Orlando

28.53838, -81.37893

Orlando Travel Guide

Travel Author

Stig Albeck

City Map

City Introduction

Orlando is a city in central Florida, which is known as one of the United States’ great entertainment cities. In the urban area, there are just over 2.5 million inhabitants, making Orlando one of the state’s largest cities. In addition, all visitors to the city make it one of the world’s most popular travel destinations.

You can experience many of the world’s most famous theme parks and amusement parks in Orlando. For example, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and LEGOLAND all attract many visitors year-round. In addition, you can visit aquariums, zoos, science centers and almost all the activities you can dream of. All of this is possible in Orlando.

Orlando is also other things than amusement parks. Remember to walk the streets of the old downtown area, which houses a number of buildings from the city’s early years. They portray the appearance and size of the city’s development over the years and also Orlando’s culture and role as a railway hub, for example.

Of course, you can also just relax in hotels and jump in swimming pools in Florida’s wonderful weather. There are also many golf courses, malls and outlets, and if you want to get out of the city, there are also more opportunities for day trips. Many choose the tour to the East Coast and Kennedy Space Center to get acquainted with space exploration.

Top Attractions

Downtown Historic District, Orlando, Florida, USA

Downtown Historic District

Downtown Historic District is Orlando’s historic city core, where you can still see a number of houses from the period 1880-1950. Most of the approximately 60 buildings from the time stand with their small size in contrast to the surrounding skyscrapers.

You get an almost complete impression of the history by taking a walk along the streets West South Street, West Church Street, North/South Orange Avenue, West Pine Street, East Robinson Street, North/South Magnolia Avenue, North Rosalind Avenue, East Central Boulevard and East Pine Street.

Among the interesting buildings is the Well’sbuilt Hotel (511 West South Street), which was opened in 1926 to offer accommodation to people of African descent. In the former hotel there is now a museum.

The Victorian House & Cottage (541 West South Street) is one of Orlando’s few surviving Victorian structures, and the Old Orlando Railroad Depot (76 West Church Street) was built in 1890 in conjunction with Orlando’s growing importance as a transportation hub in Florida.

The Kress Building (15 West Church Street) from 1936 is an example of the city’s Art Deco buildings. Angebilt Hotel (37 North Orange Avenue) was built in the industrial style in 1923 as one of the city’s leading hotels. The 1928 First Church of Christ Scientist (24 North Rosalind Avenue) is one of Orlando’s great early church buildings.

Finally, you can also pass by the Old Orange County Courthouse (65 East Central Boulevard), which was built in 1927. The courthouse stands as the city’s most beautiful Beaux Arts building. In addition to the buildings mentioned, there are many other structures worth seeing that you pass by on a tour of the area.

 

Orlando Museum of Art

Orlando Museum of Art is a museum in Orlando’s beautifully landscaped Loch Haven Park, and it is one of Florida’s best of its kind. The museum collection mainly consists of American art from the 19th century to the present day, African art and works from ancient cultures on the American continents.

At the museum, you get an insight into the newer art from the United States, and you can also explore parts of the life and culture of peoples in North, Central and South America from 3,000 years ago through finds and artifacts from the time of the Aztecs and much more.

 

Harry P. Leu Gardens

Harry P. Leu Gardens is a lovely park where there are several kilometers of walking paths that lead visitors through a great variety of greenery. You will find one of the USA’s largest collections of camellias and various gardens, each with its own speciality, such as roses, palms and bamboo. The butterfly garden is also a wonderful experience.

In the park is the Harry P. Leu House, built in 1888. It is now furnished as a typical Florida house circa 1900. Harry P. Leu purchased the property in 1936, and over the following decades Harry and his wife Mary Jane traveled the world and brought home many of the plants that later formed the foundation of today’s gardens.

In 1961, the Leu family handed over the house with the surrounding park to the city of Orlando under the condition that the botanical garden should continue to be operated with public access.

Other Attractions

Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World is an amusement park that consists of several theme parks, each of which offers a load of ​​entertainment. One of them is the Magic Kingdom, which is the classic park with the many characters from Walt Disney’s universe, and it offers family entertainment and many rides. It is also in the Magic Kingdom that you can see the iconic Disney castle.

EPCOT is the name of another of the parks. EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and a trip here is a journey to the technological society of the future. Among other things, you can travel through time in Spaceship Earth and get into space with Mission: SPACE. In EPCOT, there is also a tour through part of the world in a small world exhibition representing the canals of Venice, the pyramids of Mexico and other places.

