Orlando
Discover Orlando
Orlando deserves its reputation as the theme park capital of the world, with an estimated 52 million visitors a year. The city is best known for its theme parks Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, but it holds a lot to offer besides those two amusement meccas. Countless hotels and restaurants cater to business conventions and other events hosted by organizations from all over the country. Outside the theme park districts and hotels, however, lies much more to be explored, including downtown, areas of untouched wilderness, world-class museums and theaters, and old towns with dining and nightlife. At the center of the state of Florida, in Orange County, Orlando is about an hour from each coast. The majority of the area attractions are southwest or north of the city, in Lake Buena Vista (where Disney World is), Kissimmee, Winter Park, and Mount Dora.
Taste of Orlando...
A wide variety of restaurants can be found in CityWalk at Universal Orlando, including Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe. Parking is $20 during the day and free after 6PM (except during holidays or special events, such as Halloween Horror Nights). Much choice can also be found in Disney Springs, including Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and Wolfgang Puck Cafe. Texas de Brazil, is a Brazilian steakhouse in the heart of downtown, serving beef, chicken, lamb and pork in many preparations. Visit Orlando partners with many restaurants in the Orlando area to offer a promotional Magical Dining month. During the promotion, partner restaurants offer three-course, prix fixe dinners for $35 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Typically the event is held in late August through September, which tends to be a slow season for the local attractions and restaurants are looking to bring in additional guests. Orlando nightlife away from the theme parks is centered mostly around Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. Here you can walk and find many bars. A short walk away is the tiny Thornton Park District, near the intersection of Washington and Summerlin. Among the dozens of cafes and pubs, you might stop in for a drink and a quick bite at Dexter's on Washington. For local flair head across the street to Burton's Frosty Mug, or sample the hip urban environment at the trendy HUE at the corner of Washington and Central.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Orlando into what it is today.
Until the Civil War, Orange County was widely considered a rural backwater. However, a Reconstruction-era boom in the area's population and the simultaneous growth of the citrus industry led to the establishment of the city of Orlando in 1885. Ten years later, the "Great Freeze" destroyed much of the citrus crop, forcing farmers to sell and the industry to shift southward. Around the turn of the 19th century, Orlando became a somewhat popular resort city, and its downtown population grew during the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s. During World War II, the United States Air Force positioned a base in the city, and the military would go on to become Orlando's major industry through the 1950s and 1960s. In 1965, Walt Disney went on television to announce his plans for "The Florida Project", the most important moment in Orlando's history. Walt Disney World opened in 1971 with one theme park – the Magic Kingdom – and development and population explosion rocketed the city into what it is today. Over the subsequent years, tourism has further entrenched itself as the center of Orlando's economy. SeaWorld Orlando opened in 1973, and Epcot, the second Disney theme park, came in 1982. Disney's Hollywood Studios came in 1989, and Universal Studios Florida a year later. The Universal Orlando resort was born with the opening of the Islands of Adventure theme park in 1999, just a year after Disney's fourth park, Animal Kingdom, opened....
