Gulliver's Travel  Orlando, Florida |
|
Orlando, Florida |
| Winter | Spring | Summer | Autumn | |
| Average High | 70° F | 78° F | 91° F | 84° F |
| Average Low | 48° F | 55° F | 71° F | 65° F |
| Average Rainfall | 2.3" | 3.2" | 7.3" | 2.4" |
Anytime is a great time to visit Orlando, especially in the spring and autumn. Summers can get humid and winters are sometimes cool.
How do I get around town?
Transfers
Transfers are not included with your vacation package, but they are available for purchase. Orlando International Airport is located approximately 10-15 miles from International Drive area hotels, 15-20 miles from Lake Buena Vista area hotels, 25 miles from Walt Disney World® Resort hotels, and 25-30 miles from Maingate/Kissimmee area hotels.
Rental Car
Orlando is best navigated by rental car. With so many theme parks and attractions ranging from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, Florida is a great fly/drive destination. Your clients will receive unlimited mileage with Alamo or National Car Rental, but be sure to remind them to fill the gas tank before returning it. Parking at Universal Orlando® Resort theme parks is approximately $10 per day, at the Walt Disney World® Resort theme parks it is approximately $9 per day, and at SeaWorld, it’s approximately $10 per day.
Hotel Shuttles
Many hotels in the Orlando area offer free scheduled shuttles to at least one of the major theme parks. Please be aware that many of these shuttles require a free reservation.
What kinds of dining and nightlife are available?
Enjoy the cuisine of your choice in more than 3,800 restaurants. There is casual dining through fine dining and from American cuisine through dishes from Zaire. There are also eight dinner theaters, including Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, Arabian Nights, and Medieval Times Dinner Adventure. Two areas are jumping with great places to eat and have fun — Universal CityWalk® serves up the Hard Rock® Café, Motown Café Orlando, NASCAR Café, and Emeril Lagasse’s Emeril’s Restaurant Orlando Downtown Disney® has such favorites as Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café®, and the Wolfgang Puck Cafe.
Some others to try include:
- Bluezoo
Indulge in innovative seafood in a romantic, under-the-sea themed setting at the Swan & Dolphin Resort. - Café Tu Tu Tango
Set in a Spanish artist’s loft, Café Tu Tu Tango serves eclectic cuisine in a stylish atmosphere. Also, entertainment abounds with belly dancing, sword-eating, and live painting! - Mama Della’s Ristorante
Located inside the swanky Portofino Bay Hotel, this charming eatery serves up comforting, family-style Italian dishes. - Origami Sushi Incorporated
Don’t let the shopping center location fool you — the ambiance and cuisine are both trendy and tasteful. - Seasons 52
Innovative restaurant where parts of the menu change every week of the year. Meals here tend to be light, healthy, and very flavorful. An impressive wine list complements the long and colorful menu. - White Wolf Cafe
Upscale cafe cuisine such as Middle Eastern fare, pizzas, and more. Enjoy the romantic atmosphere as much as the food.
Nightlife centers on Universal CityWalk® and Downtown Disney® with dance clubs, live entertainment, and more.
Where should I go shopping?
Shop ‘til you drop — Orlando has everything from high fashion to factory outlet stores. Shopping malls include upscale shopping at the Mall at Millenia, the Florida Mall, Orlando Fashion Square Mall, and West Oaks Mall. There are also numerous outlet centers including Quality Outlet Center, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, Belz Factory Outlet World, and the 430,000-square-foot Orlando Premium Outlets®. Other places to spend some time and money include Downtown Disney® Marketplace, The Mercado, and Pointe Orlando.
When are the local events?
Orlando's festivals are not exactly major league, though it must be hard to organize a brouhaha in the shadow of theme parks that want you to believe that everyday's a holiday.