You can also visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is a movie park where there are several roller coasters and other thrilling rides, including the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. You can also take a trip through the scenes and the world of film production in the Backstage Studio Tour, and in the park there are replicas of famous places from Hollywood.

The fourth park is Animal Kingdom, which is a park with safari, zoo and entertainment and shows built around different animal themes. Animal Kingdom is constructed like many different countries, including Discovery Island and Pandora. Among the tours and amusements, you can try the Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest.

There is thus great variety in the many attractions in Walt Disney World, where there are also two water parks with plenty of activities; Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. In both parks, there are both quiet and relaxing water rides and the opportunity to swim, and there are also slides and other amusements for those who want to try something a little wilder and faster.

 

Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA

Universal Studios

Universal Studios is a large movie theme park where you, through shows, scenery and thrilling rides, will get many wonderful memories from Hollywood films such as Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black, Terminator 2, Back to the Future and, of course, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

There are countless attractions, and you can also try for yourself whether you can get through the hardships of Fear Factor and be hit by an earthquake of 8.3 on the Richter scale. There are also ongoing different shows to enjoy at Universal Studios.

You can also board the park’s many rides, which combine experiences from films and series with fun and excitement for all ages. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and Revenge of the Mummy are some of the popular experiences, and you can also join the yellow universe with Simpson’s Ride.

In Universal’s Islands of Adventure, there is everything from exhilarating roller coasters to peaceful family rides in settings such as Jurassic Park and Toon Land. You can also go to Seuss Landing and meet Dr. Seuss’ many famous and funny characters.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a special part of Universal, and most people want a trip to the magical world of Hogwarts. Here you can see Hogwarts Castle, take a walk in Diagon Alley and the streets of Hogsmeade. In this part, there are many things from the Harry Potter universe that you can recognize and try out.

As part of Universal Resort Orlando, you can also take a trip to the Volcano Bay water park and theme park. As the name suggests, Volcano Bay is built around a volcano, from which waterfalls lead water down into the large and warm pools below it. Here you can enjoy a day swimming, relax in quietly flowing rivers or take some wilder water slides and other activities.

 

Gatorland

Gatorland is a park where Florida’s many alligators are in focus. In the large area, you can see thousands of alligators, the rarer American crocodiles, snakes and turtles.

There is also a swamp area in Gatorland that you can hike through and popular alligator shows are held daily. For children there is a petting zoo, and you can drive around the park in a mini train.

In Gatorland, there are also special tours and ziplines in the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, where you get a ride through the trees, and the Stompin’ Gator Off-Road Adventure Ride, which is a ride in the swamps. Along the way, you experience different ecosystems in the area.

 

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park where you can have fantastic encounters with the marine world, enjoy a number of rides and enjoy different shows. SeaWorld is famous for its fine shows, where you see and learn more about a number of animals from the wet element.

There are also a number of rides with speed and an adrenaline rush. You can, for example, take a trip on the Mako and Manta slides or cool off a bit in the Journey to Atlantis water slide. There are also quite a few quieter amusements and activities for the smaller children.

 

LEGOLAND Florida Resort

LEGOLAND is home to the well-known LEGO bricks. In LEGOLAND, a fantastic miniland has been built, which is just one of the experiences and amusements in the park here, where there are also movies, shows, slides and many other activities.

The theme park was opened in 2011 on a site where Cypress Gardens used to be, and therefore part of a botanical garden could be preserved, which still today makes the park a beautiful place to visit. At the LEGOLAND park, you can also visit the Legoland Water Park, which is full of activities and entertainment as well.

 

ICON Park

ICON Park is in a park where you can enjoy rides, museums, etc. The entrance itself is free, and then you pay for the activities you want to try, and there are quite a few of them.

You can see ICON Park from a long distance with the 122 meter high Ferris wheel, which is one of the most famous things on the site. Next to the Ferris wheel, there are several classic rides, eateries and shopping spots.

In the park, you can also visit the Museum of Illusions and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, where you can take some selfies with your favorite celebrities and historical figures. It is also possible to get an insight into the maritime world by visiting the Sea Life Aquarium.

 

Orlando Science Center

Orlando Science Center is an extensive science museum where you can into the exciting world of nature and technology in a fun and interactive way. There are countless interesting themes in the many halls of the center.

