To a lot of people, Orlando Florida means Disney World. It certainly made a splash when the Disney corporation chose to release its second theme park in this vital Florida community, but these days, Disney World is merely one of various theme parks, entertainment and recreation venues you and your family will discover on your Orlando vacation.

While you are there, you will come across no shortage of establishments to stay.  There are an abundance of fantastic Florida beach vacation rentals obtainable. Rentals on these units start out at as low as $29 per night, less than several of the commercial hotels and all are within a few minutes of Universal Studios, Sea World and the cities action filled water parks.

Orlando was initially home to the Creek Indian Nation as well as a few more tribes. The first European settlement was founded in 1836, but apart from the remnants of Fort Gatlin, there is not much of that initial history left.  The biggest inland city in the state, Orlando began to grow in reputation as a resort town through the early part of the 20th Century, leading to a boom that ended with the Great Depression of the 1930s. The community bounced back as a result of World War II when the U.S. Army Air Corps established bases in the region.  Afterwards, many retired servicemen and their families remained in the area.

Today, Orlando has more theme parks and recreation facilities of any city in the world.  Each of the three major resorts, Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld, are in fact several parks in one.  However, these parks are not all that is accessible.  Recreation attractions in Orlando are diverse, and there is something for virtually everyone. One unique venue presents a taste of what it may have been like in a Prohibition-Era speakeasy.  Al Capone’s provides a nightly musical review featuring gin, jazz and flappers as well as an appearance by the arch-criminal himself along with your choice of Italian or American cuisine.

If you are interested in earlier history, go medieval at the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in nearby Kissimmee. The devoted traveler may enjoy the Holy Land Experience, where re-enactors reconstruct ancient Palenstine including a rock climbing wilderness area for the young ones. It is highly reccommended that you go during the week since weekends are exceptionally busy and the facility offers weekday discounts but advance reservations are required.

Some educational experiences worth  visiting include the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in neighboring Sanford which started out as a casual assembly by local fire fighters.  Gatorland is another fascinating attraction where you can get up-close and personal with the reptiles, the closest living relatives of the great dinosuars of 65-250 million years ago.
Afterwards, swim with dolphins at Discover Cove, part of the SeaWorld Resort and witness these gentle creatures in a recreation of their natural environment. 

Orlando contains a host of family entertainment options that provides a little for everyone.  You can be as vigorous or as relaxed as you would like to be, but no matter what your choice, a great time will be had by all. 

 Mail this post


This entry was posted on Saturday, September 25th, 2010 at 12:22 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.