Silver Spring Rodeo
February and July. The Silver Spring Rodeo has been putting on a show since 1944, drawing 50,000 spectators and some of the top rodeo athletes to Orlando. It's the largest rodeo in the eastern United States.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival
April. Epcot displays flowers from around the globe.
Oldsmobile Scramble
October. 100,000 amateur golfers putt it out at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Oldsmobile Classic for pros follows.
What are my golf and recreation options?
Golf
The area around Orlando has become a great golf destination. You’ll find a beautiful climate and more than 150 golf courses to test your skill.
Outdoor Adventures
Parks offer a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks. You can take a dip in the rivers and warm water springs at Blue Spring State Park, or take an hour and a half drive to the beaches, or make your way through Ocala National Forest in a canoe or on a bike.
Travel tidbits
Disney Update
Expedition Everest opened in the spring of 2006 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. A mile-long runaway train ride through the Himalayas brings visitors face-to-face with the mythical yeti which, done by Disney, is a howling animatronic beast and the center of the theme park giant’s first big-ticket attraction in 2 1/2 years. The ride has a 44” height requirement. Also new is Wanyama Safari where 12 guests can get up-close encounters with the animals via a vehicle. At Epcot, the newest ride is Mission: SPACE with intense G-forces simulating a spacecraft launch, approach, and landing on Mars. Nemo & Friends make their home at Epcot, too. At the Magic Kingdom, Captain Jack Sparrow and his nemesis, Barbossa, show up during the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
Universal Studios
Electronic message boards display the wait time at all major attractions, so you’ll never have to wonder how long the wait will be for your favorite ride.
Fastpass
Get a Fastpass first thing, as you arrive at Walt Disney World. On busy days, Splash Mountain runs out of its allotment, and like all Fastpasses, you won’t be allowed on earlier than your assigned time, but you can go on the ride later.
Away From the Theme Parks
Wekiwa Springs State Park comprises approximately 7,000 acres of wild scenery that offers an opportunity to see how areas of central Florida looked when the Timucuan Indians speared fish in the spring-fed creeks and stalked the uplands. They left a number of mounds that are still visible today. The main spring pumps approximately 42 million gallons of water each day. Rent canoes or take a canoe guided trip. It is truly an amazing experience. You feel like you are canoeing through “Old Florida.”
Good to Know:
| Airport Name: 3-letter Code: |
Orlando International Airport MCO |
| Best Weather: | March – May and September – November |
| Best Values: | January – early February, May, and September |
| Currency: | U.S. Dollar |
| Language: | English |
| Time Zone: | Eastern Time, one hour ahead of Central Time |
| Proof of Citizenship: | None needed for U.S. citizens |
| Tipping: | Leave 15% or 20% if the service was excellent |
| Dress: | Orlando is very casual. Shorts are allowed at most restaurants, except fine dining establishments. Bring a sweater, as some of the air-conditioned places can be quite cool sometimes. |
| Tourist Board Phone #: | 407-363-5872 |
206 Things To Do in Orlando
Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned Orlando vacationer, this list will surely provide a few unique ideas for what to do in Orlando during 2008 and beyond. This list is correct at time of website publication. PLEASE check to be sure each event is still available.
- Slip into the water with a beluga whale at SeaWorld Orlando.
- Sit on the back of a real alligator at Gatorland.
- Learn to surf without going to the beach at Ron Jon's Surfpark, opening soon.
- Paddle a swan boat on Lake Eola.
- Smell the roses at Harry P. Leu Gardens.
- Cast a line for bass fishing with a guide.
- Marvel at Tiffany glass at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.
- Find Chief Osceola in the mural at Celebration Hotel.
- Touch a stingray at SeaWorld Orlando.
- Experience a night out in downtown Orlando.
- Count the manatees at Blue Spring State Park.
- Race your friends on go-karts at Fun Spot Action Park.
- Explore the headwaters of the Florida Everglades on an Orlando airboat adventure.
- Drive a stock car at 125 mph (201 km/h) at Richard Petty Driving Experience.