In Natureworks, the focus is on Florida’s ecosystems, not least the Everglades area in the southern part of the state. In DinoDigs you can see fossils and reconstructions of dinosaurs, while in Science City you can try things like electricity, magnetism and engineering.

Touch the Sky is the place where dreams of being able to fly can be tested. Here are hot air balloons, paper planes, models of old planes and various simulators. In addition to the mentioned activities, there are many other interesting exhibits for curious visitors.

Day Trips

Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center is a large space center on the east coast of Florida. Since 1967, the United States has launched spacecraft with various satellites, Apollo rockets and the American space shuttles from the center. In this way, the activities at the Kennedy Space Center have often been followed by millions of people worldwide, and it was from here that the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon was televised on 16 July 1969.

You can visit the large area in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. On a visit, you get a good overview of the USA’s launches and also of the general history of space travel. You can see many objects from astronauts and from various launches, including the colossal Saturn V rocket from the Apollo program. You can see the space shuttle Atlantis in the exhibition as well, and there is also a simulation of a launch.

 

Tampa, Florida, USA

Tampa

Tampa is a large city on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. Its history dates to 1824, when Fort Brooke was established at the mouth of the Hillsborough River. It happened after the American purchase of Florida from Spain in 1821. The settlement that eventually became Tampa arose in the area just north of the fort, and which today is in the metropolitan area of ​​Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater.

Tampa is today a city known as a tourist resort with its beautiful location on the gulf. There are several things to see and do in the city, where the center is dominated by modern high-rise buildings. In downtown, there are quite a few architectural highlights and interesting museums. You can also take a walk along the Hillsborough River and Garrison Channel along the Tampa Riverwalk, where you can enjoy views of the water and the city.

Read more about Tampa

 

Clearwater Beach, Florida, USA

Clearwater

Clearwater is a city located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Today’s Clearwater was originally home to the Tocobaga people, and in 1835 the US Army established Fort Harrison here. The fort was located on a bluff overlooking the water. The area’s population grew after the Federal Armed Occupation Act of 1842, where you could get land if you wanted to bear arms and farm the land. The settlement grew, and in 1849 the first road between Clearwater and nearby Tampa was built.

There is a cozy town center in Clearwater, which is not least known today as a resort with a mild climate and lovely beaches. The beaches are in Clearwater Beach, which is located on Caladesi Island west of the city of Clearwater. Here you can relax on kilometers of sandy beaches, and you can also visit Caladesi Island State Park. In the park there are beaches, sand dunes, mangrove forests and a rich wildlife. From the area, you can take a short trip to Honeymoon Island, where more nature awaits in Honeymoon Island State Park.

 

St. Augustine, Florida, USA

St. Augustine

St. Augustine is a city on the Atlantic coast in northeastern Florida. It was founded on September 8, 1565, by the Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who was the first governor of Florida. He named the settlement San Agustín after Augustine of Hippo. The reason was because his ships with settlers, troops and supplies from Spain made landfall in Florida eleven days earlier, which was the name day of Saint Augustine. The city served as the capital of Spanish Florida for over 200 years and during the short time when Great Britain ruled 1763-1783.

St. Augustine is the oldest existing city in the continental United States, established by European explorers and settlers. The area became American in 1819, and at first the city was one of the alternating capitals of the Florida Territory before Tallahassee was designated as the permanent capital in 1824. In 1845, Florida was admitted to the United States as a state, and since then Saint Augustine, like other places in Florida, experienced great growth in the population moving to the mild climate of the state.

Read more about St. Augustine

Shopping

Altamonte Mall

451 E Altamonte Drive
altamontemall.com

 

Florida Mall

8001 S Orange Blossom Trail
simon.com

 

Lake Buena Vista Factory Shops

15591 S Apoka Vineland Road
lbvfs.com

 

Mall at Millenia

4200 Conroy Drive
mallatmillenia.com

 

Oviedo Marketplace

1700 Oviedo Marketplace
oviedomarketplace.com

 

Orlando International Premium Outlets

4951 International Drive
premiumoutlets.com

 

Orlando Premium Outlets

I-4 exit 68, 8200 Vineland Road
premiumoutlets.com

 

Seminole Towne Center

220 Towne Center Circle
seminoletownecenter.com

 

Shopping streets

Downtown Orlando, International Drive

With Kids

Amusement Park

Fun Spot America
5700 Fun Spot Way
fun-spot.com

 

