Other Orlando Theme Parks

WORLDS OF DISCOVERY

Individually known as SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica and Busch Gardens (Tampa).

SeaWorld SeaWorld is the world's premier marine adventure park with 200 acres of world-class shows, thrilling rides and unforgettable animal encounters. Among the many and varied attractions on offer you may choose to get splashed by Shamu, the killer whale, challenge Kracken, Orlando's tallest and only floorless coaster, risk being drenched on Journey to Atlantis the mysterious water coaster, or get up close to fascinating sealife, including dolphins, sealions, stingrays and more. There really is something for everyone, including Shamu's Happy Harbour area just for children incorporating the Shamu Express - the parks first family themed roller coaster.

Aquatica Water Park Designed in a way that could only be done by SeaWorld, Aquatica Water Park features the most thrilling water slides in the world - 36 in all, including the incredible signature ride, Dolphin Plunge - two awesome tube slides that send you speeding through a lively lagoon filled with playful dolphins. The distinct attractions on offer throughout the park will zoom, float and splash you through amazing animal habitats and undersea adventures. Aquatica has six rivers and lagoons, and more than 80,000 square feet of beach area where you can soak up the sun or relax in the shade. The little ones have their own huge play area full of mini slides and rides where they can splash around until their heart's content. Aquatica is where the fun is as endless as the sea itself.

Discovery Cove Discovery Cove is an exclusive, reservations only experience and the only place in Orlando where you can swim with a beautiful bottlenose dolphin. In addition, you can swim with tropical fish and rays, see sharks and barracuda and get up close to stingrays in the Ray Pool. Take a walk through the Free-Flight Aviary, where you'll see hundreds of species of tropical birds and feed them out of your hand, then relax on white sand beaches before taking a dip in the Tropical River. Entrance to Discovery Cove is limited and pre-booking is essential.

Other things to see and do

Golf With some of the world's finest and most challenging courses, matched with a climate particularly conducive to the game, Florida is known as the golfing capital of the world. There are 176 courses to choose from as well as several top-name golf academies, so there’s plenty of choice for golfers whatever their handicap.

Spas You may choose to relax at one of Orlando’s full-service day spas. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa are just two venues where you can enjoy luxurious skin therapies and relaxing body treatments.

Shopping There are nine amazing malls, three sprawling outlet centres and dozens of boutiques, speciality stores and antique shops in the Orlando area. Mall at Millenia, an upscale premium shopping mall, was opened in 2002 and is fast becoming one of Orlando’s favourite shopping malls. It has over 150 stores including the infamous Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus alongside some of the worlds most exclusive outlets such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo and Gucci to name but a few. The architecture is stunning, there are art galleries to peruse and there are plenty of places to relax. There's a large food court offering the usual fast food choices but there are also several full-service restaurants. If the man in your life is not overly enamoured with the whole shopping experience, he may be interested to know that Florida's Exotic Car Gallery has just opened near the entrance to Mall at Millenia. The Exotic Car Gallery is home to some of the worlds most exclusive super cars including the $1.7 million Bugatti Veyron. Here you have the opportunity to see your dream cars up close as well as test yourself against some of the worlds best known race tracks playing the interactive driving games. Mall at Millenia is just off Interstate 4 (Exit 78) at Conroy Road near the northern end of International Drive.

Eating Out Eating out is high on the list of favourite pastimes for travellers and there is a plethora of dining experiences to choose from. Orlando boasts in excess of 5000 restaurants offering a range of cuisine to suit every palate and budget. Indeed even the most restrictive dietary requirements can be catered for. Dining with Mickey at Chef Mickey's, The Shark's Underwater Grill at SeaWorld, and Rainforest Café remain firm family favourites.

Shows Eating out is a popular activity and you may like to combine dinner with evening entertainment at one of the area's themed dinner attractions. Disney's Pirate's Dinner Adventure and Makahiki Luau’at SeaWorld are colourful, funfilled interactive shows, whereas horsemanship takes centre stage at Medieval Times Tournament, Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede and Arabian Nights. Solve a mystery at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows, travel back in time to the 1930's in Capones Dinner and Show or expect something out of the ordinary at the Outta Control Magic Show. If you choose musical entertainment to accompany your food House of Blues’and Bongo's Cuban Café’(owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan) at Downtown Disney are popular choices as are Hard Rock Café and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville at Universal CityWalk. The above are just a small selection of the entertainment on offer in the Orlando area.

Nightlife If you're looking for quiet relaxing entertainment or more of a party atmosphere Orlando has something to offer everyone. The main nightlife areas are International Drive, Downtown Orlando, Downtown Disney and Universal Orlando Resort. On International Drive, Pointe Orlando’is a large shopping and entertainment complex offering plenty of night-time fun. Other options include Dottie's Comedy Theatre featuring comedians, magicians, impressionists, singers and jugglers, The Cricketer's Arms, Seasons 52, a trendy piano bar featuring live entertainment and an extensive wine list and the original dance club at the Rosen Plaza Hotel featuring live bands DJ's playing music from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today. In Downtown Orlando, Wall Street Plaza, with eight colourful bars and restaurants, is a good starting point for an evening of club hopping. Other areas to seek out include Orange Avenue, Church Street, Magnolia Street, Central Boulevard and Pine Street.

Gatorland Gatorland is one of Central Florida's oldest attractions offering a unique and natural alternative to the larger theme parks. It features thousands of alligators and crocodiles, some of which have appeared in films, television shows and commercials. There’s also a petting zoo, bird sanctuary and action-packed outdoor entertainment, including daily alligator wrestling shows.

Kennedy Space Centre Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex is on the east coast and is just 45 minutes from Orlando. Here you can board a full size replica of the space shuttle Explorer, experience a walk on the moon with Tom Hanks and ride the Shuttle Launch. Other options include guided tours, dining with a real life astronaut and astronaut orientation in conditions of zero and 1/6 gravity (participants must be 14 years or older).

Skyventure If you fancy indoor skydiving, Skyventure is a high-energy vertical wind tunnel in which visitors float on a column of air. No parachute, no jumping and no experience are necessary.

Daytona International Speedway To be found at Daytona Beach on Florida's east coast, Daytona International Speedway is home to the Daytona 500 and other top motor races. Also on offer are guided tours of the circuit and its facilities including interactive exhibits, motion simulator rides, live pit stop competitions, The Daytona 500 ThunderRound-Sound Movie and much more.

National and State Parks Many areas in Florida are designated National or State parkland. The Parks are carefully managed with the emphasis on preserving and restoring the rich natural environment whilst providing a range of recreation opportunities for their visitors. The Parks are fantastic places to visit, some you can make the most of in a day, others could keep you occupied for a full week. In addition to the stunning scenery and abundance of fascinating flora and fauna to enjoy, other activities on offer include hiking, swimming, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking and boating. Equipment necessary to take part in these activities can be hired on site at very reasonable rates.

Other activities widely available in the Orlando area include horseback riding, hot air ballooning, hang gliding, boat tours, water skiing, wake boarding and tubing, to name but a few.

History and Culture If you are interested in history and culture Orlando's downtown area has museums and a history centre as well as galleries and a rich performing arts scene.

Local Events Orlando regularly plays host to a wide variety of events from professional sport and performing arts to outdoor festivals and floral extravaganzas. You can check what’s on while you are visiting at the official Orlando Visitor Centre 8723 International Drive or call 1-800 215 2213 from the US.

 
 
 
 

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