- Tour the world in under a mile at Epcot.
- Go whale watching at Port Canaveral.
- Dine at the world's largest Hard Rock Cafe.
- View the stars from the largest refractor telescope in Florida at the Orlando Science Center.
- Get a taste of Hawaiian fusion at Roy's Restaurant.
- Take a paddlewheel boat ride aboard the Indian River Queen.
- Treat yourself to "a little something" at Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Jimmy Choo or Coach at The Mall at Millenia.
- Feel the G-forces on a roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure.
- Swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove.
- Play golf on the same courses as Tiger Woods.
- Design and ride your own roller coaster at WonderWorks and DisneyQuest.
- Build your own teddy bear at The Florida Mall.
- Rock out to the sounds of hot new bands at the Florida Music Festival.
- See the weird and wild at Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium.
- Play glow-in-the-dark mini golf at Putting Edge in the Festival Bay Mall.
- Learn to water-ski at the Orlando Watersports Complex or Lake Buena Vista Water Sports.
- Go antiquing on Orange Avenue and in Mount Dora.
- Body surf at Wet 'n Wild Orlando or Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.
- See the Bible come to life at WordSpring Discovery Center and The Holy Land Experience.
- Uncover bargains at flea markets.
- Gamble in international waters on Sterling Casino and SunCruz Casino cruise lines.
- Jam at Bob Marley's open-air house.
- Capture the grace of dance at an Orlando Ballet production.
- Be a pirate for a day aboard a giant, indoor galleon at Pirate's Dinner Adventure.
- Take an art class at Crealdé School of Art or Maitland Art Center.
- Sample some of the nearly 150 wines sold by the ounce through high-tech Enomatic dispensing machines at The Wine Room in Winter Park.
- Recapture the history of the Seminole Indian War at Fort Christmas.
- Play in snow during Christmastime at Celebration.
- Be rescued by Arnold Schwarzenegger at Terminator 2: 3D.
- Visit Winter Park's Park Avenue shopping district.
- Watch golf greats at PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events.
- Pedal down the Atlantic boardwalk at Disney's Boardwalk.
- Pick an orange from a tree.
- Glide gently back to solid ground after your first hang gliding experience at Wallaby Ranch Hang Gliding Flight Park.
- Battle comic villains with Spider-Man at Universal Orlando Resort.
- Sip a specialty martini at Blue Martini.
- Taste local wines at Lakeridge Winery.
- Test new toys at Disney's Once Upon a Toy.
- Escape the Yeti on Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
- Cause a margarita volcano to erupt at Universal CityWalk.
- Be a clown during Cirque du Soleil.
- Dine with characters at your favorite theme park.
- Swim in 72°F (22°C) water year-round at Wekiwa Springs.
- Eat fries at the McDonalds with the world's largest PlayPlace.
- Learn country line dancing at Cowboys Orlando.
- Visit the oldest African-American municipality - Eatonville.
- Catch Atlanta Braves' spring baseball training or Tampa Bay Buccaneer's NFL training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
- Savor Italian ice cream at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.
- Shake hands with the most famous mouse in the world - Mickey!
- Survive a psychological thrill on The Mummy at Universal Orlando.
- Pose for a photo with a four-story Big Wheel bike at Disney's Pop Century Resort.
- Learn to Salsa and Merengue at Latin Quarter.
- Shop for surf gear 24-hours-a-day at Ron Jon's Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach.
- Learn the delicate art of glass-blowing at CityArts Factory in downtown Orlando.
- Enjoy a carillon concert at Historic Bok Sanctuary.
- Find your birthday in the tile floor at The Mall at Millenia.
- Tour International Drive on an I-Ride Trolley.
- Meet the residents of Pine Valley, Port Charles and Llanview at ABC's Super Soap Weekend held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- See the movies come to life at Universal Studios.
- Train like an astronaut at the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
- Buy top goods at great prices at the area's outlet centers.