Alligators

Gatorland
14501 South Orange Blossom Trail
gatorland.com

 

Theme Park

LEGOLAND Florida Resort
1 Legoland Way
legoland.com/florida

 

Science

Orlando Science Center
777 East Princeton Street
osc.org

 

Zoological garden

Safari Wilderness Ranch
10850 Moore Road, Lakeland
safariwilderness.com

 

Aquarium

SeaWorld
7007 Sea World Drive
seaworld.com

 

Theme Park

Titanic – Ship of Dreams
8445 International Drive
titanicshipofdreams.com

 

Movie Studies and Entertainment

Universal Studios
1000 Universal Studios Plaza
universalorlando.com

 

Amusement Park

Walt Disney World
1375 East Buena Vista Drive
disneyworld.com

 

Fun & Science

WonderWorks
9067 International Drive
wonderworksonline.com/orlando

City History

The name Orlando goes back to 1836, when the farmer Orlando Reeves’ name was reportedly cut into a tree. Settlers thought it was Orlando’s grave and named the place after him. It happened during the Second Seminole War, during which the United States built a fort in the area in 1838. After the war the fort was abandoned, and not until 1842 did the first permanent settler arrive. It was Aaron Jernigan who had acquired land.

Large numbers of colonists arrived only after the end of the Third and Last Seminole War in 1858. During the American Civil War, the area suffered the Union blockade, but after the war, the site, established in 1875, flourished as the city of Orlando.

The period from 1875 to 1895 became Orlando’s first golden age, where the city was the center of Florida’s citrus fruit production. Here the economy was good and the wealthy were many. Frosty and devastated harvests stopped the adventure moving south toward the warmer climate of the Miami region.

In the decades before World War I, Orlando gradually developed into a popular resort. The central location and the pleasant climate made it attractive to many people for the start-up tourism industry.

In the post-World War II period, high-tech companies were invested in and around Orlando, creating the ever-present golden age. Lockheed Martin founded an aerospace plant, the Cape Canaveral / Kennedy Space Center aerospace center was built off the Atlantic coast and perhaps best known by all – the Walt Disney Resort, which opened its doors in 1971.

In recent decades, Orlando’s tourism economy has boomed. Tens of thousands of hotel rooms have been erected, golf courses, water parks and several major theme parks located in and around the city, whose population is approaching 2 million.

Geolocation

In short

Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Overview of Orlando

Orlando is a city in central Florida, which is known as one of the United States’ great entertainment cities. In the urban area, there are just over 2.5 million inhabitants, making Orlando one of the state’s largest cities. In addition, all visitors to the city make it one of the world’s most popular travel destinations.

You can experience many of the world’s most famous theme parks and amusement parks in Orlando. For example, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and LEGOLAND all attract many visitors year-round. In addition, you can visit aquariums, zoos, science centers and almost all the activities you can dream of. All of this is possible in Orlando.

Orlando is also other things than amusement parks. Remember to walk the streets of the old downtown area, which houses a number of buildings from the city’s early years. They portray the appearance and size of the city’s development over the years and also Orlando’s culture and role as a railway hub, for example.

About the Whitehorse travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English

About the travel guide

The Whitehorse travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Canadian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

Whitehorse is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

Read more about Whitehorse and Canada

Canada Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/canada
City tourism: https://visitwhite-horse.ca
Main Page: https://www.vamados.com/

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Whitehorse you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Travel Expert

Stig Albeck

Gallery

Gallery

Other Attractions

Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World is an amusement park that consists of several theme parks, each of which offers a load of ​​entertainment. One of them is the Magic Kingdom, which is the classic park with the many characters from Walt Disney’s universe, and it offers family entertainment and many rides. It is also in the Magic Kingdom that you can see the iconic Disney castle.

EPCOT is the name of another of the parks. EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and a trip here is a journey to the technological society of the future. Among other things, you can travel through time in Spaceship Earth and get into space with Mission: SPACE. In EPCOT, there is also a tour through part of the world in a small world exhibition representing the canals of Venice, the pyramids of Mexico and other places.

You can also visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is a movie park where there are several roller coasters and other thrilling rides, including the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. You can also take a trip through the scenes and the world of film production in the Backstage Studio Tour, and in the park there are replicas of famous places from Hollywood.

The fourth park is Animal Kingdom, which is a park with safari, zoo and entertainment and shows built around different animal themes. Animal Kingdom is constructed like many different countries, including Discovery Island and Pandora. Among the tours and amusements, you can try the Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest.

