Orlando is best known for the many amusement parks in the city and beyond. Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld are the big three located in Orlando and nearby cities. While these can occupy an entire vacation (especially with kids) there’s much more to see in Orlando beyond the parks.

Before Orlando became the tourist destination it is now, it was a simple farming community overflowing with orange groves. If you seek them, you’ll still find orange groves there today.

Downtown Orlando is much less visited than other regions of the city, but is a bustling cultural center. You’ll find theaters, museums, upscale shops, and restaurants that remind you people actually do live in Orlando.

With all the amusement parks in the area, Orlando is extremely kid friendly. From iconic Disney World to SeaWorld and Universal Studios, there are many options to choose from.

Disney offers attractions for young children to adults. The Magic Kingdom is great for the littlest ones, home to the famous Cinderella castle that graces most Disney advertisements. Mickey’s Toontown Fair and Fantasyland are designed especially for children under age eight (and you’ll meet many of their favorite characters in Toontown).

Universal Studios offers thrill rides, lazier rides, and behind the scenes looks at how movies are made. It’s still a working studio so you may see some filming going on there, too. Universal’s latest attraction is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a region of the park dedicated to bringing J.K. Rowling’s books to life through a thrill ride through Hogwarts castle and a recreated village of Hogsmeade for shopping and dining.

SeaWorld is the ideal choice for learning about marine life and has a new park with rides just for kids. SeaWorld offers multi day passes in combination with Universal.

With all the amusement parks in the area, you’ll find it to be quite touristy. But this has its advantages. It means that the people there are ready for you and the things you need on vacation are easily available.

The major theme parks offer vacation packages that include admission tickets and accommodations, some even within the parks so that you won’t have to go too far once you arrive. Packages like these are designed for tourists, but they are designed to make your stay comfortable and relaxing.

Kissimmee is a touristy location that can provide everything you need. Kissimmee’s main strip for vacations on U.S. 192 is lined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, and shops along extra wide sidewalks to accommodate the crowds. Kissimmee is also conveniently located in relation to the major amusement parks.

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