- Savor the real key lime pie - it's yellow!
- Dine outside year-round.
- Learn to sky dive indoors at SkyVenture Orlando.
- Trade pins at Epcot.
- Select a stogie from the 1.5 million cigars at Corona Cigar Company.
- Watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort.
- Touch an iceberg at Titanic ~ The Exhibition.
- Test your BMX skills at Vans Skatepark.
- View American folk art at House of Blues.
- Learn to hula dance at a luau.
- Shoot hoops at NBA City.
- Milk a cow at Green Meadows Petting Farm.
- Feel the force of an earthquake at WonderWorks.
- Come face-to-face with Jaws.
- Enjoy breakfast in bed - in public - at The Beacon, a trendy restaurant and nightclub in downtown Orlando's Thornton Park.
- Ride the famous glass-bottom boats at Silver Springs.
- Build an animal, car or anything else at LEGO Imagination Center.
- Find animals in the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
- Feel the "conga beat" at Gloria Estefan's restaurant, Bongos Cuban Café.
- Parasail above Central Florida's chain of lakes.
- Head under the sea in a clamobile with Nemo and his friends at Epcot.
- Marvel at mansions as you boat through lakes and canals in Winter Park.
- Grill your own pancakes in an old sugar mill at Deleon Springs.
- Relax at one of 16 destination spas.
- "Praise the Lord and pass the biscuits" at the gospel brunch at House of Blues.
- Enjoy a steak cooked to perfection at Hawk's Landing Steak House while overlooking the 18th green at the Orlando World Center Marriott.
- Get married with Mickey as your best man or Minnie as your maid of honor.
- Drop 13 stories on Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Perform as a duck master during the Duck March at The Peabody Orlando.
- Putt-putt through wild animals and pirates.
- Cheer on a cowboy at Silver Spurs Rodeo.
- Be surrounded in your own in-hotel room theatre.
- Be a marine life trainer for a day at SeaWorld Orlando.
- Eat space food at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
- Wrap up in seaweed at one of the area spas.
- Be serenaded by a singing waiter at Bergamo's Italian Restaurant.
- Get shrunk at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Take in a moo-ving play at the Mad Cow Theatre.
- Rev your engines at a NASCAR race.
- Become a part of the skyline at Manuel's on the 28th.
- Taste gator bites and gator ribs at Gatorland.
- Purchase discount tickets at Orlando's Official Visitor Center.
- Shop at one of nine regional shopping malls.
- Buy fresh produce at farmer's markets.
- Discover the lost city of Atlantis at SeaWorld Orlando.
- Go hog wild and rent a Harley-Davidson.
- Work on your swing with Annika Sorenstam's coach at the Annika Academy at Ginn Reunion Resort.
- Watch Walter Farley's Black Stallion at Arabian Nights.
- Get chased by a chain saw gang during Halloween Horror Nights.
- Discover a bird's eye view from a helicopter.
- Solve a mystery at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows.
- Try to find a straight line at Seuss Landing at Univeral's Islands of Adventure.
- Plummet 125 feet (138 meters) on a water slide.
- Team up to protect your home base during laser tag.
- Share the spotlight at Sak Comedy Lab.
- Rock out to an impromptu concert by The Blues Brothers at Universal Studios.
- Dine in Cinderella's castle at Disney's Magic Kingdom.
- Cook your own food at The Melting Pot.
- Walk down New York Avenue at Universal Studios.
- Launch into space on Mission: SPACE at Disney's Epcot.
- Sharpen your golf skills at one of 23 academies.
- Improve your game with tennis lessons.
- Enjoy fireworks every night.
- See otters and manatees on a kayaking adventure.
- Be part of the pit crew at Daytona USA.
- Bask in the sun
- Enjoy the opera or the philharmonic.
- See the newest independent films at the Enzian Theater, home of the Florida Film Festival.
- View jewelry created by local artists at the Grand Bohemian Gallery.