There is thus great variety in the many attractions in Walt Disney World, where there are also two water parks with plenty of activities; Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. In both parks, there are both quiet and relaxing water rides and the opportunity to swim, and there are also slides and other amusements for those who want to try something a little wilder and faster.

 

Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA

Universal Studios

Universal Studios is a large movie theme park where you, through shows, scenery and thrilling rides, will get many wonderful memories from Hollywood films such as Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black, Terminator 2, Back to the Future and, of course, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

There are countless attractions, and you can also try for yourself whether you can get through the hardships of Fear Factor and be hit by an earthquake of 8.3 on the Richter scale. There are also ongoing different shows to enjoy at Universal Studios.

You can also board the park’s many rides, which combine experiences from films and series with fun and excitement for all ages. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and Revenge of the Mummy are some of the popular experiences, and you can also join the yellow universe with Simpson’s Ride.

In Universal’s Islands of Adventure, there is everything from exhilarating roller coasters to peaceful family rides in settings such as Jurassic Park and Toon Land. You can also go to Seuss Landing and meet Dr. Seuss’ many famous and funny characters.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a special part of Universal, and most people want a trip to the magical world of Hogwarts. Here you can see Hogwarts Castle, take a walk in Diagon Alley and the streets of Hogsmeade. In this part, there are many things from the Harry Potter universe that you can recognize and try out.

As part of Universal Resort Orlando, you can also take a trip to the Volcano Bay water park and theme park. As the name suggests, Volcano Bay is built around a volcano, from which waterfalls lead water down into the large and warm pools below it. Here you can enjoy a day swimming, relax in quietly flowing rivers or take some wilder water slides and other activities.

 

Gatorland

Gatorland is a park where Florida’s many alligators are in focus. In the large area, you can see thousands of alligators, the rarer American crocodiles, snakes and turtles.

There is also a swamp area in Gatorland that you can hike through and popular alligator shows are held daily. For children there is a petting zoo, and you can drive around the park in a mini train.

In Gatorland, there are also special tours and ziplines in the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, where you get a ride through the trees, and the Stompin’ Gator Off-Road Adventure Ride, which is a ride in the swamps. Along the way, you experience different ecosystems in the area.

 

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park where you can have fantastic encounters with the marine world, enjoy a number of rides and enjoy different shows. SeaWorld is famous for its fine shows, where you see and learn more about a number of animals from the wet element.

There are also a number of rides with speed and an adrenaline rush. You can, for example, take a trip on the Mako and Manta slides or cool off a bit in the Journey to Atlantis water slide. There are also quite a few quieter amusements and activities for the smaller children.

 

LEGOLAND Florida Resort

LEGOLAND is home to the well-known LEGO bricks. In LEGOLAND, a fantastic miniland has been built, which is just one of the experiences and amusements in the park here, where there are also movies, shows, slides and many other activities.

The theme park was opened in 2011 on a site where Cypress Gardens used to be, and therefore part of a botanical garden could be preserved, which still today makes the park a beautiful place to visit. At the LEGOLAND park, you can also visit the Legoland Water Park, which is full of activities and entertainment as well.

 

ICON Park

ICON Park is in a park where you can enjoy rides, museums, etc. The entrance itself is free, and then you pay for the activities you want to try, and there are quite a few of them.

You can see ICON Park from a long distance with the 122 meter high Ferris wheel, which is one of the most famous things on the site. Next to the Ferris wheel, there are several classic rides, eateries and shopping spots.

In the park, you can also visit the Museum of Illusions and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, where you can take some selfies with your favorite celebrities and historical figures. It is also possible to get an insight into the maritime world by visiting the Sea Life Aquarium.

 

Orlando Science Center

Orlando Science Center is an extensive science museum where you can into the exciting world of nature and technology in a fun and interactive way. There are countless interesting themes in the many halls of the center.

In Natureworks, the focus is on Florida’s ecosystems, not least the Everglades area in the southern part of the state. In DinoDigs you can see fossils and reconstructions of dinosaurs, while in Science City you can try things like electricity, magnetism and engineering.

Touch the Sky is the place where dreams of being able to fly can be tested. Here are hot air balloons, paper planes, models of old planes and various simulators. In addition to the mentioned activities, there are many other interesting exhibits for curious visitors.

Other Interesting Guides

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