surfing before, which is something that most people can’t likely claim.

So how does 360 days of sunshine sound?” Pretty good, huh?” Well, natives of St Petersburg Florida claim that “The Sunshine City” averages about that many sunny days each year.” It’s no wonder that vacationers from all over flock to St Petersburg each year looking for fun in the sun and some beach relaxation.

St Petersburg Florida is just across the Tampa Bay from Tampa, and is often referred to in the same breath as Clearwater Beach.” It is the fourth largest city in the state of Florida and full of things to do.” The city is named after Saint Petersburg, Russia, which is the birthplace of co-founder Peter Demens.

St. Petersburg’s other founder, John C. Williams, lost the right to name the city in a coin toss, however he did name the city’s first hotel after his birthplace of Detroit.

Since it as just as much the great Florida beaches, as it is the sun, that attracts so many visitors to the state every year, St Petersburg offers the best of both worlds.” In 2005, the highly regarded Dr. Beach, a.k.a Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, named the St Petersburg Florida beach at Fort DeSoto (North Beach) number one in the country.” As for 2007, nearby Clearwater claims the number two spot for its beach at Caladesi Island State Park.” Siesta Beach, found just a short drive away in Sarasota, takes 2007′s 10th spot, making the whole area a beach lover’s dream.

Art lover’s will also find St Petersburg to be a very agreeable destination, largely in part to the fact that here you’ll find the greatest collection of Salvador Dalí’s works outside of Europe.” Arguably the most creative artist to ever lay a brush to canvas, Dali’s works are often mind-bending, and are always impressive.

” The Salvador Dalí Museum can be found on the campus of the University of South Florida St Petersburg and houses the collection of past Dalí friends and patrons, A. Reynolds Morse and Eleanor R. Morse.” The museum houses 7 of the 18 masterwork paintings by Dalí, which is the most of any museum in the world.” Among his works found at St Petersburg Florida are “The Hallucinogenic Toreador” and “The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus”.”

Perusing the city’s art houses is a top draw among St Petersburg tours, as a host of world famous museums and independent art galleries combine to indulge those looking for an incredible mix of works, by both big name and local artists.” Other area museums showcasing attractions other than art will also vie for your time, including Great Explorations! The Children’s Museum and the Florida International Museum.

” The Florida International Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate, which allows for exhibits that showcase Smithsonian Artifacts, as well as high quality traveling exhibitions.” Be sure to also include the Sunken Gardens on your list of family St Petersburg tours.” It’s a botanical paradise where you can wander amidst lush and exotic plants from around the world.” At Sunken Gardens, you’ll also find cascading waterfalls and a butterfly garden.

For other interesting St Petersburg tours, try BiPlane Rides and the Ghost Tour of St Petersburg.” The former offers to show you the city from above as you fly over the peninsula, while the latter takes you on a candlelit walk through the most historic and mystic city streets.” Wine enthusiasts should entertain the option of taking a tour at Florida Orange Groves and Winery.” This family operated winery is open daily, and whereas Florida isn’t exactly known for its grapes, they cultivate premium wines using citrus, berries, and other fresh fruits.”

There’s just so much to do in St Petersburg Florida, and between all the activities you can enjoy, you’ll definitely make time for the amazing local beaches.” Golfers can enjoy a selection of over 50 of some of the best Florida golf courses, and the St Petersburg/Clearwater area makes a great destination for weddings in Florida.” And, in case you decide to venture out during your time here, you’ll be happy to know you’re just 30 minutes from Busch Gardens in Tampa, and 90 minutes from Walt Disney World Resort, Sea World, and Universal Studios in Orlando.

It is this whiff of wealth and sophistication found here in the Fort Lauderdale beach resort destination that tourists on a vacation to Fort Lauderdale love the most. Located in South Florida, this resort town with its sandy baked golden beaches is loved by everyone who seeks to have a fun filled vacation.
Reaching There:

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport serves as your access point to reach this beautiful vacation destination in Florida, United States.

Beach Locations:

The Lauderdale beach resort destination has almost 5 km of beautiful golden sandy beaches to offer to its guests on a holiday to Fort Lauderdale. Apart from the beaches there are lagoons and waterways spread all across the beach resort destination of Fort Lauderdale that go on to make this vacation spot so special. Lined all across the beach is the Boulevard which with its open café’s and bistro’s is very popular with one and all.

There is enough present here in the Fort Lauderdale beach resort to keep you occupied and excited. The tourists on a vacation here at Fort Lauderdale can indulge in several sports like water skiing, kite flying, Para sailing, kayaking, scuba diving or enjoying the serenity from the deck of a cruise ship.

Activities beyond the Beach:

Not worth missing in a ride in the gondola or a water taxi and move across the waterways which are etched out throughout the Fort Lauderdale beach resort destination. Hiking, nature trails, or trying your luck on the boat casinos also could be viable options for tourists on a vacation to the Fort Lauderdale beach resort destination.

Reaching There

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport serves as your access point to reach this beautiful vacation destination in Florida, United States.

Beach Locations

The Lauderdale beach resort destination has almost 5 km of beautiful golden sandy beaches to offer to its guests on a holiday to Fort Lauderdale.  Apart from the beaches there are lagoons and waterways spread all across the beach resort destination of Fort Lauderdale that go on to make this vacation spot so special. Lined all across the beach is the Boulevard which with its open café’s and bistro’s is very popular with one and all. There is enough present here in the Fort Lauderdale beach resort to keep you occupied and excited. The tourists on a vacation here at Fort Lauderdale can indulge in several sports like water skiing, kite flying, Para sailing, kayaking, scuba diving or enjoying the serenity from the deck of a cruise ship.

Activities beyond the beach

Not worth missing in a ride in the gondola or a water taxi and move across the waterways which are etched out throughout the Fort Lauderdale beach resort destination. Hiking, nature trails, or trying your luck on the boat casinos also could be viable options for tourists on a vacation to the Fort Lauderdale beach resort destination.