- Buy your last-minute gifts at one of the airport's many shops.
- Dance on a spinning dance floor at Mannequins.
- Drink a pint and eat fish and chips at Cricketers Arms Pub and Eatery or Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant.
- Observe downtown Orlando at night from its rooftop bars - Latitudes & Sky60.
- Become a Shamu "splash victim."
- Feed and bark back at sea lions.
- Become a crash-test dummy at Test Track at Epcot.
- Watch top recording artists perform at House of Blues, Hard Rock Live or Amway Arena.
- Play Frisbee golf at Barnett Park.
- Go rollerblading at West Orange Trail.
- Ride the largest, fastest, tallest roller coaster in Orlando at SeaWorld Orlando.
- Come face-to-face with wild animals at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
- Come this close to a predator of the deep at Sharks Underwater Grill at SeaWorld.
- Eat sweet corn at the Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival.
- Hang out with Shrek at Universal Studios.
- See International Drive upside down from a window at WonderWorks.
- Dine with an astronaut at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
- Relax on a white sand beach.
- Learn how to draw a cartoon at The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Become a particle of food at the Orlando Science Center.
- Keep the beat with the incomparable Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando Resort, starting in June 2007.
- Gaze out on an African savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
- Listen to rock 'n' roll music under water at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort.
- Fly through the air on the sky coaster at Old Town Shopping, Dining & Entertainment Attraction.
- Cheer on your knight at Medieval Times.
- Pose for the cover of your favorite magazine.
- Spot bald eagles and blue herons on Orlando's lakes.
- Hear the tales of great African-American musicians at the Wells' Built Hotel.
- Bring home a can of moon soup from Chalet Suzanne.
- Experience Central Florida's natural beauty on horseback.
- Sleep in a castle.
- View the workings of a movie studio's costume department.
- Bask in the moonlight during a pedicab ride on International Drive.
- Place your bet at a Jai-Alai game.
- Celebrate your heritage, whether Irish, Native American or Polish at local festivals.
- Learn more about the history of Orlando and the definition of a "cracker" at the Orange County Regional History Center.
- Go on an African safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
- Careen through the streets of Hollywood on Rock 'n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Eat lunch or dinner at a drive-in theatre at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Enjoy a luxurious, citrus-themed spa treatment at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Grande Lakes.
- Laugh along with the top names in comedy at the Orlando Improv and Dottie's Orlando Comedy Theater.
- Set sail for a lunch or dinner cruise down the St. Johns River on the Rivership Romance.
- "Ooh and aah" during the famous water-ski show at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park.
- Sing along with the crowd at a dueling piano bar at Howl at the Moon Orlando.
- Crash a hilarious Italian-American wedding at Tony 'n Tina's Wedding, Orlando's newest dinner attraction.
- Capture the checkered flag in a NASCAR simulator at Full Speed Race & Golf.
- Buy art off the walls at Café Tu Tu Tango.
- Get a make-over from a Fairy Godmother-in-training at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Downtown Disney.
- Share the "kitchen sink" at Disney's Beaches & Cream Soda Shop.
- Defend the world against aliens at MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack at Universal Studios.
- Dine in a private "snug" at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant.
- Watch sea turtles hatch on the coast.
- Eat fresh, local strawberries in the middle of winter.
- Enjoy tea and an architectural tour of beautiful downtown Celebration.
- Have a psychic reading at the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp.
- See the caricatures of celebrities and famous Orlando residents at The Palm Orlando and Jack's Place.
- Eat breakfast with Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants at Nickelodeon Family Suites.
- Picnic on the shores of Lake Eola.
- Accelerate to 120mph (201 km/h) in under two seconds at G Force Drag Racing.
- Get your face painted at one of many area festivals.
- Hang glide above California's redwood forests at Epcot's Soarin'.
- Spot sneetches on the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Universal's Islands of Adventure.