The Best Things to Do in Orlando, Florida

World-famous Walt Disney World is the top family destination in Orlando, Florida. It is a mega-resort of parks within a park. Magic Kingdom features classic rides, character encounters, parades and fireworks. At Epcot, you can see the sights and taste the cuisine of 11 different countries. Typhoon Lagoon is a water park perfect for cooling down, and Blizzard Beach has rides for all ages. Animal Kingdom is the world's biggest animal-based attraction. Here you can see tigers, a Komodo dragon, lions, zebras and hippos. Hollywood Studios takes you behind the scenes for a fun-filled glimpse into the world of television and movie making. Walt Disney World Resort also hosts one nine-hole and five 18-hole golf courses, including some designed by Tom Fazio and Pete Dye.

disneyworld.disney.go.com
golflink.com/golf-courses/course.aspx?course=176245

Universal Studios, Orlando, puts its own movie-themed spin on a theme park. Children and adults alike can enjoy rides featuring such favorites as "The Simpsons," "Shrek," "Terminator 2" and "Men in Black." You can experience a tornado on "Twister ... Ride" and an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale on "Disaster." Learn some Hollywood movie-making secrets at the "Horror Make-Up Show" or "Animal Actors on Location."

universalorlando.com
6000 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-8000

SeaWorld combines shows, exhibits and rides with an underwater theme. The world-famous Shamu shows are the biggest attraction. At shows like "Believe" and the seasonal "Shamu Rocks," you will marvel at the killer whale's behavior and interaction with trainers. Other shows include demonstrations by dolphins, seals and sea lions. The "Journey to Atlantis" is a water ride and roller coaster combined, and "Wild Arctic Ride" is a simulated helicopter flight into an arctic storm. Exhibits include displays and encounters with marine creatures like sharks, penguins, manatees, stingrays and turtles.

seaworld.com/orlando
7007 SeaWorld Drive
Orlando, FL 32821
(888) 800-5447

Orlando Science Center is a great museum combining fun exhibits and attractions with scientific education and discovery for children and adults. The "NatureWorks" section represents the natural world of Florida and includes live animal encounters. "Science Park" is filled with interactive exhibits that demonstrate the powerful effects of light, sound, magnets and electricity. Children will love to try the air cannon and 56-foot echo tube. At DinoDigs, you will learn about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals through fossils and other displays. A major highlight is the chance to use a scanning electron microscope to see objects magnified thousands of times.

osc.org
777 E. Princeton St.
Orlando, FL 32803-1291
(407) 514-2000

Kennedy Space Center is NASA's launch headquarters, located on an island wildlife refuge. A visit to the center will teach you about the history and present state of space travel, and provide some unforgettable experiences. You have the chance to experience a simulated missile launch, take a tour of the Space Center and see the world-famous launch pads. The Air Force Space & Missile Museum is at the site, and there is also an IMAX theater where you can watch 3-D space-themed movies. At the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, you will see memorabilia demonstrating the experiences of fewer than 500 individuals to have ever flown in space.

kennedyspacecenter.com
SR 405,
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
(866) 737-5235

WonderWorks is an amusement park billed as "Central Florida's only upside-down attraction" due to its unusual inverse facade. At WonderWorks, visitors can land space shuttle Discovery, pilot F-14 and F-18 fighter jets, feel the 1989 San Francisco earthquake and lie on a bed of 3,500 nails. Another highlight is the award-winning nightly "Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show," an exciting, interactive comedy and magic performance combined with great food and drinks.

wonderworksonline.com
9067 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-8800