The City of Orlando was incorporated in 1875; it is situated in heart of central Florida, USA. Presently Orlando the ‘City Beautiful’ and ‘Tourist Haven’ is the most important and fourth most popular US tourist destination among international visitors. “Jernigan” was the original name of the city and it was changed to Orlando. City’s most exciting events that include Arts, Business, Music, Shopping, sports Night life, Restaurants and more. In the early years Orlando and Central Florida have been called as ‘The Wild South’. Orlando draws visitors by its attractions,, hosts over 90 attractions including the Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios theme park and SeaWorld are the top most.

History:

The Orlando Municipal Airport opened (1928) Most of cotton crops destroyed by hurricane through the town (1871) Orlando actually became a city (1875) South Florida Railroad was built between Sanford and Orlando (1880) Orlando Freezes: destroyed agriculture (1894) Martin Marietta missile factory (Presently) Lockheed Martin (1922) First Radio Station WDBO (1924) Navy’s three Naval training Center is established (1968) Disney World is opened (1971) Universal Studios is opened (1987) The Orlando Magic reached the NBA finals (1995) Orlando’s XFL football team The Orlando Rage plays their first game (2001)

Place of interest :

The Orlando tourist haven is famous for many attractions all over the city to the visitors and local residents to make the leisure time or vocations to be the happiest moments. The city is also called as Theme Park capital of the world. The major theme parks Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Epcot; Universal’s Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Disney-MGM Studios, and Seaworld’s aquatic adventure park are located here. The city is dotted with more like Kennedy Space Center, Everglades National Park, and International Drive which offers a host of shopping and eating experiences.

Museums & Art Galleries :

Museums and Art Galleries in Orlando are also included in Orlando’s entertainments; it inspires the cultural life of Florida. Museums provide all the latest news about what is going on in Orlando’s Arts and Entertainment Society, and also on visual arts, American art, African art and art of the ancient Americas. Some of the museums located at Orlando are The Orlando Museum of Art Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Orlando Museum Central Florida Railroad Museum Orlando Fire Museum DeLand Museum of Art Maitland Art Center All museum’s and galleries in Orlando are filled with unique and different collections. The city is gathered with numerous art centers which can be visited including Osceola Center for the Arts Pine Castle Folk Arts Center Maitland Historical & Telephone Museum Art Lovers Gallery.

Shopping:

Orlando is home of major shopping venues, shopping malls. Orlando also can be called as shoppers Mecca or shoppers paradise. Shopping in Orlando is not only a purchase; it’s a part of your vacation, pure pleasure, an enthusiastic activity. The array of shopping options awaits you. Here is a list of some hottest shop till you drop places. Altamonte Mall Lake Buena Vista Florida Mall Osceola Square Mall The Mercado Seminole Towne Center Mall Belz Factory Outlet Mall Orlando Airport – Florida Mall

Food & Drink:

The various varieties of Food and Drinks available in Orlando offer a delightful, enjoyable break for your vacation in streets of the busy tourist corridor of Orlando. Choosing a dish to eat in Orlando can be a tremendous experience. You’ll find all the familiar comfort food favorites at this sparkling and tranquil city. There are too many choices Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Indian, Thai, Mediterranean and Italian. You’ll be puzzled to select.

Universities:

Orlando is renowned for educational organizations; there are numerous universities in city. A petite list of distinguished universities in Orlando include University of Central Florida, University of Phoenix ITT Technical Institute, DeVry University, Capella University Online, Argosy University, National School of Technology, Florida Metropolitan University Online and more

Sports:

Orlando is a home to a surfeit of sports and cultural activities, the city boasts the NBA’s Orlando Magic. The Orlando Tour stop is TD Waterhouse Centre, it is the popular sports center for PlayStation gaming pavilion, the interactive BMX dirt course, skateboard street course and much more. As the city is grouped with plentiful foremost sports stadiums, the Dew Action Sports Tour is the major action sports of annual events that take place in Orlando. Hockey, Football, Baseball, Basket ball, golf, water sports are the local sports.

Hotels & Accommodation:

Other Specialty of Orlando is Hotels; there are lots of hotels to choose, to ones need And comfort which is located in and around the city.

Luxury hotels: Omni Orlando Resort, Universal’s Hard Rock Hotel, The Westin Grand Bohemian, Wyndham Orlando Resort and many more.

Budget Hotels: In vacational seasons, luxurious hotels booking are closed, here are some reasonably priced options Budget Suites of Orlando, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, The Doubletree Castle Hotel.

Tours and Sightseeing:

Quit naturally some of the best tours and excursions are available in Orlando. Perfect sightseeing trips, adventure tours are arranged by every hotel in city, you can also find reservations and booking centers. Double Decker Bus tour, Kennedy Space Center & Airboat Safari, Clear water beach and Boat tour, Universal Islands of Adventure, Disney’s Boardwalk, International Drive, Thornton Park, Gatorland, Busch Gardens, One Day Miami, The Sea Screamer, Deep Sea Fishing, Monster Truck Safari and Airboat Ride, Thriller Powerboat Tour, Airboat Ride.

Transport:

The Transport is accessible and options are plentiful when you’re in tourist paradise Orlando. The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority runs the LYNX bus system, which reaches all through the attraction places and city centers. Lynx bus systems I Ride Trolleys are also available with 78 convenient stops. In addition to bus service, the free Lymmo bus service presents convenient transportation in and around Orlando. Naturally the fastest and easiest transport, Orlando International Airport provides a live schedule of flight Information, arrivals and departures of flight. Amtrak rail system includes both passenger trains and auto trains. It is also one of the easily accessible transports to reach all over Orlando. Other facilities in transportations rental vehicles, cars, taxis are also obtainable.

