Family Vacations in Orlando. Things
to do in Orlando.
 1.
First of all you should visit Walt Disney
World. It's still king of the hill:
or rather, of the very, very flat land.
Spread over an area the size of Boston are:
4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, best place
with little kids; EPCOT; Disney MGM-Studios;
and Animal Kingdom); two water-parks; 14
themed resorts that are fun in themselves;
and more. Make sure you have a game plan,
before you enter the World!
2.
WDW: Have a Character Meal!. They
sing, they dance, they pose for pix...Yes,
dining with Disney characters is expensive,
but all food is costly at WDW, and a Character
Meal gives you much for your bucks-- for
ex., a giant buffet with kids' section,
at the Crystal Palace (left.) A late breakfast
can serve as lunch, late lunch as early
dinner.
 3.
WDW: Visit the Waterparks. Wacky
in their theming, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon
Lagoon are both (a) tons of fun, and (b)
lovely tropical places to spend a day. Arrive
early; stake out a shady bower; then enjoy
the lazy rivers, giant water slides, and
family raft rides each park offers. Blizzard
Beach is known for a crazily steep waterslide
"ski jump" on "Mt. Gushmore".
Highlights at Typhoon Lagoon are a giant
surf pool, and a snorkel over a (usually
crowded) coral reef. Admission to both waterparks
is included in a Park Hopper pass.
4.
For Tots: Universal's Seuss Landing.
Orlando's other multi-park destination is
Universal Florida, and its Islands of Adventure
theme park has a top zone for little kids:
the 10-acre Seuss Landing, based on the
beloved books of Dr. Seuss. It's a bit odd
to see The Lorax (with its distinctly anti-commerical
message) in a theme park, but now's not
the time to care: kids will love the Seuss
characters, The Cat in the Hat ride, and
snacking at the Green Eggs and Ham Cafe.
5.
For Teens: Universal's Thrill Rides.
Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park
is also great for teens and 'tweens who
want to scream. (Disney doesn't do extreme
rides, by the way.) The Hulk and Dueling
Dragon coasters are guaranteed to thrill.
Also not to be missed: The Spiderman "ride",
not a coaster but an amazing 3-D simulator
experience plus a 4th dimension of surprise
sensations. Sister park Universal Studios
likewise has great rides based on Men in
Black, ET, and Back to the Future, to name
a few faves.
 6.
Spend at Day Relaxing at Your Resort.
The pace at theme parks can be grueling,
especially for little kids. Many a parent
has said about a trip to WDW, "All
[child] wanted to do was play in the pool
at the resort." So give the kids a
day to do just that. All the Disney Resorts
have fun themed pools, and pretty much every
other property in Orlando is likewise in
the fun-for-kids biz.
7.
Do Downtown Disney. So you've spent
a day relaxing at your resort... evening
comes and you want to go somewhere fun,
with no admission price. Downtown Disney
is a shopping/ entertainment zone that takes
up 120 acres in Disney World. Eat at the
Rainforest Cafe, stroll past full-size lego
figures outside the Lego Imagination store,
buy chocolate at Ghiradelli's (free samples!)
Money burning a hole in your pocket? Head
to DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme
Park, or to the acclaimed Cirque de Soleil
show.
8.
Eat at CityWalk Theme Restaurants. You'll
also find a shopping/ entertainment zone
at Universal Florida: CityWalk, which has
the advantage of actually adjoining its
two theme parks. Much of CityWalk is geared
to party-ers but kids will get a kick out
of the theme restaurants, such as Nascar
Cafe with game area; Hard Rock Cafe, with
giant desserts, music videos, and rock memorabilia;
and NBA City, with videogames and a giant
screen showing basketball.
9.
See SeaWorld. SeaWorld (like sister park
Busch Gardens) combines fun rides
with animal viewing. The Atlantis whitewater
raft ride has a huge splash finish, and
the Kraken is "the tallest, fastest,
longest and only floorless roller coaster
in Orlando". SeaWorld is most famous
for its Shamu killer whale show, but kids
will also enjoy feeding seals, petting dolphins,
and walking through a clear plastic tunnel
with sharks around and overhead. Shark aficionados
can even take a dip in a (well-protected)
cage in the giant shark tank. If you have
time for it, SeaWorld can even be educational.
Note: with an Orlando Flex Ticket, you can
combine SeaWorld with four other attractions
including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
10.
Discover Discovery Cove. Last but
definitely not least... Want a quick trip
to the Caribbean? Here in land-locked Orlando,
Discovery Cove is a deluxe simulation of
a Caribbean isle. Snorkel at the Coral Reef,
and see not only colorful fish but giant
(harmless) stingrays-- my son was thrilled.
The river float is beautiful: swim under
a waterfall, and through the aviary. Take
a break on the white sand beach: don't worry
about crowds, as attendance is limited to
1000 a day. The highlight for many is a
Swim With Dolphins. Not surprisingly, Discovery
Cove is pricey: $229 with dolphin experience,
$129 without; or go whole hog and spend
$399 to be Trainer For A Day. |