Climate
Many say Central Florida has two seasons: hot and hotter. Orlando has temperate winters affected by the occasional cold front; hot summers with daily thunderstorms; and warm, balmy springs and autumns. Most tourists visit Orlando for summer vacations between June and August, or for spring breaks in March and April. Ironically, the quieter times correspond to the best weather in the Orlando area. Visiting when the weather isn't so hot means fewer people in the area, with emptier parks and more comfortable weather. Orlando International has two key components: landside and airside. There is a central landside terminal (one building divided into sides "A" and "B"), containing the airline counters, baggage claim, rental car agencies, and a hotel. It's connected by elevated trams to four other terminals, known as Airside 1-4, where the boarding gates are. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in both the central terminal and the four airsides.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsOrlando International has two key components: landside and airside. There is a central landside terminal (one building divided into sides "A" and "B"), containing the airline counters, baggage claim, rental car agencies, and a hotel. It's connected by elevated trams to four other terminals, known as Airside 1-4, where the boarding gates are. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in both the central terminal and the four airsides. A newly constructed "C" terminal isn't connected to the central (A/B) terminal but is accessible via the same elevated tram system. Security lines can become extremely long (1 hr+) during the summer tourist season and near holidays. Combined with long check-in lines, it is advisable to arrive 2–3 hours before your scheduled departure. Orlando is the "rental car capital of the world" and, as can be expected, there are many car rental agencies at the airport offering a large number and wide range of vehicles for rental....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The highway is omnipresent in Orlando, and it is a very easy and convenient (if sometimes congested) way to get to your destination. Orlando is a sprawling city, with most attractions lying far to the south of downtown and spreading into adjacent cities like Kissimmee. The roads are all wide and easy to drive on, with all major attractions well-signed. However, traffic jams around downtown are common during the morning and afternoon rush hours, and around the tourist areas when the theme parks close up each night. Orlando ranks 8th in the nation in terms of traffic congestion, and there are numerous ongoing construction projects on area highways. Traffic information is available from electronic signs over roadways, most local radio stations, and by calling 511 (a free, automated service which provides current traffic info). As with most urban areas in the U.S., there are plenty of drivers who prefer to speed and drive aggressively.
Where to Stay
With a hotel around virtually every corner (actually 4 or 5 around every corner) it seems impossible to throw a rock and not hit a hotel. There are hotels to meet every traveler's need, whether it be a hostel or a 5-star resort, although many visiting families often prefer to rent a private villa as they usually provide much more personal space and have their own private facilities. There are also a lot of lodgings in the surrounding cities and towns. Like most cities in America, there are certain areas of Orlando which are more dangerous than others. Some areas travelers should be cautious of are: While it is unlikely that any one individual would experience serious crime in these areas, tourists stand out in these areas, and can unwittingly do things that can make them targets for criminal behavior, so it is sensible to stay away.
Money & Budget
Little Saigon, East Colonial Dr (around N Mills). Here you will find Vietnamese grocery stores, gift shops, and a few herbal healing stores, which stock items from China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, etc. Also home to many good inexpensive Vietnamese and other East Asian restaurants. Little India area - This area is a bit spread out. You will find many Indian stores in the South Orange Blossom Trail area on the main streets and side roads. Starting with Lancaster Road, which houses a video store and Indian restaurant, and then traveling south you will see a few Indian shops in clusters every mile all the way to 417 where you end at the local Indian movie theater Little Brazil, the north end of International Dr.
Language & Talk
English is the primary language spoken in Orlando, but Spanish is spoken by a portion of the population as well. Due to the high number of international travelers coming to the city, nearly all of the theme parks and resorts, and many of the hotels and restaurants provide menus, guide maps, and other information in a variety of languages ranging from English and Spanish to French, Chinese, and Portuguese. Many attractions also employ bilingual or multilingual staff. Orlando sits nearly in the center of the state, about an hour's drive from both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, surrounded by suburban towns on all sides. Bordering Orlando to the north is Altamonte Springs, Maitland and Winter Park.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Like most cities in America, there are certain areas of Orlando which are more dangerous than others. Some areas travelers should be cautious of are: While it is unlikely that any one individual would experience serious crime in these areas, tourists stand out in these areas, and can unwittingly do things that can make them targets for criminal behavior, so it is sensible to stay away. While crime in the Orlando area is not particularly high, with the annual tourists far outnumbering the regional population (~2 million), a substantial amount of local crime ends up being directed at tourists. The most common crimes are theft of items from cars and hotels, so following common sense travel precautions are particularly important in an area like Orlando. While hurricanes attract most of the attention, the proximity to two coasts also brings frequent, and sometimes dangerous, thunderstorms. These occur nearly every day during the rainy season from mid-June through September.