Orlando is the ultimate family vacation spot.

When people think of Disney World Florida, the Magic Kingdom immediately comes to mind. There is a good reason for this. The Magic Kingdom is the most famous of all amusement parks. It is located just outside the city of Orlando in Lake Buena Vista. There are a total of four parks at Disney World Florida, including Epcot, MGM and Animal Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. It has grown enormously since that time. The park opened with twenty three attractions to entertain guests. The park now has forty eight attractions. These are located in seven areas or lands within the park.

When you enter the park, you will find yourself on Main Street, USA. This area is designed to resemble a small town in the early twentieth century. There are shops and restaurants in this area. There is a barber shop and Emporium in addition to sit down restaurants. At the end of Main Street, you will find the famous Cinderella Castle.

Adventure Land has the theme of foreign lands and exploration. This includes exploration of Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, South America and the Middle East. The Pirates of the Carribean is a popular attraction in this area. The Jungle Cruise and Swiss Family Treehouse are also located here.

Frontier Land has a wild western theme. You will find cowboys and Indians featured in this area of the park. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain and the Country Bear Jamboree are located in Frontier Land. The Jamboree is great for the whole family. Splash Mountain is a great spot to cool off on a hot day.

Liberty Square is set up like a small town at the time of the American Revolution. There is a replica of the Liberty Bell in the center of the town square. The Hall of Presidents is a great educational attraction in this part of Disney World Florida. The Haunted Mansion and Liberty Square Riverboat are popular attractions here.

Fantasy Land is where the younger kids in the family will want to be. This area has a Medieval Fair theme. You will find the gentler attractions in this area. Popular rides include Cinderellas Carousel, Dumbos Flying Elephant ride and Its a Small World. There are two areas here for your kids to meet the characters. In Ariels Grotto and Fairy Tale Garden, your little one can relax and listen to a story.

Mickeys Toon Town Fair opened in the late 1980s. At this time it was called Mickeys Birthday Land. It was expanded in the 1990s. This is where to go to meet the man himself. Mickey is located in the Judges Tent. After you have met Mickey, take a walk through his house. Minnies house is located next to Mickeys. Also in this area is the Toon Town Hall of Fame.

Tomorrow Land has a futuristic theme. This area is home to a few of the most popular attractions in the park. There are attractions for the younger and older ones in your family here. The younger kids will love Snitchs Great Escape and Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin. The older kids and grown ups will like Space Mountain, a fairly tame roller coaster ride. The Carousel of Progress is a good attraction for the whole family.

Once you have visited the Magic Kingdom, there is still a lot to see at Disney World Florida. The resort has four theme parks and two water parks. In addition, there are six golf courses, a race track and sports complex. The forty seven square mile resort is the largest in the world. Stay at one of the twenty hotels to enjoy all Disney has to offer.

Walt Disney World’s four world-class theme parks – Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom – each boast not-to-be-missed thrill rides with names like Expedition Everest, Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Mission: SPACE, Test Track and Splash Mountain.

One of the most popular new Orlando-area thrill rides, Expedition Everest, can be found in Asia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest, which towers nearly 200 feet high, is a thrilling train adventure through icy canyons and mountain caverns toward a terrifying encounter with the ferocious Yeti or abominable snowman. You must be at least 44 inches tall to ride Expedition Everest.

At Disney-MGM Studios, thrill seekers have their choice of Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, a classic indoor roller coaster that features classic songs from the legendary rock group; and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which features a scary, 13-story plummet aboard a faulty elevator within a decrepit, 199-foot-tall Hollywood hotel. You must be at least 48 inches tall to ride Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and 40 inches tall to ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Epcot is home to Mission: SPACE, which opened in 2003 and takes you on a simulated space flight to Mars (complete with motion sickness bags) at the “International Space Training Center.” Each member of the four-person crew is assigned a specific role – pilot, commander, navigator and engineer. Adjacent to Mission: SPACE lies Test Track, a six-passenger vehicle that cruises onto 50-degree banked curves at speeds up to 65 miles per hour. You must be at least 44 inches tall to ride Mission: SPACE and 40 inches tall to ride Test Track.

Space Mountain, the original thrill ride at Walt Disney World, still draws huge crowds in Tomorrowland. Two roller coaster tracks wind their way through the 183-foot mountain at speeds of 28 miles per hour in total darkness. You must be at least 44 inches tall to ride Space Mountain.

Two other classic thrill rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, lie within Frontierland. Splash Mountain takes you on a wild flume ride as you visit characters such as Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox from Disney’s 1946 classic, Song of the South. However, the real highlight of Splash Mountain is the five-story free fall at a 45-degree angle into the splash pool below at 40 miles per hour. Adjacent to Splash Mountain lies Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a “runaway train” that winds its way through an Old West mining town around mountains, through caves and over sulfur pools. You must be at least 40 inches tall to ride both Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

“When you plan your itinerary around Disney’s popular thrill rides, make sure you take advantage of Disney’s FASTPASS, a free reservation system that will help you avoid long lines,” said Kyle Collins, Director of Interactive Marketing for HotelsCorp.com. “To use FASTPASS, simply visit the FASTPASS ticket machine at the entrance to the ride and insert your admission ticket. The FASTPASS ticket you receive will indicate a time frame that allows you to return later without waiting in line.”

Note: Be sure to check height and medical restrictions that are listed at the entrance to each of Disney’s thrill rides.