Orlando
Orlando needs no introduction. Its fame as a family destination for theme parks spreads wide and far and draws visitors from every corner of the world. But this larger-than-life playground has more to offer than what lies behind turnstile gates. Visitors of all ages find shopping on scale with its other attractions as well as museums, sports, performance arts, green oases and outlying towns and neighbourhoods with their own distinct personality.
Walt Disney World created the town of Lake Buena Vista, where its empire of fantasy continually grows. From Magic Kingdom in the beginning, the wonderful world has expanded to include futuristic Epcot, entertainment world’s Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM), and nature’s Animal Kingdom. Throw in a couple of water parks, some miniature golf, a high-tech video arcade, golf and a huge sports complex with a Richard Petty race car driving experience, and you have just about every entertainment base covered. Downtown Disney complexes provide the ultimate in shopping, nightlife and dining, using the same special effects and gimmicks as the parks. Resorts have kept up with the growth and many have themes spanning from Caribbean to western lodge and from sports to music.
The propensity for over-the-top entertainment has infected the environs with a love for fun, faux, goofy and imagination. Disney spawned more and more theme parks small and magnificent and contributed to the old cattle and citrus town a show-biz, grand-scale sense of proportion. Universal Orlando Resort, with its two-part theme parks, furthered the reputation for state-of-the-art showmanship and thrills. It takes movie entertainment from the big screen to first-hand experience in a way that inspires tears and screams. CityWalk, a recreated downtown club and dining scene, and a medley of theme resorts, grew up to accommodate guests and expand the appeal of the parks to adult playtime.
Meanwhile, SeaWorld Orlando brings a marine-attraction element to the scene but not without its own sense of drama and adventure. In addition to shows and exhibits starring Shamu the killer whale, dolphins, otters, seals, manatees, penguins, sharks and other denizens of the deep, SeaWorld thrills visitors with high-heart-rate rides and simulations. Its sister attraction, Discovery Cove, is the ultimate dolphin interaction experience, including a full day’s regime of snorkelling and private beaching. Another SeaWorld sisterattraction Aquatica, a colourful waterpark, opened in 2008 - the first new theme park in Orlando for eight years.
Water parks, dinner show attractions, hot-air balloon rides, an alligator farm, and an assortment of amusement parks keep up the momentum of non-stop fun. Resorts, mostly of the large and innovative variety, are destinations in themselves. For the more high-brow palate, art museums, the interactive Orlando Science Centre, a history museum, gardens, parks and theatre satisfy the appetite. Head to downtown Orlando for lively shopping, an African-American heritage museum and entertainment in the Church Street area. Recreational opportunities abound in Winter Park, home to a multitude of parks and lakes. Nearby Eatonville was one of the first communities in America to be incorporated by African-Americans. It hosts the annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities, named for the eminent Harlem Renaissance author who grew up there.
