What to do in Orlando
Thursday, January 24th, 2008Park or Rest – How many days will I need?
OK we get this question asked quite a lot!
There is so much to do in Florida, you need to face the fact that you can not do all of the attractions in one vacation, unless you are taking a month or more!
What you will want to do will depend on the age and interests of your group. Below we have made some suggested schedules and given some top tips on which parks to visit, and what you expect to find at them when you get there.
Firstly we will list the top attractions that you would need a whole day at :
Main Parks in Orlando
Magic Kingdom -
Epcot -
MGM Studios -
Animal Kingdom -
Universal Studios -
Universal Islands of adventure
Sea World
Aquatica
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
As you can see in Orlando you have 10 top parks that you may want to visit. If your holiday is 1 week then it’s impossible to fit in, if you have 2 weeks it is possible but still a busy schedule.
Below are some optional attractions and activities that are very popular :
Busch Gardens at Tampa Bay ahs all the best rollercoaster’s, this place is much more than the name would suggest!
Discovery Cove – Swimming with dolphins owned by Sea World
Cyprus Gardens – Another very old park that has recently been redeveloped.
Beach – Excellent quality beaches with warm clear water are less than an hour away. Most beaches have small waves suitable for surfing.
Fishing – Where there is sea there is fishing, many locations are available on the coast from 1-2 hours drive away from central Florida. The sea is tropical and provides great fishing, Permits are required for fishing inland or at sea, if you take a licensed trip then this will be included. If you have your own gear then a licence can be bought from most supermarkets that sell bait. Fines are very expensive, make sure you have a licence!
Airboat – Florida is famous for the everglades, many rivers and swamps offer the opportunity to explore on boat, either as a rental or part of a larger group excursion.
Golf – Golf is very popular in Florida, both mini golf and full 18 hole golf courses. 18 hole will take up the same amount of time as you would expect at home, where mini golf is a couple of hours. Mini golf courses are found along the main roads along tourist locations. International Drive, 192 etc.
Shopping – Many people come home with much more clothes than they went with, this is especially true if you are visiting from abroad.
In our opinion we have found the following to be true :
Disney does not have the most exhilarating thrill rides, but it is best for the overall experience. By experience we mean the way the parks are themed, with lovely designed areas with famous and popular Disney character walking around.
We think everybody should visit Disney at least once, but many find, as we have that on return visits we drop Disney and concentrate on the parks with the rides we like. This does of course depend on the age of any kids, as younger kids will enjoy Disney more than the parks with best thrill rides..
So you can see that there is way too much to do in a one or two week vacation, this is why some many families keep coming back year after year.
Rule of Thumb
Children under 10 enjoy Disney parks
Children 10 + will prefer the more adventurous rides found at :
Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure
Busch Gardens – Tampa Bay (1 Hour drive)
Children of all ages enjoy
Sea World
Universal Studios – More themed rides not many upside down rides.
All three water parks – They offer a selection of slides to suit all ages.
We have been lucky enough to have had a few three week trips to Florida, we found this great for a mix of activities and relaxations. We would spend 2 weeks in central Florida and a week at the beach to unwind.
To summarise, there is no right or wrong way, it depends on the ages and interests of your group.