Orlando : Midsummers Dream Vacation
Posted by admin on Sep 17, 2008
Lake Eola Fountain, Orlando Symbol - Courtesy www.cloud9living.com
I remember vividly the flight I took to Florida’s Sanford airport located in Orlando that had been my first trip to America. Orlando’s warm climate endorsed the trip out of England that was to focus on fun and fun alone. As it turned out, the extremely fulfilling pleasure jaunt left indelible impressions on my family. Endless hours had been spent on the internet gathering all sorts of information. The place has an estimated 52 million tourists coming over every year and has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the US. Certainly the most essential thing was to book comfortable accommodations and organize conveyance to make our trip pleasant. Thanks to Downtown Orlando hotel site we were able to have a truly gratifying experience.
It was Walt Disney World Resort that attracted us here in the first place. Located in Lake Buena Vista it lay about 20 miles south of Orlando city. Aware of it as a venue giving unparalleled joy to visitors for more than two decades, I knew the twins were in for a blast. Seriously, the entertainment here was beyond imagination and we had the time of our lives. My kids went all over with excitement at the many attractions here that included Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Typhhon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I have never quite forgotten the look on on their faces as they were led on from one excitement to the other. And to speak the truth their merriment rubbed on to us making us laugh out loud together.
SeaWorld Orlando, next on our to-do list had numerous zoological displays and marine animals besides the amusement park with roller coasters and the famous water park. The marine adventure park is located 10 minutes south of downtown Orlando. Stretching across 200 acres, it has exhilarating rides, remarkable animals and some great shows. Best of all is the fun in the water that gets you twisting, turning and splashing about in SeaWorld’s water coaster or Journey to Atlantis. Many amazing shows are part of the activities here like North Pole on Wild Arctic, Odyssea and Pet’s Ahoy. What my children loved particularly was the Happy Harbor area that had rides like Shamu Express and Flying Fiddler. It was amazing and I could just see the adults having as much fun as the kids.
Universal Orlando turned out to be a multi-faceted resort comprising of the Studios, Citywalk and the Islands of Adventure theme park. Universal Studios offers an assortment of attractions, activities, rides and entertainment for all ages. This movie and TV based theme park allows you to go behind the scenes and experience life on the sets. You get to see Spider-Man, Shrek, Nicktoon, Dudley Do-Right’s and Popeye along with the incredible Hulk. The CityWalk had us enjoying shopping and dining around the celebrated 30-acre entertainment complex. Its well known as Orlando’s hottest spot for dining, shopping and entertainment offering a unique environment full of amusement for everyone. We had a great evening with lots of add ons that were all around us. Honestly it was not possible to do it all at one go.
The Orlando Science Center was an altogether great experience allowing kids to learn from scientific experimentation. Live turtles and alligators greeted us upon arrival. What took our breath away was the large publicly accessible refractor telescope that had us seeing the stars, planets, moons and even other galaxies! The twins learned about different foods that do good to the body but what they thoroughly loved was putting together the human skeleton at the Body Zone. The Measure Me exhibit got them to test their strength, flexibility, and agility. Dr. Dare’s Laboratory had them experimenting with computer guided simulations. They got acquainted with Florida’s diverse ecosystems at NatureWorks. This amazing venue with 10 exhibit halls across four floors also houses the largest movie screen thats 8 stories tall. Even the adults were in for a good learning.
The Orlando area besides having a wide variety of tourist attractions is also a busy center for conferences and conventions. The Orange County Convention Center is the country’s second largest in square footage. Even though Downtown Orlando is several miles away from the main tourist attractions it attracts tourists as many activities happen around here. The central business district is the most recognized and urban region of downtown. Containing a number of highrises its best known landmarks are the Bank of America Tower, Orange County Courthouse, The Vue and SunTrust Center Tower. Also spectacular is the 18,000 seat Amway Arena that hosts the Orlando Magic NBA team and Orlando Predators Football league team. Downtown Orlando has a vibrant nightlife, with over 40 bars, restaurants and nightclubs within a three or four block radius. Exuberance appeared to be a way of life here.
Downtown is interspersed with beautiful parks livening up the place. The best known is Lake Eola Park considered Orlando’s Central Park and is the favorite venue for local events and festivals. The iconic fountain set in the center of the lake is a scenic landmark that illuminates the nightscape of the lake with its green lighting. We enjoyed the swan boat rides on the lake as much as the circular recreational pathway stretching round the park. The children’s playground had my kids going absolutely berserk enjoying the open spaces to their hearts content. As did my wife at Pointe Orlando with its stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues, where my better half immersed herself in the offerings. As for me I enjoyed the continual feasting in the many restaurants located here. The landscaped tropical promenades, open air seating, playful fountains, and magnificent architecture unwinds you completely.
Orlando had us driving around along lovely beach bound roads providing a delightful break -of-sorts from the variety of theme parks located here. Passing by Kennedy Space Center we were content to let go of NASA’s space complex tour. Maybe the next time we were here. Actually we were more intent on enjoying the beaches for the chance to soak up some sunshine and relax in the ocean waters. Yes as I look back it all comes back to me – a very good family vacation that the twins loved to distraction.